Country Artists Speak Up Following The Death Of George Floyd

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Photo: Josie Desmarais/iStock

Several country artists took to social media to speak out following the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers on May 25. Following the incident, protests have taken place across the country as people speak out against systemic racial injustice and police brutality.

See artists’ responses below:

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As the father of a black daughter and also two white daughters- I have struggled with what to say today. We have navigated forms of racism directly and while there is mostly overwhelming support and love for our family, sometimes there is just the opposite. Because of that fear, it can be a lot easier to choose silence, but today I’m choosing to speak. I have no clue what it feels like to be profiled by authorities, treated negatively or have my life threatened because of the color of my skin. When I witnessed the horrific murder of George and think about the mistreatment of other black men and women in America, I am heartbroken and angry. I get scared when I think about my daughters and what kind of world they will be growing up in and how my JOB as a father is to show them how to lead with love in the face of hate. To know their worth and value as not only women but human beings. I have witnessed my black band and crew members on the road struggle at times with feeling safe because of the color of their skin. This is unacceptable. I don’t believe in hate. I believe in love. What happened to George was pure hate. We are all created by the same God. I pray for a change in heart of those hearts who have been overcome by hatred and hardened. I pray for a deeper understanding for myself and awareness of the experience of mistreatment that those of another skin color go through. I pray for the families of those who have lost their lives to violence or experienced trauma at the hand of racial oppression and injustice. What can we do? I ask myself this question everyday. We each have to be part of the solution and we have to continue to educate ourselves, continue to support both financially and with service those organizations doing good work in our communities to overcome injustice and hatred in our country. And if you’re like me, continue to pray. So if there is any question on where I stand let me be clear- I stand with you, I stand with George and his family and all those who have faced racism. I stand with my wife and my daughters. We will be fighting this fight for the rest of our lives. Rest In Peace, George. We are not letting this go.

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Josh Thompson Enters Top Five On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Josh Thompson moves into the top five on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week, with credits on the songs: “Ain’t Always The Cowboy” (Jon Pardi), “Be A Light” (Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin and Keith Urban) and “One Margarita” (Luke Bryan).

Craig Wiseman remains at No. 1, and Shane McAnally (No. 2), Luke Combs (No. 3) and Jonathan Singleton (No. 4) follow behind.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded 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.

Layoffs, Furloughs Hit Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is the latest music-related company to experience a round of layoffs and furloughs as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to temporarily close their doors for the past few months.

The Country Music Hall of Fame has laid off 73 employees and furloughed 101 staffers, effective June 18. The layoffs and furloughs extend across all departments, and represent nearly half of the approximately 400 employees working for the Country Music Hall of Fame and its associated services.

“We were forced to make this difficult decision by a challenging business environment unprecedented in the museum’s history. Since closing March 13, the museum has lost millions of dollars in budgeted revenue,” said Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young. “Our economic setbacks, coupled with the uncertainties of the future related to the pandemic, make it necessary to take these measures now to protect the institution and ensure its future.”

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum recently announced it will be closed through the end of June, including ancillary programs such as Hatch Show Print, Historic RCA Studio B, the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Taylor Swift Education Center. Last year, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum broke an attendance record, with 1,297,433 visitors touring the museum, RCA Studio B and Hatch Show Print in 2019, marking the fifth consecutive year the Hall had welcomed more than 1 million visitors.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum recently launched an interactive songwriting program, titled the Songwriter Sessions, and also brought its Words & Music program to Instagram Live.

Jim McCormick Signs Publishing Deal With Eclipse Music Group

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Jim McCormick has signed an exclusive publishing deal with Eclipse Music Group.

The Grammy-nominated songwriter has had two No. 1s on the charts: Jason Aldean’s “Take A Little Ride,” which spent three weeks at No. 1, and Brantley Gilbert’s “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do.” He is also a co-writer on Gabby Barrett’s new single, “The Good Ones,” which will be released to radio on June 8. His current releases include Kelly Clarkson’s “Minute,” Luke Bryan’s “All My Dreaming There,” Harry Connick Jr’s “I Do Like We Do,” Jon Pardi’s “Lucky Tonight,” and four songs on the new Samantha Fish record. His songs also have been recorded by Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Cody Johnson, Trisha Yearwood, Randy Travis, Ronnie Milsap, Jamey Johnson, Smash Mouth, Tyler Farr and more.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to be working with Jim, a long-time leader in the songwriting world and a consummate professional,” said Kurt Locher, co-founder of Eclipse. “Jim’s talent and versatility enables him to work with a great range of outstanding artists, and we’re excited for what the future holds.”

McCormick has served as board governor and vice president for the Recording Academy and on the board of the Nashville Songwriters Association International. He is also a 2013 alumnus of Nashville’s Leadership Music.

McCormick is a faculty member at Loyola University in New Orleans where he teaches songwriting. He has lectured extensively on songwriting at Berklee College of Music, Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University, Belmont University and Tulane University, as well as at GrammyPro and NSAI events. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Georgetown University and a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of New Orleans. He divides his time between Nashville and New Orleans, where he lives with his wife and three sons.

“I’ve been very fortunate in my career to have had incredible creative and business partnerships with my publishers, and this new chapter with Eclipse Music Group steadily continues that trend,” said Jim. “Kurt Locher and the whoe team at Eclipse display a commitment to excellence, in both the craft and business of songwriting, that makes the company a great fit for a writer like me.”

Weekly Register: Luke Combs Returns To No. 1

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Luke Combs. Photo (c) 2019 David Bergman for Sony Records Nashville.

Luke Combs‘ album What You See Is What You Get returns to No. 1 this week on the country albums rankings, with 27K (total consumption), according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Morgan Wallen‘s If I Know Me is at No. 2 with 22K, followed by Combs’ This One’s For You at No. 3 with 21K. Sam Hunt‘s Southside is at No. 4 with 16K. Florida Georgia Line‘s 6-Pack EP is the week’s top debut, entering at No. 5 with 14K.

Other debuts this week include Jordan Davis‘ self-titled EP at No. 16 with 8.1K, Steve Earle & the Dukes‘ Ghosts of West Virginia at No. 44 with 5K, and Craig Morgan‘s latest project God, Family, Country debuting at No. 69 with 3.8K.

Gabby Barrett continues to dominate the Country On-Demand Streaming Sales chart, as “I Hope” gains 11 million streams this week.

Wallen appears on the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, with “Chasin’ You” earning 8.9 million streams and “Heartless” from Diplo ft. Julia Michaels and Wallen earning 8.4 million streams. Maren Morris‘ “The Bones” is at No. 4 with 7.6 million streams, while Luke Combs (ft. Eric Church)’s “Does To Me” rounds out the Top 5 with 7 million streams.

Music Industry Reacts To Death Of George Floyd With Grassroots "Black Out Tuesday" Campaign

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Following the May 25 death of George Floyd, music companies have joined a growing grassroots movement calling for Tuesday, June 2 to be observed as “Black Out Tuesday.” Numerous companies in the music industry have joined the movement as protests have been held in many major U.S. cities, which also included Nashville, Tennessee.

A post, along with the hashtag #theshowmustbepaused, has gone viral, prompting companies to release their own statements of support on social media. As part of the campaign, companies will pause work on this day to “reconnect with our community.”

“Black Out Tuesday” has been deemed a day to unplug from normal business operations to collectively reflect on what can be done to put meaningful change into action. It’s also a day to stand in solidarity with the Black community to fight racial injustice and inequality.

Among the many companies taking part are Warner Music, Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Big Machine Label Group, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Warner Chappell and others. See listing below.


Some of the companies that have publicly stated they will be observing “Black Out Tuesday” include:
117 Entertainment Group
Academy of Country Music
Americana Music Association
Adkins Publicity
ASCAP
BBR Music Group
Big Deal Music Group
Big Loud
Big Yellow Dog
Big Machine Label Group
Blackbird Audio Rentals
Blackbird Studio
Black River Entertainment
BMG
BMI
CAA
CDX Nashville
Centricity Music
CMT
Compass Records
Concord
Country Music Association
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
Country Radio Broadcasters/Country Radio Seminar
CRB/CRS
Creative Nation
Curb/Word Entertainment
Creative Nation
Downtown Music
EA Music
G7 Entertainment
Given Entertainment
International Bluegrass Music Association
Live Nation
Marbaloo Marketing
Mediabase
Monument Records
Music Choice
MusicRow Magazine
NSAI
peermusic
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Red Light Management
Reservoir
Rhythm House
Richlynn Group
Riser House
River House Artists
Rounder Records
SESAC
Sony/ATV
Sony Music
Spirit Music Group
Still Working Music
Tri Star
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Publishing
Viacom/CBS
Visionary Media Group
Warner Chappell
Warner Music
WME

Barbara Mandrell Releases New Remix, Vinyl Album Collection

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Barbara Mandrell has reimagined her hit “Sleeping Single In A Double Bed,” releasing a Dave Audé remix of the song. Written by Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan, the song was first released on Aug. 1, 1978 as the first single from her album, Moods, and would later reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles Chart, the first of her six No. 1 singles. Check out the new remix here.

Producer Dave Audé, who earned a Grammy for remixing the Bruno Mars’ smash “Uptown Funk,” in addition to working with Katy Perry, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Madonna, U2, Sting, and more, has a fond admiration for Mandrell and her music. “I grew up as a kid on the West Coast watching the Barbara Mandrell Show and immediately became a fan. I am always humbled by the huge talent I’ve been able to work with throughout my career and Barbara is right there at the top. It’s been an honor to remix and re-imagine Barbara’s first Number One hit “Sleeping Single In A Double Bed” into something fresh and exciting,”Audé said.

Along with the dance-infused new remix, Mandrell has announced she will be releasing a greatest hits album on vinyl, After All These Years: A Collection, exclusively with Cracker Barrel. The album will be available July 10 at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations nationwide and online, marking Mandrell’s first release on vinyl in decades. Mandrell handpicked the songs that would be released in the new collection, making it particularly special to her.

“When I listen to the songs that were selected from different albums I recorded, I think about those of you that I recorded them for and those of you that are hearing them for the first time,” said Mandrell. “The greatest desire of my heart was to be an entertainer. My Heavenly Father — and you — gave me my 38-year career in show business. I’m deeply grateful and I hope that these selections from some of my albums entertain you.”

After All These Years: A Collection Track List For Vinyl:
Side A:
“Sleeping Single In A Double Bed” (K. Fleming, D. Morgan)
“Standing Room Only” (C. Silver, S. Manchester)
“In Times Like These” (K. Fleming, D. Morgan)
“Married, But Not To Each Other” (D. Lasalle, F. Miller)
“Wish You Were Here” (K. Fleming, D. Morgan)
“Crackers” (K. Fleming, D. Morgan)
“If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don’t Want To Be Right)” (H. Banks, R. Jackson, C. Hampton)

Side B:
“I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” (K. Fleming, D. Morgan)
“Woman To Woman” (J. Banks, E. Marion, H. Thigpen)
“Till You’re Gone” (W. Aldridge, T. Brasfield)
“One Of A Kind Pair Of Fools” (R.C. Bannon, J. Bettis)
“Happy Birthday Dear Heartache” (M. David, A. Jordan)
“Fast Lanes And Country Roads” (R. Murrah, S. Dean)
“Years” (K. Fleming, D. Morgan)

Tanya Tucker To Headline 2020 Concert For Love And Acceptance

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ACM Lifting Lives, CMT, GLAAD, and country artist Ty Herndon will hold the 2020 Concert for Love and Acceptance on Tuesday, June 30. This year’s event will be held as an online event, and will be co-hosted by actress/singer Kristin Chenoweth and CMT’s Cody Alan, who has hosted the event alongside Herndon since 2017.

Tanya Tucker will open the show at 8 p.m. ET. The event will be live-streamed on YouTube, Facebook, and at f4la.org/concert, with additional appearances and performances to be announced. Proceeds from the event will benefit GLAAD and ACM Lifting Lives.

“Now more than ever, it’s so important that young LGBTQ people see the artists and musicians they love standing up for them. Since we began this event in 2015, it’s only been about love and acceptance, and we’re not about to let this COVID virus distract us from sending a message loud and clear to LGBTQ youth: you’re perfect just the way you are,” said Herndon.

“ACM Lifting Lives is honored to join forces with Ty and the Concert for Love and Acceptance,” said Lyndsay Cruz, Executive Director of ACM Lifting Lives. “We’re honored to support the message of creating a more accepting environment and jumped at the opportunity to help inspire awareness and healing through the power of music.”

“This event has become one of the most meaningful events of the year for me, not only for the vital causes the show supports, but also because of the generosity of the talent who support inclusion in the country community. I’m thrilled to be back representing CMT, with the added bonus of bringing the show into country fans’ living rooms. Proud without the crowd!” said Alan.

GLAAD and Herndon created the first Concert for Love and Acceptance in 2015 shortly after Herndon became the first male country artist to come out as gay. Event appearances and performances have included Vince Gill, Tanya Tucker, Reba McEntire, Lee Brice, Tyler Rich, Michael Ray, Rita Wilson, Chris Daughtry, Terri Clark, Chris Carmack, Gavin DeGraw, Crystal Gayle, Billy Gilman, Cassadee Pope, Calum Scott, Mickey Guyton, Levi Hummon, Cam, Cale Dodds, Runaway June, Chely Wright, Billy Dean, Hunter Hayes, Brandon Stansell, Meghan Lindsey, Thompson Square, WWE Superstars, Meghan McCain, and more.

Herndon will also serve as executive producer of the 2020 Concert for Love & Acceptance, alongside returning executive producer Zeke Stokes, who has been in that role since the Concert began in 2015. Stokes is President of the newly formed ZS STRATEGIES and a former Vice President of GLAAD.

For more information and to RSVP for the event, visit f4la.org.

Luke Laird And Family Release Fun New ‘The Cool Chips’ Project

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Songwriter/producer/Creative Nation co-founder Luke Laird found a fun way to pass the time during quarantine by making a new album with his wife Beth (co-founder and CEO of Creative Nation) and two sons Jake and Mack, known as the family band The Cool Chips.

The new project is a pop, country and hip-hop infused album, written and recorded at home during the COVID-19 quarantine. Laird found inspiration for the new collection of songs spending time with his kids, doing what they enjoy as a family and reflecting on his own childhood. He leaned into his love of country and ’90s hip hop, and wrote songs about life at home and the day-to-day of parenting. From playing basketball in the driveway and taking nature walks outside to getting the kids to brush their teeth, it’s a window into their personal family life.

The fresh, relatable and playful collection features six tracks including “Rocks, Worms, Dirt,” “Shootin’ Hoops,” “I Don’t Wanna Brush My Teeth,” and a beatbox-backed performance of the classic “You are My Sunshine,” which is four-year old Mack’s favorite bedtime song. The album is being released on CN Records, the record division of Creative Nation, and is available now.

The Cool Chips Track List: 
1.     Rocks, Worms, Dirt (Laird)
2.     Shootin’ Hoops (Laird)
3.     I Don’t Wanna Brush My Teeth (Laird)
4.     Don’t Be Mean, Be Nice (Laird)
5.     Night, Night (Laird) 
6.     You are My Sunshine (Davis)

Youtube video

Ben Burgess Inks Deal With Big Loud Records

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Ben Burgess

Ben Burgess has signed with Big Loud Records.

Born and raised in East Dallas, Burgess was surrounded by music from an early age, and at 20, headed to Austin to perform in the clubs on Sixth Street. After landing his first cut with the Jonas Brothers’ “Chillin’ In the Summertime,” he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career. He relocated to Nashville in 2010, and started writing with Warner Chappell Music in 2015, where he began achieving cuts across all genres including Morgan Wallen’s triple Platinum, multi-week No. 1 smash “Whiskey Glasses,” Tyler Rich’s Gold-certified “The Difference,” Pat Green’s “Drinkin’ Days,” Lil Wayne’s “Dreams,” Martin Garrix & Troye Sivan’s “There for You,” Dierks Bentley’s “My Religion,” HARDY’s “Signed, Sober You,” and many others. Burgess has also had TV placements on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy and in commercials for Major League Baseball, Lexus, and more. Burgess’ track “Heartbreak,” featured on Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley’s Chapter 1: Snake Oil is out now.

“There are people in life you encounter that you instantly know you’ll never meet another person like them – that’s Ben Burgess. There is only one Ben Burgess,” said Seth England, Partner/CEO of Big Loud. “In addition to his top-level musical talent, he just might be the ‘Most Interesting Man in the World.’ Thank you Ben, for trusting Big Loud to partner with you in your genius and congratulations on your first release with Diplo.”

“Signing to Big Loud is my dream come true,” said Burgess. “Their roster and team are like family to me. It just all makes sense. They’ve always ‘gotten me’ and what I do. I couldn’t be more excited about our future.”