Amy Paige is returning to Nashville country radio beginning today (Jan. 10), as On-Air Host, Middays, on Cumulus Radio’s 103.3 Country/WKDF-FM. Paige can be heard live Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

She has been a fixture on the Nashville radio scene for the past 15 years, having spent nine years on-air at WSIX-FM. She was also previously on-air on SiriusXM’s Prime Country and The Highway, and at Mix 107.3/WRQX-FM in Washington, D.C.

“103.3 Country/WKDF is a destination for great music, content and entertainment–from today’s hottest artists to stories that connect with our fans,” shares Allison Warren, VP/Market Manager, Cumulus Nashville. “We are excited to have Amy Paige join a dynamic cast with Big D and Bubba weekday mornings and Tyler Reese weekday afternoons. Amy is a natural storyteller with a passion for music and life, which is exactly what makes her a fan and artist favorite.”

“We are fortunate to be able to bring Amy into the Cumulus Nashville family,” says Charlie Cook, Programming Operations Manager, Cumulus Nashville. “We continue to build a team that will appeal to the country radio listener in Middle Tennessee. Amy is a friend on the radio to so many fans who will fall right back into joining her on 103.3 Country.”

“My heart is soaring at the thought of reconnecting with Nashville,” adds Paige. “I’ve missed the music, the people and all the joy that comes with being on-air in our magical city. On top of that, I get to join a lineup of incredible talent who also happen to be people I care about and respect. This is a dream come true. I am truly grateful for Charlie Cook and Allison Warren inviting me to the 103.3 Country family. Feels like I’m home again.”

Country music icon Tracy Lawrence marked 30 years of making country music in 2021. To celebrate the milestone, he has been releasing his three-part Hindsight 2020 collection, which revisits some of his greatest hits along with new material.

The third and final volume release, Hindsight 2020, Volume 3: Angelina, will be available on Jan. 28. Lawrence gave a preview of the upcoming collection with the release of its title track, “Angelina,” available everywhere now.

“‘Angelina’ is a get-out-of-your-seats and have a good time kind of song,” says Lawrence. “I love its honky-tonk groove and how much energy it has. It’s going to be a lot of fun to play live and I’m looking forward to having the audience up on their feet with this one!”

Later this spring, Lawrence will head back out on the road with longtime friend, Clay Walker, to share the stage on a 9-date run. TikTok sensation Alexandra Kay and country traditionalist Randall King are slated to open on select dates.

Hindsight 2020, Volume 3: Angelina Track List:
1. Didn’t We
2. Angelina
3. Time Marches On
4. Paint Me A Birmingham
5. Don’t Drink Whiskey
6. Sticks and Stones
7. Texas Tornado
8. Drank Thru It
9. Who Needs You
10. Alibis

Sean Stemaly has previewed his upcoming debut album, Product Of A Small Town, with the release of the project’s title track. The new Big Loud Records project is slated to arrive in full on Feb. 18.

Written by Stemaly, David Bliek, Gary Garris, Andrew Marik and Noah West, “Product Of A Small Town” serves as an ode to all the things that made the 27-year-old who he is, including good friends, nights out in the open air, and country music.

“‘Product Of A Small Town’ is the most authentic representation of my country and rock roots all wrapped up in one song,” Stemaly shares. “I want everybody that grew up in a small town to hear it and take pride in where they come from, crank it up and raise a beer to it.”

The new album was produced by Joey Moi and co-produced by Derek Wells, with additional production by Stemaly and Lex Lipsitz on select songs. The album contains a number of previous releases, including “Z71” which has scored 18 million global streams since its release,  “Come Back to Bed,” and “As Far As I Know.”

Product Of A Small Town Track List:
1. “Product Of A Small Town” (Sean Stemaly, David Bliek, Gary Garris, Andrew Marik, Noah West)
2. “Last Night All Day” (Matt Dragstrem, Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps)
3. “Can’t Be Me” (Sean Stemaly, John Byron)
4. “Z71” (Sean Stemaly, Andy Albert, Brett Tyler)
5. “Speaking My Language” (Sean Stemaly, John Byron, Blake Pendergrass)
6. “Comeback Town” (Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith)
7. “Love Me Like Kentucky” (Sean Stemaly, Ernest Keith Smith)
8. “WD-40 4WD (feat. Jimmie Allen & Justin Moore)” (Matt Dragstrem, Chase McGill, Josh Thompson)
9. “Back On A Backroad” (Michael Hardy, Josh Kerr, Cole Taylor) *
10. “Georgia” (Sean Stemaly, Davis Branch, Sam Grayson, Ryan Robinette) **
11. “If Heaven Had A Weekend” (Sean Stemaly, John Byron)
12. “As Far As I Know” (Hunter Phelps, Jameson Rodgers, Justin Wilson)
13. “Hello, You Up” (John Byron, Jamie Moore)
14. “Come Back To Bed” (Sean Stemaly, Andy Albert, Jared Mullins, Alysa Vanderheym)
* produced by Joey Moi and Lex Lipsitz
** produced by Lex Lipsitz and Sean Stemaly

Carrie Underwood Makes Surprise Appearance On Netflix’s ‘Cobra Kai’

Carrie Underwood kicked off the new year with a surprise appearance on the Netflix series, Cobra Kai Season 4. In the season finale, Underwood performs the classic 80s hit “The Moment of Truth.”

Written by Bill Conti, Dennis Lambert, and Peter Beckett, the song was originally recorded by 80s rock band Survivor for The Karate Kid original movie soundtrack and played over that film’s end credits. Underwood’s interpretation is produced by Cobra Kai series composers Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson and appears on the fourth season soundtrack.

“I love Cobra Kai so much and was absolutely thrilled when they invited me to be a part of the penultimate episode of season 4,” Underwood shares. “Adding Survivor’s iconic ‘The Moment of Truth’ to the mix was very cool, as I loved the original Karate Kid movie soundtrack. I love all the nostalgia with Cobra Kai, and it’s an honor to be a small part of this legacy.”

Cobra Kai takes place over 30 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament with the continuation of the conflict between Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). The first three seasons are now streaming on Netflix.

 

 

Charlie Dean Joins 19th & Grand Records As Midwest Regional Promotion Manager

Music industry veteran Charlie Dean has joined 19th & Grand Records as Midwest Regional Promotion Manager. She replaces Suzanne Durham, who left for a soon-to-be-announced opportunity.

Dean started her career handling on air duties, promotions, and programming at KCMJ-FM in Palm Springs before being hired as Promotion Director at WBOB/BOB 100 in Minneapolis. She was hired as Divisional Country Marketing Manager for Universal Music & Video Distribution in Minneapolis in 1998 before transitioning to radio promotion for MCA Nashville and later UMG Nashville in 2001.

“We’re thrilled to have someone of Charlie’s caliber join our 19th & Grand promotion team and assist in taking Tenille Arts and the label to the next level,” says 19th & Grand VP Promotion Jim Malito.

Dean is based in Minneapolis and can be reached now at [email protected] or 612-718-4406.

 

 

IBMA Announces Permanent Endowment For The Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship

The IBMA Foundation has announced the permanent endowment of the Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship, funded by a $50,000 gift from Rick and Wendy Lang of New Hampshire.

Lang is a Grammy-nominated writer who serves as the chair of the IBMA Songwriter Committee and volunteers with the IBMA Songwriter Mentor Program.

The Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship will be awarded annually to a student planning to study songwriting at the college level. Applicants must already have demonstrated skills as a songwriter and plan to further their study of the art on a higher education level, as well as current IBMA members.

The first two recipients of this scholarship were Heather Alley (2020), a student at Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky, and Jessica Lang (2021, no relation to the donors), a student at Belmont University in Nashville.

“Our goal with the scholarship is to help our youth be able to afford to further their educations in the music field and realize their dreams,” the Langs share. “Young people are the future of bluegrass music, and we are glad to be able to help them along their journey! We are beyond excited about finally endowing the scholarship. This means it will perpetuate and be available to students each and every year.”

The next deadline to apply for all IBMA Foundation scholarships is June 1, 2022. For more information about the Lang Songwriter Scholarship and other IBMA Foundation-hosted scholarships, grants and awards, click here.

 

 

Southern Gospel Association Unveils New Home For Its Hall Of Fame & Museum

The Southern Gospel Music Association has unveiled an agreement with Biblical Times Theater to house the SGMA Hall of Fame & Museum on their premises located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Kaylee Davis, creative director of Biblical Times, says: “On behalf of the owners, management and staff at Biblical Times, we are proud to welcome the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame Museum into our family! We strive to glorify the Lord in our nightly shows as we bring the stories of scripture to life and with southern gospel being rooted here in the Great Smoky Mountains, it only seems fitting that we join together. We look forward to what God has in store in the coming months and years with the museum, and praying it would bring joy and encouragement to all those who visit! Once again it is our honor to partner with the music that shares the greatest message in the whole world and to be the new home of the SGMA Museum.”

“We are excited and grateful to the Lord for the blessing of a new home for the SGMA. We have a lot of work ahead of us and the folks at Biblical Times have been an absolute joy to work with,” adds Arthur Rice, SGMA President. “We believe this joint venture will not only carry the history and future of our music but the message of Christ to many. Please pray for us during the next several months as we relocate to our new home.”

Premiere Networks has announced veteran country radio programmer and on-air personality, Anthony “AntMan” Allen, has been named Executive Producer of After MidNite with Granger Smith.

Based in Austin, Allen will oversee the day-to-day operations of the country music program, including managing guest appearances and performances, integration of brand partnerships, identifying growth opportunities, and driving engagement across multiple platforms.

Allen continues to host the podcast Picture This! With The Antman, and has programmed several country stations over the past 23 years, including iHeartMedia’s KASE 101 and 98.1 KVET in Austin.

In July 2021, he partnered with Smith to launch Yee Yee Radio, a new online radio station. Prior to that, he served as the assistant Program Director and Music Director for 102.5 KNIX in Phoenix. He joined the station in 2013 after working as Assistant Program Director and afternoon on-air personality at iHeartMedia Nashville’s The Big 98.

“To say I’m honored that Jennifer Leimgruber and Rod Phillips have asked me to come on board with After MidNite would be an understatement,” shares Allen. “This show is legendary, and to be trusted with helping guide this venture is humbling. Granger is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever come across. I have the honor of calling him a great friend, and who doesn’t want to work with their friends? I’m excited to dive in!”

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome AntMan to the Premiere Networks and After MidNite family,” adds Leimgruber, EVP of Entertainment Programming for Premiere Networks. “Over the years, AntMan has worked with Granger on several projects and we’re confident his decades-long experience in country radio makes him the perfect choice to successfully lead this exciting new chapter of After MidNite.”

Smith made his debut as host of After MidNite on Jan. 1. Reaching millions of listeners on more than 200 stations nationwide, the show features the biggest hits in country music, as well as exclusive artist interviews and performances, fan interaction and special content from Smith’s alter ego, Earl Dibbles, Jr.

The program is available to stations Monday through Sunday from midnight to 6 a.m., and can be heard on the American Forces Network and the iHeartRadio app.