Dolly Parton Celebrates Her Greatest Hits On Upcoming ‘Diamonds & Rhinestones’ Project

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Dolly Parton. Photo: Rob Hoffman

RCA Records, Dolly Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, have partnered to release Dolly Parton – Diamonds & Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection. The special compilation will be available everywhere on Nov. 18, including on digital, CD and 2LP 12″ vinyl configurations.

A cross-label anthology, Diamonds & Rhinestones brings together recordings originally released on Dolly Records, RCA Victor and Columbia Records, as well as the Butterfly Records digital single, “When Life Is Good Again,” written and recorded in 2020 as the country icon’s message of hope as the pandemic rolled in. Containing 23 tracks from Parton’s extensive career, the project includes new liner notes penned by MusicRow‘s Robert K. Oermann, who collaborated with Parton on her 2020 autobiography, Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics.

“Every one of these songs has a special memory behind it for me,” Parton shares in a note to fans. “I hope that you make some special memories of your own while listening to them. Enjoy the Diamonds & Rhinestones album.”

Included on the record are performances with Kenny Rogers (“Islands in the Stream,” “Real Love”), Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette (“Silver Threads and Golden Needles” from Honky Tonk Angels) and “Faith,” her 2020 collaboration with Swedish electropop dance duo Galantis featuring Mr. Probz. The album also features songs from Parton’s films, including “9 To 5,” “Red Shoes” from 2018’s Dumplin‘ and “Tennessee Homesick Blues” from 1984’s Rhinestone.

Dolly Parton – Diamonds & Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection Track List:
1. 9 To 5 – From the RCA Victor album 9 To 5 And Odd Jobs (1980)
2. Jolene – From the RCA Victor album Jolene (1974)
3. Here You Come Again – From the RCA Victor album Here You Come Again (1977)
4. Islands In The Stream (with Kenny Rogers) – From the Kenny Rogers album Eyes That See In The Dark (1983)
5. I Will Always Love You – From the RCA Victor album Jolene (1974)
6. Coat Of Many Colors – From the RCA Victor album Coat Of Many Colors (1971)
7. My Tennessee Mountain Home – From the RCA Victor album My Tennessee Mountain Home (1973)
8. The Bargain Store – From the RCA Victor album The Bargain Store (1975)
9. Baby I’m Burnin’ – From the RCA Victor album Heartbreaker (1978)
10. Better Get To Livin’ – From the Dolly Records album Backwoods Barbie (2008)
11. Why’d You Come In Here Lookin’ Like That – From the Columbia Records album White Limozeen (1989)
12. Love Is Like A Butterfly – From the RCA Victor album Love Is Like A Butterfly (1974)
13. Heartbreaker – From the RCA Victor album Heartbreaker (1978)
14. Red Shoes – From the Dolly Records/RCA Records album Dumplin’ (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2018)
15. The Seeker – From the RCA Victor album Dolly (1975)
16. Together You & I – From the Dolly Records album Better Day (2011)
17. Two Doors Down – From the RCA Victor album Here You Come Again (1977)
18. When Life Is Good Again – From the Butterfly Records digital single (2020)
19. Tennessee Homesick Blues – From the RCA Victor album Rhinestone (Original Soundtrack Recording) (1984)
20. It’s All Wrong But It’s All Right – From the RCA Victor album Here You Come Again (1977)
21. Real Love (with Kenny Rogers) – From the RCA Victor album Real Love (1985)
22. Silver Threads and Golden Needles – Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette – From the Columbia Records album Honky Tonk Angels (1983)
23. Faith – Galantis & Dolly Parton (featuring Mr. Probz) – From the Galantis album Church (2020)

Nominees Announced For 56th Annual CMA Awards

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The Country Music Association has revealed the final nominees for the 56th annual CMA Awards.

Lainey Wilson, a first-time nominee, is the most nominated this year with six nods. Other top nominees include Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, and Chris Stapleton, along with songwriter and producer Shane McAnally, each with five nominations.

Vying for the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year, is Stapleton, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Morgan Wallen.

First-time CMA Awards nominees include BRELAND, Alexa Campbell, Jack Clarke, Dan Grech-Marguerat, Jacob Davis, Dustin Haney, Walker Hayes, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins, Jason Lehning, Blake Lively, Chip Matthews, Parker McCollum, Michael Monaco, Jason Nix, Mikey Reaves, Harper Smith, Trent Willmon, and Wilson.

“It’s thrilling to celebrate these deserving nominees while our industry is returning to live music,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s slate is impressive, with some nominees logging historic milestones while others are just getting started. No matter what stage in their career, they each bring a unique voice and unforgettable story to life, showing that country music is stronger than ever! We look forward to honoring them this November.”

The 56th CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, will air live from Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 9 (8:00 – 11:00 PM/EST) on ABC.

See the full list of nominees below:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
– Luke Combs
– Miranda Lambert
– Chris Stapleton
– Carrie Underwood
– Morgan Wallen

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer
– “Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan
Producer: Paul DiGiovanni
Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
– “half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini (feat. Kenny Chesney)
Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Ross Copperman, Jimmy Robbins
Mix Engineer: Dan Grech-Marguerat
– “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
Mix Engineer: Ryan Gore
– “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
Producer: Trent Willmon
Mix Engineer: Jack Clarke
– “You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Mix Engineer: Vance Powell

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
– Growin’ Up – Luke Combs
Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton
Mix Engineers: Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
– Humble Quest – Maren Morris
Producer: Greg Kurstin
Mix Engineer: Serban Ghenea
– Palomino – Miranda Lambert
Producers: Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Mikey Reaves
Mix Engineer: Jason Lehning
– Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’ – Lainey Wilson
Producer: Jay Joyce
Mix Engineer: F. Reid Shippen
– Time, Tequila & Therapy – Old Dominion
Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion
Mix Engineer: Justin Niebank

SONG OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Songwriters
– “Buy Dirt”
Songwriters: Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins
– “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”
Songwriters: Shane McAnally, Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce
– “Sand In My Boots”
Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Josh Osborne
– “Things A Man Oughta Know”
Songwriters: Jason Nix, Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson
– “You Should Probably Leave”
Songwriters: Chris DuBois, Ashley Gorley, Chris Stapleton

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
– Miranda Lambert
– Ashley McBryde
– Carly Pearce
– Carrie Underwood
– Lainey Wilson

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
– Eric Church
– Luke Combs
– Cody Johnson
– Chris Stapleton
– Morgan Wallen

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
– Lady A
– Little Big Town
– Midland
– Old Dominion
– Zac Brown Band

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
– Brooks & Dunn
– Brothers Osborne
– Dan + Shay
– LOCASH
– Maddie & Tae

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s) and Producer(s)
– “Beers On Me” – Dierks Bentley with BRELAND & HARDY
Producers: Dierks Bentley, Ross Copperman
– “If I Didn’t Love You” – Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood
Producer: Michael Knox
– “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
Producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
– “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
Producer: Zach Crowell
– “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
– Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle
– Paul Franklin, Steel guitar
– Brent Mason, Guitar
– Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo
– Derek Wells, Guitar

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Award goes to Artist(s) and Directors
– “I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) – Taylor Swift (featuring Chris
Stapleton)
Director: Blake Lively
– “Longneck Way To Go” – Midland (featuring Jon Pardi)
Director: Harper Smith
– “Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell (with Lainey Wilson)
Director: Michael Monaco
– “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde
Director: Alexa Campbell
– “’Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson
Director: Dustin Haney

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
– HARDY
– Walker Hayes
– Cody Johnson
– Parker McCollum
– Lainey Wilson

 

2022 CMA BROADCAST AWARDS – FINALISTS FOR BROADCAST PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR (by market size):

Weekly National
– “American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Westwood One
– “The Country Top 40 with Fitz” (Cory Fitzner) – Hubbard Radio
– “The Crook & Chase Countdown” (Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase) – iHeartMedia
– “Today’s Country with Kelleigh Bannen” (Kelleigh Bannen) – Apple Music Radio
– “With Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One

Daily National
– “Angie Ward” – iHeartMedia
– “The Big D and Bubba Show” (Derek “Big D” Haskins, Sean “Bubba” Powell, Patrick Thomas, and Carsen Humphreville) – Compass Media Networks
– “The Bobby Bones Show” (Bobby Bones, Amy Brown, “Lunchbox” Dan Chappell, Eddie Garcia, “Morgan #2” Huelsman, “Raymundo” Ray Slater, “Scuba Steve” Stephen Spradlin, “Mike D” Rodriguez, and “Phone Screener Abby” Anderson) – Premiere Networks
– “Nights with Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One
– “The Sam Alex Show” (Sam Alex) – Sam Alex Productions, LLC

Major Market
– “The Andie Summers Show” (Andie Summers) – WXTU, Philadelphia, Pa.
– “Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and McKaila Poppen) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
– “Danny Dwyer” – KUPL, Portland, Ore.
– “Josh, Rachael & Grunwald” (Josh Holleman, Rachel Hunter, and Steve Grunwald) – WYCD, Detroit, Mich.
– “The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister” (Matt McAllister, Emily Raines, and Joe Wallace) – KKWF, Seattle, Wash.

Large Market
– “Jim, Deb & Kevin” (Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt and Kevin Freeman) – WFMS, Indianapolis, Ind.
– “The Wayne D Show” (“Wayne D” Danielson and Tay Hamilton) – WSIX, Nashville, Tenn.
– “The Dale Carter Morning Show” (Dale Carter) – KFKF, Kansas City, Mo.
– “The Big Dave Show” (“Big Dave” Chandler, Chelsie Shinkle, Jason “Stattman” Statt, and Ashley Hempfling) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
– “The Wake Up Call with David and Kelli” (David Bugenske and Kelli Green) – KFRG, Riverside-San Bernardino, Calif.
– “The New Q-Morning Crew with Mike and Amanda” (Mike Wheless and Amanda Daughtry) – WQDR, Raleigh-Durham, N.C.

Medium Market
– “Buzz Jackson” – KIIM, Tucson, Ariz.
– “Cliff & Tanya in the Morning” (Cliff Dumas and Tanya Brakebill) – KUZZ, Bakersfield, Calif.
– “Julie and DJ in the Morning” (“Julie K” Kansy, “D.J. Thee Trucker” Dale Sellers, and Jon Dennis) – WPCV, Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
– “New Country Mornings with Nancy and Woody” (Nancy Wilson and Aaron “Woody” Woods) – WHKO, Dayton, Ohio
– “Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

Small Market
– “The Cat Pak Morning Show with Brent and Mel” (Brent Lane and Mel McCrae) – WYCT, Pensacola, Fla.
– “Dr. Shane and Tess in the Morning” (“Dr. Shane” Collins and Tess Connell) – WPAP, Panama City, Fla.
– “The Eddie Foxx Show” (Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.
– “Liz & Scotty in the Morning” (Liz Del Grosso and Scotty Cox) – KCLR, Columbia, Mo.
– “Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.

2022 CMA BROADCAST AWARDS – FINALISTS FOR RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR (by market size):

Major Market
– KILT – Houston, Texas
– KNIX – Phoenix, Ariz.
– KSCS – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
– WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.
– WYCD – Detroit, Mich.

Large Market
– KFKF – Kansas City, Mo.
– WIRK – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
– WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
– WQDR – Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
– WSIX – Nashville, Tenn.

Medium Market
– KXKT – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
– WHKO – Dayton, Ohio
– WIVK – Knoxville, Tenn.
– WQMX – Akron, Ohio
– WUSY – Chattanooga, Tenn.

Small Market
– WCOW – La Crosse, Wis.
– WKML – Fayetteville, N.C.
– WKXC – Augusta, Ga.
– WXBQ – Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
– WXFL – Florence-Muscle Shoals, Ala.

The Electric Jane: One Part Nostalgia, One Part Discovery, All Parts Magical [Interview]

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The Electric Jane. Photo: Nathan Zucker

Tucked away right outside the heart of Music City, perfectly housed between the Gulch and iconic Music Row, sits one of Nashville’s newest and most mystical entertainment spots: The Electric Jane.

Taking inspiration from the once-popular supper clubs of the 80s, which offered patrons dinner and a show, the Electric Jane is the product of a decade of friendship between its owners Jason Scoppa and Sam Bakhshandehpour.

Scoppa got his start in event promotions, eventually leading him to music programming at clubs in and around Hollywood. “I needed to find a way to be passionate about it so I started adding live music,” he shares with MusicRow. “There were a lot of jazz artists in the beginning. That was a catalyst to begin a rock night, which led to us [starting] another venue called Bardot.”

Curt Chambers on opening night at the Electric Jane. Photo: Tristan Cusick

Hosting a slew of artists from Bruno Mars and Young the Giant, to Jane’s Addiction and even Prince, the success of Bardot led Scoppa to create the famed Sayers Club in Hollywood, which is where the pair’s paths crossed. At the time, Bakhshandehpour was serving as CEO of SBE, a leading hospitality company based in LA.

Launched in May of 2012, the Sayers Club was a venue all its own. As a hub for artist discovery, the spot featured performances from an array of big acts, such as The Black Keys, Fitz & the Tantrums, Lady A, Stevie Wonder and countless others, all for intimate audiences of less than 300 people.

“Night in and night out we experienced people of all walks of life coming together around this love for music. We didn’t even have a sign out front, yet people found this little hole in the wall in Hollywood, made memories, and walked away. It went viral,” Bakhshandehpour reflects. “There was a certain privacy and intimacy about it, and occasionally you would have the surprise of major artists popping on stage.

“The irony is, despite the big names, it was always the acts that you hadn’t heard of that would make the hair on your arms stand up straight. It was that element of discovery and the beauty of bringing people together around music that really blew my mind.”

The Electric Jane. Photo: Nathan Zucker

That promise of discovery is what led the pair to turn their eyes towards Nashville, a city drenched in both untapped and well established talent.

With hopes of growing what they had already started at the Sayers Club, the pair decided to add a food component to its Nashville location, allowing guests to be treated to worldly food such as their “Cheese on Fire” dish or their cannoli-topped espresso martinis, coupled with world-class entertainment from some of Music City’s brightest musicians.

“When Sam and I were working on what this thing was going to become, we felt like we were either rediscovering or inventing a category that didn’t really exist at the time in terms of hospitality,” Scoppa explains. “It’s an intimate, living room type feel that can’t hold more than about 300 people at a time, but you get big production and big acts in a small space.”

The Electric Jane. Photo: Nathan Zucker

Officially opening its doors in February of 2022, the Electric Jane gets its name from Scoppa’s grandmother, whom he was born exactly 50 years apart from. From the electric blue of Jane’s eyes, the birds that she often drew represented in the logo, the bright red floors that resemble her iconic lipstick and the almost exclusively velvet furniture, Jane’s influence can be felt and seen throughout the venue.

However, one cannot overlook the obvious Prince inspiration within the venue, as well. Decked out with his signature purple in place of the traditional green room, and the notable mural of the groundbreaking entertainer on the side of the building, Scoppa credits Prince as a massive influence on his career.

“I don’t know that I’d necessarily be doing this if I hadn’t met him along the way,” Scoppa admits. “I started getting addicted to him playing at my venues because he wasn’t just playing in anybody’s room. My whole hook from venue to venue was to design a space that he would play from a sonic, ambiance, and audience standpoint. I knew that if he would play it, then anybody on planet Earth would too.”

The Electric Jane. Photo: Nathan Zucker

When it comes to their programming, the guys are always in the mindset of trying to facilitate discovery. Starting with a slate of some of Nashville’s impressive session players, Scoppa mixes and matches members together until he finds the right band to create the perfect showcase for the Electric Jane.

“There’s no exact map to it, it’s more of a feeling,” Scoppa explains. “Our programming is still evolving and we’re quality biased, not genre biased. We’re learning more and more every day about the emerging artists and how to approach each night individually with its own character.”

Currently, the venue boasts quite the slate of weekly shows, including Women Wednesdays that celebrate a variety of Nashville’s women in music, Thursday residencies with Golden West and the Spazzmatics, Kyndle Wyld on Fridays, local superstar-in-the-making Gyasi taking over the stage on Saturdays nights, and plenty of brunch-time entertainment for weekend “Rue De Brunches.”

Nate Smith. Photo: Tara

The space has already taken up its spot as one of Music Row’s new go-to locations for industry events as well, with rising Sony singer-songwriter Nate Smith taking his turn at the mic for a pair of shows, Scotty McCreery celebrating his recent No. 1 hits on the venue’s stage, and plenty more in the works.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised at how many businesses in the music industry have already gravitated to us as an event space. That’s a part of our business that we always knew would be there. We launched in this location with an eye towards Music Row,” Bakhshandehpour notes. “We developed this space with Jason’s aesthetic and eye towards events, and I’ve been blown away by the reception of people wanting to throw special events here, like album release parties, corporate functions and happy hours.”

While they continue to evolve and create a global menu, as well as fully tap into the room’s potential, the Electric Jane and its two seasoned leaders are well on their way to becoming a foothold in Nashville that offers an entertainment and dining experience unlike any other the city has seen before.

The Electric Jane. Photo: Nathan Zucker

“Cities all across this country are hungry for discovery and new places to experience hospitality in a new way. At the end of the day, it’s all built around bringing people together.” Scoppa sums, “We’re really proud that we’re bringing all the arts together and letting the venue make everybody feel important, regardless of your status. I think we need to bring people together now more than ever.”

“We’re bringing something that’s a little differentiated. We wanted to slot ourselves in and fill a space that we saw, while also paying respect to all of the amazing venues that are around us,” Bakhshandehpour adds. “Nashville already has such an incredible culture and community of music lovers, artists, and people that come here with a dream. It’s a community that brings everyone together and allows that dream to come to fruition. We want to be the venue where the music industry comes together and makes magic happen.”

Weekly Register: Morgan Wallen Continues His Reign Atop The Country Streaming Songs & Albums Charts

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Morgan Wallen. Photo: John Shearer

Morgan Wallen keeps his reign atop both the top country streaming songs and albums charts for yet another week with two placements on each respective chart.

The Big Loud/Republic recording artist’s “You Proof” claims the top spot with 13 million streams, while his “Wasted On You” notches the fifth spot with 7.7 million. On the album’s front, Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album takes No. 1 with 50K in total consumption (4.3K album only/58 million song streams). He also seals the top 5 as If I Know Me adds 16K in total consumption.

Luke Combs earns the second spot on the top country streaming songs chart as “The Kind Of Love We Make” nabs 11 million streams this week. Zach Bryan‘s “Something In The Orange” follows in third with 9.4 million streams and Bailey Zimmerman‘s “Rock and A Hard Place” takes fourth with 8.9 million.

As far as album consumption goes, Bryan’s American Heartbreak takes second with 23K in total consumption. Combs’ claims the final two slots as Growin’ Up gains 19K and This One’s For You tallies 16K in total consumption.

Ron Kaplan & Garry Buck Join Reliant Talent Agency

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Ron Kaplan & Gary Buck

Industry veterans Ron Kaplan and Garry Buck have joined Reliant Talent Agency’s leadership team. The long-time agents and business partners have worked together for over 40 years, and have represented a variety of touring artists.

Both Kaplan and Buck got their start at Chicago-based Prestige talent agency, which later became American Famous Talent, before co-founding Monterey International with their Monterey Peninsula partners in 1994. In 2017 when Paradigm acquired Monterey International, Kaplan and Buck shared stints with Paradigm before joining ICM Partners.

Kaplan and Buck bring additional agents Alex Buck and Ashley Marchi, as well as a roster of artists.

“Joining Reliant Talent and returning to a boutique culture, similar to what [we] created at Monterey International with Dan Weiner, Fred Bohlander, and Paul Goldman feels like a homecoming. Being at Reliant Talent will provide our clients a team with common goals through collaborations and hard work,” shares the pair.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Ron Kaplan and Garry Buck to the Reliant staff, along with their exceptional team and amazing caliber of clients,” notes Reliant Talent President Steve Lassiter. “Their many years of experience and leadership speaks for themselves and will greatly enhance our growth as we continue to expand our reach. Knowing they had numerous options, we are proud, honored, and flattered that they chose Reliant Talent to call home.”

Kaplan and Buck can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected], respectively. Buck and Marchi can be reached at [email protected] and [email protected].

Since its formation in 2021, Reliant Talent has grown into a full-service entertainment firm and booking agency, comprised of a growing team of agents with decades of experience spanning major talent agencies across many different genres. Headquartered in Nashville, Reliant works closely with artists and their teams, while aligning and implementing diverse touring ideas and strategies focused on advancing and enriching artists’ fan bases.

Skip Black Signs With Demolition Music

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Pictured (L-R): Lauren Spahn: Shakelford Law, Adam Epstein: Head of A&R, Jon D’Agostino: President of Demolition Music and Staff Writer, Skip Black: Staff Writer, Michael August: General Manager and Staff Writer, Amanda Cooksey: A&R Manager and Head of PR, Alyssa Smeykal: A&R Manager, Shane Barrett: Song Plugger/ Creative Consultant

Skip Black has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Demolition Music.

The North Carolina native moved to Nashville in 2007, and has garnered cuts such as “Boy Like Me” for Aaron Goodvin (No. 1 at Canadian country radio), “Hello Goodbye” by Tyler Farr, “Keep On Fallin’” by Eric Paslay, “Love Drunk” by Locash, “All She Wrote” for Christie Lamb (2 weeks at No. 1 in Australia), the top 20 Billboard hit “Amen” by Edens Edge, and most recently “How You Make A Man” by Craig Morgan.

“Having Skip Black on our team means we have a shot at writing a smash every time he’s in the room. He’s that rare songwriter who elevates every line of every song and never settles for less than what the song deserves.” says President of Demolition Jon D’Agostino.

“I’ve been watching Demolition build their company over the last few years, and I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of their team. I can’t wait to see all that we can accomplish together!” adds Black.

Johnny Clawson Signs With SmackSongs

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Pictured (L-R): Sam Sarno, Johnny Clawson, Lee Krabel. Photo: Molly Bouchon

Johnny Clawson has signed a worldwide publishing deal with SmackSongs.

Born and raised in Leesburg, Virginia, Clawson lived in New York City, where he was working in finance. He walked away from his corporate job in 2018 to move to Nashville and pursue his dream of songwriting.

Last year, Clawson released his first single, “Lifetime,” which quickly garnered attention from labels, songwriters and publishing houses in town.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome Johnny to Smack,” says Sam Sarno, Creative Manager at Smack. “His natural talent as a songwriter and artist is only enhanced by his passion, infectious energy, and work ethic. We are so excited to be on this journey with him and can’t wait to see what we can accomplish together.”

“It is a dream come true to be a part of such an exciting group of creatives,” adds Clawson. “After my first meeting with Sam, I knew that she and the rest of the Smack team were the right partners for me in this next stage of my career. I feel incredibly fortunate for this opportunity and grateful that they have taken this leap of faith with me.”

Final Nominees For The 56th Annual CMA Awards To Be Announced Tomorrow

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Photo: CMA

The nominees for the 56th annual CMA Awards will be revealed tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 7:00 a.m. CT. The complete list will be posted on the CMA Awards website, the Official CMA Connect App, and CMA’s social platforms (Twitter, Instagram and Facebook). CMA Country Connection subscribers will receive the news as soon as it’s announced.

Winners will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible CMA members. The third and final ballot will be emailed to members on Monday, Oct. 3., and voting will close on Friday, Oct. 28 at 6:00 p.m. CT.

Finalists for the 2022 CMA Broadcast Awards will also be announced tomorrow, with winners announced in October.

The 56th annual CMA Awards is a production of the Country Music Association. Team members include Executive Producer Robert Deaton, Director Alan Carter and Head Writer Jon Macks.

Two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan and NFL superstar Peyton Manning are set to host the program, which will air live Wednesday, Nov. 9 on ABC. Performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Isaacs Sign With Given Entertainment For Management

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Pictured (L-R, front row): Lily Isaacs, Given’s Cindy Owen and Sonya Isaacs; (L-R, back row): Becky Isaacs and Ben Isaacs. Photo: Angela Talley

Award-winning artists The Isaacs have signed with Given Entertainment for management.

The family band, comprised of mother Lily Isaacs, daughters Becky and Sonya and son Ben, are known for their tight harmonies, live performances, and solid musicianship. Throughout their 50-plus year career, they have won eight Dove awards and received Grammy nominations for their last three albums.

After performing as guests for 30 years, they were officially inducted as members of the Grand Ole Opry on Sept. 14, 2021. A year earlier they were inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.

“There is no greater blessing than doing what you love with the people you love,” notes Cindy Owen, Given Founding Partner. “God gifted The Isaacs with a remarkable talent that transcends any genre. Seeing them live is an experience, with moments that touch your soul in ways I have never witnessed. We want to make sure more people are given the opportunity to experience this, and them. I am honored to share this journey with them in expanding new horizons for an extraordinary family and legacy that is so greatly deserving.”

“Some things in life come so naturally and sweetly you just know they’re a gift from God,” Sonya Isaacs adds. “The opportunity to work with Cindy, who we love, trust and feel so comfortable with, towards a broader platform is one such gift we are extremely grateful for and excited to unwrap!”

Bailey Zimmerman Makes Big Leap On The MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Bailey Zimmerman. Photo: Chris Ashlee

Bailey Zimmerman makes quite the jump this week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, moving from No. 11 to No. 6 this week. The Warner Music Nashville and Elektra Music Group singer-songwriter has credits on his own three currently charting songs: “Rock and A Hard Place,” “Where It Ends,” and “Fall In Love.”

Ashley Gorley maintains his spot at the peak of the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart for a fifth consecutive week with seven currently charting songs, including “Gold” (Dierks Bentley), “Holy Water” (Michael Ray), “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” (Cole Swindell), “Take My Name” (Parmalee), “What He Didn’t Do” (Carly Pearce), “You Didn’t” (Brett Young) and “You Proof” (Morgan Wallen).

Morgan Wallen (No. 2), Ernest Keith Smith (No. 3), Zach Bryan (No. 4) and Chase McGill (No. 5) round out the remainder of the top 5 this week.

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.