Tyler Hubbard Signs With EMI Nashville, Plans Upcoming Solo Project

Tyler Hubbard. Photo: John Shearer

Tyler Hubbard, half of the multi-Platinum duo Florida Georgia Line, has signed a recording contract with EMI Nashville, an imprint of UMG Nashville.

Hubbard has collaborated with several artists in the past year as a solo artist, namely Tim McGraw on “Undivided.” Now aligned with EMI Nashville, Hubbard will release a full solo project.

In March of 2021, Hubbard’s FGL partner Brian Kelley announced he had partnered with Warner Music Nashville for his solo music venture, Nashville South Records, Inc. He released his debut solo album, Sunshine State Of Mind, in June.

Despite rumors, the two have maintained that they are not breaking up, just pausing on recording new FGL music and spending their energy pursuing solo interests. Florida Georgia Line remains part of BMLG Records’ artist roster.

FGL is currently the subject of an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and will headline Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam in June. Many of Hubbard and Kelley’s business ventures are also intertwined, including Tree Vibez Music, their publishing company, and Old Camp, their whiskey brand.

BBR Appoints Katie Kerkhover To VP Of A&R, Sara Knabe To Exit

Katie Kerkhover & Chris Poole

BBR Music Group has promoted Katie Kerkhover to VP, A&R and Chris Poole to Sr. Director, A&R.

Joining BMG in 2020, Kerkhover previously served as Sr. Director, Creative, in music publishing where she managed BMG’s Nashville roster of songwriters including Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Ben Goldsmith, Emily Landis, James Slater, and Wynn Varble, among others. She also signed and developed new songwriters and artists.

In her new role she will be responsible for BBR Music Group’s roster of recording artists across imprints Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records and Wheelhouse Records, as well as scouting, signing, and developing new talent for the roster. She will report directly to Jon Loba, President, Recorded Music & Publishing, Nashville. Kerkhover can be at katie.kerkhover@bmg.com.

The move reflects the continued alignment within BMG’s recorded and publishing teams under the dual leadership responsibilities of Loba, now overseeing both repertoire teams. Outgoing VP, A&R, Sara Knabe will stay through June 1 for the transition.

“I’ve always thought Katie would be an incredible A&R executive and seeing her in action on the publishing side over the last year and half has only strengthened that belief. She not only has an amazing ear for songs, but additionally an ear for her artists and writers’ visions. The development of American Idol winner Chayce Beckham is a shining example,” Loba explains. “I’m excited to have her and Chris Oglesby lead our respective recorded and publishing creative teams and further strengthen the unique relationship between the two.”

Additionally, BBR Music Group has promoted Chris Poole to Sr. Director, A&R, where he will continue to scout and develop up-and-coming recording artists, as well as guide and champion the label group’s roster. Poole joined BMG in 2018, previously serving as Director, A&R. He will report directly to Kerkhover and can be reached at chris.poole@bbrmusicgroup.com.

“Chris Poole’s promotion to Sr. Director is beyond well-deserved,” Loba adds. “He is the epitome of the young A&R exec who has his finger on the pulse of creative conversations in Nashville. His work with Elvie Shane, among other new artists, speaks for itself.”

Marty Stuart’s ‘Late Night Jam’ Returns With Billy Strings, Emmylou Harris, More

Marty Stuart’s 19th “Late Night Jam” will return to the Ryman Auditorium on June 8 after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Artists set to perform during the annual CMA Music Fest week show include Billy Strings, Colt Clark & Quarantine Kids, Connie Smith, Emmylou Harris, The Grand Ole Opry Square Dancers, Jontavious Willis, Lainey Wilson, Marcus King, Williams & Ree, and others to be announced soon. Stuart will also perform songs from his extensive back catalog and preview brand new original songs during the evening.

“It’s been two years since the last Late Night Jam. It’s wonderful to think about gathering at the Mother Church of Country Music again and making music,” shares Stuart. “Some of the most memorable musical moments I’ve ever experienced happened on the stage of the Ryman at previous ‘Late Night Jams.’ I have no doubt that I can count on that same magic to occur this year.”

This year performers will be paired with historic guitars from Stuart’s private collection, including Merle Haggard’s 1970 Martin S000-45, Johnny Cash‘s 1937 Martin D-45, George Jones‘ 1957 Martin D-28, Tammy Wynette‘s 1967 Fender Palomino and Pops Staples’s 1969 Fender Rosewood Telecaster.

Tickets for Stuart’s “Late Night Jam” will go on sale on May 6 and can be purchased here.

This year’s ‘Late Night Jam’ will raise funds for Stuart’s Congress of Country Music project which is currently in development in Philadelphia, Mississippi. Previously, the event has benefited MusiCares, as well as the victims of the Nashville flood, giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.

Brantley Gilbert & Jelly Roll Team Up For ‘Son Of The Dirty South Summer Tour 2022’

Brantley Gilbert is joining forces with country rocker Jelly Roll for the “Son of the Dirty South Summer Tour 2022,” with special guest Pillbox Patti. The mini-tour kicks off June 30 in Jacksonville, Florida and runs through Aug. 27 in Brandon, Mississippi.

Tickets for the dates go on sale this Friday, May 6 at 9 a.m. CT at BrantleyGilbert.com.

“I always look forward to being on the road and getting together with BG Nation, but I can say I’m especially excited to be heading out with my good friend Jelly Roll,” shares Gilbert. “We’ve got an incredible show in the works, and we’re looking forward to seeing you this summer!”

“Touring with Brantley has been on my dream list forever! He’s one of my favorite artists, humans and fathers in the business,” adds Jelly Roll. “I expect these shows to be rowdy!”

Gilbert’s latest single, “Rolex On A Redneck,” marked the first collaboration with longtime friend Jason Aldean, having toured together and swapped songs throughout their careers. The song was written by Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Michael Hardy, Randy Montana and Taylor Phillips while on a writer’s retreat in Texas.

With the release of 2021’s Ballads of the Broken, genre-bending singer, songwriter, and rapper Jelly Roll saw his career soar to new heights as lead single “Save Me” became Gold-certified and garnered over 100 million views on YouTube.

“Son of the Dirty South Summer Tour 2022” Dates:
June 30 – Daily’s Place – Jacksonville, Fla.
July 1 – Aaron Bessant Amphitheater – Panama City Beach, Fla.
Aug. 25 – Brooshire Grocery Arena – Bossier City, La.
Aug. 26 – BancorpSouth Arena – Tupelo, Miss.
Aug. 27 – Brandon Amphitheater – Brandon, Miss.

CMA Foundation Names 2022 Music Teachers Of Excellence Honorees

The CMA Foundation will honor 30 music teachers from across the country as Music Teachers of Excellence. In its sixth year, the program recognizes educators who are having the greatest impact on their students, using the power of music as an avenue for change.

The CMA Foundation will hold its sixth Music Teachers of Excellence Awards in Nashville on Wednesday, Oct. 19. The Foundation will also invest $150,000 total to all of this year’s recipients, half of which will go toward their classroom needs and music programs, while the other half will support professional development and personal expenses.

“We are incredibly proud to support these 30 amazing music teachers through this program,” says Tiffany Kerns, Executive Director, CMA Foundation. “Music Education is essential to the well-being of students everywhere. We believe that without excellent teachers, a high-quality education for our students wouldn’t be possible. Welcoming this new class brings our staff and country community so much joy–we cannot wait to celebrate their achievements this fall!”

Music Teachers of Excellence are selected based on their dedication to bringing a high-quality music education to their students and the impact they’ve had on their school community through music. To date, the CMA Foundation has invested over $27 million, including $850,000 towards Music Teachers of Excellence to ensure music educators have the support and funding needed to create a thriving program within their school and community.

2022 Music Teachers of Excellence Award Recipients:
Justin Antos – Dwight D. Eisenhower High School, Community High School District 218, Blue Island, IL
Evan Burton – Fred J. Page Middle School, Williamson County Schools, Franklin, TN
Jesse Cannon II – Duncanville High School, Duncanville Independent School District, Duncanville, TX
Jared Cassedy – Lexington High School, Lexington Public Schools, Lexington, MA
Sara Cowan – Central High School, Omaha Public Schools, Omaha, NE
Alicia Engram – Eagle View Elementary School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Antioch, TN
Elaina Gallas – Edmondson Elementary School, Williamson County Schools, Brentwood, TN
Jason Glashauser – South Clinton Elementary School, Clinton City Schools, Clinton, TN
Vivian Gonzalez – Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL
John Hazlett – McGavock High School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
Michael Holland – Nolensville High School, Williamson County Schools, Nolensville, TN
Samuel Holmes – Garden Hills Elementary School, Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta, GA
Trey Jacobs – Nashville School of the Arts, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
Kevin Jankowski – W.H. Oliver Middle School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
Ollie Liddell – Memphis Central High School, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Memphis, TN
Jarrett Lipman – Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson High School, North East Independent School District, San Antonio, TX
Andrew Lynn – Stewarts Creek Middle School, Rutherford County Schools, Smyrna, TN
Darlene Machacon – John A. Murdy Elementary School, Garden Grove Unified School District, Garden Grove, CA
Margaret Maurice – Hidden Valley Elementary School, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte, NC
Tyler Merideth – Hillwood High School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
Marie Millikin – Tara Oaks Elementary School, Collierville Municipal School District, Collierville, TN
Linzie Mullins – Snowden School, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Memphis, TN
Joseph Powell – White Station High School, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Memphis, TN
Samantha Reid – Isaac Litton Middle School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
Emily Riley – Julia Green Elementary School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
Danielle Leigh Taylor – Mt. View Elementary School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Antioch, TN
Matthew Trevino – Roan Forest Elementary, North East Independent School District, San Antonio, TX
Tiffany Turner – Brentwood Middle School, Williamson County Schools, Brentwood, TN
Susan Waters – W.H. Oliver Middle School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Nashville, TN
Frank Zimmerer – Antioch High School, Metro Nashville Public Schools, Antioch, TN

Dolly Parton To Be Inducted Into The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame This November

Dolly Parton. Photo: Rob Hoffman

On Wednesday morning (May 4), the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame unveiled this year’s inductees, which includes Dolly Parton, Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem, Lionel Richie, Eurythmics, Carly Simon, Judas Priest, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Allen Grubman, Jimmy Iovine, Sylvia Robinson, Elizabeth Cotten, and Harry Belafonte.

Parton originally turned down her nomination for induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March, saying on social media: “Even though I’m extremely flattered and grateful to be nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I don’t feel that I have earned that right. I really do not want votes split because of me, so I must respectfully bow out.”

However, in a later interview with NPR, Parton explained that, if voted in, she would gracefully accept.

To be eligible, artists must have at least a 25-year span since their first commercial recording came out. Eminem, Duran Duran, Richie, Simon and Parton have all appeared on the ballot one other time, while this marks Eurythmics and Benatar’s second nomination. This is Eminem’s first year of eligibility.

The 2022 ceremony will also be the first time that six female acts will be inducted in one class.

The Class of 2022 will be inducted on Nov. 5 at Los Angeles’ Microsoft Theater. Ticket information for the 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be shared in the coming weeks. The event will also air on a later date on HBO and stream on HBO Max.

On The Row: Jessica Willis Fisher Reclaims Her Voice On ‘Brand New Day’

Jessica Willis Fisher. Photo: MusicRow‘s Haley Crow

Americana singer-songwriter Jessica Willis Fisher is no stranger to the spotlight. With early beginnings in her family band, The Willis Clan, Fisher began playing music at a young age before serving as the lead singer and fiddle player for the band at the age of 16.

The Willis Clan played the Grand Ole Opry, made TV appearances, competed on America’s Got Talented and won over the hearts of many, but not everything was as rosy as it seemed.

“There were a lot of fun parts about it, but there were also some very unhealthy and toxic things about it as well. That was all that I knew,” Fisher shared in a recent visit with MusicRow. “I have embraced it as part of my story and started being honest about what I’ve been through. My dad was abusive in every way that a person can be, and it got bad enough that I woke up and thought that there has to be something better than this. It was really hard to get out of that situation because it’s your family and your business.”

At the age of 24, Fisher stepped away from music in general for a number of years.

However, now just in time for her 30th birthday, Fisher has returned with the aptly named Brand New Day, her debut, solo album. Produced by Ben Fowler, the ten-song project dives into parts of Fisher’s story and shares the hope that she’s found on the other side, including the record’s title track which drips with optimism.

While the project sees Fisher as the sole writer on eight of its songs, she did enlist the help of Grammy award-winning songwriter Jon Randall on its lead single “Fire Song,” which captures her personal struggle to find freedom over a haunting production.

Jessica Willis Fisher and MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson. Photo: MusicRow‘s Haley Crow

“I wanted to tell the truth. If I’m going to say something, it needs to be true and it has to be authentic at this point. That was part of the new rules that I made for myself,” Fisher explained. “This song speaks to that dark chapter that I had to get through. The album is called Brand New Day, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a blank slate. Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better, and that’s what this song speaks to.”

From the romance of “Hopelessly, Madly” to the contemplation of “The Lucky One,” Fisher also revives “Slow Me Down,” a ballad about being present in the moment which she previously recorded with her family. Within its tracks, she also finds freedom in the foot-stomping “Gone,” while the project’s emotional centerpiece, “My History,” finds her discovering that there is a way forward through music.

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow‘s LB Cantrell, Haley Crow, and Lydia Farthing; Jessica Willis Fisher; MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson, Alex Parry, Sarah Skates, and Steven Boero. Photo: Courtesy of MusicRow

Brand New Day is definitely the right name for [this new chapter] because I really feel like this is a second chance at my life,” Fisher shared. “Music has been a really powerful tool in reclaiming my voice. I can honestly say that I have lived every single word of all of the songs on the record, but [“My History”] is the first one I played coming back from not writing anything for a while.”

In addition to Brand New Day, Fisher also has plans to release her own book recounting her inspirational story. “You can only fit so much into a three minute song, and I think music is sometimes the perfect way to tell a story or reach someone. But there’s also things a book can say that a song can’t,” she noted.

Fisher is gearing up for an eventful year as she makes her AmericanaFest debut this September during its annual Nashville event.

Elvie Shane, Morgan Wade, Breland Announced As Opry NextStage Class Of 2022 Members

Pictured (L-R): Elvie Shane, Morgan Wade, and Breland

The Grand Ole Opry has announced its initial artists for its Opry NextStage Class of 2022: Elvie Shane (May), Morgan Wade (June) and Breland (July). More artists are set to be announced throughout the year.

The artist discovery program spotlights country’s rising talent and highlights one artist per month with featured original content, an Opry performance, and support across the Opry Entertainment platforms, including the Opry, the Ryman, WSM Radio, Ole Red and Circle Network.

“My Boy” singer Elvie Shane made his Grand Ole Opry debut just over a year ago and will return to the Opry stage May 7 to mark his inclusion in the NextStage Class of 2022.

“The Opry has been at the forefront of keeping country music alive and well since its inception,” says Shane. “I came from a place both literally and musically built on the same values and experiences. To be recognized by the country music congregation that is the Opry is a huge honor.”

The program has cemented a strong track record in just three short years, featuring budding artists such as Parker McCollum, Lainey Wilson, Riley Green and Tenille Townes, who all went on to earn ACM New Male and Female Artist of the Year trophies following their Opry NextStage debuts.

“Opry NextStage truly represents the depth of country music and the future of the genre, and you’ll see that reflected in the composition of this year’s class—starting with these first three extremely talented artists who all come with their own unique artistry, perspectives, and backgrounds,” says Jordan Pettit, Director of Artist Relations & Programming Strategy for Opry Entertainment Group. “We are so excited to invest in this next generation of Opry performers who will help to shape the future of country music and the Opry for many years to come.”

BMG Re-Ups Leadership, Jon Loba Adds Publishing Duties To Responsibilities

Thomas Scherer, Jon Loba

BMG has re-upped its two United States repertoire leads, including Nashville-based Jon Loba (President, BMG Nashville) and Los Angeles-based Thomas Scherer (President, Repertoire & Marketing, Los Angeles and New York), as the company’s US revenues rise nearly a third on pre-pandemic levels.

It was also announced that Loba will add publishing duties to his established Nashville label responsibilities, becoming one of the only major music executive in Nashville to hold dual leadership responsibilities of both areas of the business. Scherer will take the lead on US rights acquisition in addition to his responsibilities for BMG’s Los Angeles and New York-based repertoire operations.

Scherer and Loba’s repertoire operations account for around half of BMG’s global revenues. They will continue to work hand-in-hand with CFO US Joe Gillen.

“BMG is on a roll in the US and it’s thanks in no small part to the work of Thomas and Jon,” shares BMG CEO, Hartwig Masuch. “Jon has created a label powerhouse in Nashville with Jason Aldean, Dustin Lynch, Jimmie Allen, Lainey Wilson, and Jelly Roll so it makes sense to extend his scope to our Nashville music publishing operation.”

Masuch adds, “Meanwhile Thomas is delivering significant double-digit growth at BMG’s core US publishing business with writers like George Harrison, Juice WRLD, D’Mile, Diane Warren, and Lewis Capaldi while also building our recordings interests with key signings like 5 Seconds of Summer, AJR, Maxwell, Slash, Bryan Adams, and the recent acquisitions of Mötley Crüe and John Legend catalogs. Thanks to their teams we remain the only credible global partner for artists and songwriters outside the three majors.”

Ernest Tubb Record Shop To Celebrate 75th Anniversary Tonight With Midnite Jamboree Show

Ernest Tubb Record Shop

Before closing its doors, the Ernest Tubb Record Shop will celebrate its 75th anniversary in a grand fashion tonight (May 3) as it hosts a special edition of its famed Midnite Jamboree beginning at 7 p.m. CT.

The event is free and open to the public. Limited 75th anniversary merchandise will be available.

Earlier this year, the Ernest Tubb Record Shop announced that it will be closing this spring. According to a statement from Honky Tonk Circus, ETRS, and David McCormick Company, both the building and the business will be sold.

The record shop has existed in its current location on lower Broadway since 1951, after country star Ernest Tubb originally opened the shop on Commerce Street in 1947. Since its inception, it has served as a music shop for Nashville natives and tourists, as well as a performance spot for numerous special performances.

The store was the site of The Midnight Jamboree, where country stars would perform immediately after their Grand Ole Opry show.