Richard Lynch – She's Got Me Drinking Again

richard signature (1)Music has always been at the very core of what Richard Lynch is about. “I remember in study hall, I would get out my guitar and we’d go pick and sing,” recalls the Ohio native. “I knew that music was what I wanted to do from an early age. We just were country people who loved country life.”
He credits much of that philosophy to the work ethic and morals that were instilled in him by his parents. “I grew up on a 110 acre farm. We always had plenty of livestock, horses, and cattle – plenty of chores and things to do. We didn’t have a whole lot of money growing up, but we never went hungry or had any wants. I know what it’s like to go through hard times, but by the same token, I wouldn’t trade the way I was raised for nothing. It made me decide and realize that in life, you get what you put into it.”
Lynch has definitely reaped what he has sown, from a career standpoint. The traditional-based singer has made many fans across the nation – at one point, he was playing over 300 shows a year – and has won the 2014 Male Country Vocalist of the Year from the CMG Global Radio Network, and has received several nominations from Nashville Universe, including Entertainer of the Year.
The singer will soon be releasing a brand new album, A Better Place, which showcases his warm and inviting musical style. Produced by acclaimed singer-songwriter Billy Yates (“Choices,” “I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair”), the set definitely accentuates the more traditional side of the format. “That’s where my heart is,” he explains. “I’ve played southern rock and rock & roll – when you’re doing the bar scene, you have to play everything, But, my heart is with artists like Mel Street, Conway Twitty, and George Jones. My dad was always playing music in the Dayton / Cincinnati area long before I was born. I grew up in that environment, and have loved traditional country music ever since. I share my dad’s passion. That’s all I am.” And, with tour dates being requested from Texas to West Virginia to Wisconsin, Richard Lynch is proving there’s a still a market for real country music.
Richard Lynch also feels good about his music – and he believes fans are going to fall in love with the music on A Better Place. With a wide variety of moods and sounds, ranging from the set’s first single, “She Got Me Drinkin’ Again,” a duet with Yates to the tear-jerking title cut, Lynch says he is right where he wants to be. “When I hear good traditional country music, it gives me goose bumps. when it comes from the heart, and you feel it, that’s where I want to be.”

Chris Young Cruises The Cumberland, Joined By The Doobie Brothers

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Chris Young performs with The Doobie Brothers at his annual Fan Club party on June 5, 2014.

Chris Young held his annual Fan Club Party, now in its 13th year, on the General Jackson showboat Thursday (June 5). The CMA Fest cruise down the Cumberland offered fan club members a personal meet and greet, and full-band concert with a special surprise performance by The Doobie Brothers.

Highlights included Young’s cover of “Change The World” accompanied only by his lead guitarist. Known for his muscular baritone voice, Young was equally flawless in his upper vocal register during the song.

After The Doobie Brothers performed their 1972-hit, “Listen to the Music,” the party wrapped with Young joining them on stage to perform “China Grove.”

Students and Executive Principal Dr. Gregory Stewart from Nashville School of the Arts

Students and Executive Principal Dr. Gregory Stewart from Nashville School of the Arts

The partygoers were also treated to entertainment from Nashville School of the Arts students, led by Executive Principal Dr. Gregory Stewart. The Chris Young Fan Club, which has supported organizations such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Susan G. Komen, and Stars for Stripes over the years, continued its philanthropic mission by pledging to raise $30,000 this year for Nashville School of the Arts. The money will help update the school’s auditorium. The school is the only arts magnet high school within Metro Nashville Public Schools offering its students the “rare combination of rigorous, college preparatory curriculum instructed with intensely focused instruction in the performing or visual arts.”

“Growing up and having music in schools shaped me as an artist,” says Young. “I did a lot of things that weren’t necessarily what you would expect to be on the path of someone who wanted to be a Country singer. I did a lot that was based around jazz and opera. For kids to figure out exactly what they want to do, getting the opportunity to experience many genres and many forms of art is important, so Nashville School of the Arts is something I am happy to support.”

A few hours before the boat sailed, Young’s latest single, “Who I Am With You,” from his recently released RCA Nashville album A.M., reached the top spot on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart. The song was written by Marv Green, Jason Sellers and Paul Jenkins. So before his performance, Young was honored backstage by MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson with a MusicRow No. 1 Challenge Coin celebrating the milestone.

While being presented with the MusicRow Challenge coin, Young shared, “Somebody told me a long time ago, the best way to have a hit is to try and write the words ‘I love you’ in a different way and this song is totally that. Even before it was a single, there were people that got engaged to this song at my show so I knew it resonated with the audience.”

Chris Young is presented his MusicRow No. 1 Challenge Coin for "Who Am I With You" by MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson

Chris Young is presented his MusicRow No. 1 Challenge Coin for “Who Am I With You” by MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson. Photo: Penny Adams

Young added, “We’ve put more tempo on this album than any that I’ve done before, but I still love a great love song and I think everybody else does too. After releasing ‘Aw Naw’ with a tempo, party vibe, it felt right to come back with something like this. It is still a big sound with double guitars on the chorus. It’s more of a power ballad than something that is broken down and acoustic, and I think it complemented the album really well.”

When asked about The Doobie Brothers being a surprise guest at his party, Young revealed, “I got a chance to be part of the [upcoming Sony Music Nashville] project with The Doobie Brothers. They were invited to the fan club party, and to have an act that is truly a heritage act, with so many hits, offer to play was really cool!”

Chris Young and The Doobie Brothers

Chris Young and The Doobie Brothers, and producer David Huff

In an unfortunate turn of events after the party, Young returned home where he accidentally cut his left hand with a kitchen knife. He underwent two surgeries in Nashville to repair damaged tendons. He is expected to fully heal and will return to playing guitar following his recovery and rehabilitation. Although he likely won’t be able to play guitar for a while, Young is hoping to return to his tour dates as scheduled.

MusicRowPics: The Band Perry Receives Challenge Coins for 'Chainsaw'

TBPgroup

Pictured (L-R): Neil Perry, MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson, Kimberly Perry, MusicRow Chart Director Troy Stephenson, and Reid Perry.


The Band Perry‘s Neil, Reid and Kimberly Perry were honored with MusicRow No. 1 Challenge Coins during their CMA Fest press conference this morning (June 5).
kimberlyneilperry

Neil Perry and Kimberly Perry


“Chainsaw,” the fourth single from the trio’s sophomore album Pioneer, was released March 3, 2014 and climbed to No. 1 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart on May 22, 2014.
Writers Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, and Matt Ramsey were also recently feted for the chart-topping hit, when they received their own MusicRow Challenge Coins.
“Chainsaw,” produced by Dann Huff, was published by Universal Music Corporation, Smack Ink, Smack Songs, LLC, Want a Fresh One Music, Black River Entertainment LLC, Music of RPM, and Sonic Geo Music.
shane mcanally

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow chart director Troy Stephenson, Matt Ramsey, Josh Osborne, Shane McAnally and MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson.

Homegrown Band – I'm Gonna Be Me

HomegrownBandPictureWhen you hear “Homegrown,” what comes to mind? Do you think of something tended year after year with patience and love? Maybe a crop, an idea, or a way of life that, after years of cultivation, rewards dedication with something precious?
When they settled on the name “Homegrown Band” in the spring of 2011, members Craig Brannon, Kevin Brannon, Jason Cole, Megan Blair, and Nick Ivey hoped their fans would associate them and their music with that sentiment. “As we were writing and branding ourselves,” says Jason, “we found that the recurring theme was ‘home’–our home, the South–and its culture, value system, and way of life. We were invoking the place and the things that our parents, their parents, and, generations later, we believed to be important enough to build our lives around. While ideas like fidelity, the virtue in hard work, and the necessity of faith are quickly being written off as old-fashioned, they’ve been cultivated in us, and we think that they’re vital enough to write and sing about.”
The band’s down-home image and songs about life as they know it enjoyed success from the start. In early 2012, HB released their first album, a self-titled EP recorded at Skaggs Family Studios in Nashville, TN and produced by Homegrown Band and Jason Singleton of Red Hill Entertainment. The album’s first and only single, “This Ol’ Truck,” was featured on 94.9 The Bull’s Backyard Country for three weeks. Says Craig of the record’s success, “It was unprecedented. We were just starting up, had maybe a thousand fans on social media, and very little exposure. It was incredible to compete with more established artists like Colt Ford and Jake Owen and hang in there. We felt validated; we were relying completely on the strength of the song and holding our own.”
After touring for months in West and South Georgia, metro Atlanta, and East Alabama and opening for artists like Corey Smith and Ashton Shepherd in support of the EP, the band recorded, produced, and released its second single, “Enjoy The Ride,” in late 2013. Initially, the song was given away as a free download at the band’s shows. After a few months, the band noticed the song’s growing popularity among their fans and placed it in rotation on The Bull’s Backyard Country.
Homegrown Band is planning to release a second album tentatively titled ‘Summer Song’ in the summer of 2015. The record will feature new songs that the band has been writing and performing over the course of their 2014 tour schedule.

Lee Ann Womack Inks Deal With Sugar Hill/Welk Music Group

Pictured (L-R): Cliff O'Sullivan - Sugar Hill General Manager and Senior Vice President, Frank Liddell - Producer, Lee Ann Womack, Kevin Welk - Welk Music Group President, Enzo DeVincenzo - Manager, Dan Sell - Welk Music Group General Manager

Pictured (L-R): Cliff O’Sullivan – Sugar Hill General Manager and Senior Vice President, Frank Liddell – Producer, Lee Ann Womack, Kevin Welk – Welk Music Group President, Enzo DeVincenzo – Manager, Dan Sell – Welk Music Group General Manager


Lee Ann Womack has found a new label home with Sugar Hill Records/Welk Music Group. The Country chanteuse has a new project slated for release in September; the project will be helmed by Womack’s husband, Frank Liddell. A single will be released this summer.
Womack previously recorded for MCA Nashville.
“My wife is one of the greatest country singers ever, but she’s also a vocalist who bring things out of songs you never realized was there,” Liddell says. “It’s unusual for the musicians to not just want, but to shape their performances to the vocalist during tracking, but for this project… That’s just what some of the best players in the world did. To have a singer who can get on the floor with the players and function as an equal with the musicians, it was an amazing thing to see. Watching what happened during these sessions was one of those moments when you realize what music really can contain.”
Liddell is known for his work with Womack, Miranda Lambert and Pistol Annies, among other artists. Liddell produced tracks on Womack’s projects I Hope You Dance (2000), and Something Worth Leaving Behind (2002). For the upcoming project, Womack is working with drummer Matt Chamberlin, guitarist Duke Levine, guitarist/pianist Mac McAnally, steel player Paul Franklin and others. Among the writers on the project are Neil Young, Buddy Miller, Hayes Carll, Mindy Smith and Roger Miller.
“If there’s one thing about this record that really stands out,” adds Womack, “it’s that all the songs come from writers who are artists. Every song was written for the writer to sing, and as someone who loves and listens to music, it’s a very different reality to cut songs that were written with intention from an artist’s perspective, to try and invest in what they’ve lived so eloquently.”

Nielsen Shares Digital Music Consumption Stats At SXSW

NielsenNielsen’s 2014 SXSW presentation, “The Insights Evolution: Why Only Obsessing About Sales Is Holding You Back,” focused on the rewards of building artist awareness through web/social activity, heightening music discovery through radio and streaming, and maximizing sales through radio and television for new song releases.
“Digital consumption has reached the masses, with a majority of consumers in the U.S. streaming music last year,” says David Bakula, SVP Client Development & Industry Insights, Nielsen Entertainment.  “The change in consumption requires us to continually evolve how we measure and define success.”
The presentation included the following statistics regarding how consumers access content in various ways.
• In 2013, 68 percent of U.S. consumers streamed music (includes YouTube music videos)
• Consumers who streamed music via paid streaming services rose from 4.2 percent to 4.9 percent
• Consumers who streamed music via free streaming services rose from 26.8 percent to 38.6 percent
• 56 percent of respondents listened to music on the car radio in a typical week; 53 percent listened to music on their mobile devices during the same period
• 67 percent of respondents listened to music on the car radio within a 12-month period; 69 percent listened to music on mobile devices during the same period; 72 percent listened to music on their desktop or laptop computer during the same period
Nielsen looked at the life cycles of a sampling of 2013’s top songs in terms of sales, On-Demand streams and airplay. Nielsen analyzed trends in sales, radio audience, on-demand streams, and web/social activity for those artists, leading to the following conclusions:
• Radio can be a vital driver of On-Demand streaming and sales
• The first eight to 12 weeks of a new release can present the best opportunity for TV and other exposure
• Around week 12, consumption typically reaches its peak
• After 12 weeks, artists should look for crossover opportunities to engage new audiences as consumption starts to decline
• In the long term, streaming presents the opportunity to lengthen monetization opportunities

T.J. Martell Gala Reminds Industry of a Greater Fight

(L-R) Honorees Mike Dungan, Dale Morris, Dr. Scott Hiebert, Beth Dortch Franklin, and Mark Bloom, Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

(L-R): Honorees Mike Dungan, Dale Morris, Dr. Scott Hiebert, Beth Dortch Franklin, and Mark Bloom. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images


The T.J. Martell Nashville Honors Gala brought out celebrities and respected industry leaders to the Omni last night (March 10) for the 6th annual soiree and celebration.
Actor Charles Esten. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Actor Charles Esten. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images


The Foundation, led by CEO Laura Heatherly, raised more than $500,000 toward innovative medical research focused on finding cures for leukemia, cancer and AIDS.
Host Charles “Chip” Esten from ABC’s Nashville, greeted the enthusiastic crowd, sharing his personal experience with his daughter’s fight with leukemia, announcing she was now cancer free. Applause and gratitude from the attendees set the stage for the real reason we had all attended.
Sheryl Crow kicked off the night’s performances with a duet of “Homecoming Queen,” a track off her 2013 debut country album Feels Like Home, with rising star Charlie Worsham in honor of Dr. Scott Hiebert. Hiebert was presented the Medical Research Advancement Award by fellow Vanderbilt research doctor, Dr. Jennifer Pietenpol. Hiebert shared that we had made great strides in treating cancer in the last five years, adding “funding is the only thing standing between us and real cures of cancer.”
Mark Bloom, who serves as Sr. VP UBS Financial Services, is devoted to the economic growth of Nashville. In his honor, country superstar Tim McGraw took the stage for a moving performance of his hit “My Little Girl.” McGraw then presented Bloom with the Spirit of Nashville Award.
Creative Artist Agency's Rod Essig, Tim McGraw, and winner of the Spirit of Nashville Award Mark Bloom pose backstage, Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Creative Artist Agency’s Rod Essig, Tim McGraw, and winner of the Spirit of Nashville Award Mark Bloom backstage. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images


McGraw told the audience that when we go outside tonight, we should “savor the beauty of our city’s skyline” and thank Bloom for that moment of pride. Bloom shared that our city has become the true ‘It’ city mainly due to “the music industry being so important in attracting the brightest,” and “the warm, embracing nature of the people who live here.”
Immediately following dinner, the Blue Sky Riders performed a rendition of their song “Dream” in honor of Beth Dortch Franklin. Franklin’s daughter, Ruth, presented her mother with the Lifetime Humanitarian Award. Franklin, who had fought her own successful battle with breast cancer in 1999, quipped, “Let’s say ‘YES’ and beat cancer.”
Honoree Mike Dungan was welcomed by a special acoustic performance of “History In The Making” by Universal Music Group artist Darius Rucker. Looking at Dungan, Rucker added, “You changed my life and I wanted to be here for you.”
Honoree Mike Dungan and Tim DuBois

Honoree Mike Dungan (R) and Tim DuBois (L). Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images


Fellow music executive Tim DuBois presented the Frances Preston Lifetime Music Industry Award to Dungan after giving gratitude to the many people in the room who had prayed in the past for his daughter’s successful fight against leukemia.
Referring to Dungan, DuBois told the crowd, “In our 10 years together, we sold over 100 million records and that was just the beginning [for him].” DuBois added, “Mike’s leadership inspires all of us, who are lucky enough to work with him or for him. The biggest compliment you can give a guy in the record business is to say he has ears. Well I’m here to tell you this guy has ears, he has heart and he has a weird sense of humor that keeps the whole industry smiling.”
Dungan took the stage, confessing, “I’ve been coming to T.J. Martell events for 25 years. Most of the people who have received this award are my icons. To think that I’m up here now, just doesn’t feel right.” Dungan added, “This gentleman next to me, I cannot tell you the influence Tim DuBois has had on me. He is the singular reason I am here. He showed me that you can win and you can do it with integrity and kindness and all the things that are good in life. I have tried my best to carry that through the rest of my career and I cannot thank him enough for that. Along the way I’ve worked with a lot of different people, people who were brilliant, inspirational people. But the truth is I’ve benefitted from every bit of that experience and I’m grateful to all of them.” And from the response by the audience, the gratitude was mutual.
Jake Owen concluded the night of outstanding performances when he took the stage and offered a cover of Conway Twitty’s “Crazy In Love” in honor of Dale Morris, the Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award winner. Morris received the honor from country hit-maker Kenny Chesney who shared, “Dale Morris didn’t just touch my life, he altered it in a great way. The world needs a lot more of Dale Morrises and I love you so much.”
Kenny Chesney presents Dale Morris with the Tony Martell Lifetime Achievement Award, Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Kenny Chesney presents Dale Morris with the Tony Martell Lifetime Achievement Award. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images


Morris referred to Chesney with a smile and said, “I can’t afford him, but I sure do love him,” before adding a more serious tone saying, “This is an amazing thing to happen to my life at this time. It means a lot to be recognized”, calling Kenny “more of a son to me than an artist” and that Alabama, whose Randy Owen was sitting in the audience, had changed his life.
Darius Rucker, Luke Bryan, Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Darius Rucker (L) and Luke Bryan (R), Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images


The event was co-chaired by Danielle Bouharoun, Wells-Fargo Private Banking; Ree Buchanan, Wrensong Publishing; and Mark Wright, Show Dog-Universal.
“This affair is one of Nashville’s most anticipated annual fundraisers and honors some truly notable and deserving community leaders,” said Tinti Moffat, T.J. Martell Foundation’s director of strategic development. “We challenged ourselves this year to raise the bar and were so pleased with the outcome. We couldn’t be more appreciative of the support from the music, the business and the medical communities.”
John Rich of Big & Rich, CEO of the TJ Martell Foundation Laura Heatherly, and Big Kenny of Big & Rich. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

John Rich of Big & Rich, CEO of the TJ Martell Foundation Laura Heatherly, and Big Kenny of Big & Rich. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Dexter Roberts – Dream About Me

DexterRoberts-448-EditAsk Country artist Dexter Roberts to sum up his life in six words or less, and the answer you’ll get is “thank God I’m a country boy.” Born in Tuscaloosa, Ala. and raised in nearby Fayette, Ala., Dexter grew up working on the family farm and living out the tales of country music’s classic hits. He spent his days working the land with his Grandpa and dreaming of becoming a firefighter at the local Fayette County Fire Department.
All of that changed when his grandparents took 5-year-old Dexter to Vernon, Ala.’s ‘Burning Opry’ and bought him his very own red plastic guitar. Dexter instantly fell in love with the instrument, and later wandered off toward the sound of the music to test his newly acquired skills. When the house band’s drummer found the toddler backstage playing and dancing to the beat, he scooped Dexter up, took him front-stage and announced, “I don’t know who this kid belongs to, but he’s playing with us for the rest of the night!”
From that moment on, everything in Dexter’s life became centered on music. From performances at church, his high school’s beauty pageants and any nightclub that would look the other way for an underage country crooner, to solos for the cows while he worked on the farm, Dexter spent his days and nights perfecting his craft.
One fateful day, Dexter learned that the American Idol tour bus was stopping in nearby Tuscaloosa, and after some praying and encouragement from his friends and family, Dexter decided that American Idol was an opportunity he wouldn’t miss out on.
After starting audition day off with two flat tires and borrowing the family’s “little blue car” (a worn-out Nissan) to get to the audition, he was determined to give the best performance of his life. Thousands of hopefuls showed up that day and ultimately only five would be asked to continue on in American Idol: Season 13. That day, not one, but two, competitors had instrument issues and Dexter gladly let both of them use his guitar to audition – ironically, all three of them would continue to the next round.
Dexter’s journey would take him to 7th place overall on American Idol: Season 13. The ‘American Idol teddy bear’ quickly became a fan favorite and caught the attention of his own idol, Keith Urban; who called Dexter “the real deal.” Following the show, Dexter went on to tour with the American Idols LIVE! Tour until the avid outdoorsman was forced to leave the tour early when he contracted a serious case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever after being bitten by a tick during weekend of turkey hunting.
Since his run on American Idol, Dexter inked a deal with First Launch Records and has been writing and recording new music for his debut release. Dexter’s debut single, “Dream About Me,” will hit Country radio on Jan. 20, with an EP set to drop in early 2015. For more information on Dexter Roberts, visit his official website at www.ImDexterRoberts.com, and follow him on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

Big Smo To Release Debut Warner Bros./Elektra Project

big smoWarner Bros./Elektra Records will release the debut album from Big Smo, titled Kuntry Livin‘, on June 3. The 13-track album follows Big Smo’s Backwoods Whiskey EP.
The Country ‘hick-hop’ artist is also slated to star in the A&E Network original reality series Big Smo, produced by Brownstone Entertainment.
Track Listing for Kuntry Livin’
1. Workin’
2. Bumpy Road
3. Hick Ross
4. Anything Goes
5. Cover My Eyes
6. Down In The Backwoods
7. Come On
8. Redneck Rich
9. Who I’ll Be
10. Got Me
11. Ain’t Nothin Free
12. I’m So Kuntry
13. Lawdy Lawdy

Columbia Nashville To Release Chris Janson EP

JansonColumbia Nashville will release a Chris Janson EP, Take It To The Bank, to digital retailers on Feb. 25.
Janson, who was previously signed to the Sony imprint, worked with producer Phil O’Donnell on the project, with help from Justin Niebank on two tracks. Janson is featured as a writer on four of the five tracks.
“This is an eclectic group of tunes for the fans that have heard these songs in my show and have been asking for them,” said Janson in a release from Sony.
Take It To The Bank [EP] Track Listing
1. Take It to the Bank (Chris Janson/Cole Degges)
2. ‘Til a Woman Comes Along (Janson/Cole Degges/Phil O’Donnell)
3. Back to Me (Janson/Cole Degges)
4. Where My Girls At (Janson/Dallas Davidson)
5. I Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This (Rodney Crowell)