CRS 2024 Schedule Details Unveiled

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Schedule details have been unveiled for Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2024, taking place Feb. 28-March 1 at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Additional details regarding the Digital Music Summit on Feb. 28 will be announced at a later date.

Wednesday, Feb. 28
8-8:50 a.m.: “Y’all Means All: Diversity Breakfast”
9-11:50 a.m.: Digital Music Summit Programming (More info to be announced)
11:45 a.m.-12 p.m.: Pre-Lunch Sponsor Performance featuring Joey Green, Sponsored by Texas Music Takeover
12-1:50 p.m.: Lunch & Performance Sponsored by Warner Music Nashville
2-4 p.m.: Digital Music Summit Programming (More info to be announced)
4-5 p.m.: Programming Networking Happy Hour
6-8:30 p.m.: “Amazon Music Presents: Country Heat”
8:30 p.m.-???: Paddle Royale Ping Pong Extravaganza

Thursday, Feb. 29
8:30-9:20 a.m.: “AI Interactive Town Hall” with Mike McVay, Zena Burns, Buzz Knight and Fred Jacobs
9:30-10:30 a.m.: CRS Research Presentation, “…But They Have A Great Personality: On Air Talent And Their Role On All Platforms,” Presented by SmithGeiger
10:30-11:30 a.m.: “The Artist Interview: A Conversation Between Trisha Yearwood & Lainey Wilson”
11:30 a.m.-1:50 p.m.: “Team UMG at the Ryman” Luncheon
2:30-3 p.m.: “Here I Grow Again On My Own: Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone”
2:30-3 p.m.: “Personal Branding: It’s Not Ego, It’s Branding!”
3:05-3:55 p.m.: CRS Honors
4-4:50 p.m.: “Passing The Torch: Why Mentors Matter”
7-9:30 p.m.: Bob Kingsley’s Acoustic Alley
9:30-11:30 p.m.: The BBR Music Group Decades Party: Hits of the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s & Beyond
10 p.m.-???: CRS After Hours

Friday, March 1
7:30-8:45 a.m.: Women’s Networking Breakfast, Sponsored by Nuvoodoo Media
8-8:45 a.m.: “Your Remote Sucks: Let’s Fix It!”
8:50-9:40 a.m.: “Grand Theft Promo: The Best Bits To Steal”
8:50-9:40 a.m.: “On Air Personalities: The OG Influencers”
8:50-9:40 a.m.: “Diversi”tea”: Spilling The Data On Inclusive Programming”
10-11 a.m.: Mental Health Session
11:10-11:40 a.m.: “AI: Work Smarter, Not Harder”
11:10-11:40 a.m.: “One Man Band: Tools For Today’s Programmer”
11:10-11:40 a.m.: “Howdy Partners: The Potential Of Great Partnerships”
11:45 a.m.-12 p.m.: Pre-Lunch Performance by Billie Jo Jones, Sponsored by Get Joe Records
12-1:50 p.m.: Lunch & Performance Sponsored by Big Machine Label Group (BMLG)
2-2:50 p.m.: “Unapologetically Unemployed”
2-2:50 p.m.: “AI Chat GBT: The Good, The Bad, The Truth”
2-2:50 p.m.: Cycle Of A Song: Megan Moroney & “Tennessee Orange”
3-3:50 p.m.: “Leadership, Strategy, and Optimizing Country’s Surge In 2024,” Sponsored by CMA
5:15-6:45 p.m.: New Faces Cocktail Reception, Co-Sponsored by Futuri Media
6:30-10 p.m.: New Faces Of Country Music Show
10 p.m.-???: CRS After Hours

For more information, click here.

Kenny Chesney Shares Album Title, Cover Of Upcoming New Project

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Kenny Chesney has revealed the title of his upcoming new album due out in March: Born. The leadoff track from the new project, “Take Her Home,” is already rising up the country charts.

“As for the title, well, we’re still not quite done deciding what’s going on here, but one thing’s for sure: Born is absolutely the title track,” says Chesney. “It’s got a lot of heart, a lot of soul – and it speaks the truth about living, life and what we’re all doing here. Banjo out front, a great big pocket that rocks back and forth, it feels great. But more importantly, it’s a lyric that throws out all the options, never tells you what to do and throws out the one existential truth no matter what you choose: ‘one thing’s for certain, we’ve all been living since the day we were born.’”

Chesney has been hard at work putting the finishing touches on the project, adding songs and distilling it down to just the right mix before taking it to his No Shoes Nation of fans.

“I’m just trying to find songs that continue the story of who we are…how we live, breathe, work, rock, kick back and sometimes get tangled up in feelings that are anything but simple. Normally, we wait until it’s all figured out, the T’s are crossed, the I’s are dotted. But everything about this record’s been different – from how much time we’ve spent, the different ways we recorded and wrote and found songs – so why not let the fans know as we’re finishing up? We make this music for them, so, here you go. It’s official: Born, March 29.  Now to the final line-up, and maybe getting a couple more out there.”

Nathan Barlowe Renews Deal With Spirit Music Nashville/Fluid Music Revolution

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Pictured (L-R, back row/standing): Matthew Beckett (Attorney, Milom Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC), Leisl Eschbach, (Attorney, Milom Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC), Gray Schubert (Creative Admin Manager, Spirit Music Nashville), Nathan Barlowe, Brian Bradford (GM/VP of Admin, Spirit Music Nashville), Kennedy Murphy (Creative Coordinator, Spirit Music Nashville) and Andy Hodges (Creative Coordinator, Spirit Music Nashville); (L-R, front row): Kara Jackson (Senior Creative Director, Spirit Music Nashville), AJ Burton (Vice President, Spirit Music Nashville/Fluid Music Revolution), Frank Rogers (Chief Creative Officer, Spirit Music Group/Chief Executive Officer, Spirit Music Nashville) and Mike Fiorentino (Director of A&R/Production, Spirit Music Nashville).

Singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist Nathan Barlowe has renewed his publishing deal with Spirit Music Nashville/Fluid Music Revolution.

“I am so happy that I have the opportunity to continue working with Spirit and Fluid. It’s an amazing company with amazing people. I feel like the best is still ahead of us,” shares Barlowe.

Barlowe’s credits include songs by Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler, Keith Urban, Ayron Jones, Newsboys and more. With his catalog, he has earned three top 10 Billboard dance singles, a Grammy nomination and a top five Billboard Mainstream Rock single. Barlowe’s work has also been heard on NBC’s The Voice, American Idol, The Equalizer, Transporter, King of Queens and more.

Additionally, he the lead guitarist in Urban’s band, and won the 2017 CMA Award for Touring Musician of the Year. Barlowe is also the inventor of The Phantom, an electronic sampling machine played like a keyboard, as well as the frontman of pop-rock band Luna Halo. He started the band Five Knives, and went on tour with Twenty One Pilots, The Smashing Pumpkins and Icona Pop.

AJ Burton, Vice President, Spirit Music Nashville/Fluid Music Revolution says, “It’s truly an honor when a songwriter wants to continue their partnership and everyone at Spirit Fluid are fired up to keep our ‘Rock Star Nate’ in the fold. Lots of exciting things in the works for Nathan.”

Cannery Hall Officially Reopens

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Cannery Hall

Nashville’s Cannery Hall has officially reopened after extensive renovations. Located off of 8th Avenue South near the Gulch, the venue aims to be an artist- and fan-friendly, welcoming venue in Music City.

The venue space is a 141 year old building that has been completely restored and renovated to become a three stage concert venue. The Row One room will welcome a capacity of 300 people, The Mil can hold up to 625 and the largest stage, The Mainstage, will accommodate 1,275. On the top floor of the venue will be the Amaranth, a special events space that can hold up to 380 people.

“Every choice we made in the restoration and modernization of Cannery Hall was to create the best show possible for music lovers and artists. We built brand-new systems from scratch, while simultaneously redesigning the spaces. Our architects, and interior designers Smallwood in Atlanta and the some of the best audio-visual engineers in the world collaborated to create a spectacular show,” says Brent Hyams, General Manager of Cannery Hall.

The renovating of the venue included a multi-million dollar lighting and sound system, and each stage has its own custom system. Some features of the new system include speakers that move horizontally and vertically for real-time sound dispersion, a large video wall and air motion speakers.

The box office is already open, with shows beginning as early as Jan. 24. A grand opening celebration is being planned for the spring.

Upcoming Shows at Cannery Hall:
January 24 – SunSquabi on Row One Stage
January 26 – Walker & Royce on Mainstage
January 31 – Chance Peña on Row One Stage – SOLD OUT
February 3 – Western Dreamland, A County & Disco Party on Row One Stage
February 10 – Table B with support from Blurrd Vzn and Gunpoint at The Mil
February 16 – Airshow on Row One Stage
February 17 – Lilly Hiatt on Row One Stage
February 28 – Atlus on Row One Stage
February 29 – The Foxies with special Guest Flight Attendant on Row One Stage
March 1 – Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears with Shane Guerrete on Row One Stage
March 2 – The Taylor Party: The TS Dance Party at The Mil
March 10 – Logan Halstead with support from Willy Tea Taylor on Row One Stage
March 22 – Johnny Simson on Row One Stage
April 2 – Dirty Loops on the Mainstage
April 17 – Jonah Kagen on Row One Stage
April 18 – Bailen on Row One Stage
April 20 – Jantsen with support from Lumasi, Raaket, Wiley and Waweezy
April 28 – Upon A Burning Body with support from The Browning, VCTMS, and Hollow Front at The Mil

Zach John King Signs Publishing Deal With Boom Music Group

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Pictured (L-R): Emma Kiefer (Boom Music Group), Shaina Botwin (Boom Music Group), Zach John King, Joe Fisher (Boom Music Group), Matt Reed (Hyphen Media Group), Rachel Guttmann (Taylor Guttmann, PLLC)

Rising singer-songwriter Zach John King has signed a publishing deal with Boom Music Group.

“I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of such a powerhouse team,” says King. “I don’t take this opportunity lightly and am so stoked to start working. I can’t wait to learn and grow in this new family of incredible writers, people and professionals. Here’s to the future!”

King, originally from Fayetteville, Georgia, formed a fire for songwriting by growing up listening to country music. The newcomer has already made a splash in the scene, after releasing his two debut singles “Just Missed You” and “Same Song, Different Dance” earned the singer over 1.5 million global streams. King has also earned recognition from Apple Music, Spotify, TIDAL, ACM, CMT, Whiskey Riff and more.

“I was so impressed by Zach’s work ethic and attitude from our first meeting,” shares Boom’s Vice President Shaina Botwin. “Once I heard the music he was writing, I knew we had to work together. I’m incredibly excited to welcome Zach into the Boom family and can’t wait for everyone to hear what he’s been working on!”

To celebrate the new deal, King will release his new single, “Anything But What It Was,” this Friday (Jan. 19).

The song shares a story about love lost with his rapidly growing fan base. “This is one of the most honest songs I’ve ever written,” he says. “It’s about a real conversation I had with somebody I loved, and we realized that I was going one way in life and she was going another. It’s about breaking up with someone without making them an enemy. Ending a relationship isn’t always black and white, most times that’s why it’s so hard to do.”

Ray Stevens Announces Final Run Of Performances At CabaRay Showroom

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Ray Stevens. Photo: Angela Talley

Country Music Hall of Famer Ray Stevens has announced his final run of live concerts at his Nashville CabaRay Showroom. The run of shows will start March 16 and continue through December.

Ahead of his formal season of shows, Stevens plans to host a special Valentine’s Day live performance on Feb. 14.

Since opening CabaRay six years ago, he has performed hundreds of concerts at the venue. Now, Stevens says he is ready to slow down a bit, but not quite ready to retire.

“I plan to stop performing regularly at my CabaRay Showroom here in Nashville at the end of 2024, but I’ll be going to work everyday in my recording studio and maybe I’ll do a few, a very few, shows in some old familiar places,” he explains. “I’m definitely slowing down but I haven’t come to a complete stop. Not yet, anyway!”

Ticket are on sale now and can be purchased at raystevenscabaray.com or by calling 615-327-4630. The CabaRay Showroom will continue to hold performances and events following Stevens’ final run.

John Bradley Joins Electric Feel Entertainment As Country A&R

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John Bradley

John Bradley has joined management company Electric Feel Entertainment as Country A&R.

The Nashville native’s career has been fueled by a passion for music, a rich family legacy and an array experiences. Following in the footsteps of his established predecessors Owen, Jerry and Clay Bradley, he continues to elevate the Bradley legacy. He previously served as Eclipse Music Group’s Creative Director, and has secured cuts with artists including Morgan Wallen, Chris Stapleton, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen and more.

As Electric Feel expands into the Music City market, John will play a key role in discovering and nurturing the next wave of musical talent. The company is home to artists, producers and songwriters that include Post Malone, Louis Bell, Billy Walsh, Omer Fedi, Starboy, Feli Ferano and more.

“We are thrilled to welcome John Bradley to the Electric Feel team. His deep roots in the industry, coupled with his diverse skill set, make him an invaluable addition to our A&R team. We look forward to the innovative contributions and successes we know he will bring to our company,” says Austin Rosen, CEO, Electric Feel Entertainment.

The Black Crowes To Release ‘Happiness Bastards’ In March

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Renowned rock band The Black Crowes will release their first album in 15 years, Happiness Bastards, on March 15 via Silver Arrow Records.

“Happiness Bastards is our love letter to rock n’ roll. Rich and I are always writing and creating music; that has never stopped for us, and it is always where we find harmony together. This record represents that,” says frontman Chris Robinson.

Produced by Grammy winner Jay Joyce, the project is the group’s tenth studio album. The record has been described as both quintessential and fresh rock n’ roll. Along with the announcement of the album, they released the lead single “Wanting and Waiting.”

This year marks The Black Crowes’ 40th year, and they are using the new album to claim 2024 as their own. The 10-track collection will serve as a salute to the band’s past and a celebration of the future. The project also includes a collaboration with country superstar Lainey Wilson.

“This album is a continuation of our story as a band. Our years of experience writing and making music and touring the world are represented in this record, and we were brilliantly guided by one of the best producers in the business, Jay Joyce. I am incredibly proud of what we put together,” states The Black Crowes’ Rich Robinson.

To celebrate the release of the album, the band will embark on tour this spring with dates in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom. Additional details will be released at a later date.

Happiness Bastards Track Listing:

1. “Bedside Manners”
2. “Rats And Clowns”
3. “Cross Your Fingers”
4. “Wanting And Waiting”
5. “Wilted Rose” ft. Lainey Wilson
6. “Dirty Cold Sun”
7. “Bleed It Dry”
8. “Flesh Wound”
9. “Follow The Moon”
10. “Kindred Friend”

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Plots ‘All The Good Times: The Farewell Tour’

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Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Photo: Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard F

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will embark on a farewell tour throughout the United States, kicking off on March 21.

The “All The Good Times: The Farewell Tour” marks the band’s last multi-city runs on formal tours, as they say “so long” to the highways and byways they’ve traveled throughout their career. But it isn’t goodbye forever for the legendary group that helmed the multi-artist Will The Circle Be Unbroken series that featured the likes of Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Levon Helm and dozens more.

The first leg of the tour will visit Bowling Green, Abilene, Indianapolis, Knoxville, Amarillo, Houston and more through July 28. Tickets for most shows can be purchased beginning Jan. 19, and VIP packages are available for a majority of the dates.

“‘All The Good Times’ perfectly describes our career,” says the band. “Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience—that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That’s the very spirit we’ll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We’re really looking forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!”

For nearly six decades, the three-time Grammy-winning Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has entertained audiences with their musicianship and timeless hits “Mr. Bojangles,” “Fishin’ In The Dark,” “An American Dream” and many more. Their special Nitty Gritty Dirt Band & Friends – Fifty Years, Circlin’ Back! for PBS was an Emmy-winning television special. The Dirt Band’s latest album, Dirt Does Dylan was released in 2022.

“All The Good Times: The Farewell Tour” Dates:
March 21 – Bowling Green, KY – SKyPAC – Main Hall
March 22 – Bloomington, IL – Bloomington Center For The Performing Arts
March 23 – Mount Vernon, KY – Renfro Valley Entertainment Center
March 24 – Marietta, OH – Peoples Bank Theatre
March 28 – Odessa, TX – The Ector Theatre
March 29 – Abilene, TX – Outlaws and Legends Music Festival
March 30 – Houston, TX – Arena Theatre
April 25 – Shreveport, LA – The Strand Theatre
April 28 – Oxford, AL – Oxford Performing Arts Center
May 9 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
May 10 – Harris, MI – Island Resort & Casino
May 11 – Harris, MI – Island Resort & Casino
May 12 – Joliet, IL – Rialto Square Theatre
May 19 – Knoxville, TN – Tennessee Theatre
June 21 – Mankato, MN – Vetter Stone Amphitheater
June 22 – Cedar Rapids, IA – McGrath Amphitheatre
June 23 – Bayfield, WI – Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua
June 27 – Sioux Falls, SD – Alliance Center
June 28 – Mahnomen, MN – Shooting Star Casino Hotel & Event Center
June 29 – Bismarck, ND – Belle Mehus Auditorium
June 30 – Dauphin, MB, Canada – Dauphin’s Countryfest
July 11 – Mayetta, KS – Prairie Band Casino & Resort – Great Lakes Ballroom
July 12 – Jefferson City, MO – Capital Region MU Health Care Amphitheater
July 13 – Newkirk, OK – 7 Clans First Council Casino
July 25 – Lubbock, TX – The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences – Helen DeVitt Jones Theater
July 27 – Fort Worth, TX – Bass Performance Hall
July 28 – Amarillo, TX – Globe-News Center For The Performing Arts

CRB Announces 2024 Rusty Walker & Lisa McKay Women In Radio Scholars

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Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) has announced the 2024 Rusty Walker and Lisa McKay Women in Radio Scholarship recipients.

This year’s Rusty Walker Scholarship recipients are Gabe Mercer (KMLE/KKWF, Audacy), Erin Bourne (WJEN-FM 105.3 Cat Country) and Haley Mason (CMG Athens). The Lisa McKay Women in Radio Scholarship has been awarded to Annie Owens (WPAW – 93.1 The Wolf, Audacy) and Emily Harlan (KBAY/ Bay Country 94.5, Alpha Media).

Each recipient will receive a scholarship package, including registration, hotel accommodations and airfare for CRS 2024 as well as recognition during the CRS 2024 week. DMR/Interactive supports both the Rusty Walker and Lisa McKay scholarship programs, honoring the legacies of Walker and McKay, who continue to inspire the future leaders of the radio programming industry.

“This is one of the most satisfying and important parts of our work at CRS,” says John Shomby, CRB Scholarship Committee Chairman. “It’s all introducing new broadcasters to CRS, giving them a chance to network with and learn from some of the best in our business.”

CRS 2024 is set for Feb. 28-March 1 and will feature a schedule filled with educational panels, virtual networking and workshops.