Beegie Adair
Beegie Adair, a keystone of the Nashville jazz community, passed away on Sunday (Jan. 23) at age 84.
The pianist and vocalist was equally at home in a variety of musical settings. She recorded more than 35 albums, played on sessions for country and pop stars, composed ad jingles, headlined at Carnegie Hall and was a jazz educator.
Bobbe “Beegie” Long was raised in Cave City, Kentucky. After earning a music degree at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, she worked as a piano teacher. Migrating to Nashville, she landed a gig with the Hank Garland Quartet. She then spent a decade in the house band at WSMV-TV’s The Waking Crew and Afternoon Show.
This led to her becoming an in-demand session musician, playing on recordings or broadcasts by Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, Vince Gill, Henry Mancini, Delbert McClinton, Dinah Shore, Ronnie Milsap, Ray Stevens, Boots Randolph, Peggy Lee, Hank Snow, Perry Como, Eddy Arnold, Jerry Reed J.J. Cale, Connie Francis, Mandy Barnett, Waylon Jennings, Neil Diamond and more.
She was in the bands of the TV programs The Johnny Cash Show and The Ralph Emery Show. Beegie Adair also performed on the soundtracks of such films as Clint Eastwood’s Every Which Way But Loose (1978), Burt Reynolds’ Smokey and the Bandit (1977) and Kevin Costner’s Perfect World (1993).
In the early 1970s, she performed in a 10-piece rock band called Sweet Thunder. This is where she met multi-instrumentalist Billy Adair (1947-2014), whom she married in 1975.
She and Billy formed a successful ad-jingle company. Among their clients were Purity Dairies, HCA, Allstate, United Airlines, Hamburger Helper, McDonald’s and Wrangler. A former touring musician, Billy Adair became the backbone of the jazz program at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music.
In 1982, Beegie Adair formed the Adair-Solee Quartet with saxophonist Denis Solee. This evolved into the Be-Bop Co-Op, a jazz sextet. She has also performed in The Nashville Jazz Machine, Orchestra Twelve, The Andrew Goodrich Quintet and The Jazz Corporation.
She is best known for her Beegie Adair Trio, which showcased her keyboard virtuosity backed by bass and percussion. The group debuted on disc with 1991’s Escape to New York with Bob Crenshaw (bass) and Greg Hutchinson (drums) as her partners.
The trio eventually solidified with Roger Spencer (bass) and Chris Brown (drums) as her rhythm section. Among the many recordings by this lineup of the Beggie Adair Trio were The Nat King Cole Collection (1998), Jazz Piano Christmas (1999), Dream Dancing: Songs of Cole Porter (2000), Love, Elvis (2000), Jazz on Broadway (2005), Sentimental Journey (2006) and Too Marvelous for Words (2015). The trio’s Frank Sinatra Collection won the 1998 Nashville Music Award as Jazz Album of the Year.
Her most ambitious work was the six-CD, boxed-set collection Centennial Composers. Released in 2002 on Nashville’s Green Hill label, its 75 songs were drawn from the catalogs of Great American Songbook composers George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin.
Adair also hosted her own radio series, Improvised Thoughts. This was an NPR talk/music show of the early 1990s where she chatted and shared music with Tony Bennett, Marian McPartland, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Helen Merrill and others.
In 2002 Beegie Adair was honored by being named a Steinway Artist. This put her in the company of Harry Connick Jr., Billy Joel, Diana Krall, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Michel Legrand and Arthur Rubinstein. Her solo concerts at Steinway & Sons galleries throughout the U.S. attracted sell-out crowds.
Beginning in 2011, she began making annual appearances at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club in New York City. Adair also showcased at other Manhattan jazz venues, often with vocalist Monica Ramey. During this time, several of Adair’s albums became best sellers on the national jazz-music charts. She was also a top seller in Japan.
On Oct. 7, 2016, The Beegie Adair Trio sold out Carnegie Hall. This was a first for a Nashville jazz act. She repeated the feat in 2017, and returned to the hallowed Hall for several years thereafter.
Adair was an adjunct professor of jazz at Vanderbilt. She taught vocal jazz at the Nashville Jazz Workshop for several years. The Trio had a residency there, and she was a board member emeritus.
Beegie Adair died at her home in Franklin. Her burial will be at Williamson Memorial Gardens. Contributions in her name can be made to The Nashville Jazz Workshop, to the Billy Adair Scholarship Fund at Vanderbilt (giving.vanderbilt.edu), to the Williamson County Animal Center or to the St. Joseph Indian School.
A Celebration of Life will be conduced at a later date.
Industry Ink: Natalie Stovall, Recording Academy, YellowHeart, Dustin Collins
/by Lydia FarthingRunaway June’s Natalie Stovall Honored For Hosting 50th Opry Live
Pictured (L-R): Natalie Stovall and Kelsea Ballerini. Photo: Chris Hollo
This past Saturday (Jan. 22), Circle Network aired a special episode of Opry Live where two-time CMA award winner and Opry member Kelsea Ballerini surprised country artist Natalie Stovall with a milestone print honoring her 50th time hosting the livestream.
A vocalist and multi-instrumentalist, Stovall has been performing professionally since she was ten. She made her Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 12 and has performed everywhere from the White House to The Oprah Winfrey Show. In addition to a solo career where she was named as one of CMT’s Next Women of Country, Stovall is also a member of the country band Runaway June.
“When we began the Opry livestream during the pandemic in 2020, we had no idea how important Natalie would be to it and in keeping the Opry tradition of live Saturday nights going, doing so with a vibrancy that has endeared her to Circle fans,” says Drew Reifenberger, Circle Network’s General Manager.
Recording Academy And GLAAD Form New Partnership For LGBTQ+ Inclusion In Music
The Recording Academy has donated $150,000 to GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization. This donation will go towards supporting its work to diversify the music industry and champion musicians in the LGBTQ+ community.
Additionally, the pair announced a partnership for 2022 to further promote inclusion in this space through various initiatives, including: editorial content spotlighting LGBTQ+ music artists on Grammy.com and GLAAD.org, as well as each organization’s social media channels; support from the Recording Academy for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on April 2, 2022 and New York City on May 6; LGBTQ+-focused DEI training sessions hosted by the GLAAD Media Institute for Recording Academy elected leaders and staff to learn more about LGBTQ+ people and issues; and participation from key GLAAD executives in the Recording Academy’s DEI speakers series throughout the upcoming year.
“We’re thrilled to double-down on our commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion in partnership with GLAAD to inspire a culture of belonging and respect within the music industry,” says Recording Academy Board of Trustees Chair Tammy Hurt. “This partnership embodies our joint commitment to accelerate progress for LGBTQ+ voices and ensure that the music community is representative of the many diverse artists who contribute to and call this industry home.”
“The music industry is one of the most powerful avenues for bringing cultural conversations around diversity and inclusion to the forefront,” adds GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Our new partnership with the Recording Academy will shape the future of LGBTQ+ inclusion in music and uplift underrepresented voices within the industry who have been overlooked for far too long.”
YellowHeart Teams Up With Daniel Donato For Cosmic Country Club NFT Collection
YellowHeart, the NFT marketplace for music, ticketing and community tokens, has teamed up with Nashville’s indie music artist Daniel Donato to create the Cosmic Country Club NFT Collection. Donato is the first of many upcoming partnerships with emerging indie artists as YellowHeart expands their music family in 2022.
The collection features a limited edition of 66 Members Only digital tour laminates, which includes a hand numbered and hand signed Cosmic Country Club laminate by Donato, a pair of tickets to any show of choice in 2022 with access to sound check, and first priority access to all other NFT releases such as music releases, digital hangout sessions, and more.
“Daniel Donato is one of my favorite artists coming out of the bustling Nashville music scene,” says Josh Katz, CEO and Founder of YellowHeart. “He is a phenomenal guitar player, singer and songwriter and we are thrilled to be welcoming him into the YellowHeart family and to offer music fans new ways to enjoy Daniel’s unique musical sound and style.”
Founded in 2017 by music blockchain innovator Josh Katz, YellowHeart has worked with artists such as Kings of Leon, Maroon 5, XXXTentacion, Brandi Carlile, The Disco Biscuits, ZHU, Burnley F.C., and more.
Dustin Collins Taps Buddy Cannon, Bill McDermott For Upcoming Album
Pictured (L-R): Buddy Cannon, Dustin Collins, Bill McDermott. Photo: Derrek Kupish,
Singer-songwriter Dustin Collins has enlisted industry veterans Buddy Cannon (Kenny Chesney, Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire) and Bill McDermott (Tim McGraw, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley) to produce his upcoming album, Working Man. The 11-track project is slated for release this summer from DCDL Entertainment.
“Working with Buddy Cannon and my longtime producer, Bill McDermott, is a dream come true. For a kid from Kentucky who grew up playing a lot of the songs that Buddy has written or produced, this was truly a humbling and life making experience. I can’t say enough about how grateful I am to have gotten to make a record with such wonderfully talented people,” shares Collins.
A portion of proceeds from the project will benefit GUMI (Glad You Made It) Camp USA, which provides U.S. veterans with the tools they need to help them heal after deployment overseas and enable them to re-enter society.
Working Man follows Collins’ latest album, It’s Been Awhile, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers South Central Albums chart. His independent single, “Cold Dead Hands,” ascended to No. 1 on the Billboard Singles Sales chart. The Kentucky native also earned a slot on Aaron Watson’s “Vaquero Tour” and has opened for Tanya Tucker, Clay Walker, Chris Janson, Granger Smith, Kane Brown and more.
Sea Gayle Music Ups Brandon Gregg To Senior Director Of Operations, Artist Services
/by Steven BoeroBrandon Gregg
Sea Gayle Music has promoted Brandon Gregg to Senior Director of Operations, Artist Services. In this new role, he’ll be working closely with CEO Chris DuBois, helping to oversee day-to-day operations and business affairs.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with tremendous talent and friends at Sea Gayle Music,” says Gregg. “I look forward to stepping into this new role and accomplishing great things with our writers and staff.”
A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Gregg has been with Sea Gayle Music for 19 years. He first joined the company as a Catalog Manager and most recently served as Director, Artist Services. He previously spent time at EMI Music Publishing before leaving in 2003.
“Brandon has been instrumental in the daily functions and growth of Sea Gayle over the past 19 years. I am thrilled to promote him to a new role,” Dubois adds. “I would also like to thank former Executive Vice President/General Manager Marc Driskill for his hard work and leadership over the past nine years. Marc’s contributions on both the creative and business sides have played a crucial role in the growth and success of our company. As difficult as it is to lose someone like Marc, his departure has created exciting new opportunities within the company.”
Driskill exited his role at Sea Gayle earlier this year to join the team at FirstBank as Sr. VP. In his new role, he will be helping to further expand the bank’s footprint in Nashville
Gregg can be reached at brandon@seagayle.com.
Sea Gayle was founded in 1999 by DuBois, Brad Paisley and Frank Rogers. The company represents the song catalogs of Paisley, Chris Stapleton, Brandy Clark, Jerrod Niemann and Bobby Pinson, among many more.
Jimmie Allen Adds Dates To ‘Down Home Tour 2022’
/by Lorie HollabaughJimmie Allen. Photo: Shea Flynn
Jimmie Allen has added dates and announced the supporting acts for his upcoming “Down Home Tour 2022.” Madeline Merlo and Chayce Beckham will join Allen alongside previously announced Neon Union on the tour, which kicks off Feb. 3 at the Troubadour in LA.
Artist pre-sales for the new dates will run from Jan. 25-27, and general tickets go on sale Jan. 28 at jimmieallenmusic.
Allen will also host the 2nd Annual Bettie James Fest at Hudson Fields in his hometown of Milton, Delaware on Aug. 13. Allen established the festival last year in honor of his late grandmother, Bettie Snead, and late father, James Allen. Details on tickets for this year’s festival will be announced at a later date.
In 2021, Allen received the only country nomination in an all-genre category for the 2022 Grammy Awards; released his latest star-studded collaboration album, Bettie James Gold Edition; published his first children’s book, My Voice Is a Trumpet; took home the trophies for New Artist of the Year at The 55th Country Music Association Awards & Male Artist of the Year at The 56th Academy of Country Music Awards; reached the quarterfinals of the 30th season of Dancing With The Stars; served as Executive Music Producer for the Netflix series Titletown High; performed at the Kennedy Center Honors in tribute to Garth Brooks; and appeared on Elton John’s newest album, The Lockdown Sessions, with the track “Beauty In The Bones;” among other highlights.
Tyler Rich Announces First Fan-Focused NFT
/by Lydia FarthingTyler Rich. Photo: Zack Napier
Rising country artist Tyler Rich has unveiled his newest fan-focused endeavor: his very own NFTs (non-fungible tokens). The unique 3D Cards with 30-second audio clips will serve to enhance listener engagement and amplify his latest track “A Little Bit of You.” With this announcement, Rich becomes the first Big Machine Label Group artist to create an NFT.
The NFTs will feature one of several images of the singer-songwriter and will offer fans access to limited edition assets, unreleased material, tickets to upcoming concerts, and meet and greet opportunities. Rolled out over four weeks through Sweet, an NFT platform, a total of 10,000 of these free assets will be delivered with each set becoming more limited and rare. Special rewards will also be available that grant some owners added benefits, such as concert tickets, exclusive Zoom meetings, and more.
“We are excited to launch the first Tyler Rich NFT alongside Sweet. This is also a great extension of our relationship with SiriusXM’s The Highway who have been there since day one for Tyler,” says Mike Rittberg, Big Machine Label Group Exec. VP – Label Operations.
A preview of Tyler Rich’s upcoming NFT release.
“My fans deserve unique ways to connect, and I know they’ll love swapping these digital assets with each other along the way,” shares Rich. “My team, together with Sweet, is helping us bring this fantastic idea to all of you who have supported me over the years. I look forward to expanding my relationship with my fans in this exciting new world of technology!”
This collaboration comes as part of Sweet’s vision of making digital assets as easy to access as possible, while also connecting name brands with their fans.
Peter Keiser, Exec. VP of Client Services at Sweet, comments: “We’re thrilled to be working with Tyler Rich to help show a whole new generation of fans what NFTs do–they can open up doors to entirely new experiences and augment what brand engagement is really about. Best of all, nobody needs to learn the intricacies of blockchain, they just need to click on a link, and boom, they’ve got one.”
Amassing over 339 million global streams with his debut album, Two Thousand Miles, Rich will join Chris Lane’s upcoming “Fill Them Boots Tour,” while also extending his own “The Two Thousand (More) Miles Tour” with shows across the country this spring. For a full list of upcoming dates, click here.
Weekly Register: Kane Brown’s ‘Whiskey Sour’ Makes Top Country Debut
/by Lydia FarthingKane Brown takes the title as the week’s top debut on the country streaming song chart. His newest release, “Whiskey Sour,” received 3.2 million first-week streams, placing it at No. 31, according to MRC data. The RCA Nashville recording artist’s current single, “One Mississippi,” also continues to rise this week, moving up to the fourth spot and adding 5.3 million streams.
Walker Hayes‘ “Fancy Like” continues to dominate the top country streaming songs chart. This week the viral hit adds 6.2 million streams, contributing towards its 317 million streams RTD. Taylor Swift follows in second as “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” gains another 6 million streams. Jordan Davis & Luke Bryan take third with “Buy Dirt” earning 5.8 million streams, and Maren Morris seals the top five with “Circles Around This Town” garnering 5 million streams.
Once again, Morgan Wallen‘s Dangerous: The Double Album was the week’s most consumed album at 41K in total consumption (1.9K album only and 49 million song streams), according to MRC data. Swift keeps her position at No. 2 with Red (Taylor’s Version) earning 30K in total consumption. Luke Combs takes the third spot with What You See Is What You Get adding 17K in total consumption, as well as the fifth spot as This One’s For You adds 14K in total consumption. Chris Stapleton‘s 2015 album, Traveller, hits No. 4 as it gains 14K in total consumption.
Jesse Frasure Heads To The Top Of MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by LB CantrellJesse Frasure
Jesse Frasure trades spots with Ashley Gorley this week for the top spot on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.
Frasure is a co-writer on the charting songs “One Mississippi” (Kane Brown), “Whiskey And Rain” (Michael Ray), “If I Was A Cowboy” (Miranda Lambert), and “Slow Down Summer” (Thomas Rhett).
Gorley maintains the No. 2 spot this week, with “New Truck” (Dylan Scott), “You Should Probably Leave” (Chris Stapleton), “Sand In My Boots” (Morgan Wallen), “Slow Down Summer” (Thomas Rhett), “Give Heaven Some Hell” (Hardy), “Take My Name” (Parmalee), “Steal My Love” (Dan + Shay), and “Beers On Me” (Dierks Bentley, Hardy & Breland) charting.
Eric Church moves up to No. 3 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, signifying the power of a solo write as “Heart On Fire” alone fuels his rise.
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.
2nd Annual Conservation AID Live Concert To Feature Craig Morgan, Chris Janson, More
/by Lorie HollabaughCraig Morgan. Photo: Nate Griffin
The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Foundation’s 2nd Annual Conservation AID live concert is set for Feb. 16 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.
The show will feature some of the top artists in country music, including Craig Morgan, Chris Janson, Tyler Farr, Travis Denning, Elvie Shane and more.
Other performers include Chuck Wicks, Drew Baldridge, Dillon Carmichael, Meghan Patrick, Caleb Lee Hutchison and Lucas Hoge.
The event, which kicks off NWTF’s Convention & Sports Show, helps support wildlife and wild land conservation efforts throughout the year. Tickets to the live concert event are available now.
Founded in 1973, the NWTF is focused on the future of hunting and conservation through its Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative. This charge mobilizes science, fundraising and devoted volunteers to conserve or enhance more than four million acres of essential wildlife habitat, recruits at least 1.5 million hunters, and opens access to 500,000 acres for hunting.
CJ Solar Joins EMPIRE’s Growing Country Roster
/by Lydia FarthingPictured (L-R): Eric Hurt, VP A&R, Publishing, EMPIRE and CJ Solar. Photo: Thomas Chi
Rising singer-songwriter CJ Solar has signed with EMPIRE. His first single on the label, “The Future’s Neon,” is set for release Feb. 11. Solar’s first full-length album of the same name will be available later this spring.
Written alongside fellow Louisiana natives Blake Griffith and Jim McCormick, Solar produced the track with Nick Gibbens. With a co-writing credit on all nine cuts on The Future’s Neon, Solar also collaborated with Devin Barker, Kenton Bryant, Bart Butler, Frankie Courtney, Corey Crowder, Jackson Dean, Bob DiPiero, Aaron Eshius, Jeff Garrison, Hardy, Jason Lehning, Lynn Hutton, Joey Hyde, Billy Montana, and Lydia Vaughan throughout the project.
The Baton Rouge native and Belmont University graduate recently signed an exclusive writing agreement with Edgehill Music Publishing. He has penned No. 1 singles for Morgan Wallen (“Up Down” featuring Florida Georgia Line) and Jameson Rodgers (“Some Girls”). He has won ASCAP Awards for both songs and also co-wrote Jason Aldean’s “I Don’t Drink Anymore,” Justin Moore’s “Between You & Me,” Jerrod Niemann’s “The Regulars” and Top 30 “Blue Bandana,” among others.
As an artist, Solar has released three EPs, yielding Top 15 hits such as “American Girls” and “Airplane,” and the Top 10 “Coming My Way.” He has garnered over five million overall streams, and received the MusicRow Independent Artist of the Year Award in 2019. Solar hit the road earlier this month on the “Nashville Hits The Roof” concert tour with upcoming stops in Orlando on Feb. 3, Delray Beach on Feb. 4 and Birmingham on Feb. 25.
“With EMPIRE continuing our expansion into the country market, we’re excited to partner with hit songwriter and artist CJ Solar on his upcoming artist releases. His album is fantastic, and we’re thrilled to be a part of his story,” says EMPIRE VP, A&R, Publishing Eric Hurt.
“Every artist wants to find a label that’s passionate about their music and career, and I’ve definitely found that with everyone at EMPIRE,” adds Solar. “I’m as excited about this relationship as I’ve ever been and can’t wait to get this new music out to the world!”
CRS 2022 Updates COVID-19 Protocols For Upcoming, In-Person Event
/by Lorie HollabaughCRB Inc. has announced it will move forward with CRS 2022 as a live, in-person event from Feb. 23-25 at the Omni Nashville Hotel.
The decision was made after careful and thorough consultation with attendees, panelists, performers, sponsorship partners, vendors, event staff, and CRB Board leadership. The CRB’s top priority is to provide a safe, comfortable atmosphere for CRS 2022 attendees, sponsors, staff, and volunteers.
Everyone attending CRS 2022 will be required to provide documentation of full COVID-19 vaccinations or a negative COVID test result obtained within 48-hours of arrival at the event. If attendees cannot provide either, rapid antigen and PCR tests will be available upon arrival and conducted on-site at no cost to attendees.
Additionally, voluntary testing (rapid antigen and PCR) will be available to all attendees throughout CRS, courtesy of CRB. Complimentary tests will also be available on Saturday, Feb. 26 for both local and out-of-town attendees before returning home.
CRB has engaged the services of 3P America for end-to-end digital compliance, using its mobile-based, proprietary application, 3P Smart Verify. The platform will administer and conduct the following:
Prior to the event, all CRS 2022 registered attendees will receive a link to 3P Smart Verify to establish a profile and submit the necessary documentation. Users will be able to upload vaccination documentation or a negative COVID-19 test. All attendees will be required to have completed the 3P Smart Verify profile to receive their CRS registration packet.
Nashville Jazz Legend Beegie Adair Passes
/by Robert K OermannBeegie Adair
Beegie Adair, a keystone of the Nashville jazz community, passed away on Sunday (Jan. 23) at age 84.
The pianist and vocalist was equally at home in a variety of musical settings. She recorded more than 35 albums, played on sessions for country and pop stars, composed ad jingles, headlined at Carnegie Hall and was a jazz educator.
Bobbe “Beegie” Long was raised in Cave City, Kentucky. After earning a music degree at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, she worked as a piano teacher. Migrating to Nashville, she landed a gig with the Hank Garland Quartet. She then spent a decade in the house band at WSMV-TV’s The Waking Crew and Afternoon Show.
This led to her becoming an in-demand session musician, playing on recordings or broadcasts by Dolly Parton, Chet Atkins, Vince Gill, Henry Mancini, Delbert McClinton, Dinah Shore, Ronnie Milsap, Ray Stevens, Boots Randolph, Peggy Lee, Hank Snow, Perry Como, Eddy Arnold, Jerry Reed J.J. Cale, Connie Francis, Mandy Barnett, Waylon Jennings, Neil Diamond and more.
She was in the bands of the TV programs The Johnny Cash Show and The Ralph Emery Show. Beegie Adair also performed on the soundtracks of such films as Clint Eastwood’s Every Which Way But Loose (1978), Burt Reynolds’ Smokey and the Bandit (1977) and Kevin Costner’s Perfect World (1993).
In the early 1970s, she performed in a 10-piece rock band called Sweet Thunder. This is where she met multi-instrumentalist Billy Adair (1947-2014), whom she married in 1975.
She and Billy formed a successful ad-jingle company. Among their clients were Purity Dairies, HCA, Allstate, United Airlines, Hamburger Helper, McDonald’s and Wrangler. A former touring musician, Billy Adair became the backbone of the jazz program at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music.
In 1982, Beegie Adair formed the Adair-Solee Quartet with saxophonist Denis Solee. This evolved into the Be-Bop Co-Op, a jazz sextet. She has also performed in The Nashville Jazz Machine, Orchestra Twelve, The Andrew Goodrich Quintet and The Jazz Corporation.
She is best known for her Beegie Adair Trio, which showcased her keyboard virtuosity backed by bass and percussion. The group debuted on disc with 1991’s Escape to New York with Bob Crenshaw (bass) and Greg Hutchinson (drums) as her partners.
The trio eventually solidified with Roger Spencer (bass) and Chris Brown (drums) as her rhythm section. Among the many recordings by this lineup of the Beggie Adair Trio were The Nat King Cole Collection (1998), Jazz Piano Christmas (1999), Dream Dancing: Songs of Cole Porter (2000), Love, Elvis (2000), Jazz on Broadway (2005), Sentimental Journey (2006) and Too Marvelous for Words (2015). The trio’s Frank Sinatra Collection won the 1998 Nashville Music Award as Jazz Album of the Year.
Her most ambitious work was the six-CD, boxed-set collection Centennial Composers. Released in 2002 on Nashville’s Green Hill label, its 75 songs were drawn from the catalogs of Great American Songbook composers George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Duke Ellington, Hoagy Carmichael, Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin.
Adair also hosted her own radio series, Improvised Thoughts. This was an NPR talk/music show of the early 1990s where she chatted and shared music with Tony Bennett, Marian McPartland, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Helen Merrill and others.
In 2002 Beegie Adair was honored by being named a Steinway Artist. This put her in the company of Harry Connick Jr., Billy Joel, Diana Krall, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Michel Legrand and Arthur Rubinstein. Her solo concerts at Steinway & Sons galleries throughout the U.S. attracted sell-out crowds.
Beginning in 2011, she began making annual appearances at the legendary Birdland Jazz Club in New York City. Adair also showcased at other Manhattan jazz venues, often with vocalist Monica Ramey. During this time, several of Adair’s albums became best sellers on the national jazz-music charts. She was also a top seller in Japan.
On Oct. 7, 2016, The Beegie Adair Trio sold out Carnegie Hall. This was a first for a Nashville jazz act. She repeated the feat in 2017, and returned to the hallowed Hall for several years thereafter.
Adair was an adjunct professor of jazz at Vanderbilt. She taught vocal jazz at the Nashville Jazz Workshop for several years. The Trio had a residency there, and she was a board member emeritus.
Beegie Adair died at her home in Franklin. Her burial will be at Williamson Memorial Gardens. Contributions in her name can be made to The Nashville Jazz Workshop, to the Billy Adair Scholarship Fund at Vanderbilt (giving.vanderbilt.edu), to the Williamson County Animal Center or to the St. Joseph Indian School.
A Celebration of Life will be conduced at a later date.