Donovan Woods To Release ‘Without People (Deluxe)’ On March 26

/by

Donovan Woods is releasing a new deluxe edition of his 2020 album, Without People, featuring four bonus tracks, including two new originals and two alternate mixes, on March 26.

The album includes a new piano rendition of “Grew Apart,” and an acoustic interpretation of “Whatever Keeps You Going” that pairs Woods with the voices of the J.P. Robarts Public School Music Project in London, Canada. The school’s choir (consisting of grades 3-8) formerly sang with Woods in 2019 at one of his concerts in London. Woods always wanted to feature the choir on a project, but during the pandemic, he learned that while the schools had reopened, the children were only allowed to hum during choir practice due to the nature of health and safety protocols. He then, with the help of their parents and choir director Jane Kennedy, enlisted the children’s choir to individually submit homemade cell phone videos of themselves singing the song.

“This deluxe version is really in place of what live shows might’ve been like if the pandemic hadn’t happened,” says Woods. “Among my favorite parts of playing live are presenting songs in a different context and introducing new material, and this deluxe version is doing that type of work.”

Since its release on Woods’ own Meant Well label in 2020, Without People has racked up 10 million streams and counting.

Gabby Barrett Notches Second MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart No. 1

/by

Gabby Barrett earns the No. 1 spot this week on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart with “The Good Ones.” The single was written by Barrett, Zach Kale, Emily Landis, and Jim McCormick.

Her previous single, “I Hope,” spent 27 weeks atop the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart, making it the longest-leading No. 1 by an unaccompanied female artist in the history of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

Barrett recently released a a 7-track Live From The Goldmine EP. Her debut album for Warner Music Nashville, Goldmine, surpassed 1 billion streams within seven months of its release.

Click here or above to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.

Industry Ink: Luke and Kaylee, Charley Pride, IBMA

/by

Black Sheep Label Group Signs Duo Luke And Kaylee

Luke And Kaylee. Photo: Alexandra Rae Taber – A.R.T. Photography

Black Sheep Label Group has signed up-and-coming husband and wife duo Luke and Kaylee. The duo is releasing their debut single, “I Don’t Wanna Wake Up,” on the independent label this month and is working on a full-length project set for release later this year.

“We felt something very special when we first heard Luke and Kaylee.  We are excited to help them share their music with a larger audience through our relationship with Copperline and The Orchard,” says Susan Hobbs, CEO & general manager, Black Sheep Label Group.

Luke and Kaylee join Black Sheep Records’ growing roster of artists which includes former The Voice contestant Michael Austin and West Coast country vocalist Matt Koerner.

 

The Texas Rangers Announce Charley Pride Fellowship Program

The Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation announced the creation of the Charley Pride Fellowship Program. This program will offer rising college Juniors and Seniors a ten-week internship opportunity with the team’s front office. On what would’ve been Pride’s 87th birthday the program was announced with members of the Rangers front office, Pride’s wife Rozene Pride and his friends and fellow country singers Garth Brooks, Larry Gatlin and Neal McCoy. The Texas Rangers also dedicated a practice field to Pride.

“The Charley Pride Fellows program honors the legacy of Charley Pride as a pioneer and trailblazer and is designed to create future trailblazers in front offices of baseball organizations starting  here with the Rangers,” says Neil Leibman, Texas Rangers President, Business Operations and Chief Operating Officer and Texas Rangers Baseball Foundation Chairman.

 

IBMA Board Of Directors Announce Election Results

The International Bluegrass Music Association announced the results of the election of new members to its Board of Directors.

The following members were elected or re-elected by their respective membership constituencies and will serve a three-year term beginning in June 2021:
Dan Boner: Print, Media, and Education (re-elected to a second term)
Brad Kolodner: Broadcast Media
Tristan Scroggins: Artists, Composers, and Music Publishers

Outgoing members of the board and staff of the IBMA are Kenny Smith and Bob Webster, who were thanked by the organization for their “outstanding service and contributions to the association and the entire bluegrass music community.”

Exile Inks With Time Life For Digital Re-issue Of Four Albums

/by

Pictured (L-R): Exile’s Steve Goetzman, JP Pennington, Sonny LeMaire, Marlon Hargis and Les Taylor. Photo: Mark Conner

Exile has signed a distribution deal with Time Life to reissue four of their albums: The Garage Tapes, Exile Hits, Live at the Franklin Theatre and People Get Ready.

For the first time ever, the multi-award winning albums will all be available digitally, and include the No. 1 hits and fan favorites “Kiss You All Over,” “Woke Up In Love,” “I Don’t Want To Be A Memory,” “Give Me One More Chance” and many more.

“Exile is driven by an astounding amount of talent, writing and performing music that appeals to everyone from rock to pop to country music fans,” says Time Life Sr. Vice President, Live Entertainment, Mike Jason. “We’re thrilled to help deliver their music across digital platforms to all of them.”

“I have been aware of, and highly impressed with, the Time Life brand, for many years,” says Exile’s Marlon Hargis. “It is a real thrill to now be included in their family!”

The pop/country crossover band continues to tour, performing their greatest hits and fan-favorites on the road, and plans to announce new dates later this year.

Gary LeVox Embarks On Solo Journey With New Single ‘The Distance’

/by

Gary LeVox of Rascal Flatts is stepping out on his own with a stirring new Christian solo track, “The Distance,” out on Big Machine Records today (March 19).

“The Distance,” penned by LeVox with Josh Hoge and Matt McVaney, is a sweeping expression of the power of faith and a first-person testimony filled with encouragement and a sense of resilience. LeVox also released a performance video of the track.

YouTube video

“’The Distance’ was the first song written for my solo chapter,” explains LeVox. “With the struggles and battles so many have gone through this past year and taken over people’s everyday lives, this felt like a true song of hope. With this song, the message we wanted to share is that our hope is not lost, it’s found on the cross. And with God, we can go the distance. Don’t ever give up.”

After 20 years as front man of country supergroup Rascal Flatts, LeVox is embarking on a solo chapter combining two of his biggest passions—music and faith. With his debut single, “The Distance,” the Ohio native unveils the empowering first taste of that mission, delivering an expression of the power of belief that’s tailor made for the COVID-19 era. Grounded in the Flatts legacy, the track mixes LeVox’s stratospheric vocals with high-energy instrumentation, encouraging fans to never give up—a message he knows by heart.

Smokey Robinson To Headline 10th Annual Boys & Girls Clubs Great Futures Gala

/by

Smokey Robinson

Motown legend Smokey Robinson will perform at the 10th Annual Great Futures Gala on October 2, organized by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee (BGCMT).

Along with the performance from Robinson, a Boys & Girls Club alumnus, the event includes an auction experience, dinner, as well as mission moments. The gala raises more than $500,000 for local youth programs and services.

The annual event supports 11 Boys & Girls Clubs locations in Davidson and Williamson counties, as well as efforts to serve 10,000 youth in Middle Tennessee. For more than 118 years, BGCMT has helped young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens.

“Smokey’s experiences with the Boys & Girls Clubs during his childhood in Detroit make him the perfect fit for shining a spotlight on the importance of our programs and how they help local youth build their own great futures,” says Eric Higgs, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee. “Not only is he a role model for our youth, he has also inspired generations of musicians and will be sure to put on a show that Great Futures Gala attendees will remember for years to come.”

In addition to the performance, Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee’s Youth of the Year will share the value of the Club in their life and how they have achieved academic success, a healthy lifestyle and good character through their Club engagement.

Tickets, tables, and sponsorships can be secured through www.BGCMT.org or by contacting (615) 983-6804. Nissan is this year’s presenting sponsor, and CAT Financial is on board as an entertainment sponsor.

The event is set for October, 2 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Hotel on 1000 Broadway.

Song Suffragettes To Celebrate Seven Years With Special Anniversary Show

/by

The Song Suffragettes are marking their seventh anniversary with two performance rounds featuring 11 singer-songwriters, and a special presentation to Warner Music Nashville artist Ashley McBryde on March 29.

McBryde will be presented with the Song Suffragettes’ Yellow Rose of Inspiration Award for her contributions to the songwriting community, including writing many of the songs that have inspired the 308 women who have performed on the Song Suffragettes stage through the years. McBryde is only the third woman to receive that honor after esteemed songwriter/publisher Liz Rose who received it in 2019 and hitmaker Laura Veltz who received it in 2020. McBryde will also take the stage to perform a few select songs as part of the celebration.

Starting at 6 p.m. at The Listening Room Café, the first songwriter round will feature special guest Tenille Arts. Arts’ performance will be a special homecoming for Song Suffragettes since Arts played her first of many Song Suffragettes shows back in May of 2016. Her single, “Somebody Like That” was co-written by Arts and fellow Song Suffragettes Allison Veltz and Alex Kline—Kline also produced the track. Joining Arts and hosting the first round of the night will be Kalie Shorr along with fellow singer-songwriters Madeline Finn, Livy Jeanne and Brittney Spencer.

The second round of the evening will by hosted by long-time Suffragette Candi Carpenter and feature singer-songwriters Mia Mantia, Kaylin Roberson and Sophia Scott along with first-time Suffragette Allie Dunn. Both of the evening’s songwriter rounds will be supported by cajon player, multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Mia Morris who will also perform. Tickets to the March 29 show are available at The Listening Room Café’s website. Like all Song Suffragettes shows, the 7th Anniversary Celebration show will also stream live on the Song Suffragettes YouTube channel at youtube.com/songsuffragettes/live.

ASCAP Unveils GPS Project Class Of 2021

/by

The songwriters participating in ASCAP’s 10th Annual GPS (Guidance from Publishers for Songwriters) Project have been announced. This year’s class includes Brooke Alexx, Shawn Chambliss, Bree Doster, Daniel Ethridge, Joe Hanson, Brooke Hatala, Emily Kroll, Autumn Marie, Nicole Miller, Kaylin Roberson, Anna Rose and Elysse Yulo.

Curated by ASCAP Creative Director Evyn Mustoe Johnston, the 12 writers in this year’s class will be paired with publishers who will listen and critique their songs and host virtual follow-up meetings over the next several months to help develop their craft. By the end of the program, each songwriter will have met with representatives from at least five different publishers. The program has helped numerous songwriters earn publishing agreements as a result of their participation, and well-known ASCAP GPS alumni include Hannah Dasher, Jacob Davis, Ben Goldsmith, Caylee Hammack, Ryan Hurd, Lainey Wilson and more.

Participating 2021 publishers include Carnival Music’s Courtney Gregg, Concord Music Publishing’s Brad Kennard, Creative Nation’s Emily Furman, Endurance Music Group’s Courtney Kruckeberg, Hang Your Hat Music’s Jake Gear, King Pen Music’s Kelly King, Kobalt Music’s Mark Abramowitz, Milk and Honey’s Shelby Yoder, MV2 Entertainment’s Nicole Sherrill, Red Door Music Group’s Abbey Adams, Sea Gayle Music’s Kim Wiggins and Spirit Music Nashville’s Kara Jackson.

Bre Kennedy Signs With Kobalt Publishing

/by

Bre Kennedy. Photo: Jason Lee Denton, Aliegh Shields

Nashville singer-songwriter Bre Kennedy has signed a global publishing deal with Kobalt Publishing.

Kennedy has written songs for pop acts including Nina Nesbitt, Echosmith, Joy Oladokun and GAYLE. As an artist she has toured with Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark Jr., Philip Philips and Rhys Lewis.

“I couldn’t be more excited and honored to start this next chapter of music and songwriting with Kobalt,” says Kennedy. “Everyone at the company inspires me to push my writing boundaries and continue to help me grow as a songwriter… They feel like family and have been like home for me here in Nashville. I’m proud to continue to call Kobalt home!”

“We’re thrilled to continue our relationship with Bre,” says Mark Abramowitz, senior creative director at Kobalt Music. “Bre has become one of the new leading voices in the growing non-country music community with her storytelling as an artist and collaborator.  I’m honored to be part of her team and excited for people to hear Bre’s stories.”

Kennedy gained attention with her independent debut EP “Jealous of Birds” in 2019 and then her second EP “Twenty Something” in 2020. She is working on a new album which will be announced later this year.

Larry Gatlin Is ‘Feeling Great’ After Recovering From COVID-19

/by

Larry Gatlin recovering at home. Photo: Courtesy Larry Gatlin

After testing positive for COVID-19 just days after getting his second dose of the Moderna vaccination, Larry Gatlin has recovered and is feeling great.

Gatlin received his vaccine on March 4, four days later on March 8, he tested positive with both a rapid test and a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test.

“My symptoms were a cough and feeling a little funky. I never registered more that 9/10ths of a degree of fever. I had some slight body aches, but at 72 I have slight body aches every day. I had no headache. At the worst it felt like a very slight chest cold and it was gone in three days,” Gatlin tells MusicRow of his experience.

Fortunately, Gatlin is feeling better. “I’m now 100% good to go and feeling great. Thanks be to God,” he says.

While Gatlin is feeling healthy again, he is mourning the loss of his father, William Wayne “Curley” Gatlin, who died in November of 2020 after being diagnosed with COVID-19.

“My heart, my sympathy and my prayers go out to those who have suffered and are continuing to suffer from COVID, and to those who have lost friends and loved ones,” Gatlin says. “My 93-year-old marine daddy died of COVID or with COVID. I’m not sure. His body had begun to shut down long before he contacted COVID, so our family is not sure exactly what happened. What we are sure of is that the old marine is with Mama and Jesus and he does not have COVID now.”

Gatlin encourages fans and industry members to stay vigilant in avoiding COVID. “Dear friends, stay vigilant. Be careful and above all else, pray for your race: the human race.”