Photo ID (L to R): Scott Underwood (Train); Ronnie Dunn; Emmylou Harris; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Waterkeeper Alliance); Chris Janson; John Oates; John Esposito (Warner Music Nashville); David Whiteside (Tennessee Riverkeeper); Zac Cockrell (Alabama Shakes); Trevor Terndrup (Moon Taxi)
Warner Music Nashville’s Chairman & CEO John Esposito welcomed a number of Nashville’s top music artists, as well as passionate supporters of clean water initiatives, to the Warner Music Nashville office on Jan. 14 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Tennessee Riverkeeper. The Tennessee Riverkeeper and the Waterkeeper organizations defend the fundamental human right to drinkable, fishable and swimmable waters, and they combine firsthand knowledge of local waterways with a commitment to the rights of communities. The event raised $60,000 for the initiative.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. served as keynote speaker for the evening, while Tennessee Riverkeeper Executive Director David Whiteside offered an introduction.
The son of New York Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, Kennedy Jr. is a co-founder and President of Waterkeeper Alliance, an environmental protection organization that seeks to preserve and conserve water resources. He has been named Time Magazine’s Heroes For the Planet. He is a partner in Silicon Valley’s VantagePoint Ventures Partners’ CleanTech investment team.
Pictured: John Oates, Aimee Oates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Emmylou Harris, John Esposito, Chantel Esposito
Earlier in the day, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had also stopped by Patagonia Nashville to discuss the work of Waterkeeper Alliance, which was launched in 1966 by what he called a “blue collar coalition of commercial fishermen who mobilized to reclaim the Hudson River from its polluters.”
Waterkeeper Alliance now unites more than 300 Waterkeeper groups that fight the planetary environmental crisis, protecting 2.5 million square miles of rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways on six continents.
“People ask me what’s the most important thing for the environment? For 30 years I said the best thing we can do is have true free market capitalism. A true free market promotes efficiency and true efficiency means the elimination for waste and pollution is waste. It’s the undervaluation of our resources that causes us to use them wastefully.” Kennedy said.
Numerous artists attended, including Emmylou Harris, John Carter Cash, Ronnie Dunn, John Oates, Train’s Scott Underwood, Chris Janson, Alabama Shakes’ Zac Cockrell and Moon Taxi’s Trevor Terndrup.
Warner Music Nashville artist Chris Janson brought a guitar, keyboard and harmonica to offer songs including “Good Vibes,” “Drunk Girl,” and his 2x Platinum single “Buy Me A Boat.” “I’m so proud to be a part of the Tennessee Riverkeepers,” he told the crowd. “Keep this up.”
“I am passionate about protecting our planet on all fronts,” said Esposito. “Clean water is imperative to our survival. David Whiteside and the Tennessee Riverkeeper organization work on a daily basis to protect our water rights. I cannot think of a better way to salute Riverkeeper as they celebrate their 10th Anniversary.”
Warner Music Nashville is dedicated to improving sustainability efforts within and outside of its Music Row headquarters. The company’s employee-driven enterprise, WMGreen, has made strides toward its goal of 90% waste diversion by implementing composting and additional recycling services, donating surplus food from events to local organizations, eliminating single-use items from offices, working with sustainable vendors and more. WMGreen has partnered with numerous organizations in the local Nashville community to drive change and encourage sustainability. The successful initiative has proved a catalyst for the entirety of Warner Music Group, with local WMGreen committees beginning to form across the globe.
Pictured: John Carter Cash, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Ana Cristina Cash
Chris Janson performs.
Old Dominion Welcomes Dustin Lynch, Carly Pearce For 2020 Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughOld Dominion are heading out on the road on the U.S. leg of their “We Are Old Dominion Tour,” which kicks off in May. The tour will visit 13 cities, including Key West, Charleston, and Tuscaloosa, with Dustin Lynch and Carly Pearce set to open on select dates.
“We are so excited for this line up! We’ve had the pleasure of playing shows and making music with both Carly Pearce and Dustin Lynch for years now,” said Old Dominion frontman Matt Ramsey. “Dustin brings the heat like no other, and it will be amazing to have a female act as strong as Carly out there with us!”
Old Dominion gained another No. 1 hit on the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts with “One Man Band” at the end of 2019. With over 219 million streams, the sweetly sentimental tune marks the band’s eighth consecutive No. 1 and biggest song to date. They are set to perform it on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on January 20.
Newly added “We Are Old Dominion” Summer Tour dates:
May 05 – Key West Amphitheater – Key West, FL
May 14 – White Oak Amphitheatre – Greensboro, NC ^^*
May 15 – Volvo Car Stadium – Charleston, SC ^^*
May 20 – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater – Tuscaloosa, AL ^^*
May 21 – The Wharf Amphitheater – Orange Beach, AL ^^*
Jun 04 – Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row – Westbrook, ME ^^*
Jun 05 – CMAC – Canandaigua, NY ^^*
Jul 16 – The Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA *
Jul 17 – Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s – Stateline, NV
Jul 22 – Brandon Amphitheater – Brandon, MS ^^*
Jul 23 – Walmart AMP – Rogers, AR ^^*
Aug 20 – CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park – Simpsonville, SC ^^*
Aug 21 – PNC Waterside Pavilion – Solomons, MD ^^*
^^ – Dustin Lynch
* – Carly Pearce
Warner Music Nashville Hosts Robert F. Kennedy Jr. For Discussion On Fighting Water Pollution
/by Jessica NicholsonPhoto ID (L to R): Scott Underwood (Train); Ronnie Dunn; Emmylou Harris; Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Waterkeeper Alliance); Chris Janson; John Oates; John Esposito (Warner Music Nashville); David Whiteside (Tennessee Riverkeeper); Zac Cockrell (Alabama Shakes); Trevor Terndrup (Moon Taxi)
Warner Music Nashville’s Chairman & CEO John Esposito welcomed a number of Nashville’s top music artists, as well as passionate supporters of clean water initiatives, to the Warner Music Nashville office on Jan. 14 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Tennessee Riverkeeper. The Tennessee Riverkeeper and the Waterkeeper organizations defend the fundamental human right to drinkable, fishable and swimmable waters, and they combine firsthand knowledge of local waterways with a commitment to the rights of communities. The event raised $60,000 for the initiative.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. served as keynote speaker for the evening, while Tennessee Riverkeeper Executive Director David Whiteside offered an introduction.
The son of New York Senator and U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, Kennedy Jr. is a co-founder and President of Waterkeeper Alliance, an environmental protection organization that seeks to preserve and conserve water resources. He has been named Time Magazine’s Heroes For the Planet. He is a partner in Silicon Valley’s VantagePoint Ventures Partners’ CleanTech investment team.
Pictured: John Oates, Aimee Oates, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Emmylou Harris, John Esposito, Chantel Esposito
Earlier in the day, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had also stopped by Patagonia Nashville to discuss the work of Waterkeeper Alliance, which was launched in 1966 by what he called a “blue collar coalition of commercial fishermen who mobilized to reclaim the Hudson River from its polluters.”
Waterkeeper Alliance now unites more than 300 Waterkeeper groups that fight the planetary environmental crisis, protecting 2.5 million square miles of rivers, lakes, and coastal waterways on six continents.
“People ask me what’s the most important thing for the environment? For 30 years I said the best thing we can do is have true free market capitalism. A true free market promotes efficiency and true efficiency means the elimination for waste and pollution is waste. It’s the undervaluation of our resources that causes us to use them wastefully.” Kennedy said.
Numerous artists attended, including Emmylou Harris, John Carter Cash, Ronnie Dunn, John Oates, Train’s Scott Underwood, Chris Janson, Alabama Shakes’ Zac Cockrell and Moon Taxi’s Trevor Terndrup.
Warner Music Nashville artist Chris Janson brought a guitar, keyboard and harmonica to offer songs including “Good Vibes,” “Drunk Girl,” and his 2x Platinum single “Buy Me A Boat.” “I’m so proud to be a part of the Tennessee Riverkeepers,” he told the crowd. “Keep this up.”
“I am passionate about protecting our planet on all fronts,” said Esposito. “Clean water is imperative to our survival. David Whiteside and the Tennessee Riverkeeper organization work on a daily basis to protect our water rights. I cannot think of a better way to salute Riverkeeper as they celebrate their 10th Anniversary.”
Warner Music Nashville is dedicated to improving sustainability efforts within and outside of its Music Row headquarters. The company’s employee-driven enterprise, WMGreen, has made strides toward its goal of 90% waste diversion by implementing composting and additional recycling services, donating surplus food from events to local organizations, eliminating single-use items from offices, working with sustainable vendors and more. WMGreen has partnered with numerous organizations in the local Nashville community to drive change and encourage sustainability. The successful initiative has proved a catalyst for the entirety of Warner Music Group, with local WMGreen committees beginning to form across the globe.
Pictured: John Carter Cash, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Ana Cristina Cash
Chris Janson performs.
EMPIRE Nashville Adds Heather Vassar To VP Role
/by Jessica NicholsonHeather Vassar
Independent music label, distributor and publisher EMPIRE has added Heather Vassar as VP, Marketing to its Nashville team. She joins from Universal Music Group Nashville, where she most recently led Strategy and Research.
Vassar will oversee day-to-day artist strategies and development, marketing and digital initiatives, as well as partner relationships with sales and streaming services for EMPIRE’s Nashville roster. She will work with EMPIRE’s VP, A&R in Nashville, Eric Hurt, to develop EMPIRE’s country roster. She will report to EMPIRE CEO/founder Ghazi Shami at the company’s San Francisco headquarters.
Ghazi said, “Heather brings a wealth of expertise across marketing and strategy that’ll cement EMPIRE’s growth and footing in the Nashville market. She’s a perfect fit for EMPIRE’s culture—and will help elevate our presence in country.”
“I am beyond excited to join the EMPIRE team and build our foundation from the ground up in Nashville,” said Vassar. “With the expertise, support and influence of Ghazi, Eric and the team, we are poised to break some incredible artists and disrupt the Nashville landscape. It’s what this business is all about.”
“Adding Heather to our team is a big step in growing EMPIRE’s Nashville division,” said Hurt. “Her strategic artist development and marketing background will round-out our office and I couldn’t be happier to have her on board.”
Founded in 2010 by Ghazi Shami, EMPIRE has been instrumental in launching artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B, DRAM and Anderson. Paak. In 2020, the independent EMPIRE continues to make a major impact, with its global expansion and new music from Young Dolph, Mozzy, Afro B and more.
Marty Stuart Releasing Book Behind Making Of His Legendary Project ‘The Pilgrim’
/by Lorie Hollabaugh“Going into my archives to search out Pilgrim-related material for this release was like reaching into a dusty old treasure chest,” Stuart recalls. “I found songs that I’d written and forgotten, photographs I never got around to looking at, unfinished recordings from The Pilgrim sessions, and a string of archival recordings … So many life lessons were offered in the creative process of making The Pilgrim. Perhaps the toughest of them all was letting go when the record was considered unsuccessful. However, in letting go, I learned that some things do, in fact, come back around.”
A concept project, The Pilgrim was originally released in 1999 and was based on true events that transpired in Stuart’s hometown. The album represents a rediscovery of Stuart’s roots and a creative rebirth, but the hardcover book is about much more than the album, it’s about spiritual discovery, artistic integrity, and a vision that set Stuart on an enlightened path. Originally available in limited release during the 20th anniversary celebration of the album in the fall, The Pilgrim book is now available as a wide-release title via BMG.
The pages of the book feature intimate photographs of Marty making music with Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Rick Nelson, Bill Monroe, Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, B.B. King, The Staple Singers, Tom Petty, John Lee Hooker, Willie Nelson, Keith Richards, George Jones, Dolly Parton, and others. A celebrated photographer in his own right, Stuart himself captured the truck stops, county fairs, gospel singers, backwoods circus performers, South Dakota Native American Indians, and eclectic cast of characters that he encountered on his journey to reconnect with his musical roots and forge new paths forward.
Jessie James Decker Lands New Label Deal
/by Jessica NicholsonJessie James Decker
Jessie James Decker has inked a new record deal with Atlantic/Warner, she announced via social media on Jan. 15.
“My face hurts from smiling so much today! It’s official y’all! I just signed a record deal with Atlantic/Warner music !!!! Get ready 2020!!!! #musicontheway,” she said via Instagram.
Decker closed out 2019 as part of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, and back in June, she released a cover of Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ record-breaking smash “Old Town Road.” To date, she has released three full-length albums, including 2009’s Jessie James, 2017’s Southern Girl City Lights, and 2018’s On This Holiday, as well as four EPs.
Anthem Entertainment Hires Lindsay Hyslop As Manager, Marketing For Anthem Records
/by Jessica NicholsonLindsay Hyslop
Anthem Entertainment has hired Lindsay Hyslop as Manager, Marketing to its label division, Anthem Records. Hyslop, who is based in Nashville, will report to Anthem Records’ Head of Label Allison Hamaura and will oversee all aspects of marketing strategy and execution for Anthem Records’ label roster.
Hyslop has worked in label and management positions in Nashville and Toronto, most recently managing marketing, brand partnerships and streaming for RGK Entertainment Group. Prior to RGK, Hyslop worked in Digital Marketing for Universal Music Canada.
Hamamura said, “Lindsay comes to us with a wealth of experience and knowledge. Her natural affinity for music, creative capabilities and spirit make her a welcome addition to Anthem Records.”
Anthem Records was founded in 1977, with a rich history of artists including the legendary band Rush.
Guy And Susanna Clark, Townes Van Zandt Documentary To Premiere At SXSW
/by Lorie HollabaughThe film, by author, filmmaker and producer Tamara Saviano and co-producer/co-director Paul Whitfield, features narration by Sissy Spacek (as Susanna Clark) as well as interviews with Guy Clark and his closest friends and musical allies Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Vince Gill, Jo Harvey Allen, Terry Allen and Verlon Thompson.
The film makes use of Clark’s songs, family photographs and archives, vintage film footage and radio talk shows to tell its story as Guy struggles to establish himself, Susanna pens hit songs and paints album covers for top artists, and Townes spirals in self-destruction after writing some of Americana music’s most enduring and influential ballads. It also draws from Susanna’s pained remembrances from her private journals and secret audio diaries and taped conversations she made of the trio.
“Guy and I were friends for 18 years and spent the last eight of those years working together on his biography and then the documentary,” said Saviano. “It is bittersweet that after all of that, Guy did not survive to see this documentary come to fruition. It is an honor to continue to work on his legacy. I hope the documentary will give fans new insights into the extraordinary artistic life Guy shared with his wife Susanna and best friend Townes Van Zandt.”
In early December, Saviano and Whitfield recorded Spacek’s narration in Austin and Whitfield spent the rest of the month laying in the voice track and making tweaks to wrap the film at the end of 2019. The pair will premiere the 95-minute documentary, funded in part by a Kickstarter campaign, at SXSW, while also looking for a distributor.
Longtime Curb Records CEO Dick Whitehouse Passes
/by Jessica NicholsonDick Whitehouse. Photo: Courtesy Curb Records
Longtime Curb Records CEO Dick Whitehouse died Jan. 14 in California. He served for 55 years with the company, including 35 years as CEO. He served as a board member and trustee for Curb Records until his passing.
Curb Records Chairman Mike Curb said via a statement: “No one has ever done more for Curb Records than Dick Whitehouse. He was there from our start in 1964 and was responsible for some of the greatest artist signings in the history of our company. Dick was that rare record executive who understood the totality of our complicated industry. Dick played a major role in signing The Judds, Lyle Lovett, Junior Brown, Sawyer Brown, The Desert Rose Band and many others. I’m happy to say that Dick was surrounded by his wife Joan, his two daughters, Shelley and Debbie, and all of his grandchildren, sharing in what the family referred to as a living memorial.
“The family does not plan for a funeral service, however if anyone has any tributes to Dick, please send them to mcurb@curb.com and we will put those together as a tribute to him and pass them along to the family. Please keep Dick’s family in your thoughts and prayers.”
Eli Young Band Sets 2020 Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughEli Young Band are hitting the road on a new headlining tour in February. The new tour kicks off Valentine’s Day in Denver, and crisscrosses the country before wrapping on April 11 in Cleveland. High Valley has been tapped to open several dates on the tour.
“After taking some time off over the holidays to regroup and reset, we’re so ready to get back to rockin’ on the road,” shares EYB frontman Mike Eli. “We’ve been rehearsing a new show and new songs, and we can’t wait to share all of it with our fans!”
Pre-sales have begun for Citi cardmembers and venues will hold pre-sales on Thursday (1/16) before public on sale Friday (1/17).
The band capped off 2019 by releasing the nostalgic video for their introspective single, “Break It In.” The clip serves as a sort of time capsule for the band’s trajectory, featuring everything from career highlights to more intimate moments, like saying “I do” and watching their families grow.
Eli Young Band 2020 Tour Dates:
February
14 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium*
15 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena
16 – Indianapolis, IN – Deluxe at Old National Centre*
22 – Murray, KY – CFSB Center
29 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Casino & Resort
March
6 – Chattanooga, TN – The Signal
7 – Miramar Beach, FL – The Village Door Music Hall
8 – Plant City, FL – Florida Strawberry Festival
13 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues Dallas*
14 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge
15 – Fayetteville, AR – George’s Majestic Lounge
19 – Detroit, MI – The Fillmore Detroit
20 – Grand Rapids, MI – 20 Monroe Live*
21 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s*
April
11 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues Cleveland*
*with High Valley
The Lacs Kick Up Some Faves On New Compilation
/by Lorie HollabaughA collection of The LACS’ most popular genre-blending hits and field party anthems, Kickin’ Up Mud: The Hits, is set for release Jan. 31. The 12-song collection is dropping on the heels of the duo’s first RIAA Gold-certified single for the title track “Kickin’ Up Mud,” which was released in 2010.
The album includes defining songs like the raucous title track, “Kickin’ Up Mud,” “Country Road,” and The LACS’ rowdy signature song, “Keep It Redneck.” This essential playlist also includes “Jack In My Coke,” featuring Montgomery Gentry.
1. Kickin’ Up Mud
2. Country Road
3. 190 Proof
4. Country Boy Fresh
5. Keep it Redneck
6. Smokestack
7. Kick Dust f/Noah Gordon
8. Let Your Country Hang Out
9. All Weekend Long
10. God Bless A Country Girl
11. Make The Rooster Crow
12. Jack In My Coke f/Montgomery Gentry