Ronnie Milsap Mourns Loss Of Wife, Joyce

/by

Joyce Milsap, Ronnie Milsap, and Todd Milsap. Photo: Ronnie Milsap

Joyce Reeves Milsap, wife of Country Music Hall of Fame member Ronnie Milsap, died on Sept. 6. She was 81.

Reeves was born on July 25, 1941 in Gainesville, Georgia. At a dinner hosted by her cousin, she met a young Ronnie Milsap. Together, they started chasing Milsap’s dream of becoming a singer and married in 1965.

Always a fierce believer in her husband and the way he heard music, Reeves supported Milsap as the couple moved to Memphis and then eventually to Nashville as the singer made his transition into country music. The pair created a home in Music City, where they decided to settle at the end of 1972.

Her support carried him through three songs produced by Cowboy Jack Clement, which became his first country hits, and led Jerry Bradley to sign him to RCA Records in 1973. That faith sustained until Milsap scored his first two No. 1 songs in 1974–“Pure Love” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends,” the latter earning Milsap the first of his six Grammy awards and the 1974 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year.

Reeves was the muse and inspiration for many of Milsap’s biggest hits, including “Daydreams About Night Things,” “Smokey Mountain Rain,” “Show Her,” “Don’t You Know How Much I Love You,” “A Woman In Love” and “What A Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” as well as what the loss of that love might be informing “Almost Like A Song,” “Still Losing You,” “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It For The World” and the 1985 and 1986 Grammy-winning “Lost in the ‘50s Tonight.” To date, their love created 40 No. 1 hits.

Reeves and Milsap shared that love with their only son, Ronald Todd. Todd, who precedes his mother in death, died at the age of 49. She was also a grandmother to Kye, Asher, Mya and Wyler.

“There are no words, and not enough songs in the world to explain how much I love my Sapphire,” says the country icon. “She was the music and the feeling inside all of those songs, so if you loved my music, you understand some of how much I loved my beautiful, beautiful wife. It’s all in the songs, but she was even more. She was the love of my life, the mother of my son, the world’s happiest grandmother—and someone who woke up every day curious and ready for whatever adventure she could get into.

“When people tell me they love my music, I always smile, because that music is pure Joyce. We went through lean times laughing, good times beyond our imagination, tough times where we held on to each other for dear life,” he continues. “Blessedly/Thankfully, she’s in heaven with our Todd—and I know somehow from heaven, she’s still here with me every day, because that’s just how she was.”

Due to COVID concerns, Joyce will have a private family service.

Ashley Gorley Spends Eighth Consecutive Week Atop MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

/by

Ashley Gorley. Photo: Josh Ulmer

Ashley Gorley is spending his eighth consecutive week at No. 1 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Gorley is a co-writer on the following charting songs: “Beers On Me” (Dierks Bentley, Hardy & Breland), “Country Again” (Thomas Rhett), “Give Heaven Some Hell” (Hardy), “Sand In My Boots” (Morgan Wallen), “You Should Probably Leave” (Chris Stapleton), and “Good Things” and “Steal My Love” (Dan + Shay).

Hunter Phelps and Jonathan Singleton remain at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Tenille Townes Named CMA Foundation Artist Ambassador, Announces Canadian Tour

/by

Tenille Townes. Photo: John Shearer

Tenille Townes has been named the newest Artist Ambassador for the CMA Foundation Artist Ambassador, the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association.

As an Ambassador, Townes will visit Stewarts Creek Middle School in Smyrna, Tennessee and Isaiah T. Creswell Middle Magnet School of the Visual and Performing Arts in Nashville, as well as two additional elementary schools in nearby Coffee County. Through these visits, the CMA Foundation aims to engage, equip and empower both students and educators through music.

“We could not be more thrilled to welcome Tenille into the CMA Foundation Artist Ambassador collective,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Foundation Executive Director. “She has been such a valuable advocate for the CMA Foundation’s mission to provide equitable access to quality music education across the U.S., and we are grateful for the way she continues to use her voice to enhance and support these initiatives.”

“I truly am honored to be the new CMA Foundation Ambassador and to have the opportunity to be a part of the incredible work they are doing bringing music into the lives of kids out there,” says Townes. “Music is such a powerful force in this world and using it to make a difference in somebody’s life is the most important part about my dream and mission as an artist. I believe in the work that the CMA Foundation is doing so much. Music can completely alter the path of a young kid’s life for the better, giving a sense of purpose, belonging and a safe place to turn to. It still is that place for me, and it makes me so excited to think about so many young students having access to that.”

Previous Artist Ambassadors include Jimmie Allen, Russell Dickerson, Lindsay Ell, Maddie & Tae, Ashley McBryde, Caitlyn Smith and Charlie Worsham who have all supported music education initiatives in ways that are unique and personal to them.

Townes is also set to embark on “The Girl Who Didn’t Care” Tour, her first-ever headlining tour across her native country of Canada. “The Girl Who Didn’t Care” Tour will bring Townes to eight markets including Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Winnipeg. Public on-sale begins on Sept. 10.

Carly Pearce Receives Hometown Honors

/by

Carly Pearce. Photo: Alexa Campbell

Carly Pearce was honored by her hometown of Taylor Mill, Kentucky to celebrate her achievements and pay tribute to the place where all her musical dreams started.

Mayor Daniel Bell and the city commission hosted a special ceremony at Pride Park on Sept. 2, giving Pearce a key to the city and unveiling a sign that reads: “Welcome to Taylor Mill, Hometown of Country Music Star, Carly Pearce.”

Pictured (L-R): Commissioner Mark Kreimborg, Carly Pearce, Commissioner Caroline Braden, Commissioner Dan Murray and Mayor Dan Bell. Photo: Alexa Campbell

The CMA and double ACM Awards winner got her start at 16 working as a performer at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

“We are happy to be able to bring our residents and city officials together with Carly to celebrate the success she has achieved, especially becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Carly has always taken pride in being a native of Taylor Mill and we are delighted to be able to honor Carly and let her know that she has made her hometown proud,” said Mayor Bell.

“Coming home is always so special, but to be embraced by my community in such a big way is overwhelming,” said Pearce. “This is where my love of country music began, and I’m so grateful and proud Taylor Mill, Kentucky is my hometown.”

Carly Pearce. Photo: Alexa Campbell

The homecoming continued as Pearce took the stage in Newport at PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION as support on Lady A’s “What A Song Can Do Tour.”

On Sept. 17, Pearce will release 29: Written In Stone via Big Machine Records, offering a deeper look at pain, strength and courage across the project’s 15 tracks.

Jordan Fletcher Inks With Triple Tigers Records

/by

Pictured: (back row, L-R): Triple Tigers’ Kevin Herring, Triple 8’s Cara Kozulak, Sea Gayle Music’s JD Groover, Triple Tigers’ Laura Hostelley; (front row, L-R): Triple Tigers’ Norbert Nix, Jordan Fletcher, Triple 8’s George Couri. Photo: Courtesy of Triple Tigers Records

Rising artist Jordan Fletcher has signed with Triple Tigers Records. His debut single with the label, “Rather Be Broke,” is set for release this Friday, Sept. 10.

The Florida native dropped out of college and moved to Nashville in 2016. He soon began writing songs and cutting his teeth in bars, clubs, and honkytonks throughout the Southeast.

One the the newest “Highway Finds” on Sirius XM’s The Highway, Fletcher is signed to a worldwide publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music and is managed by Triple 8 Management. He also became a first-time dad recently, welcoming son Maverick with his wife Kelly in November 2020.

“We are very excited to begin the journey with Jordan and Triple Tigers Records,” says Triple Tigers Records President Norbert Nix. “Jordan is a consummate songwriter and experienced artist ready for the ride.”

Fletcher joins Russell Dickerson, Scotty McCreery, and Cam on the roster at Triple Tigers, who have yielded No. 1 hits with seven of the first eight songs taken to radio by their artists.

“I’m so honored to join the incredible roster of artists and the great team behind the scenes at Triple Tigers,” Fletcher shares. “I write my own life into every song I sing, so it means the world to have this platform to share those personal stories with even more fans.”

Dillon Carmichael’s Sophomore Project ‘Son Of A’ Set For October

/by

Dillon Carmichael has announced his sophomore album, Son of A, will be released on Oct. 22. The new album includes the nostalgia-driven track “Pickin’ Up Girls,” featuring The Cadillac Three, which is available everywhere now.

The followup to his 2018 breakout debut, Hell On An Angel, the new project features 14 tracks, half of which were co-written by the Kentucky native, with seven produced by Jon Pardi and Ryan Gore. Writers contributing to the project include The Warren Brothers, Rhett Akins, Luke Laird, Bobby Pinson, and more.

From “Big Truck,” co-written alongside David Lee Murphy and Jessi Alexander, to “Paychecks and Longnecks,” one of four Dann Huff-produced tracks, the album’s songs showcase Carmichael’s twang with blue collar-inspired hooks. “Family Tree,” produced by Phil O’Donnell, and “Hose Water” each tip the hat to Carmichael’s Southern-bred roots, while the title track, “Son of A,” acts as an anthemic “thank you” to those who raised him.

Carmichael is also making his way around the country this fall with upcoming stops in Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Wisconsin, New York, and Pennsylvania. He will also be playing a Nashville show at 3rd & Lindsley on Oct. 5. For a full list of dates and ticket information, click here.

Son of A Track List:
1. Hot Beer – Michael Hardy, Ashley Gorley, Hunter Phelps, Ben Johnson*
2. Big Truck – Dillon Carmichael, Jessi Alexander, David Lee Murphy*
3. Paychecks and Longnecks – Brice Long, Greylan James^
4. Family Tree – Dillon Carmichael, Casey Beathard, Phil O’Donnell+
5. Hose Water – Rhett Akins, Travis Hill, Paul DiGiovanni*
6. Son of A – Dillon Carmichael, Casey Beathard, Phil O’Donnell+
7. Man Made A Bar – Jon Pardi, Shane McAnally, Luke Laird*
8. Red, White, Camo and Blue – Dillon Carmichael, Bobby Pinson, Phil O’Donnell+
9. Leave The Lovin’ – Jaren Johnston, Luke Laird*
10. Since You’ve Been In It – Dillon Carmichael, Ray Fulcher, Michael Whitworth, Daniel Ross^
11. Pickin’ Up Girls feat. The Cadillac Three – Dillon Carmichael, Jaren Johnston, James McNair*
12. Gonna Wish You Did – Michael Hardy, Brad Warren, Brett Warren, Brad Clawson*
13. Somewhere She Ain’t – Dillon Carmichael, Jessi Alexander, Ben Hayslip^
14. Baby I Would – Jaren Johnston, Tony Lane^
* Produced by Jon Pardi and Ryan Gore
^ Produced by Dann Huff
+ Produced by Phil O’Donnell

Caroline Watkins Signs With SMACKSongs

/by

Pictured (L-R): Brenner McDonald (Lackey McDonald PLLC), Caroline Watkins, Robin Palmer, Carly Sater. Photo: Molly Bouchon

SMACKSongs has signed a worldwide publishing deal with singer-songwriter Caroline Watkins.

Watkins was born and raised in Nashville. After landing her own round at the legendary Bluebird Café when she was only 16, she signed her first publishing deal right out of high school with Warner Chappell. She attended Belmont University, where she received the Miranda Lambert Women Creators Scholarship.

Watkins has opened for Brett Eldredge, Walker Hayes, and Willie Nelson. In 2018, one of her songs was featured in the film Forever My Girl.

“Caroline’s songwriting talents and abilities make her a natural fit for our roster” says SMACKSongs Chief Creative Officer, Robin Palmer. “Our entire team couldn’t be more excited to work with her. We feel like this is perfect timing for the next chapter in her career.”

“I could not be more excited to start working with SMACK. Shane [McAnally] has been an incredible mentor and friend to me over the years, so it’s a dream come true to get to work with his team” adds Watkins. “I’ve always been a fan of SMACK, but when I met Robin, Carly [Sater], and the rest of the team, they immediately made me feel so at home and like part of the family, and I could not imagine a better place to get to write songs every day. I am just so thankful to them for believing in me and my songs and am so excited for my future with them!”

Americana Music Association Announces 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees

/by

Pictured (top row, L-R):Trina Shoemaker, Carla Thomas, The Mavericks; (bottom row, L-R): Keb’ Mo’, Fisk Jubilee Singers.

The Mavericks, Keb’ Mo’, Trina Shoemaker, Carla Thomas, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers are this year’s Americana Lifetime Achievement Award nominees. They are among the artists who will be recognized at the Americana Honors & Awards, on Sept. 22 at the Ryman Auditorium.

“We are beyond humbled to recognize this group of artists with our highest awards,” says Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association. “All of these artists have transformed the way we listen and experience music and have helped to build a perennial foundation for Americana music to prosper as an art form today. Our community looks forward to welcoming them with open arms on our biggest night of the year in September.”

The 2021 Americana Trailblazer Award will be given to The Mavericks. Formed in Miami in 1989, the combo, led by singer/songwriter Raul Malo, has fused country with claves and string-band textures from Malo’s family heritage in Cuba. In 2000, the ensemble took a pause, but came roaring back in the 2010s with shows that surge with danceable rhythm, horns, bilingual singing and the dark twang of guitar player Eddie Perez. Malo and drummer Paul Deakin have been Mavericks since the beginning, and the talented current lineup released the band’s first-ever all-Spanish album in 2020.

Keb’ Mo’ will receive the Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance. When guitarist and songwriter Kevin Moore launched his career as Keb’ Mo’ in the mid-1990s, he introduced legions of mainstream fans to the fingerstyle acoustic blues and brought new songs and a contemporary character to the legacy. A native of South Los Angeles, Moore came up as a blues and rock guitarist. His 1994 self-titled debut inspired Sony Music to revive the historic Okeh Records brand for his release. With five Grammy awards, he has been an in-demand collaborator, including his Grammy-winning 2017 duo album with Taj Mahal. Keb’s most recent album Oklahoma won the 2020 Grammy for Best Americana Album.

The Legacy of Americana Award will be presented to the Fisk Jubilee Singers in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music to shine a light on their extraordinary accomplishments and influence on American roots music. Originally formed as a nine-member group, they spread the refined and deeply emotional genre of the Negro spiritual through the U.S. and across Europe. As the Fisk Jubilee Singers settled into an ever-changing cast of students over the decades, they were invited to be part of key Nashville civic landmarks, including the inaugural broadcast of WSM radio in 1925. The choir was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000, and granted the National Medal of Arts in 2008.

The 2021 Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for Producer/Engineer will be presented to Trina Shoemaker who has become a vital contributor to roots and rock recordings by Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile, Nanci Griffith and others. She chased her passion to become a record producer to Los Angeles and London, then on to New Orleans where she got noticed by producer Daniel Lanois who made her a tape op and then a full engineer. She worked on albums by Iggy Pop, Giant Sand, and Harris’s landmark Wrecking Ball, also tracking Crow’s self-titled smash and her Globe Sessions album, which garnered Shoemaker her first Grammy awards. Shoemaker has recorded, produced or mixed for Whiskeytown, Victoria Williams, Matthew Ryan, Shannon McNally, Andrew Duhon, Amy Ray, Josh Ritter and her husband Grayson Capps. She is the first woman to receive the Americana Producer/Engineer Lifetime Honor.

Carla Thomas will receive the Americana Inspiration Award. Thomas’s run of recordings for Stax and Atlantic Records through the 1960s made her the “Queen of Memphis Soul.” Thomas bridged soul, country and gospel as one of the key artists of a great musical and social movement. Inspired by singers like Jackie Wilson and Brenda Lee, Thomas joined WDIA’s Teen Town Singers at age 10. Her first record, a duet with her father, came out on the Satellite label. She appeared on American Bandstand and cut a full album of duets with Otis Redding in 1967. In later years, Thomas turned more of her energy to Artists In The Schools, a youth-focused non-profit. The Rhythm & Blues Foundation honored her in 1993 with its exclusive Pioneer Award. The Inspiration Award has been granted only once before, to Thomas’s Stax/Atlantic colleague Mavis Staples.

Tickets for the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards and 2021 Americanafest are available for purchase here.

Weekly Register: Nelly Takes Top Country Debut With Country-Inspired Album, ‘Heartland’

/by

Nelly

Nelly takes the top country debut this week with his country-inspired album Heartland. The album debuted at No. 7 country and No. 47 overall with 13,000 (2,900 album only/12 million song streams), according to Nielsen.

Niko Moon‘s debut album, Good Times, reached No. 12 on the country album streaming charts this week. The RCA Nashville recording artist earned 8,000 first week streams.

Dangerous: The Double Album (Morgan Wallen) remains at No. 1, adding 40,000 to its 49 million RTD. Luke Combs follows at No. 2 with What You See Is What You Get, and at No. 3 with This One’s For You earning 24,000 and 15,000 streams, respectively. Country Stuff (Walker Hayes) rises to the fourth spot with 14,500 streams while Good Things (Dan + Shay) rounds out the top five with 14,000 streams.

Hayes continues his reign in the top spot as “Fancy Like” racks up another 12 million streams, adding to his 111 million streams RTD, according to Nielsen. Nelly & Florida Georgia Line continue at No. 2 with 7.8 million streams this week, and “Chasing After You” (Ryan Hurd & Maren Morris) stays at No. 3 with 7 million streams. “Forever After All” (Combs) takes the fourth spot, earning 6.3 million streams this week. Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood close out the top five with “If I Didn’t Love You” receiving 5.3 million streams.

Chart Action: Morgan Wallen Makes Radio Comeback

/by

Morgan Wallen returns to country radio with latest single “Sand In My Boots.” He gained 16 new radio station on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart which makes him the most-added this week. He also is this week’s highest spin gainer adding +240 for a total of 536 spins and 39 reporters. He rose to No. 39 in two weeks on the MusicRow Radio Chart and No. 32 in nine weeks on the Billboard Country Airplay Chart.

“Sand In My Boots” was written by Ashley Gorley, Josh Osborne and labelmate Hardy. It appears on his sophomore album, Dangerous: The Double Album, released via Big Loud/Republic Records. MusicRow sat down with Wallen to discuss the making of his album. Click here to read the full interview.

For more chart data, view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.