Country Radio Seminar Adds Eleven New Committee Members

CRS 2016 Logo

Eleven new members have been revealed as part of the 2015-2016 Country Radio Seminar agenda committee. Sam Alex (Townsquare Media), Ben Bennett (CMA), Katie Bright (Warner Music Nashville), Jay Cruze (WSCG), Carolyn Gilbert (NuVoodoo Media), Ed Green (Red Light), Christie Matthews (Saga Jonesboro), Jeff James (Signet Interactive), Stew Sawyers (Townsquare Media Longview), Jenny Sheilds (Premiere Radio) and J.R. Schumann (KSCS) have been named to the committee.

Along with 13 returning members, this group will plan agenda items and events for CRS 2016. This year’s agenda committee will be led by Tom Hanrahan (WDXB / iHeart) as Chairman and Greg Frey (Cumulus Media) and Judy Lakin (Cox Media Group) as Co-Vice Chairman.

CRB President Charlie Morgan adds, “As we move to our exciting new home at the Omni Nashville for 2016, we will want to insure the energy and relevance of our agenda matches the excitement of our new home and with this incredibly talented, dedicated and diverse group of industry thought leaders, we are sure to deliver!”

CRS 2016 will be held Feb. 8 – 10, 2016 at the Omni Hotel in Nashville.

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Show Dog Nashville Adds Suzanne Durham To Team

Suzanne Durham and Toby Keith

Suzanne Durham and Toby Keith

Show Dog Nashville has added Suzanne Durham as National, Promotion and Social Media. Durham rejoins the Show Dog team after serving as a radio liaison and social media manager for Toby Keith since 2011. Prior to her work directly with Keith, Durham served as Northeast Promotion and Marketing Director at Show Dog-Universal.

“Suzanne has been both an innovative promoter and a social media force, that we are excited to have her rejoin the team in this new capacity,” says Rick Moxley, Vice President, Promotion. “Her experience, direction, organization and drive will greatly benefit our team.”

“My favorite thing has always been the brainstorming and passion that begins as a conversation with a radio friend,” Durham says. “I’m excited to be at it again, from the front line. As Toby’s radio liaison/social media rep these last four years I was fortunate to be able to work with and learn from Toby, Show Dog, TKO Artist Management, the Toby touring team, country radio, and Team Leg Hair Don’t Care (#noshavenovember). I’ll still be doing what I’ve been doing, there’s just a little more to it now. Oh, wait a minute…ha, I look forward to re-joining Show Dog Nashville and working with Rick Moxley and George Nunes and the entire Show Dog team…again.”

Durham will be based out of the Show Dog office in Nashville. She can be reached at 615-828-9493 or at suzanne.durham@showdogmail.com

Stoney Creek Records Adds Director of Regional Promotion/West Coast

Matt Vieira

Matt Vieira

BBR Music Group has added Matt Vieira as its new Director of Regional Promotion/West Coast for Stoney Creek Records.

A 17-year veteran of KNCI-FM in Sacramento, Vieira has held the position of Music Director at the Top 30 ranked market station for the past five years. Vieira also served as Promotion Director for both KNCI, as well as Sports 1140 KHTK.

“I am so excited to start this new chapter in my life and to join the Stoney Creek and BBR Music Group family,” says Vieira. “It will be amazing to get out and meet all my new friends in the West and share my passion for music with everyone!”

“Country Radio will love Matt! He has always been a champion for the music while in radio,” says Stoney Creek VP of Promotion Chris Loss. “We can’t wait for him to unleash his passion with Stoney Creek Records and BBR Music Group.”

Vieira’s first official day with Stoney Creek Records will be Wednesday, May 20. He can be reached at MattVieira22@gmail.com and at 530-701-2210.

Industry Ink: BMLG, iHeartRadio, Sandy Mason, Big Spark Music Group

Big Machine Label Group Celebrates at iHeartRadio Country Music Festival

Big Machine Label Group celebrated performances from artists including Tim McGraw and Justin Moore during the iHeartRadio Country Music Festival recently in Austin, Texas.

Pictured (L-R): John Sykes, Tom Poleman, Tim McGraw, Scott Borchetta, Justin Moore, Bob Pittman, Rich Bressler and Clay Hunnicutt.

Pictured (L-R): John Sykes, Tom Poleman, Tim McGraw, Scott Borchetta, Justin Moore, Bob Pittman, Rich Bressler and Clay Hunnicutt.

 

Celebration of Life Set for Sandy Mason Theoret

Sandy Mason Theoret

Sandy Mason Theoret

A celebration of life honoring Sandy Mason will take place Wednesday, May 6 at Douglas Corner Cafe, beginning at 6 p.m. Pennsylvania native Sandy Mason Theoret provided background vocals on recordings from Garth Brooks, Crystal Gayle, Johnny Cash, John Prine, and more. She wrote and recorded both as Sandy Mason and as Sandy Mason Theoret. Among the hits she penned was the 1997 hit “Two Pina Coladas,” co-written with Shawn Camp and Benita Hill.

Her composition “When I Dream” reached No. 3 on Billboard‘s country chart in 1979. Other songs penned by Theoret include “All I Wanna Do in Life” (recorded by Gayle, George Jones and Marianne Faithfull), “Only Love” (Prine, Don Williams), “Feel the Love Go Round” (Petula Clark), “I’d Even Let You Go” (Debbie Boone) and “After All” (Cash).

 

Big Spark Music Group’s Olivia Lane Visits iHeartRadio Music Studios

Big Spark Music Group vocalist-songstress Olivia Lane recently made a visit to iHeartRadio Music Studios in New York City, where she performed an acoustic set, including her upcoming single “You Part 2,” which will hit Country radio on June 8. iHeartMedia Executive Vice President and General Manager of National Programming Platforms, Clay Hunnicutt, and staff heard the newcomer’s debut single, “Steal Me Away,” along with other tracks off her STEAL ME AWAY EP while enjoying pizza and sushi.

Pictured (L-R): iHeartMedia’s Jenny Sperling, iHeartMedia’s Marissa Morris, Artist Olivia Lane, iHeartMedia’s Clay Hunnicutt, Big Spark Music Group's Denniz Kurtz, Star Farm Nashville’s Michael Powers.

Pictured (L-R): iHeartMedia’s Jenny Sperling, iHeartMedia’s Marissa Morris, Olivia Lane, iHeartMedia’s Clay Hunnicutt, Big Spark Music Group’s Denniz Kurtz, Star Farm Nashville’s Michael Powers.

Mark Your Calendar – May 2015

Block-Party---posterIndustry Events

April 30-May 2
ASCAP’s 10th annual “I Create Music” Expo at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles

May 2
iHeartRadio Country Festival at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas

May 6-10
Key West Songwriters Festival

May 12
The Grammy Block Party at Cumberland Park on the riverfront at 4 p.m.

May 12-14
Music Biz 2015 held at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel

May 13
WHO KNEW networking event at 3rd & Lindsley during Music Biz

May 14
Music Business Association’s Music Biz 2015 Awards luncheon at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel

May 31
K-LOVE Fan Awards at the Grand Ole Opry House

Chris-Stapleton-TravellerAlbum Releases

May 4
Granger Smith/4X4 [EP]/Thirty Tigers

May 5
Chris Stapleton/Traveller/Mercury Records Nashville
Shelby Lynne/I Can’t Imagine/Rounder
Jason Michael Carroll/What Color Is Your Sky/For The Lonely Records

May 8
Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan/Crossing Muddy Waters, Be My Husband [vinyl release]/Sugar Hill Records-Yep Roc Records

May 12
Various/The Music Of Nashville: Original Soundtrack Season 3, Volume 2/Big Machine Records

May 19
Kelsea Ballerini/The First Time/Black River Entertainment

May 25
Adrian Duffy & The Mayo Brothers/United We Fall/SR Records

May 26
The Lacs/Outlaw In Me/Average Joes
John Anderson/Goldmine/Bayou Boys Music

Jackie-Lee-HeadphonesSingle Add Dates

May 4
Brett Eldredge/Lose My Mind/Warner Bros.
Darius Rucker/Southern Style/Capitol Nashville
Zac Brown Band/Loving You Easy/Southern Ground-Varvatos-BMLG
Corey Farlow/Country Never Stops/HMG
Josh Goodlett/Why You Gotta Be That Way/Good Entertainment
Cody Wayne/Makin’ Love In The Moonlight/Edgehill Music
Adrian Duffy & The Mayo Bros/Having It All/SR Records

May 11
Lee Brice/That Don’t Sound Like You/Curb
Chris Janson/Buy Me A Boat/Warner Bros- Team W.A.R.
Jackie Lee/Headphones/Broken Bow
John Anderson/I Work A Lot Better/Bayou Boys Music
Corey Smith/Feet Wet/Rounder-Sugar Hill

May 18
Randy Houser/We Went/Stoney Creek
Ashley Clark/Greyhound/I.R.S. Nashville-Star Farm Nashville
Blaise Streets/Bring On The Sunshine/Edgehill Music

Industry Pics: Nash Icon Records, Bill Anderson, Provident Label Group

Reba Celebrates Chart-Topping Success

Nash Icon Records artist Reba celebrated her latest album’s second week atop the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with a private SiriusXM listener event at the Loveless Barn just outside of Nashville. During the evening, she was presented with a plaque from her Nash Icon Records/Big Machine Label Group family to honor her album Love Somebody as the first release and first No. 1 for the label imprint.

During the event, Reba performed a mix of classics such as “Fancy” and “The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia,” as well as new material from Love Somebody, including “Going Out Like That,” “Love Somebody,” and “Until They Don’t Love You.” The performance will air on SiriusXM’s Prime Country and The Highway over Memorial Day Weekend.

Members of the Big Machine Label Group staff attended the special performance to help celebrate Reba’s second consecutive week with the No. 1 Country album.

Members of the Big Machine Label Group staff attended the special performance to help celebrate Reba’s second consecutive week with the No. 1 Country album.

 

Bill Anderson Honored For Songwriting Milestone

Bill Anderson recently added to his illustrious list of songs recorded by and released by top artists, with the tune “Country” from Curb Recording artist Mo Pitney. The song gave Anderson the distinction of having an entry on the country charts for seven straight decades.  Anderson’s diverse career has included time as a singer, songwriter, television host, radio personality and author.

He was recently signed by Webster Public Relations for pr representation.

Pictured (L-R): Publicist Kirt Webster, Bill Anderson & Anderson's Manager Lee Willard (Straight 8 Entertainment).

Pictured (L-R): Publicist Kirt Webster, Bill Anderson & Anderson’s Manager Lee Willard (Straight 8 Entertainment).

 

Building 429 Hits Sales Milestones

CCM group Building 429 notched a career milestone, hitting one million in single sales. The group’s label Provident Label Group honored the group with a plaque presentation, as Provident’s Sr. VP Dean Diehl praised the group for its accomplishment.

Building 429 has an uncanny ability to identify big ideas that connect with our core market at a deep level,” said Diehl. “Great songs are the lifeblood of any artist’s career and as we celebrate what the group’s past hits have done, all I can say is, wait until you hear what’s next!”

Pictured (Back row, L-R): Nina Woodard, Blaine Barcus, Andrew Patton, Ben Brown,  JoAnna Illingworth, Jimmy Wheeler, Amanda Snyder, Provident Label Group. (Front row, L-R): Aaron Branch, Jason Roy, Jesse Garcia, Michael Anderson, Building 429

Pictured (Back row, L-R): Nina Woodard, Blaine Barcus, Andrew Patton, Ben Brown, JoAnna Illingworth, Jimmy Wheeler, Amanda Snyder, Provident Label Group. (Front row, L-R): Aaron Branch, Jason Roy, Jesse Garcia, Michael Anderson, Building 429

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Double Shot: Kenny Chesney Celebrates Back-to-Back No. 1 Hits

Pictured (L-R): Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kenny Chesney and Rodney Clawson.

Pictured (L-R): Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kenny Chesney and Rodney Clawson.

ASCAP’s Michael Martin and BMI’s Clay Bradley hosted a mega-celebration at BMI Nashville’s lobby on April 28 to celebrate not one, but two No. 1 songs.

Kenny Chesney and songwriters Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, David Lee Murphy, and Jimmy Yeary were honored yesterday for the chart-topping songs “American Kids” and “‘Til It’s Gone.” The songs mark Chesney’s 25th and 26th chart-toppers.

“As a [song] plugger, it’s a special day when a song like this comes in,” said Big Red Toe’s Matt Turner of the song “American Kids,” penned by Clawson, Laird and McAnally. “It’s not a matter of if it will get cut, but when and who.”

Even as equally top-notch songwriters, it was clear that each writer was a friend and fan of the others. “To all the young songwriters, get in a writing room with Luke Laird. That’s the key to a good song,” said McAnally. “And luckily he introduced me to Rodney Clawson. I’m so blessed to get to do this for a living every day.” He got another blessing that day from his hometown of Mineral Wells, Texas. April 28, 2015 was proclaimed as Shane McAnally day in the city.

For Laird, earning a No. 1 song recorded by Kenny Chesney was a full-circle moment. “I often tell people my first cut was a Lee Ann Womack cut,” said Laird, before revealing that his very first cut by an artist came years ago when Kenny Chesney recorded a song Laird penned, titled “Miss Mexico.” “It didn’t make the record,” Laird said. “I appreciate you cutting this song.” He also praised co-writers Clawson and McAnally. “You go through so many writing relationships. These guys Rodney and Shane aren’t here by luck. They show up every time [to write]. They raise the bar, and make me want to be a better writer.”

Creative Nation’s Beth Laird was on hand to honor the song’s writers with custom-crafted side tables made with vinyl album covers–one side emblazoned with a vinyl cover of “American Kids,” and the other with a John Mellencamp vinyl cover.

Others offering praise to the songwriters and to Kenny were Universal Music Publishing Group’s Kent Earls and Round Hill Music’s Mark Brown.

Pictured (L-R): David Lee Murphy, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Yeary, and Rodney Clawson

Pictured (L-R): David Lee Murphy, Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Yeary, and Rodney Clawson

The day’s other celebrated tune, “‘Til It’s Gone,” was penned by Clawson, Yeary, and Murphy.

THiS Music’s Rusty Gaston encouraged a round of wild applause for all the writers, before sharing the decidedly vintage route “‘Til It’s Gone” took to being recorded. “They made a true old-school work tape. Just guitars played into cell phones, that’s what Kenny heard. The fact that at this point [Kenny] would listen to work tapes and hear through that and want to record it—hearing that Kenny is recording your song is a highlight of any writer’s year.” Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson also tributed the writers, as well as Chesney’s producer Buddy Cannon and Columbia Nashville’s Norbert Nix.

Among those celebrating the writers and artist were CMA’s Brenden Oliver, CRB’s Holly Lane, and Avenue Bank’s Cooper Samuels.

“I think it was David Lee who said to me, ‘Well, when you get back out there, what do you want to say to your audience?’” said Chesney. “And this song [“Til It’s Gone”]  is about living in the moment WITH someone, but if you back away… and look at it as all those people (in the audience), that’s exactly what I wanted to say. I knew when I heard the demo, the groove, the mood, the lyric that was it! I’m blessed they send me their demos.”

“These songwriters pour their hearts out every day and their talent takes Nashville to another level,” Bradley summed. Referencing Chesney’s recent concerts at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and his well-known work ethic, Bradley said, “Your passion to be the best inspires us all.”

Chesney also used the moment in the spotlight to announce that David Lee Murphy will soon release a new project of his own. Chesney is in the studio mixing a new album for the “Party Crowd” singer-songwriter.

Cumulus Media Extends Agreement with Co-Founder Lew Dickey

Lew Dickey

Lew Dickey

Cumulus Media has inked a multi-year contract extension with co-founder Lew Dickey. Under the contract, he will continue to serve as president and chief executive officer, as well as a member of the Board of Directors, through 2018.

“Our Board is grateful that Lew Dickey, who has built Cumulus into a leading national media business, has renewed his commitment to lead the company into the future. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with Lew to build value for our shareholders,” said Board member Jeff Marcus.

It was also announced that long-time director Robert H. Sheridan, III, of Ridgemont Equity Partners, will retire when his term ends at the 2015 annual meeting of stockholders. The Board has nominated Mary. G. Berner to stand for election, to fill the board’s vacant position. Berner is the president and chief executive officer of The Association of Magazine Media. Prior to running MPA, Berner led several media brands, including Glamour, TV Guide, W, Women’s Wear Daily, Brides and other publications.