Industry Ink: Buddy Lee Attractions, Warner/Chappell Production Music, Hippie Chick Twang

/by

 Jesse Keith Whitley Signs With Buddy Lee Attractions

Pictured (L-R): Tony Conway, Ontourage Management; Amy Aylward, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; David Kiswiney, Sr. Vice President, Buddy Lee Attractions; Kat Boggs, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; Jesse Keith Whitley; Grayson Flatness, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; Zinnia Martinez, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; John Roberson, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; Aura Guadagno, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; Joe Lee, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions. (seated) Mike Meade, Vice President, Buddy Lee Attractions.

Pictured (L-R): Tony Conway, Ontourage Management; Amy Aylward, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; David Kiswiney, Sr. Vice President, Buddy Lee Attractions; Kat Boggs, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; Jesse Keith Whitley; Grayson Flatness, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; Zinnia Martinez, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; John Roberson, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; Aura Guadagno, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions; Joe Lee, Agent, Buddy Lee Attractions. (seated) Mike Meade, Vice President, Buddy Lee Attractions.

Jesse Keith Whitley has signed with booking agency Buddy Lee Attractions for worldwide representation. Whitley has also teamed with Tony Conway of Ontourage Management.

Whitley’s joining BLA marks a family tradition of sorts. BLA represented both Whitley’s grandfather, Country Music Hall of Famer George Morgan, and mother, country entertainer Lorrie Morgan.

“I could not be more thrilled to be with Buddy Lee Attractions Inc. Our family history runs deep with this wonderful team. I am a 3rd generation artist to go through BLA, so to have Joe Lee and Donna Lee involved is such an honor,” Whitley said.

 

Warner/Chappell Production Music’s “Listen to Larry” Gets PromaxBDA Nomination

Mark Agent

Mark Agent

Warner/Chappell Production Music, the production music arm of Warner Music Group, has had a piece nominated for the PromaxBDA Local Awards’ “Use Of Original Music in a Promo” category. The nominated piece, “Listen to Larry,” was created in conjunction with KTVT-TV (CBS 11 – Dallas/Ft. Worth) to promote the accuracy and dependability of their Chief Meteorologist, Larry Mowry.

Randy Wachtler, Warner/Chappell Production Music President & CE0 stated, “I’m thrilled that this collaboration with KTVT-TV is nominated for a Promax Local Award, and proud to have been a part of a successful and popular campaign!”

Mark Agent, Warner/Chappell Production Music’s Director of Licensing for Local Television added, “KTVT wanted something powerful, something to get their message across about their award-winning weather forecast. The Texas style of music really helped us bring out the pride that the viewers have in their state.”

The PromaxBDA Local Awards celebrate and honor the best in local media, marketing and design, driving excellence, creativity and innovation from the local market. The Awards will be held on June 23 in Las Vegas as part of the PromaxBDA Station Summit.

 

Hippie Chick Twang Is Going To The Country

Pictured (L-R): Kent Blazy, Kim McClean, Jake Neumar

Pictured (L-R): Kent Blazy, Kim McLean, Jake Neumar

Hippie Chick Twang’s creative community of music launches their first Finally Friday Party at The Country, a new music club in Nashville. Twelve acts will offer 2 songs each and there will also be a jam band featuring band leader Will McLean Johnston. Songwriters Kim McLean, Kent Blazy, Mary Sue Englund, Tyler Barham, and Jake Neumar will perform from 7-9 p.m.

Hosted by 650 AM WSM personality Devon O’Day, this series will continue every final Friday of the month at The Country. For information or to submit for a performance slot on future Hippie Chick Twang Finally Fridays, call or text 615-400-5140 or email [email protected].

There is no cover for the party at The Country, located at 110 28th Avenue North near Centennial Park.

SESAC Signs “Peter Pan” Songwriter Jesse Lee Levin

/by
Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, Levin, Parallel’s Tim Hunze and Hannah Showmaker. Photo: Peyton Hoge

Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, Levin, Parallel’s Tim Hunze and Hannah Showmaker. Photo: Peyton Hoge

SESAC has announced the signing of songwriter Jesse Lee Levin for representation.

Levin, who is signed with Parallel Entertainment for publishing, is on the charts now with “Peter Pan,” as recorded by Kelsea Ballerini. Levin and Ballerini co-wrote the song with Forest Glen Whitehead.

Levin stopped by SESAC’s new Music Row headquarters with representatives from Parallel to celebrate.

2016 MusicRow Awards: Voting Closes Today At 5 P.M.

/by

MusicRowAwards2016_570x380_ballotcloses

Voting for the 28th Annual MusicRow Awards will close today (May 24) at 5 p.m. View the nominees.

MusicRowNominator2016_thumb

Subscribed members of MusicRow determine the winners in four categories: Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, Producer of the Year, and Song of the Year.

If you have already submitted your ballot or RSVP, no further action is required.

If you do not have a MusicRow subscription, subscribe to receive your ballot.

To have your MusicRow Awards ballot resent, please email [email protected] or call 615-499-5421. Ballots were sent by MusicRow on Wednesday, May 18.

The 2016 MusicRow Awards are an invitation-only event, hosted this year at BMI on June 29.

Sony/ATV Nashville Honors Bobby Braddock For 50 Years As Staff Writer

/by
Pictured (L-R): Terry Wakefield, Bobby Braddock, Tracy Lawrence, Troy Tomlinson. Photo: Courtesy of Sony/ATV

Pictured (L-R): Terry Wakefield, Bobby Braddock, Tracy Lawrence, Troy Tomlinson. Photo: Ed Rode, Courtesy of Sony/ATV

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville celebrated Bobby Braddock‘s 50-year anniversary as a staff writer on Thursday (May 19).

Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson (President/CEO) and Terry Wakefield (Sr. VP of Creative), BMI’s Jody Williams (VP, Writer/Publisher Relations) and music journalist Robert Oermann all spoke about Braddock’s illustrious career and shared personal anecdotes about the man and songwriter.

At the reception, Tracy Lawrence performed “Time Marches On,” his 1996 No.1 hit written by Braddock. Video tributes included words from Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith, Billy Currington, Scott Hendricks and James Stroud.

Other noted industry guests in attendance included Kix Brooks, Paul Worley, Jim Ed Norman, Don Cook, Doug Johnson, Hendricks, Deborah Allen and Michael Kosser, among others. Braddock’s daughter, Lauren Braddock Havey, and son-in-law Jim Havey also attended.

In May of 1966, Buddy Killen signed Braddock to what was then Tree Publishing Company, “when I was seven years old,” Braddock says with a wink.

In that 50 years Braddock has been inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York, and the Country Music Hall of Fame; received the BMI Icon Award and the ACM Poets Award; won the CMA Song of the Year award twice (six nominations), and is the only living songwriter to have had No. 1 country songs in five consecutive decades.

Braddock got Blake Shelton his record deal and produced his first three albums and several of his biggest hits. He himself has been an artist on five major labels and has had two books published, most recently Bobby Braddock: A Life on Nashville’s Music Row.

He and Curly Putman wrote what is often considered the greatest country song of all time, “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Braddock also wrote “I Wanna Talk About Me,” “Time Marches On,” and “Texas Tornado,” and co-wrote “People Are Crazy,” “D.I.V.O.R.C.E.,” “Golden Ring,” and “All My Old Flames Have New Names.”

2016 MusicRow Awards: Song Of The Year

/by

MusicRowAwards2016_song_570x380

MusicRow’s Song of the Year honors Nashville writers and publishers on the craft of songwriting, not necessarily chart performance.

Finalists for the 2016 MusicRow Awards, Nashville’s longest-running music industry trade publication honors, were revealed earlier this week.

SONG OF THE YEAR NOMINEES:
Publishing information included inside nominee announcement.

“Burning House”
Cam shared a devastating dream with her co-writers Tyler Johnson and Jeff Bhasker, leading them to write “Burning House.” The ballad established Cam’s career at country radio, earned a Grammy nomination and achieved platinum status.

“Buy Me a Boat”
Chris Janson sailed to stardom after “Buy Me a Boat” caught the attention of country radio, CMT and millions of fans. Co-written with Chris DuBois, the tune has more hooks than a tackle box and became one of the summer’s biggest hits.

MusicRowNominator2016_thumb

“Humble and Kind”
Lori McKenna wrote “Humble and Kind” as a letter to her children, but its wise message reached Tim McGraw too. With his own daughters growing up and leaving home, his perspective and believability resonated with listeners of every age.

“Peter Pan”
Even before it was a single, Kelsea Ballerini says she saw “Peter Pan” connect with girls at her shows. Written with Forest Glen Whitehead and Jesse Lee, the song shows the heartache that comes from loving someone who won’t let a relationship mature.

“Record Year”
When the breakup is final, you turn to vinyl. That’s the theme of Eric Church’s “Record Year,” where he drops the needle on heroes like Willie Nelson and Stevie Wonder. Co-written with Jeff Hyde, the song shows the healing power of music.

The MusicRow Awards are often a key predictor for select CMA Awards categories. For example, Song of the Year honors at both ceremonies went to “Girl Crush” (2015), “I Drive Your Truck” (2013), “If I Die Young” (2011), “The House That Built Me” (2010) and “In Color” (2009).

The MusicRow Awards will be presented at a private ceremony at BMI on Wednesday, June 29. Winners are determined solely by MusicRow subscribers. See the final nominees.

Voting closes on Tuesday, May 24 at 5 p.m. If you do not have a subscription, you may subscribe to receive your ballot.

MusicRowAwards2016_categories_SongYear

Music & Memory Receives Support From Music Row Community

/by
Pictured (L-R): Emilie Glover, Redlight Management; Cyndi Forman, UMPG Nashville; Julie Dowd, Blakeford @ Green Hills; Tammy Helm, UMPG Nashville

Pictured (L-R): Emilie Glover, Redlight Management; Cyndi Forman, UMPG Nashville; Julie Dowd, Blakeford @ Green Hills; Tammy Helm, UMPG Nashville

The organization Music Row for Music & Memory presented checks recently to various care facilities in the Nashville area that offer the Music & Memory program. The money will be used for laptops, iPods, and other accessories.

“It feels great to watch our fundraising efforts pay off right here at home in Nashville. We will continue to find ways to bring awareness to this wonderful program,” said Cyndi Forman, Vice President, Creative, at Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville.

“We are very appreciative of the generous donation that Music Row for Music & Memory recently presented Blakeford with. This gift will allow us to purchase more iPods for our residents and give us the ability to touch more lives with this powerful program,” said Holli Passmore, Director of WellLife and Administrator of Independent Living Services.

Music & Memory is a non-profit organization that brings personalized music into the lives of the elderly. By providing access and education, the goal is to make this form of personalized therapeutic music a standard of care throughout the health care industry.

For more, visit musicandmemory.org.

ASCAP Songwriters Discuss Fair Compensation With Members Of Congress

/by
Pictured (L-R)): Songwriter/ASCAP Board Member Desmond Child with Rep. Dave Trott (R-MI)

Pictured (L-R): Songwriter/ASCAP Board Member Desmond Child, Rep. Dave Trott (R-MI)

A number of ASCAP members and executives walked the halls of Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday (May 18) to meet with legislators and to urge them to stand with songwriters in the fight for fair compensation in today’s digital music marketplace.

Representative included: Paul Williams (“Rainbow Connection”), Desmond Child (“Livin’ On A Prayer”); Randy Goodrum (“Bluer Than Blue”); Jennifer Higdon (“Our Beautiful Country” from Cold Mountain); Brett James (“Something in the Water”); Brian McKnight (“Back at One”); Monica (“Before You Walked Out of My Life”), MoZella (“Wrecking Ball”), Priscilla Renea (“Somethin’ Bad”), Savan Kotcha (“Can’t Feel My Face”) and Needlz (“Just the Way You Are”).

In their meetings with members of Congress, the songwriters explained the unique challenges they face in the digital age, and highlighted the urgency of updating the consent decrees to better reflect how people listen to music today, starting with rate court reform.

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP Board Member Dan Foliart, songwriter Priscilla Renea, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) and songwriter MoZella

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP Board Member Dan Foliart, songwriter Priscilla Renea, Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX), songwriter MoZella

They also asked members of Congress to stand with songwriters and pass the Songwriter Equity Act, which would update two outdated provisions of the U.S. Copyright Act that prevent songwriters and publishers from earning fair royalties when their music is downloaded or streamed.

In between meetings, the group gathered to hear from Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Speaking as a songwriter himself, Sen. Hatch emphasized the need to protect music creators and reaffirmed his support for the Songwriter Equity Act. He also recounted fondly his experience of writing a number of songs with his friend Paul Williams.

The songwriters carried with them several “#StandWithSongwriters petition guitars,” signed by a sampling of ASCAP’s more than 575,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members, including: Kevin Kadish, Ashley Gorley, Brett James, Erica Campbell, Pat Benatar, Nate Ruess of fun., OMI and Adam Schlesinger.

Kobalt App Tracks Global Rights, Songwriter Earnings In Real Time

/by

Kobalt logo

Kobalt has announced the release of the Kobalt App. For the first time, music creators will be able to view all their rights globally and see how each song directly translates into income.

“This connection between a creator’s works and their income is the first of its kind,” said Willard Ahdritz, Kobalt Founder and CEO. “It’s a fundamental shift in the relationship between rights owners and their data. Imagine how that will influence their decisions, shape their perspectives on the industry and streaming, empowering them with the facts. I believe this will have an enormous impact on the future of music—out of the dark ages, full access, in real time. All in one app. The revolution continues!”

Key features of the Kobalt App include:

• Music Feed: Kobalt clients can scroll through their top 100 music earnings at a glance, or explore by quarter, right type and territory. With daily updates, they will always have the latest income and activity data from all publishing sources, including Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Pandora, and many more.

• News: Creators can stay up to date on industry news and important account updates from Kobalt, including real-time synch activity, payments, registration, and much more.

• YouTube: Clients can track where and how their music is being used on YouTube. Whether it’s an official video, a cover song, or a viral sensation, creators will know exactly how many views Kobalt is monetizing.

• Financials: Creators can see the money they’re making in real time, and break down income by top earning works, right type, or country. They can also compare financial data across previous quarters, and find out when their statements are due.

• Synch: From pitch to payment, clients can keep track of every synch opportunity around the world. They can favorite the synch opportunities they want to follow closely, or tap to explore more details.

“Putting the power of Kobalt into the hands of creators has always been a top priority for me. Today’s music creators deserve the same transparent, on-demand access to their data that most other industries already have. The Kobalt App is a giant step toward delivering that for our clients,” said Ahdritz. “The feedback we are getting from our clients is incredible—no one has seen anything like this before! This is the only app that delivers true transparency for creators.”

The Kobalt App is free to use for Kobalt Publishing clients, and available in countries where the Apple App Store operates. The Android version of the Kobalt App is planned for release in the near future.

2016 MusicRow Awards: Breakthrough Songwriter Of The Year Nominees

/by

MusicRowAwards2016_songwiter_570x380

The 10 nominees for MusicRow’s Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year each earned their first Top 10 single as a songwriter during the eligibility period (May 1, 2015 to April 30, 2016).

Finalists for the 2016 MusicRow Awards, Nashville’s longest-running music industry trade publication honors, were revealed earlier this week.

BREAKTHROUGH SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES:

Jaron Boyer landed two major hits with Dierks Bentley’s “Somewhere on a Beach” and Dustin Lynch’s “Hell of a Night.” Growing up as a fan of country and hip-hop, musical influences come through in his songwriting.

Corey Crowder made a name for himself in songwriting circles through his back-to-back No. 1 singles for Chris Young: “I’m Comin’ Over” and “Think of You,” the latter featuring special guest Cassadee Pope.

MusicRowNominator2016_thumb

Matt Dragstrem co-wrote Florida Georgia Line’s “Sippin’ on Fire” on the same day he signed his songwriting deal with Big Loud Shirt. His first cut was Kenny Chesney’s “Rock Bottom,” co-written with Craig Wiseman.

Josh Hoge is a co-founder of Whiskey Jam, which has grown into a destination for music discovery in publishing circles. Hoge co-wrote six songs on Chris Young’s latest album, I’m Comin’ Over, including the chart-topping title track.

Josh Kerr quickly found a comfortable co-writing arrangement with Kelsea Ballerini. Their shared writing credits include “Love Me Like You Mean It” and “Dibs,” which were both gold-certified No. 1 country hits.

Maren Morris made the industry take notice with “My Church,” the powerful lead single from her 2016 Columbia Nashville project. She’s also landed cuts with Kelly Clarkson, Tim McGraw and the cast of ABC’s Nashville.

John and TJ Osborne of Brothers Osborne became entrenched in Nashville’s songwriting community long before their No. 1 hit, “Stay a Little Longer.” Letting their blues and country roots shine through, they co-wrote every song on their debut EMI Records Nashville album, Pawn Shop.

Jody Stevens built his career as an artist and producer before racing up the country chart as a songwriter. Top credits include “Let Me See Ya Girl” for Cole Swindell and “Home Alone Tonight” for Luke Bryan and Karen Fairchild.

Cole Taylor moved to Nashville in 2013 and landed a publishing deal that same year. Since then, he’s secured cuts like Luke Bryan and Karen Fairchild’s “Home Alone Tonight” and Florida Georgia Line’s “Sippin’ On Fire.”

Justin Wilson, a Nashville resident since 1995, struggled through label mergers and disappointing publishing deals before finally landing hits with Michael Ray’s “Kiss You in the Morning” and Randy Houser’s “We Went.”

The MusicRow Awards will be presented at a private ceremony at BMI on Wednesday, June 29. Winners are determined solely by MusicRow subscribers. See the final nominees.

Voting closes on Tuesday, May 24 at 5 p.m. If you do not have a subscription, you may subscribe to receive your ballot.

MusicRowAwards2016_categories_Songwriter

Music Biz Panel Examines Complex Fight For Streaming Revenue

/by
Pictured (L-R): David M. Ross, David Raso, Photo: Music Biz

Pictured (L-R): David M. Ross, John Raso, Vickie Nauman, Lynn Morrow, Jim Griffin. Photo: Music Biz

The Music Biz hosted a panel titled Getting Paid: By Stream Or Market Share? on Tuesday afternoon (May 17) during its annual conference.

MusicRow founder and president of BossRoss Media David M. Ross joined a panel moderated by Jim Griffin, managing Director of Hazen, LLC and OneHouse. Additional panelists included Nashville attorney Lynn Morrow, Partner In Charge at Adams And Reese; Vickie Nauman, Principal and Owner of CrossBorderWorks; and John Raso, Sr. VP, Client Services at HFA/Rumblefish.

“Kenny Chesney and The Rolling Stones each earned $40 million in 2015,” said Ross, who noted streaming revenue made up less than one percent of those totals. “There’s no question in my mind that something is very wrong with the whole streaming situation. And those are just artists, how are non-performing songwriters going to make a living from what we have with streaming right now?”

Morrow also empathized with the songwriters.

“It’s very hard for songwriters to make a living in this town,” said Morrow. “The publishing side seems to have the most complexity. I’m fighting for the songwriters in Nashville–who are not the Kenny Chesneys that have various other income streams–who have a single income stream and don’t want to get an extra job at Home Depot. I care that it’s 15 or 20 percent that’s not being accounted for.

“When it comes to streaming, I’m very interested in having the songwriters get paid the money that is due to them. They own a copyright and there’s certain rights under the copyright act. One is the exclusive right to reproduce, and another is the public performance right. They assign those to the music publishers and count on them to get paid accurately for the songs that are streamed, downloaded, etc.”

“It is essential to come up with a new streaming business model to collect a larger pool of money,” Ross said. “How to distribute it is part two.”

As moderator, Griffin was able to explain various acronyms and legislation, offering remarkably insightful commentary and perspective to the complex subject for the audience. The hour-long panel continued with the panelists discussing HFA’s payments, industry audit rights, and the ineffectiveness of take-down notices.

To the latter point, Morrow said, “The other thing to note is it is very hard for these independent songwriters to afford to hire an attorney or litigator to bring particular copyright infringement actions. It is a very expensive course of action.”

She estimated the only likely course of action for independent publishers or songwriters would be to find a representative who would be willing to take the risk and roll the dice to waive an hourly rate to charge a contingency fee.