Hugh X. Lewis
Singer-songwriter Hugh X. Lewis, who created country hits in the 1960s and starred on national TV, has passed away at age 90.
Lewis charted 15 titles on the country charts in 1964-79. He wrote successes for himself as well as for a dozen other Nashville stars. He was prominent as the host of a syndicated television series, had his own Nashville nightclub and was featured in several country music movies.
Born Hubert Bradley Lewis, he worked in Kentucky coal mines while beginning his country music career. During the late 1950s, he won a new-talent competition at WLW in Cincinnati, appeared on a local weekly TV show in Johnson City, Teneessee, and worked at the Saturday Night Jamboree radio show in Huntington, West Virginia on WSAZ.
By the early 1960s, he was appearing on the Tennessee Barn Dance in Knoxville and on Kentucky’s Renfro Valley Barn Dance. Hugh X. Lewis moved to Nashville in 1963 and was signed as a staff songwriter by Cedarwood Music.
In 1964, he hit pay dirt as the writer of the No. 1 Stonewall Jackson hit “B.J. the D.J.” Jackson subsequently recorded a half dozen more Lewis tunes, including “Angry Words” (No. 16, 1968) and “Ship in the Bottle” (No. 19, 1969).
Carl Smith took the songwriter’s “Take My Ring Off Your Finger” into the top-20 in 1964. Carl Butler & Pearl succeeded with the Lewis tune “Just Thought I’d Let You Know” the following year.
Kitty Wells, Ray Pillow, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy C. Newman, George Morgan, Charley Pride, Jimmy Dickens, Lynn Anderson and Jim Ed Brown also recorded songs written or co-written by Hugh X. Lewis. Del Reeves & Bobby Goldsboro sang a duet on his song “I Just Wasted the Rest.”
Success as a songwriter led to a recording contract with Kapp Records. Lewis never scored a top-20 hit as a singer, but his smooth baritone was notable on a string of country singles. He wrote or co-wrote nine of his 15 charted songs.
“What I Need Most” (1965), “Out Where the Ocean Meets the Sky” (Mel Tillis/Fred Burch, 1965), “I’d Better Call the Law on Me” (1966), “You’re So Cold (I’m Turning Blue)” (Harlan Howard/Tony Senn, 1967) and “Evolution and the Bible” (1968) were top-40 entries. “All Heaven Broke Loose” was a top-20 hit in Canada in 1969.
His major-label LPs were The Hugh X. Lewis Album (1965), Just Before Dawn (1965), My Kind of Country (1966), Just a Prayer Away (1967) and Country Fever (1968).
Beginning in 1968, he hosted Hugh X. Lewis Country Club, a syndicated weekly TV show. By 1971, it was being aired in 31 markets. He opened his own nightclub in Printer’s Alley in 1972 and produced the remaining episodes of the show from there.
Lewis was also featured in the country B-movies Forty Acre Feud (1966), Gold Guitar (1967) and Cotton Pickin’ Chicken Pickers (1967).
Hugh X. Lewis retired in 1984, but returned to the music business in 1998. He began emphasizing gospel music with the albums God, Home & Country and Stand Up and Be Counted. In 2005, he appeared in the Christian children’s film Summer of Courage. He also became a performing poet, reciting inspirational verse on various radio programs and in churches.
Since 2017 he has been hosting a weekly gospel radio show called The Christian Country Store on WSGS and WKIC in Hazard, Kentucky. He has also had daily features on the Gospel Radio Network.
Lewis is Kentucky Colonel, became a member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame and was honored in the Walkway of Stars at the original Country Music Hall of Fame. He passed away on Dec. 29, and his death was announced Sunday (Jan. 17).
Hugh X. Lewis is survived by Anna Mae Lewis, his wife of 69 years, by daughter Saundra Taylor (Harry), two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial celebration of his life will take place at a later time.
Country Entertainer Hugh X. Lewis Dies At Age 90
/by Robert K OermannHugh X. Lewis
Singer-songwriter Hugh X. Lewis, who created country hits in the 1960s and starred on national TV, has passed away at age 90.
Lewis charted 15 titles on the country charts in 1964-79. He wrote successes for himself as well as for a dozen other Nashville stars. He was prominent as the host of a syndicated television series, had his own Nashville nightclub and was featured in several country music movies.
Born Hubert Bradley Lewis, he worked in Kentucky coal mines while beginning his country music career. During the late 1950s, he won a new-talent competition at WLW in Cincinnati, appeared on a local weekly TV show in Johnson City, Teneessee, and worked at the Saturday Night Jamboree radio show in Huntington, West Virginia on WSAZ.
By the early 1960s, he was appearing on the Tennessee Barn Dance in Knoxville and on Kentucky’s Renfro Valley Barn Dance. Hugh X. Lewis moved to Nashville in 1963 and was signed as a staff songwriter by Cedarwood Music.
In 1964, he hit pay dirt as the writer of the No. 1 Stonewall Jackson hit “B.J. the D.J.” Jackson subsequently recorded a half dozen more Lewis tunes, including “Angry Words” (No. 16, 1968) and “Ship in the Bottle” (No. 19, 1969).
Carl Smith took the songwriter’s “Take My Ring Off Your Finger” into the top-20 in 1964. Carl Butler & Pearl succeeded with the Lewis tune “Just Thought I’d Let You Know” the following year.
Kitty Wells, Ray Pillow, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy C. Newman, George Morgan, Charley Pride, Jimmy Dickens, Lynn Anderson and Jim Ed Brown also recorded songs written or co-written by Hugh X. Lewis. Del Reeves & Bobby Goldsboro sang a duet on his song “I Just Wasted the Rest.”
Success as a songwriter led to a recording contract with Kapp Records. Lewis never scored a top-20 hit as a singer, but his smooth baritone was notable on a string of country singles. He wrote or co-wrote nine of his 15 charted songs.
“What I Need Most” (1965), “Out Where the Ocean Meets the Sky” (Mel Tillis/Fred Burch, 1965), “I’d Better Call the Law on Me” (1966), “You’re So Cold (I’m Turning Blue)” (Harlan Howard/Tony Senn, 1967) and “Evolution and the Bible” (1968) were top-40 entries. “All Heaven Broke Loose” was a top-20 hit in Canada in 1969.
His major-label LPs were The Hugh X. Lewis Album (1965), Just Before Dawn (1965), My Kind of Country (1966), Just a Prayer Away (1967) and Country Fever (1968).
Beginning in 1968, he hosted Hugh X. Lewis Country Club, a syndicated weekly TV show. By 1971, it was being aired in 31 markets. He opened his own nightclub in Printer’s Alley in 1972 and produced the remaining episodes of the show from there.
Lewis was also featured in the country B-movies Forty Acre Feud (1966), Gold Guitar (1967) and Cotton Pickin’ Chicken Pickers (1967).
Hugh X. Lewis retired in 1984, but returned to the music business in 1998. He began emphasizing gospel music with the albums God, Home & Country and Stand Up and Be Counted. In 2005, he appeared in the Christian children’s film Summer of Courage. He also became a performing poet, reciting inspirational verse on various radio programs and in churches.
Since 2017 he has been hosting a weekly gospel radio show called The Christian Country Store on WSGS and WKIC in Hazard, Kentucky. He has also had daily features on the Gospel Radio Network.
Lewis is Kentucky Colonel, became a member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame and was honored in the Walkway of Stars at the original Country Music Hall of Fame. He passed away on Dec. 29, and his death was announced Sunday (Jan. 17).
Hugh X. Lewis is survived by Anna Mae Lewis, his wife of 69 years, by daughter Saundra Taylor (Harry), two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial celebration of his life will take place at a later time.
Lydia Vaughan Signs With Cornman Music, Warner Chappell Nashville
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, top row): Ben Vaughn (WCM), Jessi Vaughn (WCM), Brett James (CM); (L-R, bottom row): Abigail Wate (CM), Nate Lowery (CM), Lydia Vaughan, Molly Shehan (Milom Law)
Lydia Vaughan has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Cornman Music and Warner Chappell Nashville.
Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Vaughan spent six years touring in an alternative rock band before moving to Nashville in 2015 to pursue her songwriting. She has already landed sync placements on MTV’s Teen Mom, CW’s Batwoman, and Netflix’s Dash & Lily.
“We are beyond thrilled to officially welcome Lydia into the Cornman family,” said Cornman Music’s Brett James. “Her talent is beyond description and she is as amazing a person as she is a songwriter.”
“Words cannot describe how excited we are that Lydia is joining the Cornman family,” adds Cornman Music’s Nate Lowery. “Her talent, work ethic and passion for music and songwriting is truly inspiring.”
Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Tyler Hubbard To Perform During Biden Inauguration Ceremonies
/by Lorie HollabaughGarth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Tyler Hubbard
Garth Brooks, Tyler Hubbard and Tim McGraw are among the artists slated to perform for inauguration festivities set for Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris as they are sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States.
Brooks will perform at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday night (Jan. 20) when Biden and Harris take the oath of office.
Brooks will be performing at the U.S. Capitol and joins Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez on the list of entertainers who will take part in the historic event. He has performed in some way for six of the last seven U.S. presidents (Ronald Reagan being the only exception), but has only participated in an inauguration once before – when he performed songs like “We Shall Be Free” on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial as part of events surrounding President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009. This year he will be at the Capitol, as part of the actual swearing-in ceremony.
For the superstar, taking part in the inauguration isn’t a statement of his politics but a chance to swell with pride at being an American and give back. “This is a great day in our household,” said Brooks. “This is not a political statement. This is a statement of unity. This is history! And it’s an honor to get to serve. This is kinda how I get to serve this country. Our father served as a United States Marine in the Korean War; we had brothers that served in the Air Force and the Army. This is my chance to get to serve.”
McGraw and Hubbard will be a part of Wednesday night’s primetime Celebrating America special, starting at at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, and hosted by Tom Hanks. They will be performing their new song “Undivided.” The two detailed their plans in an interview with Big Machine Label Group’s Becca Walls for Big Machine Radio.
“Yeah, we got a call just a few days ago and got invited to play the song at the inauguration, and I think Tim and I both were extremely excited and humbled. What a crazy cool opportunity – as simple as just to get to play music again, which is exciting in itself, but then to get to spread and share this message of hope and love and unity to the world. What better platform to get to do that on, so we’re both extremely excited,” Hubbard said.
“Very excited, and also, the background of what we’re gonna be shooting is gonna be Nashville. So, to showcase our city and all that it’s gone through in the last year is a big deal for us,” McGraw said.
Dan + Shay Score Eighth Chart-Topper With “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
/by Lorie HollabaughDan + Shay are kicking off 2021 in a great way with their latest single “I Should Probably Go To Bed” topping the Mediabase Country chart. This is the duo’s eighth career No. 1 and fifth consecutive chart-topper. “I Should Probably Go To Bed” has already surpassed one million track equivalents and racked up more than 200 million global streams since its release.
The track was produced by the duo’s Dan Smyers and co-written with bandmate Shay Mooney, as well as Sean Douglas and Jason Evigan. It reached No. 1 on the Country Digital Songs Sales chart upon release and made its TV debut on the 55th ACM Awards. The song’s video received the CMT Music Award for Duo Video of the Year.
To say they are on a roll would be an understatement at this point: in the seven years since they debuted on the scene, Dan + Shay have accumulated more than 6.8 billion career streams, 35 total RIAA certifications, eight No. 1 radio singles, and more than two dozen Grammy, ACM, American Music, Billboard Music, CMA, CMT Music and iHeart Award wins and nominations.
Jody Williams Songs And Warner Chappell Music Sign Peytan Porter
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Spencer Nohe, Warner Chappell Music Nashville A&R Directior; Nina Jenkins, Jody Williams Songs Creative Director; Peytan Porter; Jody Williams, Jody Williams Songs Founder; Ben Vaughn, Warner Chappell Music Nashville President/CEO. Photo: Nathan Zucker
Dawsonville, GA native Peytan Porter has signed her first publishing deal with Jody Williams Songs, in partnership with Warner Chappell Music.
The singer-songwriter moved to Nashville to attend Lipscomb University in 2016. Seeking out collaborators in co-writers outside the organized writing rooms of Music Row, Porter found further encouragement in fellow up-and-coming writers and began honing her style, particularly stories that paint pictures beyond her hometown’s 8.2 square mile radius.
“Peytan’s writing is so emotive and sophisticated structurally. The first time she performed for us in the office I was moved to tears, asking her to repeat a second verse just to take it in a bit longer. It’s exciting to have this opportunity to help someone with her natural talent realize her goals as a songwriter and artist,” says JWS founder Jody Williams. “She definitely has the gift!”
“So, as you can imagine, the opportunity to now work with Jody Williams Songs and the Warner Chappell family feels like a long-awaited exhale,” Porter says. “I knew from our first conversations that Jody and Nina are truly song-first people, and I feel fortunate to get to create in a space that advocates for excellent songwriting as it’s not just what I do, it’s who I am. I’ve always just written myself through things: my childhood, my first heartbreak, to this last year we’ve all survived. I’m glad I get to keep doing that and am honored to join a roster of writers and artists that I so greatly admire!”
“Peytan has an infectious spirit that undoubtedly translates into her songwriting,” says Nina Jenkins, JWS Creative Director. “We are fortunate to get to work with someone who has such a defined sense of self.”
In addition to Porter, Jody Williams Songs represents talents such as four-time GRAMMY nominee Ashley McBryde, Driver Williams, Nathan Chapman, Jeremy Spillman, Greg Bates and Jason Nix. The company also represents Pat McLaughlin in a writer management/publishing role. Through JWS’s partnership with Warner Chappell Music Nashville, Williams develops writers and writer-artists, secures covers, sources legacy catalogs and represents select WCM writer catalogs for exploitation.
On The Row: Chase Martin Combines Her Wit With Artistry
/by LB CantrellChase Martin. Photo: Jason Myers
Chase Martin is a singer-songwriter from Charleston, South Carolina. She graduated from high school early with a 5.0 GPA, and she scored a perfect score (a 36) on the ACT. She was offered a scholarship from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, but that’s not what brought her to Music City.
The impressive 22-year old moved to Nashville at 17 to chase her dream of artistry, after catching the bug at a school talent show. Her parents supported her dream, with her mom traveling back and forth from Tennessee to South Carolina while the teenager hunted down bar gigs and songwriter rounds to play in.
“I was in the fourth grade. There was a talent show at my elementary school, and I signed up for it,” Chase told MusicRow on a recent virtual visit. “I came home from school that day and said ‘Hey mom, I signed up for the talent show at school!’ She was like, ‘Oh okay, what’s your talent?'”
Chase wanted to sing and play guitar, even though she didn’t know how to play the guitar. After finding a Yamaha guitar in their attic, Chase took a few lessons at a guitar shop in her neighborhood.
“I learned ‘Our Song’ by Taylor Swift and I played it two weeks later in our talent show. I was so nervous getting up on stage, I cried to my mom,” Chase said. “Once I went up there they literally had to fishhook me off the stage because I didn’t want to get off… I was hooked.”
Chase then went to an art school, where she was in the band and learned to play the piccolo.
After a few years of grinding through as many gigs as she could play, and building an Instagram following, Chase met RECORDS Nashville / Wide Open Music’s Ash Bowers, who helped her get integrated into Nashville’s music business.
Pictured (L-R, top row): Monarch Publicity’s Heather Conley; MusicRow‘s LB Cantrell, Haley Crow; (L-R, middle row): Wide Open Music’s Lauren Hamrick; Chase Martin; Monarch Publicity’s Cindy Hunt; (L-R, bottom row): MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson, Alex Parry
“About two and a half years ago, I met Ash [Bowers] and Brendan [Rich] at Wide Open. They have been the greatest thing to happen to me since I moved to town, they’ve really taken me under their wing. They ended up signing me and they got me my first record deal and publishing deal. So 2020 was a pretty good year for me,” Chase joked. “They’ve been a dream to work with.”
Now, five years later, Chase has a record deal with RECORDS Nashville and a publishing deal with Endurance Music Group. She also has her first single out, a song called “Levi Denim,” written by Matt Stell, Allison Veltz-Cruz, and Abby Anderson.
“The first time I heard [‘Levi Denim’] I was like, ‘Man, this sounds like something I would have written, something I should have written!’ I was shocked that I didn’t think of it,” Chase said. “As soon as I heard it, I was like, ‘I have to cut this song. It’s so me.'”
“Levi Denim” is the first single that RECORDS Nashville has released, after the Music City office was launched by RECORDS head Barry Weiss in a joint venture with Sony Music in fall of 2020.
In 2021, the determined Chase Martin is laser-focused on writing, cultivating her social media following, and building off the momentum she’s worked hard for.
Curb Records Ups RJ Meacham to SVP, Promotion
/by LB CantrellRJ Meacham
Curb Records has announced the promotion of RJ Meacham to SVP, Promotion. Meacham will continue to oversee promotion efforts for the Curb Records roster, which includes Lee Brice, Dylan Scott, Rodney Atkins, Filmore, Mo Pitney, and Hannah Ellis.
“RJ has done a phenomenal job as Vice President of Country Promotion and we are very excited that he has chosen to continue with our company as Senior Vice President of Country Promotion. Over the years, RJ has done an excellent job motivating our great promotion team,” says Mike Curb, Chairman of Curb Records.
Meacham began his career at Monument/Sony, moving to Curb/Asylum and then Sony’s BNA and Columbia Records before re-joining Curb Records in 2016 as Senior Director, Country Promotion. He was elevated to VP, Promotion in 2018.
“As our industry evolves, I’m excited to continue working alongside my amazing teammates at Curb to find new and innovative ways to raise the bar for our amazing roster and their music. Many thanks to Mike Curb for believing in me and for this incredible opportunity,” says Meacham.
Meacham can be reached at rmeacham@curb.com.
Black River Entertainment Restructures Marketing Department
/by LB CantrellNikki Abbamont, Ainsley Barry, Megan Hazeltine
Black River Entertainment announced a restructuring of their Marketing Department today (Jan. 15). Nikki Abbamont elevates to Associate Director of Project Management, Ainsley Barry to Social Media Coordinator, and Megan Hazeltine to Marketing Coordinator.
Upon announcing the restructuring, Black River’s EVP Rick Froio acknowledged the three team members, “We are grateful for their willingness to adapt to the changing landscape by assuming these new roles within the team. With these changes now in effect, we know it will continue to make us a stronger company in 2021.”
Originally from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Abbamont joined Black River Entertainment in May 2017 as the Publicity and Marketing Coordinator before fully transitioning to Marketing Coordinator in 2018 and Marketing Manager in 2019. Now serving as the Associate Director of Project Management, Abbamont reports directly to Froio and will oversee organization, management, and general oversight of the progress and execution of ongoing Black River label releases and projects.
Ainsley Barry joined Black River Entertainment as the Copyright and Licensing Coordinator in August of 2019. The Malvern, Pennsylvania native now serves as the Social Media Coordinator, and reports to Black River’s VP of Marketing, Tanya Schrage.
Hailing from Dover, New Hampshire, Hazeltine joined the Publicity Department at the beginning of 2020. Now serving as the Marketing Coordinator, Hazeltine also reports to Schrage, and is responsible for all traffic flow within the Marketing & Creative departments.
Black River’s President and CEO Gordon Kerr added, “At Black River, we believe in leaving this place better than we found it. That’s what we’re doing with our team in 2021. By utilizing our people’s strengths in areas that will benefit most, this new configuration makes us stronger. With resilience, passion for our artists and songwriters, and hard work, we are looking forward to a strong year.”
Sidewalk Prophets To Kick Off Reasons For Joy Virtual Tour In February
/by Lorie HollabaughSidewalk Prophets
Curb | Word Entertainment’s Sidewalk Prophets are hosting a series of livestream events with their new “Reasons For Joy” tour which kicks off Feb. 17 and runs through Feb. 27.
The all-new livestream trek consists of eight entirely live shows broadcasting each night from Sidewalk Prophets’ Great Big Family Studios in Nashville. Tickets are pay-what-you-can, including a free option, and all paid tickets grant fans entrance to a special devotional with front man Dave Frey. A VIP Pre-Show Party ticket is also available, which includes a Q&A with the band, games and more fun. In addition, fans can purchase a season pass for access to all eight shows, devotionals, and pre-show parties. Tickets are sold per household and are on sale now and available for purchase here.
All dates on the “Reasons For Joy” tour will feature interactive moments, plenty of hits from Sidewalk Prophets’ extensive catalog, and fresh favorites from the band’s latest full-length album, The Things That Got Us Here, featuring new songs like “Smile” and “Chosen.”
Along with launching the new tour, in response to the violence at the Capitol last week, Sidewalk Prophets decided to release a live performance video of their new song, “The Comment Section,” captured at the Ryman Auditorium last year. With a message of spreading kindness, the video has already received more than 42K views on YouTube in just five days.
Ian Munsick Readies Major Label Debut ‘Coyote Cry’ For February
/by Lorie HollabaughIan Munsick
Ian Munsick is releasing a soundtrack for the modern Western lifestyle with his new album, Coyote Cry, due out Feb. 26. He celebrates the album’s announcement today with the release of the rollicking new track “Humble.”
The project comes five months after signing his first major label deal with Warner Music Nashville. Co-produced by Munsick, Coyote Cry features 10 tracks including “Long Haul” and “Me Against The Mountain.” As he readies for the album’s release, Munsick is welcoming fans into his official fan club, The Heard—aptly titled for the ranch-bred musician, which launches today (Jan. 15). Fans who run with The Heard will receive access to exclusive merch, advance music and more.
“Coyote Cry is a soundtrack for the modern western lifestyle,” Munsick said. “A firm handshake between cowboy and hippy, traditional and contemporary and everything in between. It’s the life I’ve lived so far and the lessons I’ve learned along the way. No matter who you are, I think you’ll find a piece of yourself in there and maybe even lose yourself to the howling in the hills. Cowboys have always been the people I’ve looked up to most and aspired to be like. I don’t mean the cattle rustling, heart-thieving, Hollywood kind. I mean the first one to work, give the shirt off his back, Chris Ledoux kind. The kind you want as your neighbor. The kind I think of when I hear the word Cowboy. Humble.”