Chapel Hart Kick Off 2023 With Mississippi House Honor

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Pictured (L-R): Representative Timmy Ladner (R – Poplarville), Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, Trea Swindle, Danica Hart, Devynn Hart, Representative Stacey Hobgood-Wilkes (R – Picayune) and Representative Jansen Owen (R – Poplarville). Photo: Courtesy of Monarch

Chapel Hart was honored by the Mississippi House of Representatives on Jan. 4 with House Resolution 2 (HR2).

Authored by Representative Jansen Owen (R – Poplarville), HR2 congratulates the group on their success and positive representation of the state of Mississippi. After the presentation, Chapel Hart performed for a packed Capitol Rotunda filled with legislators, staffers, lobbyists and visitors.

The trio, who were named as part of MusicRow‘s Next Big Thing Class of 2023, consists of sisters Danica and Devynn Hart and first cousin Trea Swindle, who hail from Poplarville. The group exploded onto the country scene with their Golden Buzzer performance of their original song “You Can Have Him, Jolene” on America’s Got Talent last year. Following their run as finalists on AGT, the group made their debut at the Grand Ole Opry.

Chapel Hart is gearing up for their first nationwide headlining tour, “The Glory Days Tour,” which kicks off Jan. 26 in Wichita, Kansas and runs coast to coast with 60 shows.

Kasey Tyndall Releases Part One Of New Docuseries

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Kasey Tyndall. Photo: Zack Knudsen

Kasey Tyndall has released part one of her new two-episode docuseries.

She recruited her inner country circle, including Lainey Wilson, Drake White, Jenna LaMaster and Meghan Patrick, for the debut episode, which peels back the curtain on her redneck roots and early days in Music City.

From winning a Keith Urban competition and life on the road as a new artist, to why her sound morphed following her first project, the tell-all gives fans an honest look into the person behind the music.

Tyndall and Dylan Marlowe have also released their honest new track, “Place For Me.” In the hopeful ballad, the duo harmonize about the best part of their southern roots. The track was written by Tyndall, Jason Gantt, Jason Nix and LaMaster, and dives into what heaven looks like for rednecks.

“One day I was thinking that if my rowdy Granddaddy could get into Heaven so could I, which led me to write this song,” laughs Tyndall. “It reminds me of a bible verse in Matthew, where it says to store your treasures in Heaven. If I had to pick my treasures, it would be what we wrote about in the song. I’m so glad that Dylan Marlowe wanted to jump on the song with me. He’s an incredible artist and when he heard the song he loved it as much as I did, so it just felt right.”

Tyndall will be hitting the road with Tracy Lawrence on some dates early this year.

‘Austin City Limits Hall Of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow’ To Premiere Jan. 7

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Austin City Limits will return on Jan. 7 with a special installment, Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow, celebrating singer-songwriter and new inductee Sheryl Crow.

The tribute showcases Crow’s Hall of Fame tribute and features extended highlights, including induction speeches and vintage clips from her appearances on Austin City Limits. It also includes performances from Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Brittney Spencer and Lucius’ Jess Wolfe. The hour opens with highlights from Crow’s Austin City Limits debut in 1997, performing numbers from her landmark debut Tuesday Night Music Club.

The hour-long broadcast will premiere on PBS and will be available to stream online beginning Jan. 8 at pbs.org/austincitylimits. A special companion Hall of Fame hour will salute fellow inductee Joe Ely and will close out Season 48 on Feb. 25.

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“The whole idea behind our annual Hall of Fame celebration is to honor the artists who helped to build the legacy of Austin City Limits for almost half a century,” explains ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “There’s a special magic that happens with these annual shows, and it’s just too much to pack in a single one-hour episode, so we decided to give each honoree their own hour and not sacrifice a single word or note of music.”

Season 48 of the classic show will feature performances by Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and Adia Victoria, Maren Morris, Spoon and more.

Country Music Abounds At Upcoming 2023 RodeoHouston Season

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The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has unveiled its entertainment lineup for the 2023 Rodeo season, scheduled for Feb. 28 – March 19. Featuring a variety of genres, including country, EDM, hip-hop, Norteño, pop, rock and Christian, many of the artists will make their RodeoHouston debut in 2023.

MCA Nashville recording artist Parker McCollum will herald in the 2023 season as he performs on opening day (Feb. 28), while multi-Platinum entertainer Luke Bryan closes the season out at the RodeoHouston Finals on March 19. Among other country artists gracing this year’s RodeoHouston lineup will be Brooks & Dunn, Walker Hayes, Zac Brown Band, Jason Aldean, Jon Pardi, Ashley McBryde, Cody Jinks, Kenny Chesney, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson and Brad Paisley.

“We are thrilled to welcome back so many talented artists including some fan favorites such as Houston rap legend, Bun B who will be taking the stage alongside some additional iconic southern performers,” notes Chris Boleman, Rodeo President & CEO. “The level of talent we have in this lineup will get the fans excited, including Texas’ own Parker McCollum, who is helping us kick off this 2023, star lineup on Opening Day.”

RodeoHouston tickets will go on sale to the public on Jan. 12. They will be sold in two waves, the first at 10 a.m. and the second at 2 p.m. CT.

2023 RodeoHouston Lineup:
Tuesday, Feb. 28 – Opening Day, presented by Texas Capital Bank – Parker McCollum
Wednesday, March 1 – Armed Forces Appreciation Day, presented by Crown Royal – Brooks & Dunn
Thursday, March 2 – Lauren Daigle
Friday, March 3 – Black Heritage Day, presented by Kroger – Bun B’s Southern Takeover
Saturday, March 4 – Walker Hayes
Sunday, March 5 – Zac Brown Band
Monday, March 6 – First Responders Day, presented by BP America – Jason Aldean
Tuesday, March 7 – New Kids on The Block
Wednesday, March 8 – Community Day, presented by TC Energy – Jon Pardi
Thursday, March 9 – Ashley McBryde
Friday, March 10 – The Chainsmokers
Saturday, March 11 – Turnpike Troubadours
Sunday, March 12 – Go Tejano Day, presented by Fiesta Mart – La Fiera de Ojinaga
Monday, March 13 – Cody Jinks
Tuesday, March 14 – Machine Gun Kelly
Wednesday, March 15 – Kenny Chesney
Thursday, March 16 – Chris Stapleton
Friday, March 17 – Cody Johnson
Saturday, March 18 – Brad Paisley
Sunday, March 19 – RodeoHouston Finals – Luke Bryan

Nate Smith Earns First MusicRow No. 1

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Nate Smith earns his first No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week with “Whiskey On You.” Smith was signed by Sony Music Nashville November of 2021 and will release his self-titled album in February.

“Whiskey On You” was co-written by Smith, Lindsay Rimes and Russell Sutton and was certified Gold by the RIAA. Smith will join Thomas Rhett on the “Home Team Tour 23” in May. He ranked No. 66 on MusicRow’s Top Songwriters of 2022.

Smith was honored on several artist-to-watch lists for 2023 including MusicRow’s Next Big Thing, CMT’s Listen Up roster, CRS’s New Faces of Country Music and Amazon’s Breakthrough Artists to Watch: Country Class.

Click here to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.

Reba McEntire’s New Lifetime Movie ‘The Hammer’ To Premiere Tomorrow

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Reba McEntire’s new Lifetime network movie The Hammer premieres tomorrow (Jan. 7) at 7 p.m. CT. The movie will also be available to stream the following day.

In The Hammer, McEntire plays Kim Wheeler, a spitfire lawyer who is appointed Judge of the 5th District of Nevada and is one of the few traveling judges left in America. The Hammer reunites McEntire with her Reba co-star Melissa Peterman, and stars Kay Shioma Metchie and Rex Linn.

The project was executive produced by McEntire, and is her second collaboration with Lifetime, following her 2021 holiday film, Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune. 

“I loved the script for The Hammer and could definitely identify with the tough, no-nonsense spirit of the real life person it was based on,” McEntire explains. “Also, how could I say no to getting to work with my boyfriend, Rex Linn, and my Reba TV show co-star Melissa Peterman again? We had the best time!”

Leading up to the premiere, McEntire will appear on The Talk today (Jan. 6) at 1 p.m. CT. Additionally, she and her co-stars will discuss the movie via Facebook Live tomorrow at 5 p.m. CT. She will also be live tweeting throughout The Hammer’s debut, and fans can join in by using #TheHammer.

The country icon’s “Reba: Live In Concert” tour will continue this spring, kicking off March 9 in Jacksonville.

LoCash To Perform At Monster Jam World Finals XXII In Nashville

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LoCash. Photo: David McClister

Country duo LoCash will perform at halftime during the Monster Jam World Finals XXII in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on July 1.

Made up of Preston Brust and Chris Lucas, the duo is known for hits such as “One Big Country Song” and “I Love This Life.”

LoCash’s halftime performance will feature their upcoming release “Three Favorite Colors,” as Monster Jam’s marquee event takes place in Music City for the first time. The event features world-class athletes competing for championships on engineered dirt tracks that push their ever-evolving trucks to the limits.

For more information, click here.

The Orchard Adds Katie Studley As Vice President Of Nashville Office

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Katie Studley

Full-service music distribution company The Orchard has tapped Katie Studley as the Vice President of its Nashville office. Based in Music City, she will report to Colleen Theis, The Orchard’s Chief Operating Officer.

In her new role, Studley will oversee the Nashville office’s day-to-day operations. Her responsibilities include developing new business relationships as well as providing on the ground support to existing clients in the market, further expanding the company’s presence in Nashville. She will be instrumental in driving The Orchard’s mission of empowering independent creators and entrepreneurs.

Studley joins The Orchard after a ten-year tenure at Jack White‘s Third Man Records where she served as VP, Operations and Marketing Director. While there, she assembled a record-breaking label team, strategized the diversification of the company’s operations and worked on album campaigns for artists, such as Margo Price, The Raconteurs, Sleep, Billie Eilish, Coldplay, Paul McCartney, and more. She previously worked in artist development and marketing at Thirty Tigers, contributing to the rapid growth of the Avett Brothers and Jason Isbell.

“I am equally excited to develop new relationships within Nashville’s independent creative communities as I am honored to foster growth for The Orchard’s incredible existing roster,” Studley explains. “I’ve long appreciated The Orchard’s quality of service and the good people behind it, and I am proud to join their impressive global organization.”

The company also announced the promotion of Mary Ashley Johnson to Executive Vice President, Sales and Artist & Label Management, U.S. and Canada. Based in the New York office, she will also report to Theis.

“We are proud to appoint these two well-deserving women to key executive roles in the company,” Theis shares. “Mary Ashley’s leadership, business savvy, and proven expertise has led The Orchard to unprecedented heights in 2022. In her newly expanded role, she will spearhead even bigger opportunities for our artist and label partners. We’re excited to welcome Katie to The Orchard family. As an instrumental partner on the client side, she comes to us with a deep understanding of our business strategy. Her relationships in the Nashville market and beyond will help us further connect local artists and labels to global audiences.”

In 2022, The Orchard celebrated its 25th anniversary. The company also delivered over 200 Billboard Top 200 releases, totaled over 518 billion total streams across its distributed artist and label clients and saw its market share hit an all time high.

Dolly Parton, Cyndi Lauper, More Appear On New ’80 For Brady’ Soundtrack Single

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Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry are among the artists featured on the new single, “Gonna Be You,” from the Paramount Pictures film, 80 For Brady.

The song was written by award-winning songwriter Diane Warren and is set to be released on Jan. 20 via R.A.F/BMG.

“When I wrote ‘Gonna Be You’ for 80 For Brady, I wanted to write a song that celebrated these women’s deep friendship,” Warren explains. “Since 80 was in the title I got a crazy idea, why not get some of the most iconic singers from the 80s, who are still amazing and always will be, to all sing it?!!!! Everyone I approached said yes and was just as excited as me!! I’m honored to have Dolly Parton, Belinda Carlisle, Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan and Debbie Harry on this song!! ‘Gonna Be You’ is that song you want to sing along to with all your good friends!”

80 For Brady is inspired by the true story of four best friends who take a wild trip to the 2017 Super Bowl LI to see their hero Tom Brady play. Starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field, with 7x Super Bowl Champion and producer Tom Brady, the new film will hit theaters Feb. 3.

Songwriter Taylor Pie Stars In New Documentary Tracing The History Of The Pozo Seco Singers

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Singer-songwriter Taylor Pie (aka Susan Taylor) stars in Nobody Famous, a new documentary tracing the quick rise and ensuing success of the folk pop trio Pozo Seco Singers during the socially and politically volatile 1960s.

The film was named Best Documentary in the 2021 New Jersey Film Festival and Best Music Documentary in the Seattle Film Festival in 2022. The documentary will air on Middle Tennessee State University’s True Blue TV on Jan. 10 at 9 p.m. CT.

The Pozo Seco Singers. Pictured (L-R): Don Williams, Susan Taylor (Taylor Pie) and Ron Shaw

Pie, along with Don Williams and Lofton Kline, formed The Pozo Seco Singers in Corpus Christi, Texas. The band was a close harmony folk trio known for their recording of Michael Merchant’s “Time,” a 1966 hit on Columbia Records.

The Singers had some modest hits, breaking the top 40 twice, and had some “near” moments as well, including being offered the song “Angel of The Morning.” However, Pie rejected it because she didn’t agree with the sentiments of the lyrics. It later became a big hit for Merrilee Rush.

After the trio disbanded, Pie helped launch Williams’ acclaimed solo country career before embracing her own path.

She is a 2015 inductee into the National Traditional Country Music Hall of Fame, and has recorded solo albums and had cuts by John Conlee, The Forrester Sisters, Mickey Gilley, The Oak Ridge Boys, Tanya Tucker, Williams, and more.

Pie is currently CEO and head of A&R for PuffBunny Records, a Texas/Tennessee-based indie folk legacy label where her music is now archived.

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