CMA Touring Awards To Honor Tony Conway, Jon Pardi Named As Host

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Pictured: Tony Conway, Jon Pardi

The Country Music Association will honor Conway Entertainment Group/Ontourage Management founder and owner Tony Conway with the 2019 CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award during the upcoming CMA Touring Awards, set for Jan. 21, 2020 at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works. The CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award goes to an individual who has accomplished the highest level in the country music field of touring.

Jon Pardi, who recently released his third album Heartache Medication, has been named as host for the event.

“I am extremely humbled and honored to receive this award from the CMA,” Conway shared. “I have to give credit to all of the artists that have allowed me to represent them and to all the agents, managers, promoters and staff I have worked with the last 44 years. They are the reason for any success I may have achieved. It takes a team and I have worked with THE BEST.”

Conway, who currently manages Alabama, Lorrie Morgan and Randy Travis, is widely recognized as a leader in live event production. He coordinated the very first Farm Aid show in 1985, working closely with many installations of the event since. Conway was also Executive Producer for the annual CMA Music Festival (formerly Fan Fair and now CMA Fest) for 11 years and was instrumental in moving the festival from the old Nashville Fairgrounds to its current downtown Nashville location. Conway opened his first talent agency in Lexington, Kentucky after graduating college. In 1974, he moved to Nashville, soon after meeting talent agent Buddy Lee and joining Buddy Lee Attractions, Inc.

Conway was named President of Buddy Lee Attractions in 1987 and eventually became CEO and co-owner of the company in 1998. During his tenure, Conway represented artists including Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, The Highwaymen (comprised of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson and Waylon Jennings), Bill Monroe, the Dixie Chicks, Roy Orbison, George Strait, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Marty Stuart, Ronnie Milsap and Emmylou Harris, among others. In 2010, Conway took his 35 years of experience and industry contacts and struck out on his own, forming Conway Entertainment Group/Ontourage Management. With this new venture, Conway draws upon his past as he embraces a future that fully utilizes his strengths in artist touring, personal management and live event production.

 

Joe Fox Inks Publishing Deal With Liz Rose Music, Warner Chappell Music

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Pictured (L-R): Lydia Schultz (SESAC), Jason Turner (Keller, Turner, Andrews, & Ghanem), Ben Vaughn (WCM), Liz Rose, Joe Fox, Scott Ponce (Liz Rose Music), Dave Pacula (Liz Rose Music), Travis Carter (WCM)

SESAC songwriter Joe Fox has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Liz Rose Music and Warner Chappell Music.

The New Jersey native relocated to Nashville after graduating from Berklee College of Music. Fox has won The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, played guitar on various records including Maren Morris’ Grammy-nominated album Hero, and toured with country stars like RECORDS/Arista Nashville’s Matt Stell.

Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood Have Record Breaking Night At American Music Awards

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Pictured: Taylor Swift poses during the 2019 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater on November 24, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: John Shearer/AMA2019/Getty Images for dcp

The 2019 American Music Awards saw Taylor Swift break the record of most American Music Award wins of all time; she now tops the list with a total of 29 after winning six last night (Nov. 24). The previous record holder was Michael Jackson, with 24 wins. Carrie Underwood also broke an AMA record for the most Favorite Country Album wins when she won for Cry Pretty and surpassed Kenny Rogers, with whom she was previously tied. Underwood also took home Favorite Female Country Artist.

Dan + Shay won two American Music Awards, for Favorite Country Duo or Group and “Speechless” for Favorite Country Song. Kane Brown took home Favorite Male Country Artist, while Lauren Daigle won Favorite Contemporary Inspirational Artist.

Pictured (L-R): Shay Mooney, Carrie Underwood, and Dan Smyers. Photo: Jeff Kravitz/AMA2019/FilmMagic for dcp

Billy Ray Cyrus won his first AMA in more than 30 years for his collaboration with Lil Nas X on “Old Town Road,” taking home Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Song.

Swift, the AMA Artist of the Decade Award recipient, performed a medley of her hits from the past ten years including “The Man,” “Love Story,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “Blank Space,” “Shake It Off,” where she was joined by Halsey and Camila Cabello, and “Lover.”

The night ended with the entire audience on their feet for Shania Twain’s return to the American Music Awards stage for the first time in 16 years. The country icon performed a crowd-pleasing medley of “You’re Still the One,” “Any Man of Mine,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”

American Music Awards nominees are based on key fan interactions as reflected on Billboard.com, including streaming, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, social activity and touring. These measurements are tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including Nielsen Music and Next Big Sound, and reflect the time period of September 28, 2018 through September 26, 2019. The American Music Awards winners are voted entirely by fans.

Pictured: Shania Twain performs onstage during the 2019 American Music Awards. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for dcp

Full list of American Music Awards 2019 Winners:

Artist of the Decade
Taylor Swift

Artist of the Year
Taylor Swift

New Artist of the Year
Billie Eilish

Collaboration of the Year
Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello “Señorita”

Tour of the Year
BTS

Favorite Music Video
Taylor Swift “You Need to Calm Down”

Favorite Social Artist
BTS

Favorite Male Artist – Pop/Rock
Khalid

Favorite Female Artist – Pop/Rock
Taylor Swift

Favorite Duo or Group – Pop/Rock
BTS

Favorite Album – Pop/Rock
Taylor Swift Lover

Favorite Song – Pop/Rock
Halsey “Without Me”

Favorite Male Artist – Country
Kane Brown

Favorite Female Artist – Country
Carrie Underwood

Favorite Duo or Group – Country
Dan + Shay

Favorite Album – Country
Carrie Underwood Cry Pretty

Favorite Song – Country
Dan + Shay “Speechless”

Favorite Artist – Rap/Hip-Hop
Cardi B

Favorite Album – Rap/Hip-Hop
Post Malone Hollywood’s Bleeding

Favorite Song – Rap/Hip-Hop
Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus “Old Town Road”

Favorite Male Artist – Soul/R&B
Bruno Mars

Favorite Female Artist – Soul/R&B
Beyoncé

Favorite Album – Soul/R&B
Khalid Free Spirit

Favorite Song – Soul/R&B
Khalid “Talk”

Favorite Artist – Alternative Rock
Billie Eilish

Favorite Artist – Adult Contemporary
Taylor Swift

Favorite Artist – Latin
J Balvin

Favorite Artist – Contemporary Inspirational
Lauren Daigle

Favorite Artist – Electronic Dance Music (EDM)
Marshmello

Favorite Soundtrack
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen

eBay Selling StubHub To Viagogo For $4.05 Billion

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eBay is selling StubHub to worldwide ticket marketplace viagogo for $4.05 billion in cash. The sale is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020. Combined, Stubhub and viagogo will sell hundreds of thousands of tickets daily in more than 70 countries.

“We believe this transaction is a great outcome and maximizes long-term value for eBay shareholders,” said Scott Schenkel, interim chief executive officer of eBay Inc. “Over the past several months, eBay’s leadership team and Board of Directors have been engaged in a thorough review of our current strategies and portfolio, and we concluded that this was the best path forward for both eBay and StubHub. We firmly believe in the StubHub business and we are excited about its future growth potential with viagogo as its owner.”

Eric Baker, viagogo’s founder and CEO, also co-founded StubHub while in business school, but left before the business was sold to eBay for $310 million in 2007. “It has long been my wish to unite the two companies. I am so proud of how StubHub has grown over the years and excited about the possibilities for our shared future,” Baker said. “Buyers will have a wider choice of tickets, and sellers will have a wider network of buyers. Bringing these two companies together creates a win-win for fans—more choice and better pricing.”

“Bringing StubHub and viagogo together will allow us to drive further expansion and innovation, and create a more competitive offering for live event fans globally,” said Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, president of StubHub. “This provides a great opportunity to expand our business, pursue new partnerships and execute our strategy. We expect a seamless transition for all our employees, partners and customers, and we are excited for what the future holds.”

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC is acting as financial advisor to eBay. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and Quinn Emanuel are acting as legal advisors to eBay. J.P. Morgan is acting as sole financial advisor and sole underwriter of the committed debt and preferred equity financings for viagogo. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Kirkland & Ellis LLP are acting as legal advisors for viagogo.

Marty Stuart Helps Unveil Historic Marker Honoring Jimmie Rodgers

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Pictured: Kamel King (Visit Mississippi), Craig Ray (Visit Mississippi), Terry Napier (City of Bristol, TN), Leah Ross (BCM), Kenny Vaughn, Marty Stuart, Dale Jett, Chris Scruggs, Mayor Neal Osborne (City of Bristol, VA)

Marty Stuart recently joined Mississippi Country Music Trail Commission chairman Craig Ray to unveil a marker honoring late country artist Jimmie Rodgers. The marker was revealed at the site where the 1927 Bristol Sessions were recorded, in Downtown Bristol, TN-VA. The marker is the second to be dedicated to Rodgers, following the first located in his hometown of Meridian, Mississippi, along the Mississippi Country Music Trail.

The Jimmie Rodgers-Bristol Sessions Mississippi Country Music Trail marker can be found at 416 State Street in Bristol, Tennessee. It is the trail’s 33rd marker and the first outside the state of Mississippi. Other Mississippians honored along the trail include Elvis Presley, Marty Stuart, Tammy Wynette, Charley Pride, and Conway Twitty.

“This is ground zero for country music. I come back to this town for inspiration, I come to this town for enlightenment,” said Stuart. “When you’re an island, you’re nothing, but when you’re neighbors, it’s everything. I love the fact that Mississippi and Tennessee are now officially neighbors at this site, because this is one of the most important sites in the history of American music. Unparalleled.”

Recorded by producer Ralph Peer for the Victor Talking Machine Company, the 1927 Bristol Sessions are considered the most influential early commercial country music recordings of all time. The Sessions included the first recordings of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, propelling both acts to stardom. These recordings brought country music to the mainstream using state-of-the-art “orthophonic” sound technology, and Peer’s system of paying royalties to artists revolutionized the country music industry we know today.

Plans are in the works for Bristol to take a marker of their own to Mississippi in 2020.

Jay DeMarcus’ Red Street Records Signs Reagan Strange, Cade Thompson

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Pictured (L-R): Mark Lusk, Don Koch, Cade Thompson, Reagan Strange, Jay DeMarcus.

Red Street Records, the Christian music label founded by Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus, has signed two new artists, Reagan Strange and Cade Thompson.

Strange, a 14-year-old singer from Memphis, competed on NBC’s The Voice in Season 15.

“I think Reagan, and how young she was and the maturity level and the depth of her voice, with the precision that she delivers in a song, really captivated me following her on the show,” DeMarcus tells MusicRow. “And then getting to meet her in person when the Flatts were out in [Los Angeles] on the voice, I really got to see the heart of the person and that was even more impressive. It’s been a joy to get to know her over the past year and I can’t wait for the world to see what’s ahead for her…I believe that the world needs to hear the message that Reagan has to deliver. We live in a world right now where a lot of young people are faced with things that I could never imagine when I was a young person, and I believe she can be a light for an entire generation of younger kids.”

Thompson, 18, is a soulful contemporary artist with a sound that appeals to Christian music enthusiasts and mainstream pop audiences alike. Thompson has shared concert and festival lineups with for King & Country, Colton Dixon and Jaci Velasquez, among others.

“I heard about Cade from my friend and business partner [acclaimed producer and songwriter] Don Koch,” DeMarcus said. “He sent me some demos Cade had done early on and after hearing ‘My Provider,’ I was sucked in immediately. And there is something so captivating about his voice and really, a transparency of who he is as a person is refreshing. He’s not your typical artist, he’s got some depth to him that is very rare to find in such a young man.”

DeMarcus launched the Red Street label in 2018; DeMarcus first began his own music career in Contemporary Christian Music, as part of the duo East to West, before later joining with Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney to form country group Rascal Flatts.

“I always feel like I’m going back home every time I work [in Christian music]. I grew up in the church and have always loved contemporary Christian music. It’s great to ‘come back home’ and feel like I’ve never skipped any time,” he said last year when he formed the label.

Sam Hunt Publicly Responds To DUI Arrest

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Sam Hunt

After being arrested early Thursday morning (Nov. 21) for allegedly driving drunk, Sam Hunt has released a public statement via Twitter.  “It was a poor and selfish decision and I apologize to everyone who was unknowingly put at risk and let down by it. It won’t happen again,” Hunt said in his Tweet.

The singer was booked at the Metro-Davidson County Detention Facility around 6:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, and was released after posting the $2,500 bond around 9 a.m. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 17, 2020.

Hunt released “Kinfolks,” his first single in over a year in October, with plans to release a full album in early 2020. ET reported that Hunt was was expected to release a new song on Friday called “Sinning With You,” but did not.

BMG To Release Hank Williams Photo Book And Six-CD Set Of Remastered Live Recordings

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On Feb. 7, 2020, BMG will release a Hank Williams table-top book and six-CD set of remastered live recordings, titled Hank Williams: Pictures From Life’s Other Side—The Man and His Music in Rare Photos and Recordings.

The recordings have been pulled from a discovered collection of recorded broadcasts from a radio show Williams started hosting in 1951. Sponsored by Mother’s Best Flour Company, the 15-minute broadcasts were aired every weekday.

The find more than doubled the number of known Williams recordings; as the six-CD collection features 144 tracks representing the complete rundown of Williams’ performances from the existing transcription discs. Along with classics such as “Lovesick Blues,” “I Saw the Light,” “Cold Cold Heart,” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” the Mother’s Best recordings represent the only known versions of dozens of Hank Williams performances.

The compilation was produced by Cheryl Pawelski, and each track was carefully restored and remastered by Michael Graves. Together, they earned Best Historical Album Grammy award for their work on Hank Williams’ The Garden Spot Programs, 1950 compilation in 2015.

The recordings are packaged in a slipcase with a book that chronicles Williams’ career in photographs. With the assistance of Grammy nominee Scott B. Bomar and Hank photo collector Ken Campanile, the 272-page hardbound volume was assembled by leading Hank Williams expert Colin Escott, who wrote the definitive biography of the American music icon and has won two Grammy awards for Best Historical Album for his production work on previous key Williams releases. Williams’ daughter, Jett Williams, contributed a foreword for the book.

To gather the photos, the team coordinated with Marty Stuart’s Congress of Country Music, the Grand Ole Opry Archives, the Center for Popular Music at Middle Tennessee State University, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, the production company behind Ken Burns’ Country Music documentary, and various Hank fans and historians, including photos that had been saved by Hank Thompson, as well as fellow Grand Ole Opry star Little Jimmy Dickens. Additionally, fan photos were licensed from the Tom Sims Photo Archive, one of the world’s largest collections of country music photos.

Click here to pre-order Hank Williams: Pictures From Life’s Other Side—The Man and His Music in Rare Photos and Recordings.

Sony Music Nashville Promotes Two In Digital

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Jaime Marconette, Jessica Valiyi

Sony Music Nashville has promoted Jaime Marconette and Jessica Valiyi to the position of Director, Digital Strategy, Sony Music Nashville.

Ed Rivadavia, Vice President, Digital Strategy for Sony Music Nashville, says, “I couldn’t be more proud of Jess and Jaime’s commitment to employing the full range of digital strategy and marketing activities – from social media, CRM, D2C, digital advertising, web and content development, and identifying new technologies – to maximize consumption-focused results.”

Marconette became a member of the Digital Strategy team at Sony Music Nashville in 2014. Before that, Marconette was employed by AristoMedia in Nashville, and Stanford University’s Department of Music in Stanford, California. Serving on the board of Nashville’s young professionals organization SOLID in 2014, he is from Palo Alto, California, and holds a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. An active CMA and ACM member, Marconette completed his undergrad work with focuses in History and Psychology at The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Prior to joining Sony Music Nashville in December 2017, Valiyi served as the Digital & eCommerce Manager in the Marketing Department at Big Machine Label Group since 2014. She launched digital campaigns across the entire BMLG roster. An Indianapolis native, Valiyi graduated from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business in 2010. Previous stints include Radio Promotions & Marketing at Emmis Communications and Procurement at Roche Diagnostics, one of Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies To Work For. She is an active member of WMBA (Women’s Music Business Association), Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music, and a SOLID alumni.

Marconette can be reached at jaime.marconette@sonymusic.com and Valiyi at jessica.valiyi@sonymusic.com.

Blanco Brown Makes Grand Ole Opry Debut

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Pictured: Blanco Brown & DJ
(C) Grand Ole Opry, photo by Chris Hollo

Blanco Brown recently made his Grand Ole Opry debut performance on Tuesday night (Nov. 19), performing his smash hit “The Git Up.” He became the first artist to perform on the Grand Ole Opry stage accompanied by a DJ. He performed tracks including “Temporary Insanity,” “TN Whiskey” and “The Git Up,” from his album Honeysuckle & Lightning Bugs (BBR Music Group).

After the performance, he met with Grand Ole Opry member Charley Pride and asked Pride to sign his jacket. He also performed at an Opry Debut After Party at Ole Red and signed albums for fans.

“What an incredible moment, I can’t believe it was the first time since the Opry started in 1925 that an artist has performed using 808’s,” said Brown. “I make music to spread joy and seeing the Ryman Auditorium filled with people smiling and dancing with me was something I’ll never forget. I want to thank the Grand Ole Opry for opening their hearts to me and allowing me to share my purpose with their audience.”

Pictured: Jon Loba (BBR Music Group), Dan Rogers (Grand Ole Opry) Blanco Brown, Jordan Pettit (Grand Ole Opry) (C) Grand Ole Opry, photo by Chris Hollo