UMGN Promotes Stuve, Gavron

Regina Stuve

Regina Stuve

Universal Music Group Nashville Chairman, Luke Lewis announces the following promotions effective immediately:
  Regina Stuve is promoted to Senior Director of Artist & Media Relations for UMG Nashville (formerly Director of Artist & Media Relations). Stuve reports directly to Jason Owen, Senior Vice President of Artist Development & Marketing for UMG Nashville.

amanda

Amanda Gavron

Amanda Gavron is promoted to Coordinator of Promotion for MCA Nashville (formerly Assistant). Gavron reports directly to Van Haze, Vice President of National Promotion for MCA Nashville.

Partnerships Equal Expanded Services

*Photo cutline: (l-r) Ramona E. Simmons, Global Eyes Entertainment; Lee Williams, CMR Nashville; and Preston Sullivan, Global Eyes Entertainment

(L-R): Ramona E. Simmons, Global Eyes Entertainment; Lee Williams, CMR Nashville; and Preston Sullivan, Global Eyes Entertainment

Two long-time entertainment companies have joined forces to offer country music artists, labels and managers an outlet to build their global footprints. Global Eyes Entertainment (GEE), a Nashville-based international artist development company founded in 1997, and London’s country radio station, CMR Nashville, have reached a strategic partnership agreement to offer radio promotion packages.

Ramona E. Simmons, founder of GEE, and partner, Preston Sullivan, will run the Nashville office. Lee Williams works for CMR Nashville.

GEE/CMR Nashville can be reached at 9 Music Sq. S. #360, Nashville, TN 37203; 615-882-0242; www.globaleyesentertainment.com and www.cmrnashville.com.

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E1 Music and the Progression Music Group have formed the Red Dirt Music Company, providing artist management and record label services, with a focus on Texas music. PMG General Manager Ben Ewing will oversee operations of the company with label resources provided by E1 Music. Chuck Rhodes is serving as Director, Country Division of E1 Music.

Also at E1, Alan Grunblatt is the newly named President, replacing Bob Frank. He previously served as GM and executive VP and will report to E1 CEO Michael Koch.

The Red Dirt Music Company is located at the PMG offices in Nashville with a satellite office in Austin, Texas. It can be contacted at 615-847-3702 or ben@progressionmusicgroup.com.

R.J. Curtis Is Arista’s New Reg. Promo. Mngr.

rj-curtis

R.J. Curtis will be Arista Nashville’s new Regional Promotion Manager, Midwest beginning July 20. He will relocate to Music City to serve the region previously helmed by Tyler Waugh, who segues to the Southeast territory.

Skip Bishop, Vice President, National Promotion for Arista Nashville stated, “Bringing R.J. into the Arista family just felt like a natural fit. His plethora of talents and rigid high standards will be a tremendous contribution to our team. R.J.’s unshakable passion for music and remarkable knowledge of radio’s inner workings are a perfect match for our DNA.”

Curtis is well known throughout the industry, most recently as Country Editor for Radio & Records, and for his more than 25 years of experience in radio, including 16 years at KZLA Los Angeles. He is a past member of the CMA and ACM Board of Directors and current CRB Board of Directors Vice President.

Glamorous Tidbits

cover_glamour_190Taylor Swift is on the cover of the August issue of Glamour magazine. In an article titled Taylor Swift: Bomb-Shell in Blue Jeans, she dishes on her favorite career moments (Saturday Night Live, Rolling Stone cover), future goals (a world tour, moving out of her parents’ house), and where she sees herself in the future.

Toby Keith recorded his new single “American Ride” last week and following extreme demand, rushed it to radio in time for the Independence Day weekend.

Blake Shelton will be on Good Morning America on ABC on Mon. July 6.

Check out the music/film industry gossip site of Nikki Finke at www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com.

Nashville pop/folk songstress Madi Diaz, signed to Cherry Lane Publishing, recently received the Songwriters Hall of Fame Abe Olman Scholarship for Excellence in Songwriting.

Comedian Rodney Carrington’s new all-music album, El Niño Loco, debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Comedy chart last week, as well as at No. 19 on the Country chart.

Rascal Flatts is the first country act set to participate in the iTunes Pass program which allows fans access to exclusive content like live recordings, demos, and more. After the program launches on July 21, new audio will be released each week for the remainder of the summer.

Emerging singer Shawn Mayer is gearing up for her summer tour kicking off in Nashville at Cadillac Ranch on July 7. Show starts at 6:00PM and is a benefit concert for Spinal Muscular Atrophy presented by singer/songwriter Warren Silvers. From there, Shawn will travel to the Midwest for upcoming dates in Iowa and the surrounding areas opening for Josh Gracin, Jamie O’Neal, John Michael Montgomery and Andy Griggs.

Digital distribution label GMV Nashville has announced the addition of several new titles to their online catalog, including the epic This Is My America set, out-of-print titles from the Charlie Daniels Band and Toy Caldwell, and more. This Is My America is a three-disc compilation of original material that chronologically recounts the history of America through songs from 58 of Nashville’s finest award-winning singers and songwriters.

Rising country singer-songwriter Shane Wyatt has entered into a sponsorship with Farm Boy & Farm Girl brands, which makes clothing and accessories that capture the heartfelt pride of the farming lifestyle.

Photos: Rascal Flatts, Rhonda Towns, Colt Ford

Jay DeMarcus

Jay DeMarcus Photo: Zach Henderson

Rascal Flatts visited a JC Penney store in a Washington, D.C. suburb prior to their show at the Nissan Pavilion on June 27. The band created a little “fan fare” when their secret visit was leaked by a local radio station and hundreds of fans showed up to greet them. The retailer’s American Living clothing line sponsors their tour- “Rascal Flatts American Living Unstoppable Tour.”

rhonda

Rhonda with Gwen Foster/KMLE Music Director

Rhonda Towns (Dawn Records/Spinville Records) is on a radio tour to promote the remix of her current single “Slow Rain,” and on Wednesday, June 24 visited the staff and radio personalities at Camel Country–KMLE Country 108 in Phoenix.

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coltColt Ford (Average Joe’s Entertainment) has reached sales of over 100,000 paid downloads, and was recently awarded a “100,000 Downloads” certification from Tunecore, the digital distributor utilized by outlets such as iTunes and Amazon. With CD sales exceeding 40,000 units (Soundscan) his album, Ride Through The Country, is being featured in Wal-Mart’s “Country Picks” section (shown in the photo). The project features guest performances by Jamey Johnson, John Michael Montgomery, Adrian Young (of No Doubt), rapper Bonecrusher, and more. The title track is the current single.

New Artists Now

davidnailMCA Nashville will release David Nail‘s debut album I’m About To Come Alive on Tuesday, August 18. Produced by Frank Liddell and Michael Wrucke, Nail is credited with writing nearly half of the 11-track record. “I think every artist that moves to Nashville has a list of things they hope to achieve, and having a record in stores has always been near the very top for me,” explains Nail. “This has been a two-year process of highs and lows, but now being on the verge of accomplishing that, it feels as sweet as I ever imagined.” Showing his biggest audience increase to date, Nail’s single “Red Light” has been one of the most-added songs at radio the last two weeks. Nail recently starred in the video for the track alongside his new bride Catherine. The video was filmed in Nashville and will premiere later this month. He will spend the 4th of July performing at Mud Island in Memphis, and is the subject of a feature on www.MarieClaire.com.
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theparksFather/son duo The Parks released their Carolwood Records debut album, Born Into It, to all online music stores yesterday (6/30). Clint Park and his father and musical partner Johnny Park not only co-wrote but also produced all twelve tracks on the debut. Recorded at Nashville’s Quad Recording Studios, The Parks had their live stage band, who they’ve been working with for seven years at a regular gig at Cowboy’s in Gallatin, Tennessee, play on the record. Among the album’s co-writers are Steve Bogard, Brett Beavers, David Lee and Doug Nichols.

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Columbia Nashville newcomer Josh Thompson has been visiting radio in support of his self-penned debut single, “Beer On The Table,” which goes for adds on July 27. The 31-year old singer/songwriter grew up with in a working class family and arrived in Nashville in 2005. His energetic live shows drew in a fan base, and eventually caught the attention of hit songwriters and Columbia Nashville. He recently scored his first major cut as a songwriter with “Growing Up Is Getting Old,” the title track of Jason Michael Carroll’s current album. Produced by Michael Knox (Jason Aldean), Thompson is finishing his first album which features 10 songs he wrote or co-wrote.

 Columbia Nashville newcomer Josh Thompson hangs out with the KBEQ Morning Drive crew while promoting his debut single, "Beer On The Table." Pictured (l-r):  KBEQ's Zeke Montana, Thompson, Natalie Puhr, and PD Mike Kennedy.

Columbia Nashville newcomer Josh Thompson hangs out with the KBEQ Morning Drive crew while promoting his debut single, "Beer On The Table." Pictured (l-r): KBEQ's Zeke Montana, Thompson, Natalie Puhr, and PD Mike Kennedy.

Musical Chairs: W.A.Y. Ent., Republic Nashville

wayFormer Sony execs. Jon Elliot and Christian Svendsen have formed W.A.Y. Entertainment, a fully integrated entertainment company. The Nashville-based outfit will specialize in artist management and marketing services, and also offer merchandise and TV production through partnerships with A3 Merchandise and Relay Productions. With combined experience of more than 30 years and backgrounds in promotion, marketing and artist development, Elliot and Svendsen will support their client base across all platforms.

Elliot was most recently VP of Marketing & Artist Development for Arista/Nashville and the RCA Records label, overseeing all of the branding and imaging for artists including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley and Martina McBride, among others. Previously, Elliot was at RCA (NY) where he was part of the marketing team that launched the Dave Matthews Band. Svendsen was most recently Director of Strategic Marketing for Sony Nashville and was responsible for the TV film initiatives for all four Sony labels. Svendsen began his career at Sony as Southwest Regional and was responsible for radio promotion and marketing for Kenny Chesney, Lonestar, Kellie Pickler and Lorrie Morgan, among others.

Contact information for W.A.Y Entertainment:
Jon Elliot, 615-390-6773, jon@way-entertainment.com
Christian Svendsen, 214-557-0097, christian@way-entertainment.com

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Weslea Bartholomew has joined the Republic Nashville team as Director of Southwest Promotion. A graduate of the University of New Mexico, Bartholomew has more than 5 years of radio experience, serving as both an on-air talent and as Assistant Program Director of WBEE in Rochester, NY. Bartholomew will be based out of her hometown of Albuquerque, NM. She may be reached at weslea.bart@republicnashville.com

Alicia Torres will serve as Label Resource Manager/ Executive Assistant to Republic Nashville President Jimmy Harnen. A graduate of Appalachian State University, Torres’ previous professional endeavors include serving as Booking & Promotions Agent for Mountain Cowboy Music; Regional Marketing & Advertising Rep at HQ Management and New Monkey Studios; Sponsorship Coordinator and Street Team Manager for Music on the Mountain; News Anchor for WASU-FM as well as the President and Concert Organizer of the MEISA Music Festival. Torres most recently served as SAG/ AFTRA Licensing Coordinator for MTV Networks Viacom in New York. She may be reached at alicia.torres@republicnashville.com.

821 Grows the Hollywood-Nashville Connection

821821 Entertainment, the Music City company headed by Pres. Anastasia Brown and CEO Eric Geadelmann, has optioned the film rights to one of John Grisham’s biggest bestsellers. That project, along with the company’s upcoming Roy Rogers trilogy, will offer many possibilities for the use of Nashville music, says 821 COO Graham Chalfant.

Grisham has been declining offers to make a movie of his novel The Testament—one of his personal favorites—since its release in 1999. But well-known producers Mark Johnson (Chronicles of Narnia, The Notebook, Donnie Brasco, Rain Man) and Hunt Lowry (Grisham’s A Time To Kill, Last of The Mohicans, Blue Collar Comedy Tour) convinced him otherwise. Johnson, an Academy Award winner, and Lowry partnered with 821 to co-produce The Testament and provide development financing.

The film, set in Washington DC and the Brazillian outback, is about a billionaire who leaves his fortune to an illegitimate daughter living in Brazil, and the lawyer who helps her fend off her father’s other relatives.

Chalfant, a former banker, says 821 is now focused on finding a screenwriter and adapting the novel in a way that Grisham sees fit. The company could finance the project but would prefer to co-finance with a studio. According to Variety, 821 is “in the throes of raising $250 million in equity and debt to finance productions with ‘heartland appeal.’”

With plans to work on 16 films in the next five years, 821 is also busy with its newly announced King of the Cowboys film trilogy based on Roy Rogers. Through a partnership with Rogers’ heirs, there will be a family fantasy adventure movie, as well as animated TV, interactive game and merchandising efforts.

Geadelmann and Chalfant recently sat down with Fox News to elaborate on the company’s effort to turn stories from America’s heartland into movies and television shows. Watch it at http://www.821entertainment.com/foxbusiness.cfm

Revolving Door: Stoney Creek, Sony, LifeNotes

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Ash Bowers

Stoney Creek Records, the new label founded by Broken Bow owner Benny Brown, has signed Ash Bowers. and is planning the release of his first album. The Buddy Cannon produced project contains seven songs penned by Bowers, as well as the new single, “Stuck,” which was written by Billy Montana and Frank Myers and goes for adds Aug. 17. Bowers is managed by Shawn Pennington of Matchless Management.
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Sony Music Nashville announces that Jon Elliot, VP, Artist Development & Marketing, and Christian Svendsen, Director, Strategic Marketing, are departing the company to form a new venture. Exact exit dates are pending. Interested persons may submit resumes at www.sonymusic.com once the position is posted.
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The Lost Trailers’ Stokes Nielson and his wife Maria are proud parents of a healthy baby boy born Mon., June 22 in Nashville. Weighing in at 7.7 lbs, both the little one and his mom are doing well. He is also happily welcomed by a big sister.

Cindy Watts, entertainment writer at The Tennessean, and her husband Richard Kimzey welcomed their first child together on Thurs., June 25. Kansas May Halcyon Watts-Kimzey weighed 7 lbs 12 oz, and was 21 inches long. Baby and mother are happy and healthy. Kansas joins nine-year-old half-sister Madison.

CMT Awards Draw Top Execs

The 2009 CMT Music Awards aired live from Nashville’s Sommet Center on June 16. Many of MTV Network’s top brass came to town to mingle with Nashville executives and artists at the event.

(L-R): President of MTV Networks Van Toffler, CEO of MTV Networks Judy McGrath, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

(L-R): President of MTV Networks Van Toffler, CEO of MTV Networks Judy McGrath, Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

(L-R) Senior Vice President of Development of CMT John Hamlin with Taylor Swift backstage. (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

(L-R) Senior Vice President of Development of CMT John Hamlin with Taylor Swift backstage. (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

(L-R) President of CMT Brian Philips with CMT Music Awards host Bill Engvall after the awards show. (Photo: Charlotte Stremler/CMT).

(L-R) President of CMT Brian Philips with CMT Music Awards host Bill Engvall after the awards show. (Photo: Charlotte Stremler/CMT).

(L-R) CMT Insider host Katie Cook; Cindy Wilson, Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider of the B-52's; Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland; Keith Strickland of B-52's; and UMGN SVP of Artist Development and Marketing Jason Owen. (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)

(L-R) CMT Insider host Katie Cook; Cindy Wilson, Kate Pierson, Fred Schneider of the B-52's; Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland; Keith Strickland of B-52's; and UMGN SVP of Artist Development and Marketing Jason Owen. (Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images)