Justin Moore Kicks Off The New Year As New Sports Talk Radio Co-Host

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Justin Moore. Photo: Courtesy of 103.7 The Buzz

Country artist Justin Moore is jumping into the sports world, starting a gig at Arkansas’ 103.7 The Buzz Sports Radio’s Morning Mayhem where he serves as the station’s newest co-host.

Moore, an Arkansas native, will talk all things Arkansas Razorbacks alongside co-hosts David Bazzel, Roger Scott and R.J. Hawk.

For his first show, the “Small Town USA” singer joined his co-hosts in Tampa, Florida, prior to Arkansas’ matchup against Penn State at the 2022 Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Moore, being an avid sports fan, has appeared on ESPN, the SEC Network, MLB Network, and the Golf Channel.

To catch Moore on the air and learn more about Morning Mayhem, which airs weekdays from 6-10 a.m. CT, visit 1037thebuzz.com/shows.

B.J. Thomas ‘In Remembrance’ Album To Feature Unreleased Tracks

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A new album from B.J. Thomas, In Remembrance – Love Songs & Lost Treasures, will be released on Feb. 4 from Real Gone Music.

The 18-song CD will include 13 unreleased songs, eight unreleased songs from the Warner-Reprise Records vault, four songs from a limited edition direct response album in the 90s, rare photos, outtakes recorded with veteran songwriter/producer Steve Dorff, and more.

Thomas mixed genres throughout his career, joining legendary Memphis producer Chips Moman for a series of hits, including “Hooked on a Feeling,” “The Eyes of a New York Woman,” “I Just Can’t Help Believing,” and the No. 1 Bacharach-David hit “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head,” the Oscar-winning song from Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid.

His crossover to country was cemented with his 1975 pop/country/AC million-seller “(Hey, Won’t You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song.” Simultaneously, Thomas became the first Platinum-selling contemporary Christian artist with a string of popular albums in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which also won him five Grammys and numerous other awards.

Thomas passed away on May 29, 2021, after a battle with cancer. He was 78.

In Remembrance – Love Songs & Lost Treasures Track List:
1. Expression of Faith
2. Meet at My Heart*
3. I Like Livin’*
4. When the Hero Dies*
5. The Best Things in Life*
6. Rock and Roll Lullaby*
7. Hands on Me Again
8. This Ain’t a Song (It’s a Prayer)
9. Think About Me*
10. No One Else on Earth*
11. Our Younger Hearts*
12. That’s The Thing About Love*
13. Red Letter Days
14. When a Woman Talks*
15. Love by Any Name*
16. Memory in the Making*
17. Wings of a Dove*
18. America the Beautiful
*Unreleased Track

Industry Ink: Moody Center, Vista 22, Odyssey Entertainment Group

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Austin’s Moody Center Surpasses $15 Million In Ticket Sales Ahead Of Grand Opening

Moody Center, the new 15,000+ seat arena on The University of Texas’ campus in Austin, has surpassed over $15 million in ticket sales for upcoming concerts and live events ahead of its official grand opening.

The venue will be christened on April 29 and 30 with the “Strait from Moody Center” presented by Bud Light. The two sold-out shows will feature George Strait with special guests Willie Nelson & Family and Randy Rogers Band.

“Austinites and the surrounding communities love live music and entertainment. Austin has a unique vibe and music is still at the center of it,” says Casey Sparks, assistant general manager of Moody Center. “In all my years of working in this industry, I haven’t seen a calendar this full of artists wanting to come to a city. This will be an inaugural year of non-stop entertainment.”

Leading up to the grand opening celebration, Moody Center will host 7x Grammy award-winning artist John Mayer on April 20 and 21 and Grammy award-winning global entertainer Justin Bieber on April 27. Also included in Moody Center’s lineup are 6x Grammy award-winning act Eagles performing on May 19 and 20, Jack White on May 25, Italian phenomenon Andrea Bocelli on June 22, The Killers on Sept. 9, and Shawn Mendes on Oct. 3. For a full lineup of upcoming shows, click here.

Vista 22 Entertainment Adds Tristan Tritt To Artist Management Roster

Tristan Tritt

Nashville-based Vista 22 Entertainment has signed 22-year-old Tristan Tritt to its artist management roster.

The oldest son of country music mainstay Travis Tritt, the Georgia native’s style incorporates heavier rock driven performances rather than his family’s outlaw country music roots.

Tritt started playing guitar at a young age and grew up on the road.

Dan Lavery and Patra Sinner of Vista 22 share: “He knows the direction he wants this to go, he has the talent to make it happen and he is ready to put in the hard work. We couldn’t be more excited to start this journey with Tristan.”

With the advisement of Vista 22 and long-time family friend Mike “Cheez” Brown, Tritt is currently in the studio writing and recording with Leroy Powell, a part of his father’s band. Fans can expect two new singles from Tritt in the first quarter of 2022 with his first full length EP to follow.

Odyssey Entertainment Group Expands Offices By Four

Pictured (L-R): Kerriann Salmon, Gabi Coccio, Riley Reed, and Julianne Hatton

Odyssey Entertainment Group, a women-run management company, has expanded its Nashville and New York teams with 4 employees.

Commenting on the expansion, Odyssey Entertainment Group’s co-owner Paige Kosinski shares, “Since we launched in February 2021, we’ve dreamed of being able to add creative-minded, intelligent, and motivated women to our team.”

Gabi Coccio has been promoted to Management Coordinator, a role that entails running influencer campaigns for part of the company roster. This promotion comes after previously working as an intern and Management Assistant for the company. She’s a Belmont University alum with previous internship experience at Rixon Entertainment Group, Kore Public Relations, The AMG, and TKO Artist Management.

Julianne Hatton has been named Management Assistant, working on company administrative duties and organizing campaign information for the roster of influencers. The Belmont University graduate previously served as Marketing Coordinator for City Winery.

Riley Reed has joined the team as Campaign Manager, working on handling influencer brand deals and talent coordination. She has past industry experience at companies including Live Nation, Creative Artists Agency, and Prime Social Group.

Kerriann Salmon has been named Influencer & Artist Project Manager. Based in New York City, she will assist in meeting the creative needs of the company’s roster of artists as well as the logistics behind all special projects for the influencer roster.

Mark Your Calendar—January 2022

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Single/Track Releases

January 7
Maren Morris/Circles Around This Town/Sony

January 14
Josh Mirenda/Til The Neon’s Gone/Average Joes Entertainment
Kirstie Kraus/Something New/Yes You Can/Kraus House of Entertainment

January 18
Jacob Johnson/Small Town Spotlights/AJG Music Group/Bow To Stern Records
Jake Gill/If Jesus Was A Cowboy/Maverick Promotions

January 24
Kip Moore/Crazy One More Time (Radio Edit)/MCA Nashville

January 31
Lady A/What A Song Can Do/BMLG Records

 

Album/EP Releases

January 14
Conner Smith/Didn’t Go Too Far/The Valory Music Co.
Jacob Bryant/Bar Stool Preacher/Thirty Tigers/American Roots Records
Casting Crowns/Healer/Provident

January 21
Keb’ Mo’/Good To Be/Rounder Records
Walker Hayes/Country Stuff The Album/Monument Records
Texas Hill/Heaven Down Here

January 28
Maddie & Tae/Through the Madness, Vol. 1/Mercury
Rod + Rose/Rod + Rose/Curb Records
Morgan Wade/Reckless Deluxe Edition/Arista Nashville
Brent Cobb/And Now, Let’s Turn To Page…/Ol’ Buddy Records
Aaron Lewis/Frayed At Both Ends/Valory Music Co.
Adam Shoenfeld/All the Birds Sing/Lozen Entertainment Group/Copperline
Styles Haury/One Life Ain’t Enough

 

Industry Events

 

January 14 – 17, 2022
30A Songwriters Festival

Travis Tritt Announces ‘Set In Stone’ Tour For Spring

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Travis Tritt. Photo: Jeremy Cowart

Travis Tritt will launch his “Set In Stone” tour this spring.

Beginning March 11 in Orange Beach, Alabama, the tour will visit Shreveport, North Charleston, Topeka, Jacksonville, and 13 other cities across the country through May 1. Fans will have the opportunity to hear songs from Tritt’s recent album, Set In Stone, during the shows, which features 11 new songs and was produced by Dave Cobb.

Throughout the course of his career, Tritt has recorded eleven studio albums, charted five No. 1s, and earned 20 Top 10 hits, including “Help Me Hold On,” “Anymore,” “Can I Trust You with My Heart,” “I’m Gonna Be Somebody,” “Here’s A Quarter,” “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,” and more.

Tickets for the shows or more information on the dates can be found here.

“Set In Stone” Tour Dates:
March 11 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater
March 12 – Shreveport, LA – Shreveport Municipal Auditorium (on-sale now)
March 18 – Salem, VA – Salem Civic Center (on-sale now)
March 19 – Hagerstown, MD – The Maryland Theatre (on-sale now)
March 25 – Cherokee, NC – Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center
March 26 – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston Performing Arts Center (on-sale now)
March 31 – Evansville, IN – Victory Theatre
April 1 – Cape Girardeau, MO – Show Me Center
April 2 – Robinsonville, MS – Gold Strike Millennium Theatre
April 9 – Cocoa, FL – Cocoa Riverfront Park
April 10 – Ormond Beach, FL – The Pavilion at Destination Daytona
April 14 – Topeka, KS – Topeka Performing Arts Center (on-sale date – 1/14)
April 15 – Wichita, KS – Century II Performing Arts Center
April 16 – Springfield, MO – Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts (on-sale date – 1/14)
April 22 – Dalton, GA – Dalton Convention Center (on-sale now)
April 23 – Peachtree City, GA – Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater
May 1 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre

Discover Sooner Unveils Publisher Writer Experience With Christina Wiltshire & Will Overton

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Discover Sooner, a company which seeks to accelerate the attention of publishers to songwriters, has announced its Publisher Writer Experience headed by Warner Chappell Directors Christina Wiltshire and Will Overton.

The interactive, three-month mentoring and songwriting program will help songwriters improve their skills under the direction of a publisher that advises commercially successful writers. Participants will choose which A&R Director they wish to work with.

Wiltshire is Director, A&R at Warner Chappell Nashville where she oversees a diverse multi-genre group of writers and catalogs. Formerly, she was a Creative Coordinator for Patrick Joseph Music and Sea Gayle Music’s creative team where she was responsible for pitching songs, managing writer calendars, and seeking new talent.

“If you are a songwriter or artist trying to break into this crazy industry, I want to hear from you,” shares Wiltshire. “There’s so much undiscovered talent out there, it’s your time to be heard!”

Overton is Director, A&R at Warner Chappell Music Nashville where he signs new acts and develops established acts on the company’s roster. Overton previously worked at DropTine Music and earned a Bachelor of Arts from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Masters in Management Studies from Duke University.

Songwriter applications for the program are due on Jan. 9. For more information or to apply, click here.

DelFest To Return In May 2022, First Wave Of Performers Announced

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DelFest is returning to Cumberland, Maryland on May 26-29 after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

The lineup for this year’s festival is set to include hosts The Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys, along with performances from Railroad Earth, Bela Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart, Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, Watchhouse, California Honeydrops, Sierra Hull, Anders Osborne & Jackie Green, Cabinet, The Lil Smokies, and more.

Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for the genre-spanning festival are on sale now.

In addition to traditional stage sets by world-class artists, attendees can expect one-of-a-kind collaborations, special guest sit-ins, various tributes to McCoury and his musical legacy, and intimate appearances from artists on the lineup.

Weekly Register: Taylor Swift Extends Reign On Country Charts

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Taylor Swift. Photo: Beth Garrabrant

Taylor Swift maintains both the No. 1 song and album on the country charts for the week ending on Dec. 23, 2021. “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” adds 8.6 million streams, contributing to a cumulative 113 million RTD. The single comes from the week’s No. 1 album, Red (Taylor’s Version), which earned 76,000 in total consumption (46,000 album only/36 million song streams).

Morgan Wallen‘s Dangerous: The Double Album takes the second spot on the top country albums, gaining 48,000 in total consumption (4,000 album only/54 million song streams). Burl Ives‘ Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer comes in third with 35,000 streams, Brenda Lee‘s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree takes fourth with 31,000 streams, and Carrie Underwood‘s My Gift seals the top five with 29,000 streams.

Walker Hayes‘ “Fancy Like” keeps its place at No. 2 on the country songs chart with 7 million streams, and Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan stay at No. 3 as “Buy Dirt” earns 5.2 million streams. Dustin Lynch and Mackenzie Porter move up one to fourth with “Thinking ‘Bout You” adding 5.1 million streams, knocking Wallen down to No. 5 as “Wasted On You” gains 4.4 million streams.

Industry Veteran Judi Turner Announces Retirement

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Judi Turner

Leadership Music’s Communications and Events Manager Judi Turner has announced her retirement.

“Every fun and festive Leadership Music gathering has Judi’s fingerprints all over it,” shares the organization. “Leadership Music shines through every day in her bright smile, warm hugs and fond remembrances. To say she’ll be missed is a titanic understatement.”

Turner says, “In a dream career, I have been especially blessed to work with four industry icons: Jo Walker-Meador, Irving Waugh, Bill Gaither and Bill Carter, as well as such legendary and enduring performers as Rodney Crowell, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Shenandoah, among others. It has been an incredible 40 year journey, and it truly is the people, especially 25 years of Leadership Music alumni, who have made it so memorable. I plan to stay involved with Leadership Music, Second Harvest Food Bank and the Teacher’s Pet project at JE Moss Elementary School.”

Pictured (L-R, back row): 2019 SOURCE Awards honorees Grace Reinbold, Beverly Keel, Erika Wollam-Nichols, Sarah Brosmer; (L-R, front row): Gayle Hill, Judi Turner, Trisha Walker-Cunningham. Photo: Moser Photography

A native of Gainesville, Georgia, Turner received her bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. She began her career in Atlanta working in the re-election campaign for former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders. Turner subsequently entered the music industry as Jo Walker-Meador’s administrative assistant at CMA before being upped to Director of Public Information.

Turner then became an account executive at Network Ink Public Relations where she worked on the Marlboro Music and Benson & Hedges World Beat tours and served as lead publicist for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol II, as well as for Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ricky Skaggs, Rodney Crowell and Mike Reid, among others.

She then formed her own PR company, Turner & Company, in 1992, working with Rodney Crowell, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Shenandoah, Lonestar, Lisa Stewart, Collin Raye, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, The CMA Awards, and RCA Records. She joined the staff of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as a writer from 2006-2011. She also edited the magazines Celebrate Nashville (the official publication of the Mayor’s bi-centennial city celebration) and Sports and Entertainment Nashville’s debut issue.

She co-wrote Bill Carter’s autobiography, Get Carter: Backstage in History from JFK’s Assassination to the Rolling Stones, published in 2006.

Turner is a 1996 graduate of Leadership Music and joined the staff in 2012 as Manager of Communications and Events.

She was inducted into SOURCE’s Hall of Fame for Women Behind the Music Business in 2019.

Turner can be reached by email at [email protected].

‘Nashville’s Big Bash’ Draws Massive Downtown Crowd To Ring In 2022

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The Nashville skyline during Nashville’s Big Bash on Dec. 31, 2021. Photo: Alan Poizner/Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp

Nashville’s Big Bash New Year’s Eve event lived up to its name over the weekend, with approximately 200,000 people attending the star-studded, five-hour show downtown.

This year’s event was a primetime New Year’s Eve concert special on CBS, which featured heavy hitters Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and more.

The Bash was anchored at Nashville’s annual free concert and music note drop at Bicentennial Mall, but also moved around to some of Music City’s famed honky-tonks and a rooftop stage setting for the night’s many performances.

Co-host Bobby Bones dubbed the show a “once-in-a-lifetime New Year’s Eve bar crawl,” which featured some of Nashville’s biggest names taking the stage at their own bars, including Lambert from her Casa Rosa Cantina; Bryan from 32 Bridge; and Shelton from Ole Red.

All attendees age 11 and up were required to either submit a negative COVID test or could volunteer proof of vaccination to gain entry. The production, backstage crew and artists underwent stringent testing protocols in the days leading up to the event.