Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, More To Headline 2022 Pilgrimage Festival

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The lineup for this year’s Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival has been unveiled with Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Jon Batiste and The Avett Brothers at the top of the bill.

In the event’s eighth year, artists such as Lake Street Dive, Elle King, Lennon Stella, Trampled by Turtles, Dawes, Better Than Ezra, Marty Stuart, Celisse, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Butch Walker, Black Joe Lewis, Adia Victoria, Bones Owens, Brittney Spencer, Jensen McRae and more are scheduled to perform across five stages.

The annual festival will return on Sept. 24 & 25 at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, Tennessee. Two-day GA and VIP passes go on sale tomorrow (April 21) at 10 a.m. CT.

Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival aims to boost tourism in Williamson County while also supporting the local community. Last year, a portion of every ticket sold was donated to members of the music industry in need through the Recording Academy’s nonprofit MusiCares, in addition to Friends of Franklin Parks for capital projects at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm.

Randy Owen, Sara Evans, Jamey Johnson, More Come Together For The World Games Theme Song

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The Music of The World Games has shared its new theme song, “Hope of Alabama,” to encapsulate the strength and power of athletes, teams, coaches, entertainers and fans coming together with Birmingham, Alabama’s presentation of the The World Games 2022.

Produced by World Games Artistic Director Dr. Henry Panion III and penned by Alabama’s Randy Owen, his daughter Allison Owen, and Panion, the track represents a broad range of artists from the worlds of rock, country, R&B, gospel, and hip-hop.

The star-studded collaboration features some of Alabama’s most iconic musical stars, including Owen; hip-hop artist Yung Bleu; country stars Sara Evans and Jamey Johnson; Stellar Awards Gospel Artist of the Year pastor Mike Jr.; NBC’s The Voice top contestants Worth the Wait; Rolling Stones’ keyboardist Chuck Leavell; American Idol winners Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks; American Idol runner-up Bo Bice; Motown legend Martha Reeves; and the Blind Boys of Alabama.

“This song is a clarion call for the world when we need it the most—a call for hope and unity,” says The World Games 2022 CEO Nick Sellers. “’Hope of Alabama’ is a testament to music’s power to lift humanity to a better place.”

Randy Owen adds,“I want everyone to feel like they’re a part of something larger than just one. A feeling of feeling needed and wanted.”

As the first global event of 2022, The World Games 2022 will kick off on July 7 at Protective Stadium with Unlocking The Magic: Celebrating The Power of The One. Presented by Alabama Power, the presentation will feature live entertainment, special effects, honorable dignitaries and a parade of athletes representing more than 100 countries. Produced by Birmingham-based LRY Media Group, the Opening Ceremony will celebrate Birmingham’s past, present and future. Spoken word artist, musician, educator, and Birmingham native, Sharrif Simmons will deliver a poem in the Opening Ceremonies.

On July 17, the grand finale of The World Games 2022 will commemorate The Games with performances and the opportunity for athletes, fans and volunteers to bid farewell to Birmingham. Presented by Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, the final presentation will include the ceremonial passing of The World Games flag to representatives of the 2025 host city: Chengdu, China.

In Pictures: Black Opry Celebrates First Anniversary With City Winery Bash

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CMT’s Rachael Terrell, Black Opry’s Tanner Davenport, CMT’s Leslie Fram, Black Opry’s Holly G. Photo: Jason Davis/Getty Images for CMT

Monday night (April 18) was a big night for diversity in country music as the Black Opry celebrated its first anniversary with an event presented by CMT at Nashville City Winery.

Hosted by Black Opry founder Holly G and comedian Joshua Black, performers during the special event included Aaron Vance, Autumn Nicholas, Crys Matthews, Frankie Staton, Jett Holden, Joy Clark, Julie Williams, Kentucky Gentlemen, Nikki Morgan, O.N.E The Duo, Roberta Lea, SistaStrings, Sug Daniels, Tae Lewis and Tylar Bryant.

The Black Opry is a home for Black artists and Black fans of country, blues, folk and Americana music. Offered in two formats, writer’s rounds and festival sets, the Black Opry Revue showcases the diversity in sound and stories that Black artists offer to these genres. Black Opry Revue is currently touring nationwide featuring different artists, and is slated to perform as part of the 2022 AmericanaFest in September.

Pictured (L-R, back row): Joy Clark, Tylar Bryant, Brandon Campbell and Derek Campbell of The Kentucky Gentlemen, Julie Williams, Roberta Lea, Holly G., Nikki Morgan, Tekitha of O.N.E .the Duo and Joshua Black; (L-R, front row): Autumn Nicholas, Tae Lewis, Jett Holden, Leslie Fram, Prana Supreme Diggs of O.N.E .the Duo, Guest and Crys Matthews arrive at Black Opry Anniversary Party Presented By CMT at City Winery Nashville. Photo:  Jason Davis/Getty Images for CMT

Pictured: Hosts Joshua Black and Holly G. at the Black Opry Anniversary Party. Photo: Jason Davis/Getty Images for CMT

Jamey Johnson & Blackberry Smoke Announce Summer Tour

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Jamey Johnson. Photo: Charles Reagan Hackleman

Jamey Johnson is launching a tour later this year with Blackberry Smoke. Ella Langley and Megan Maroney will support on the 19-date run, which kicks off Aug. 12 in Lincoln, Nebraska.

The hitmaker will visit Wichita, Little Rock, Charlotte, Charleston, Pittsburgh and more with a Franklin, Tennessee show at FirstBank Amphitheater on August 25. Tickets for the dates go on sale to the public on April 22.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do until I am standing there doing it,” Johnson says. “That is a freedom I have enjoyed ever since I began doing this, the ability to try something new. You’ll see me do a lot of my songs, including my old stuff. If I have a new song that I want to share, you will hear that. When I’m not doing my songs, I’ll be doing everybody else’s that I like, from every format.”

Johnson continues, “If I find a jazz song that I like, we’ll drop it in there. If I find a rock song that I like, we’ll do that. My taste is vintage, traditional, and that is not to say that everything I do is old. There are a lot of new writers these days that are putting out great music that I find in the same vein as the old stuff I like and we may try some of that out.”

Johnson’s 2008 album, That Lonesome Song, was certified Platinum for 1 million in sales, and his 2010 double album, The Guitar Song, received a Gold certification. He has won two Song of the Year awards for “Give It Away” and “In Color,” both from the ACM and the CMA. In 2012, the Alabama native released the Grammy-nominated Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran, which paired him with Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Ray Price, Elvis Costello, George Strait, Vince Gill and Merle Haggard.

Jamey Johnson & Blackberry Smoke Confirmed Tour Dates:
12-Aug – Lincoln, NE – Lincoln On The Streets – Downtown Lincoln
13-Aug –  Mankato, MN – Vetter Stone Amphitheater
16-Aug – Maryland Heights, MO – Saint Louis Music Park
18-Aug – Wichita, KS – WAVE
19-Aug – Camdenton, MO – Ozarks Amphitheater
20-Aug – Little Rock, AR – First Security Amphitheater
21-Aug – Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
23-Aug – Southaven, MS – Landers Center
25-Aug – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
26-Aug- Raleigh, NC- Red Hat Amphitheater
27-Aug- Charlotte, NC- Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
28-Aug- Greensboro, NC – White Oak Amphitheater
1-Sep- Anderson, SC- Anderson Sports & Entertainment Center
2-Sep- Doswell, VA- The Meadow Event Park – SERVPRO Pavilion – After Hours
3-Sep- North Charleston, SC- Firefly Distillery
4-Sep- Portsmouth, VA – Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion
8-Sep- Pittsburgh, PA- Stage AE Outdoors
9-Sep- Sterling Heights, MI- Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
11-Sep- Columbus, OH- KEMBA Live!

Reach Music Opens Nashville Office, Adds Sarah Feldman As Director Of Creative

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Sarah Feldman. Photo: Jessica Amerson

Reach Music, which represents the catalogs of clients in all genres including Zac Brown, Chuck D, Common, Lisa Loeb, John Mayer, Lindsey Stirling and Judas Priest’s Glenn Tipton, has opened its Nashville office.

Reach purchased a two-story townhouse near Music Row on 18th Avenue South at the end of 2021. The new office represents a natural growth for the company and an opportunity to be more front and center as a publisher in the Nashville community.

Reach Music, founded by Michael Closter, originally opened in New York City almost 30 years ago, eventually establishing an office over 10 years ago in Burbank, California.

Reach has also appointed its first Nashville employee, Sarah Feldman, as Director of Creative. She will be involved in all creative matters, including A&R and songwriter collaborations, and will serve as a member of the synch team. Feldman will be working closely with Reach’s newest signings and local writers, including Sierra Hull, Cindy Morgan, Aric Damm of The Brevet and The Lighthouse and the Whaler.

“We initially worked with Sarah Feldman as a local consultant and she did an impressive job supporting our clients and copyrights in all creative matters,” Closter notes. “Once we had set up an office in Nashville, it was a natural progression and perfect scenario to be able to offer Sarah this full-time position.”

Reach’s Nashville office is located at 1028A 18th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37212. Feldman can be contacted at sarah@reachmusic.com.

John Esposito Reportedly Transitioning To Chairman Emeritus At Warner Music Nashville

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John Esposito. Photo: Eric Brown

According to reports, Warner Music Nashville’s John “Espo” Esposito will be transitioning from Chairman/CEO to Chairman Emeritus beginning in early 2023. The news was originally published by Billboard. Warner Music Nashville has not confirmed with MusicRow despite multiple attempts.

In his emeritus role, Esposito will likely remain involved in strategy and long-range planning, as well as serve in an advisory role.

As noted by Billboard, it is expected that either Ben Kline and Cris Lacy will take over running the day-to-day running of the company in a phased transition. In 2019, Kline was elevated to Executive VP/General Manager and Lacy to Executive VP/A&R.

Esposito took over operations at WMN in 2009 after seven years at WEA Corp. where he served as President/CEO of WMG’s sales and marketing division. In 2019, Esposito also signed a new multi-year contract with the company.

WMN’s roster includes Blake Shelton, Kenny Chesney, Dan + Shay, Chris Janson, Ashley McBryde, Cole Swindell, Brett Eldredge and Gabby Barrett, among others.

This story is developing…

Phil Thornton Named SVP Of Capitol Christian Music Group

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Phil Thornton. Photo: Wardell Malloy

Phil Thornton has been appointed Senior Vice President of Capitol Christian Music Group (Capitol CMG).

In his newly created position, Thornton will focus on new business development, signing talent, the development of the label, and media and touring partnerships on behalf of Capitol CMG artists. Thornton assumes his new position on May 3, and will be based at Capitol CMG’s headquarters in Nashville.

Prior to joining Capitol CMG, Thornton was Senior Vice President/General Manager of RCA Inspiration—the Nashville-based gospel music label that operates under Sony Music’s Provident Music Group. Among his recent accomplishments at that label, he signed a deal with Mariah Carey to release a new Christmas song, “Fall In Love At Christmas” featuring Khalid and Kirk Franklin, via her MARIAH imprint; he paired H.E.R. and Tauren Wells for the Grammy-nominated collaboration, “Hold Us Together (Hope Mix);” collaborated with The Orchard to sign Tribl Records, home to genre superstars Maverick City Music; worked with Republic Records and Quality Control Music/Motown for the recording and launch of Lil Baby’s and Kirk Franklin’s “We Win (Space Jam: A New Legacy);” and partnered with Pharrell Williams for his Voices Of Fire choir, which was chronicled in a Netflix documentary series.

Previously, Thornton served as Vice President and General Manager of Urban Inspirational at eOne Music from 2012 through 2016, where he oversaw a diversified list of gospel and R&B artists, including Erica Campbell, Shirley Caesar, Jonathan McReynolds, Tweet and Lalah Hathaway whose album Lalah Hathaway Live held the No. 1 spot on the R&B radio chart for nine weeks and won three Grammy awards.

In 2007, Thornton settled in Los Angeles and partnered with Marcus Spence and Paul Coy Allen to form Ten2One Entertainment, a multimedia, television production, and artist management company. While there, he led the management team and guided the careers of Michael B. Jordan, Faith Evans, Michelle Williams, Kenny Lattimore, and Mack Wilds.

“We are thrilled to welcome Phil to the Capitol CMG team. He has an amazing track record for finding, developing and breaking artists and an entrepreneurial approach that we know will benefit our entire roster,” note the company’s co-presidents, Brad O’Donnell and Hudson Plachy. “We couldn’t be more excited about what’s ahead for all of us.”

CMG Chair & CEO Michelle Jubelirer adds, “I’ve known Phil almost since he started in our business, and I’ve watched him channel his ideas, abilities and energies into a great career as a music executive. I’m thrilled that he’s joined Capitol CMG as its Senior Vice President, and I know that his contributions will make the best company in faith-based music an even better one. I look forward to working closely with him, Brad and Hudson in the years ahead.”

“I want to thank Brad, Hudson and Michelle for this incredible opportunity to work at a label group that is the undisputed leader in faith-based music,” Thornton adds. “Joining the Capitol CMG/CMG family, I’ll be working with an amazing array of forward-thinking artists and partners, and drawing upon all of my experience, to create opportunities that will continue to grow our market and impact culture on a global scale. I can’t wait to get started.”

Nashville Meets London Music Festival To Return This August

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Nashville Meets London Music Festival will make its return with a two-day event, held on Aug. 24 and 25 in Trinity Buoy Wharf, East London.

In its seventh year, the NML Music Festival has become a summer staple for country and Americana music fans. Festival performances will feature artists representing the U.S. and the U.K. with the full lineup to be released in the coming weeks.

A limited number of tickets will be available, including ticketing packages that provide additional perks, entry into special events, and exclusive access. More information on tickets and event packages providing enhanced experiences will be released in the coming weeks.

“As NML continues to grow, so does the need for an alternative location,” notes Peter Conway of Peter Conway Management and Promotions and Nashville Meets London Co-Founder and Producer. “We are very grateful for what we built at Canary Wharf; however, we are excited to have a footprint that offers flexibility and will allow us to spread out and curate more intimate fan experiences where fans can feel more connected with one another and with the artists.”

“We expect something special. We are planning a grand comeback, and we can already sense the excitement,” adds Matt Watkins of The AristoMedia Group and Nashville Meets London Co-Founder and Producer.

On Aug. 19, NML will host the NML Country Music River Cruise which will feature acoustic performances by several yet-to-be-announced artists, a set by DJ Hish, and hosting by Absolute Radio Country presenter Matt Spracklen. Tickets can be purchased here.

Leading up to the summertime festivities, NML Presents! monthly residency shows will also take place on April 27, May 25, June 29, and July 27.

Randy Travis’ ‘More Life’ Documentary To Premiere On YouTube

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Randy Travis, Warner Music Nashville, and YouTube have teamed up to bring Travis’ More Life documentary to the platform in a seven-part series rolling out every two weeks until July 7. The first episode is available to stream now.

The documentary, which originally premiered on Circle Network, began as an intimate concert special in 2011 to honor the 25th anniversary of Travis’ iconic debut album Storms of Life. As the film was being finalized in 2013, Travis unexpectedly fell ill and suffered a massive stroke, leaving him unable to perform and severely limiting his speech due to aphasia.

The film touches on his storied career, envelopes the final filmed live performance from the legend, and inspires audiences with his story of healing, redemption and faith. It was directed and produced by Shaun Silva and Tacklebox Films with WMN’s Shane Tarleton and Mike Dupree serving as executive producers.

More Life YouTube Release Schedule:
Episode 1 – April 14
Episode 2 – April 28
Episode 3 – May 12
Episode 4 – May 26
Episode 5 – June 9
Episode 6 – June 23
Episode 7 – July 7

Bobby Bones to Receive University Of Arkansas Honorary Doctorate

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Bobby Bones

Radio and TV personality Bobby Bones will be recognized with an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Arkansas during the All-University Commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 14 in Bud Walton Arena.

The Mountain Pine, Arkansas native started his radio career as a teen in central Arkansas on 105.9 KLAZ. Bones is a benefactor of The Razorback Foundation as a member of the “Cardinal and White,” the organization giving initiative to support student-athlete scholarships and other expenses. He also provides shoes and uniforms to the athletic programs at Mountain Pine High School, and awards annual scholarships to selected students.

Bones is the host of the nationally syndicated iHeartRadio The Bobby Bones Show, which broadcasts to over 185 stations and is the No. 1 country morning show with millions of monthly listeners. The show is a 2x CMA award-winner, 4x ACM award-winner, and earned Bones the title of youngest-ever inductee into the prestigious National Radio Hall of Fame.

Additionally, his breakout TV series for National Geographic, Breaking Bobby Bones, is streaming now on Disney. He has also recently served as the official in-house mentor on American Idol, won season 27 of Dancing with the Stars, and serves as host and executive producer of Circle Network’s Opry.

Bones’ BobbyCast podcast, which features long-form interviews with top artists and industry figures, has been downloaded nearly 20 million times. He is also a two-time New York Times No. 1 bestselling author and touring stand-up comedian.