Nashville Musician, Publisher & Producer Ron Cornelius Dies

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Ron Cornelius with 1959 Gretsch Country Gentleman Guitar. Photo: Courtesy Terry Bell

Ron Cornelius, a Music Row session musician, publisher, and producer, passed away on Aug. 18 following complications from a stroke. He was 76.

Cornelius got his start in music as a teen guitarist in California, cutting his musical teeth while backing a list of artists including Chubby Checker, Martha and the Vandellas, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Jan & Dean, Bobby Rydell, Glen Campbell, Sonny & Cher, Jackie Wilson, Mary Wells, and more. At age 16, he landed a label deal with his own group The Untouchables on Dot Records.

Ron Cornelius. Photo: Courtesy Terry Bell

After years as a backing guitarist, Cornelius formed the group West. In 1967, they signed with Epic Records and cut two albums in Nashville. A single, “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” (a Bob Dylan composition), climbed to No. 17 on the national charts. The group went on to record a final LP for Paramount Records before dissolving. Altogether, Cornelius had five major label deals as an artist including one with A&M Records and his release of “Tin Luck” for Polydor Records.

In 1969, Cornelius was part of the production team for Johnny Cash’s album Live at San Quentin. He also served as lead guitarist on albums by Cash, Marty Robbins, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Hoyt Axton, Loudon Wainwright III, and many others. Cornelius also played lead on seven multi-Platinum albums for the legendary Bob Dylan. During this time, Cornelius also helped assemble a band for singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, serving as band leader for six major world tours, four albums, and a movie. He also provided guitar on several film soundtracks including I Walk the Line starring Gregory Peck, Concrete Cowboy, Little Fauss and Big Halsy, and The Big Lebowski.

He moved to Nashville in 1980 and pursued a career as a producer, songwriter, and publisher in addition to his work as a guitarist. Joining forces with Pete Drake, he served as professional manager and producer of Drake Music Group’s Nashville publishing administration service, and later headed and produced for The A.T.V. Music Corporation’s Nashville office. At that time, A.T.V. was the fourth largest publisher in the world, administering the works of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, as well as a 6,000-song catalog of country greats.

In 1986, Cornelius founded The Cornelius Companies, an independent Nashville-based production and publishing company. Cornelius represented and administered catalogs for Cabin Fever Entertainment, Inc., Charlie Daniels/Miss Hazel Music, and The Lowery Music Group out of Atlanta. In 1995 Gateway Entertainment, Inc., a division of The Cornelius Companies, was created, and Cornelius racked up 11 Top 10s, eight Top 5’s, and two No. 1 singles, all produced by him.

In recent years Cornelius worked on projects for Colt Prather for Epic Records, the band Cooper Berry for Warner Brothers Records, California country singer Summer Schappell, and Miko Marks. Cornelius was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame museum’s 2015-2018 Exhibition of Dylan, Cash, and the Nashville Cats: A New Music City. He loaned the museum his custom made 1959 Gretsch Country Gentleman guitar and other artifacts for the exhibit, and participated in a 2015 panel discussion about his work with Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. He is also the author of the book, The Guitar Behind Dylan and Cohen.

CRB To Honor Beverlee Brannigan With 2021 President’s Award

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The Country Radio Broadcasters will be honoring Beverlee Brannigan with the 2021 CRB President’s Award. The award will be presented at the Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Oct. 13 at The Westin in Nashville.

Brannigan is a longtime member of the CRB Board and executive committee, and currently serves as an officer of the organization.

Her career includes on-air, programming, the general manager’s chair, and corporate roles with tenures at SummitMedia, Scripps, Journal Broadcast Group and others. Currently Brannigan helps air personalities and content creators connect with their audiences through effective storytelling. She was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2012.

“Few people have impacted CRB, CRS, and country music at the level of Beverlee Branigan. As a highly successful radio professional she has produced great local radio and helped develop the careers of countless country stars,” says CRB/CRS Board President Kurt Johnson. “As an officer of the board of directors she brings wisdom, insight, creativity and conscience to all our dealings at CRB. In short, our entire format is much stronger thanks to Beverlee’s talent and commitment.”

The CRB President’s Award is given to those who have made a significant contribution to the marketing, production, growth, and development of the Country Radio Seminar and the multiple services that the CRB provide. Previous recipients include Sarah Trahern, Mike Dungan, Charlie Morgan, Bob Kingsley, Joe Galante, and Erica Farber, among others.

As previously announced, the Class of 2021 Country Radio Hall of Fame inductees will also be honored at the award ceremony, which include Bob Call, RJ Curtis, Bill Hagy, Norm Schrutt, Heather Froglear, Buzz Jackson, Bob Pickett, and Angie Ward. A special presentation honoring this year’s CRB Artist Career Achievement Award will also be recognized at the event.

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, CRB, Inc and its Board of Directors are requiring anyone attending the ceremony to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID test result completed within 48-hours of the event. Individual tickets and tables are now available for purchase here. For tables and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Ashley Bourque.

William Lee Golden And Sons Unveil Plans For Three New Genre-Spanning Albums

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William Lee Golden is making music a family affair as he prepares to release three new albums with his sons, The Goldens. The collection of albums, Old Country Church Gospel, Country Roads: Vintage Country Classics, and Southern Accents: Pop & Country Rock, contain over 30 songs spread across several genres which have impacted the lives and careers of both William Lee and The Goldens through the years.

The first single from the Old Country Church Gospel album, “Come And Dine” is available will be released digitally on Sept. 24.

While the world stood still during the pandemic, Golden gathered his sons Rusty, Craig, and Chris, grandchildren Elizabeth, Rebekah, and Elijah, and friends Aaron McCune, Ben Isaacs, and Michael Sykes to record the three albums. Golden, his family, and friends breathe new life into longtime favorites, with highlights including Golden’s rendition of Johnny Cash’s “I Still Miss Someone” and Jim Reeves’ “Welcome to My World.”

“Music has always been a huge part of my life. When my boys were growing up, it was important for me to introduce them to music of all walks of life,” says Golden. “Throughout the years, we’ve sung together many times, but never on an official project. Due to the world’s events of the last year and a half, we decided as a family that it was time to record 32 of our favorite songs, which then turned into three full albums of country, rock, and gospel! We are so excited for everyone to hear our version of these classic hits.”

Country Roads: Vintage Country Classics Track List:
I Still Miss Someone
Four Walls
Welcome To My World
Take Me Home Country Roads
The Great Speckled Bird
Green Green Grass Of Home
Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On
You Are My Sunshine
For The Good Times
Jambalaya

Southern Accents: Pop & Country Rock Track List:
Me And Bobby McGee
The Long And Winding Road
Stand By Me
Long Black Veil
Southern Accents
Elvira
Multi-colored Lady
Bobbie Sue
Hollywood Nights

Old Country Church Gospel Track List:
Come And Dine
Old Country Church
It’s Suppertime
If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again
Until Then
Why Me, Lord?
Power In The Blood
Too Much To Gain
Sheltered
Softly And Tenderly
Love Lifted Me
I Saw The Light

Ashley Monroe Unearths Some Favorites For New ‘The Covers’ EP

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Photo Credit: Alexa King

Ashley Monroe is putting her own magic on some classics on The Covers, a five-track EP available everywhere now.

Before her recent diagnosis with a rare blood cancer, Monroe began rearranging these recognizable favorites with Nashville-based artist and producer Tyler Cain. The pair finished the project just as the Grammy nominated songstress started chemo treatment earlier this year.

The Covers captures Monroe and Cain performing live on acoustic, stripped-down arrangements of guilty pleasures like “More Than Words” and “Every Breath You Take.” The Pistol Annie singer also recruited some fellow artists for the project, including Ruston Kelly on “Love Hurts” and Brittney Spencer on “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You.”

“Tyler and I were just hanging at his studio and talking about our favorite songs and I said we should just film ourselves recording some of our favorite songs on Earth. The ones that make us feel better. Maybe it will help other people too. Tyler knows me and exactly the way I create and envision songs. It just seemed natural to collaborate on something that is so personal and raw in a way,” Monroe shares.

Cain has worked with Aloe Blacc, Darius Rucker, and Shaggy, and produced and written several songs in the Top 5 of the iTunes charts. As an artist, his acoustic single “Suitcase Heart”, co-written with Tiffany Goss and Ashley Campbell, has amassed over 5 million Spotify streams to date.

Over the course of three studio albums, Monroe has landed a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album, shared bills with Vince Gill and John Prine, and more in her growing list of successes.

The Covers Track List:
1. Don’t Worry Baby
2. Love Hurts (feat. Ruston Kelly)
3. Every Breath You Take
4. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (feat. Brittney Spencer)
5. More Than Words

Kelli Turner Exits SESAC, Scott Jungmichel Appointed President/COO, Sam Kling Promoted, Shannan Hatch Returns [Exclusive]

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Pictured (clockwise from top left): Shannan Hatch (VP, Creative Services, SESAC Performing Rights), Scott Jungmichel (President and COO, SESAC Performing Rights), Kelli Turner (outgoing President and COO of SESAC), Sam Kling (Chief Creative Officer, SESAC Performing Rights)

John Josephson, Chairman and CEO of SESAC, announced today (Sept. 8) the departure of Kelli Turner, President and COO of SESAC, as well as several recent promotions within SESAC Performing Rights. Turner is leaving SESAC to pursue a new opportunity outside of the music industry.

“Kelli and I joined SESAC at the same time, and I want to say how grateful I am to her for all that she has done to help shape and build SESAC over the past seven years. Her departure will of course be a loss for SESAC, but it’s a tribute to her leadership and hard work that we feel confident about the future. She has helped us build a strong, seasoned management team, and together we will continue on the successful path that SESAC has followed for many years,” says Josephson, “We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.”

Scott Jungmichel, previously EVP, Royalty Distribution and Research Services and CIO, has been appointed President and COO of SESAC Performing Rights. During his 28 years with the company, Jungmichel has been responsible for all Royalty Distribution and Research Services, as well as SESAC’s technology infrastructure and IT operations. Scott will continue to be based in Nashville.

Sam Kling, who previously served as SVP, Creative Operations, has been appointed Chief Creative Officer of SESAC Performing Rights. Since joining SESAC in 2014, Kling has created an effective client services operation across the New York, Nashville, London and Los Angeles offices, as well as elevated the company’s affiliate roster by collaborating with some of the industry’s most significant songwriters, music publishers and managers. Kling will continue to be based in Los Angeles.

Additionally, Shannan Hatch has returned to SESAC Performing Rights as VP, Creative Services, where she will lead the Nashville-based creative services team in supporting the company’s affiliated songwriters and publishers. Hatch previously worked in this role until September 2019.

Gramps Morgan Explains What Sets Nashville Apart & The Impact Of Reggae In Country Music [Interview]

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Gramps Morgan. Photo: Joseph Llanes

Gramps Morgan is not the typical Music City artist that one might expect, draped in a cowboy hat and boots and toting a used six-string. Rather, the island-born and Nashville-based reggae artist has aimed to forge a new sound within the Nashville music scene that merges the sounds of the Caribbean with those so often heard in country music.

While Morgan’s “day job” lies in Morgan Heritage, his Grammy-winning family band, the recently released 15-track Positive Vibration is his first solo project in nine years. Featuring a stacked list of collaborators, including Shaggy, India.Arie, Lybran (The Rum Boss), and three generations of Morgans with Denroy Morgan & Jemere Morgan, the island-infused album is a genuinely Nashville-born effort.

Recorded and produced by Johnny Reid in his Berry Hill studio, one song and a chance meeting at a Nashville Predators game got the ball rolling for the duo.

“I lost my uncle David to Coronavirus as well as a huge producer and part of the Morgan Heritage journey named Bobby Digital. Both of those losses hit me so hard, and I knew I wasn’t the only one experiencing that. Over the last year there has been so much negativity and tension, and I just thought about what if we give a little more than we take, and if we try to fix more than we break?” Morgan says, “Johnny had this song called ‘People Like You’ and he wanted me to put my voice on it. After we cut it, I sent it to one radio guy to listen to and the song went viral. I think it hit a million views because everyone could identify with that message.”

After the song’s success, the pair began to pick up steam, releasing singles and EPs before leading up to the full-length project. But what really set this record apart from his past efforts, Morgan explains, was the recording process—which he states is his best work to date.

“There was just such a high level of professionalism,” he puts simply. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that type of experience before. I’ve had flavors of it and little sparks of it here and there, but to come in every morning like I’m going to an office and have my tea and warm my vocals was something different.

“I tell everybody that this project and this recording process is what makes Nashville, Nashville. That’s why we are Music City. This recording process was such a joy, and I’ll never record the same. For that, I tip [my hat] to the city and the industry of Nashville. Having that experience has changed me as a reggae artist,” he admits.

The recording process isn’t the only thing that Morgan loves about the city, though.

After performing at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium as support for India.Arie, Morgan knew that Nashville was going to be his home. Eight months later, he and his family made the move and haven’t looked back since.

“I want to be an advocate for this city. I want to be one of the voices to say we are more than just silos, cowboys, whiskey, and country music. We can start on the food alone that I fell in love with, but the city is growing. There’s so much to love about Nashville.”

While not a country artist, Morgan does cite Positive Vibration as a truly Nashville album and sees an avenue for the worlds of reggae and country music to collide. With a list of dream collaborations with the likes of Luke Bryan, Garth Brooks, Chris Stapleton, and Vince Gill, to name a few, he sees the two genres as being cut from the same cloth at their core.

“I tell people that country music is storytelling music. We all experience emotions, love, heartbreak, and advice from our moms and dads. In reggae we tell the same stories. There’s always been a love and a connection between the Caribbean and country music,” he says. “I’m just bringing country music to reggae and showing them that energy while also showing my reggae fans that we have a lot more in common than we think we do. We have reasons to unite and stand on common ground.”

Ronnie Milsap Mourns Loss Of Wife, Joyce

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Joyce Milsap, Ronnie Milsap, and Todd Milsap. Photo: Ronnie Milsap

Joyce Reeves Milsap, wife of Country Music Hall of Fame member Ronnie Milsap, died on Sept. 6. She was 81.

Reeves was born on July 25, 1941 in Gainesville, Georgia. At a dinner hosted by her cousin, she met a young Ronnie Milsap. Together, they started chasing Milsap’s dream of becoming a singer and married in 1965.

Always a fierce believer in her husband and the way he heard music, Reeves supported Milsap as the couple moved to Memphis and then eventually to Nashville as the singer made his transition into country music. The pair created a home in Music City, where they decided to settle at the end of 1972.

Her support carried him through three songs produced by Cowboy Jack Clement, which became his first country hits, and led Jerry Bradley to sign him to RCA Records in 1973. That faith sustained until Milsap scored his first two No. 1 songs in 1974–“Pure Love” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends,” the latter earning Milsap the first of his six Grammy awards and the 1974 CMA Male Vocalist of the Year.

Reeves was the muse and inspiration for many of Milsap’s biggest hits, including “Daydreams About Night Things,” “Smokey Mountain Rain,” “Show Her,” “Don’t You Know How Much I Love You,” “A Woman In Love” and “What A Difference You’ve Made in My Life,” as well as what the loss of that love might be informing “Almost Like A Song,” “Still Losing You,” “I Wouldn’t Have Missed It For The World” and the 1985 and 1986 Grammy-winning “Lost in the ‘50s Tonight.” To date, their love created 40 No. 1 hits.

Reeves and Milsap shared that love with their only son, Ronald Todd. Todd, who precedes his mother in death, died at the age of 49. She was also a grandmother to Kye, Asher, Mya and Wyler.

“There are no words, and not enough songs in the world to explain how much I love my Sapphire,” says the country icon. “She was the music and the feeling inside all of those songs, so if you loved my music, you understand some of how much I loved my beautiful, beautiful wife. It’s all in the songs, but she was even more. She was the love of my life, the mother of my son, the world’s happiest grandmother—and someone who woke up every day curious and ready for whatever adventure she could get into.

“When people tell me they love my music, I always smile, because that music is pure Joyce. We went through lean times laughing, good times beyond our imagination, tough times where we held on to each other for dear life,” he continues. “Blessedly/Thankfully, she’s in heaven with our Todd—and I know somehow from heaven, she’s still here with me every day, because that’s just how she was.”

Due to COVID concerns, Joyce will have a private family service.

Ashley Gorley Spends Eighth Consecutive Week Atop MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Ashley Gorley. Photo: Josh Ulmer

Ashley Gorley is spending his eighth consecutive week at No. 1 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Gorley is a co-writer on the following charting songs: “Beers On Me” (Dierks Bentley, Hardy & Breland), “Country Again” (Thomas Rhett), “Give Heaven Some Hell” (Hardy), “Sand In My Boots” (Morgan Wallen), “You Should Probably Leave” (Chris Stapleton), and “Good Things” and “Steal My Love” (Dan + Shay).

Hunter Phelps and Jonathan Singleton remain at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.

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.

Tenille Townes Named CMA Foundation Artist Ambassador, Announces Canadian Tour

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Tenille Townes. Photo: John Shearer

Tenille Townes has been named the newest Artist Ambassador for the CMA Foundation Artist Ambassador, the philanthropic arm of the Country Music Association.

As an Ambassador, Townes will visit Stewarts Creek Middle School in Smyrna, Tennessee and Isaiah T. Creswell Middle Magnet School of the Visual and Performing Arts in Nashville, as well as two additional elementary schools in nearby Coffee County. Through these visits, the CMA Foundation aims to engage, equip and empower both students and educators through music.

“We could not be more thrilled to welcome Tenille into the CMA Foundation Artist Ambassador collective,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Foundation Executive Director. “She has been such a valuable advocate for the CMA Foundation’s mission to provide equitable access to quality music education across the U.S., and we are grateful for the way she continues to use her voice to enhance and support these initiatives.”

“I truly am honored to be the new CMA Foundation Ambassador and to have the opportunity to be a part of the incredible work they are doing bringing music into the lives of kids out there,” says Townes. “Music is such a powerful force in this world and using it to make a difference in somebody’s life is the most important part about my dream and mission as an artist. I believe in the work that the CMA Foundation is doing so much. Music can completely alter the path of a young kid’s life for the better, giving a sense of purpose, belonging and a safe place to turn to. It still is that place for me, and it makes me so excited to think about so many young students having access to that.”

Previous Artist Ambassadors include Jimmie Allen, Russell Dickerson, Lindsay Ell, Maddie & Tae, Ashley McBryde, Caitlyn Smith and Charlie Worsham who have all supported music education initiatives in ways that are unique and personal to them.

Townes is also set to embark on “The Girl Who Didn’t Care” Tour, her first-ever headlining tour across her native country of Canada. “The Girl Who Didn’t Care” Tour will bring Townes to eight markets including Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, and Winnipeg. Public on-sale begins on Sept. 10.

Carly Pearce Receives Hometown Honors

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Carly Pearce. Photo: Alexa Campbell

Carly Pearce was honored by her hometown of Taylor Mill, Kentucky to celebrate her achievements and pay tribute to the place where all her musical dreams started.

Mayor Daniel Bell and the city commission hosted a special ceremony at Pride Park on Sept. 2, giving Pearce a key to the city and unveiling a sign that reads: “Welcome to Taylor Mill, Hometown of Country Music Star, Carly Pearce.”

Pictured (L-R): Commissioner Mark Kreimborg, Carly Pearce, Commissioner Caroline Braden, Commissioner Dan Murray and Mayor Dan Bell. Photo: Alexa Campbell

The CMA and double ACM Awards winner got her start at 16 working as a performer at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

“We are happy to be able to bring our residents and city officials together with Carly to celebrate the success she has achieved, especially becoming a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Carly has always taken pride in being a native of Taylor Mill and we are delighted to be able to honor Carly and let her know that she has made her hometown proud,” said Mayor Bell.

“Coming home is always so special, but to be embraced by my community in such a big way is overwhelming,” said Pearce. “This is where my love of country music began, and I’m so grateful and proud Taylor Mill, Kentucky is my hometown.”

Carly Pearce. Photo: Alexa Campbell

The homecoming continued as Pearce took the stage in Newport at PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION as support on Lady A’s “What A Song Can Do Tour.”

On Sept. 17, Pearce will release 29: Written In Stone via Big Machine Records, offering a deeper look at pain, strength and courage across the project’s 15 tracks.