Bob Kingsley. Photo: Provided by Westwood One
Bob Kingsley, a radio legend whose voice was synonymous with country music, died on Thursday, October 17, 2019, at his home in Weatherford, Texas while receiving treatment for cancer. He was 80.
One of broadcasting’s most beloved and iconic figures, Kingsley was a mainstay on radio for 60 years. His dominance in the country format began in 1978 when he took over as host of American Country Countdown after four years as the show’s producer for one of radio’s founding syndication companies, Watermark, founded by Tom Rounds. In 2006, he and his wife and business partner Nan Kingsley established Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40, produced by their own KCCS Productions, still running on more than 320 stations.
Kingsley received many of broadcasting’s top honors and was named to the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998 and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2016. He is the namesake and was the first recipient of the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award, presented each year since 2014 at the Grand Ole Opry House and benefitting the Opry Trust Fund.
They were among the many fruits of a career built on a simple premise. “I love the music and the people who make it, and I want our listeners to have as much insight into both as I can give them, and to make the experience as enjoyable as possible,” he once said.
Bob’s love for radio and music dated to his childhood, when polio kept him in bed and in near isolation for a year. “I would listen to the radio and certain shows became really important to me. It was complete escapism and entertainment. I didn’t realize the imprint it was making, but it obviously stayed with me,” he said.
At 18, Kingsley joined the Air Force and served in Keflavik, Iceland, where he jumped at a chance to become an announcer on Armed Forces Radio. That experience and his love of country music would carry him to legendary stations like KFOX, KGBS, KFI, and KLAC in Los Angeles, and to his role as the voice of Drake-Chenault’s Great American Country format, used by hundreds of country radio stations.
His role as host of American Country Countdown with Bob Kingsley made him a household name. He supplemented the weekly countdown with Christmas specials, album release specials for artists including Alabama, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood, and for many years a daily artist spotlight called America’s Music Makers. With Kingsley at the helm, the show was named Billboard’s Network/Syndicated Country Program of the Year for 16 years in a row.
Kingsley received the Academy of Country Music’s Major Market On-Air Personality of the Year Award in 1966 and 1967 and was named the Country Music Association’s National Broadcast Personality of the Year in 2001 and 2003. He was voted National Air Personality of the Year five times by Country Radio Broadcasters and Country Aircheck and won the ACM’s 2007 National Broadcast Personality of the Year Award. He was chosen as the recipient of the 2012 President’s Award by the CRB. In 2017, Bob received the Mae Boren Axton Service Award in recognition of his dedication and service to the ACM, on whose board he served for decades. He was twice the host and emcee of Alabama’s legendary June Jam.
Kingsley served in 2004 and 2005 as Master of Ceremonies at the National Veterans Day Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, one of many national and regional events to which he has volunteered time and energy, and he helped get information on benefits to countless veterans through vehicles like his Veterans Day 2005 radio special, “Bob Kingsley Salutes America’s Veterans.” He was the recipient of the Wounded Warrior Project’s Tony Snow Award for the significant difference he has made in the lives of injured servicemen and women.
His many charitable endeavors included work for Disabled American Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Wounded Warrior Project, Careity Foundation, and the Palliative Unit of Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, among others.
An avid cutting horse enthusiast, he lived and worked with his wife of 30 years, Nan, on their Bluestem Ranch in Weatherford, Texas.
A celebration of life will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, November 14, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. at The CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kingsley’s name to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum or the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund.
DISClaimer: Luke Combs Tops New Tracks
/by Robert K OermannLuke Combs. Photo: David Bergman.
It’s Diversity Day here at DisClaimer.
I have always said that country music is a bigger tent than most people realize. Gathering under the Big Top today are representatives from New Zealand, Norway and Ireland. Two of the genre’s emerging African-American stars are here. The gay country community is represented, too. Exactly half of our entries today are by women, which is as it always should be.
There’s no denying the mighty Luke Combs as our Disc of the Day winner. The newly-minted Opry star is a worthy standard bearer for the entire genre.
Former New Zealand pop star Jamie McDell has migrated both geographically and stylistically. She’s now living in Toronto and is making country music in Nashville. Give her a DisCovery Award.
ERIN ENDERLIN/Whatever Gets You Through The Night
Writers: Erin Enderlin/Jimmy Melton; Producer: Jim “Moose” Brown/Jamey Johnson; Publisher: none listed; Blaster
– This indie artist is definitely picking up steam. Her Faulkner County CD includes a bevy of high-profile supporters in its cast — Alison, Vince, Jon Randall, Terri Clark, Cody Jinks, Melonie Cannon and co-producer Jamey Johnson, for starters. The collection’s lead-off single is a midnight ballad of loneliness and longing. Dillon Carmichael provides a perfectly shaded harmony vocal as she recites a litany of cold comfort — bourbon, Haggard songs, the motel Bible, TV, lousy coffee, a truck stop. Languid and poetic.
SAM HUNT/Kinfolks
Writers: Sam Hunt/Zach Crowell/Jerry Flowers/Josh Osborne; Producer: Zach Crowell; Publisher: Universal/Between the Pines/Spirit Two Nashville/Miller Crow/Kyler’s Kinda Night/Twelve6 Dogwood/JFlo Records & Tapes/Downtown DLJ/Sony-ATV Accent/Smackborne, ASCAP; MCA
– Welcome back. This pretty much picks up where he left off — the whispery, semi-spoken verses with a hip-hop flavor followed by a hooky, sung chorus. Also as before, it’s a come-on, this time to a gal he likes so much that he wants her to meet his family.
MALIN PETTERSEN/Alonesome
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Die With Your Boots On (track)
– It says here that she is, “widely known for possessing one of Norway’s greatest country voices.” Okay, you’ve got my attention. Truth to tell, this newcomer has already won the Norwegian equivalent of a Grammy. Her six-song EP’s title and lead-off track is a lilting heartbreak tune. It’s quite spare, featuring only her catch-in-throat soprano and an acoustic guitar. Somebody hook her up with a producer.
LUKE COMBS/What You See Is What You Get
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; River House/Columbia
– Luke’s sophomore CD drops on Nov. 8. This is its title tune and the theme song of his road tour. It’s a solid thumper with plenty of grinding guitar. But what stays with you is his extraordinarily relatable singing. Vocalists that sidle up next to you and get under your skin are so rare, and this guy is one of ‘em. I remain a gigantic fan.
JAMIE MCDELL/Botox
Writer: Jamie McDell; Producer: Nash Chambers; Publisher:peer, no performance rights listed; Essence
– I have to admit, I was immediately intrigued by the title, alone. The back story here is that she is an award winning New Zealand pop star who has fallen under Nashville’s spell. She and Oz producer Nash Chambers have crafted a three-song EP with this as its title track. It’s kinda wordy, and the garage-country track crowds the vocal. But the gist of it is that she’s willing to do Botox or whatever it takes, “so you can get your manhood back.” Yikes.
BLANCO BROWN/Honeysuckle & Lightning Bugs
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; BBR/BMG
– I loved his dancefloor sensation “The Git Up.” Now to prove he’s not a novelty, one-hit wonder comes this genuine heartache lament with cool looped audio effects. It takes him awhile to get to the full production, but the wait is worthwhile. Super soulful.
LANCO/What I See
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Arista
– I dig Brandon Lancaster’s whole thang — the always-melodic hooks, the plaintive vocal, the crunchy band. I love the way this new single builds from simplicity to epic grandeur. Ear candy.
KAREN & THE SORROWS/Guaranteed Broken Heart
Writer: Karen Pittelman; Producer: Pittelman; Publishers: Ocean Born Mary, ASCAP; KS (track)
– They’re billed as “queer country trailblazers…creating space for people who love country music, even if country music doesn’t always love them back.” The band runs the Gay Ole Opry festival and the Queer Country Quarterly in New York. The title tune of their album, which drops tomorrow, is a twangy ditty featuring Karen’s twee, Dolly wanna-be voice backed by steel guitar and plenty of reverb.
MATT STELL & JIMMIE ALLEN/Home in a Hometown
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Pubisher: none listed; RECORDS/Arista Nashville
– Very sweet. It’s lovely word portrait of contented, small-town life with nostalgia and gentility to make you smile. Their voices brush up against each other comfortably, sounding terrific at every turn of phrase.
MAGS/Emotional Honesty
Writers: David M. Ross/Steve O’Brien; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Mags
– Mags is an Irish fiddler/singer who resides and records in Music City. Her throaty, clear delivery of this love plea is spot-on. “Emotional honesty” isn’t a phrase that “sings” easily, but she pulls it off.
In Pictures: BMI Hosts 2019 Dove Awards After-Party
/by Haley CrowPictured (L-R): Danny Gokey, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, and Tauren Wells at the 2019 Dove Awards after-party held at BMI’s Nashville office. Photo: Courtesy BMI
BMI industry leaders and songwriters celebrated the top names in Christian and Gospel music Tuesday night (Oct. 15) at the 50th Annual GMA Dove Awards at Lipscomb University’s Allen Arena in Nashville.
In addition to the awards ceremony, for the fourth year in a row BMI hosted the official Dove Awards after-party at the company’s Nashville office. Attendees included Gospel Artist of the Year Kirk Franklin and award nominees Zach Williams, Tauren Wells, and Bernie Herms, as well as key industry artists and power-players such as Mercy Me, Essential Music Publishing’s Holly Zabka, Gotee Record’s Joey Elwood, and many others.
Pictured (L-R): Ryan Rettler, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, and Zach Williams. Photo: Courtesy BMI
Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Jonathan Smith and Essential Music Publishing’s Holly Zabka. Photo: Courtesy BMI
Pictured (L-R): GMA’s Jackie Patillo and BMI’s Leslie Roberts. Photo: Courtesy BMI
Pictured (L-R): Bernie Herms, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, and Mitch Solarek. Photo: Courtesy BMI
Dan + Shay Sells Out Headlining Shows At Madison Square Garden, Mohegan Sun Arena
/by Lorie HollabaughJust a week after the announcement of their headlining arena tour for 2020, Dan + Shay have already sold more than 200,000 tickets and many of the dates have already sold out, including New York City’s Madison Square Garden and the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Due to demand, the duo added dates in Nashville, Newark, and Columbus to the tour just hours after the initial tour announcement. The tour will kick off March 6 with back-to-back shows at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on March 6-7.
Meanwhile the duo’s new smash with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours,” is racking up the streams and sales with 115 million global streams and more than 350,000 U.S. track equivalents in less than two weeks since its release.
Jason Aldean, BMG Expand Partnership With Global Deal
/by Jessica NicholsonJason Aldean has expanded and extended his partnership with BMG in a landmark new global deal beginning with his forthcoming new album, 9, to be released Nov. 22.
Under his previous deal with Broken Bow, the label held rights in the US and Canada. Under the new deal, BMG will now distribute and market Aldean’s releases worldwide, beginning with the new studio album to be released via Broken Bow Records/BMG. Broken Bow became part of BMG in 2017.
“I’m glad to have had BMG on board as part of the team the last couple years,” said Aldean. “It’s good to have them in my corner and I’m looking forward to keeping this thing going—and it’ll be cool if we get to pick up a few new fans overseas along the way.”
Jon Loba, EVP Recorded Music at BMG Nashville, said, “Jason Aldean is not only a genre-defining artist, he is family. We are immensely proud to have worked together since his debut single and are honored that he has placed in trust in BMG for this next exciting stage of his career.”
BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said, “An artist of Jason Aldean’s stature has the choice of any label he wants. It was far from a given when we acquired Broken Bow that Jason would agree to extend his relationship with us. We are delighted that he has not only extended but expanded his partnership with BMG. We look forward to working with him and his exceptional management team.”
Aldean is a three-time ACM Entertainer of the Year, and the reigning ACM Artist of the Decade. He’s earned 23 No. 1 hits, and earned 15 billion streams as well as more than 18 million in album sales along the way. His previous full-length album, Rearview Town, was released via Broken Bow Records/BMG in 2018.
Pictured (L-R): Jon Loba, Jason Aldean, Hartwig Masuch.
Industry Ink: FBMM, Music Health Alliance, Making The Music
/by Jessica NicholsonFBMM Promotes Two
“We’re proud to recognize Tripp’s and Rhea’s remarkable contributions and dedication to our firm with this promotion, and look forward to watching them grow with the clients they serve,” said Julie Boos, business manager and owner of FBMM. “We are proud to have Tripp and Rhea representing FBMM day in and day out with the excellent work they do for our clients.”
King joined FBMM in February 2018 with nearly four years of experience in project management. Prior to joining FBMM, King worked as the community development manager for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, where he served as a direct contact for key Williamson County stakeholders, implemented an enhanced VIP festival experience, and oversaw various on-site activations.
Santos began working for FBMM in August 2016. Before coming to FBMM, Santos worked as a music intern for Creative Artists Agency in Nashville, where she issued contracts for clients, submitted deposit reports and assisted the sponsorships department with client-brand partnerships. She also interned for Degy Entertainment and Santander Arena and Performing Arts Center in Reading, Pennsylvania.
Music Health Alliance Sets Informational Workshops For October
Music Health Alliance, a nonprofit committed to assisting music industry members with various medical and health insurance needs, will hold two free workshops in October. On Oct. 24, a Medicare 101 seminar will be held from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. CT at BMI’s Nashville office (10 Music Sq. E.). Music Health Alliance COO and and Certified Senior Advisor® Shelia Shipley-Biddy will provide information about senior aging needs, answer questions about Medicare, and explain other healthcare options for music professionals 65 or older.
On Oct. 29, a “What The Health” seminar will be held from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. CT at BMI’s Nashville office (10 Music Sq. E). The workshop is designed to answer questions related to health insurance, such as “What are my options for health insurance in 2020?” “Will there be subsidy to reduce my premiums?” “What if I can’t afford insurance?” Music Health Alliance CEO/Founder Tatum Allsep will explain open enrollment and options for 2020.
To RSVP to either event, call Erin Lancaster, Music Health Alliance Manager of Office and Client Services, 615-200-6896.
Deana Carter To Lead “Making The Music” Benefit Concert
Artist-songwriter Deana Carter will lead “Making the Music: Legends & Legacies,” an evening of music that also features Matraca Berg, Krystal Keith and Allie Colleen. The event takes place Oct. 25 at the Capitol Theatre in Lebanon, Tennessee. Tickets are $40 each, with seating for an eight-top table costing $350. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the show beginning at 7 p.m. Concessions will be available. For tickets, visit eventbrite.com or email keith@keithedmonds.com.
The evening will benefit the Keith Edmonds Foundation, which raises money and develops programs to aid abused children.
In Pictures: 2019 CMT Artists Of The Year
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured: Honoree Reba McEntire accepts an award onstage from Vince Gill during the 2019 CMT Artist of the Year at Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 16, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMT/Viacom
Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Luke Combs and Thomas Rhett were honored as 2019’s CMT Artists of the Year, while Ashley McBryde was celebrated as Breakout Artist of the Year and Reba McEntire feted as Artist of a Lifetime last night (Oct. 16).
Several moments had the audience in tears, including Kane Brown’s heartfelt speech, dedicating his CMT Artists of the Year win to his late drummer Kenny Dixon, who died Saturday (Oct. 12).
Later, as he was accepting his own CMT Artists of the Year honor, Thomas Rhett took time to pray for Brown, his family, and his team, as many in the audience helped lift them up in prayer. Thomas Rhett’s wife Lauren Akins introduced her husband and second-time honoree before he performed “Dream You Never Had.”
Actor Lonnie Chavis (This Is Us) introduced special guest Chris Young, who performed his moving song, “Drowning.” Young penned the song after the death of one of his close friends, and performed it in honor of Dixon.
Dan + Shay’s mega-watt rendition of “Tequila” started the show, while Bobby Bones welcomed the audiences tuning in from home, as well as those assembled at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Tori Kelly, who previously collaborated with the duo on their hit “Speechless,” presented Dan + Shay with their first CMT Artists of the Year honor.
Fellow first-time honoree Luke Combs accepted his honor via a taped acceptance video. This Is Us star Chrissy Metz then took the stage to offer a rendition of Combs’ “Even Though I’m Leaving.”
Carrie Underwood offered a performance of two of her classics, “Two Black Cadillacs,” and “Blown Away,” live via satellite from a stop on her current Cry Pretty Tour 360 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her tourmates Maddie & Tae introduced the performance and presented Underwood with her fifth Artists of the Year trophy in front of thousands of fans.
Kid Rock honored Ashley McBryde with her Breakout Artist of the Year honor. McBryde then performed her latest single, “One Night Standards,” for the first time on television, and offered her own heartfelt thanks to those who have championed her career.
Lady Antebellum honored Reba McEntire with a performance of Reba’s “Is There Life Out There,” before Vince Gill presented his ‘friend of a lifetime’ with her CMT Artist of a Lifetime honor. Sam Hunt then surprised everyone by taking the stage to perform McEntire’s signature song “Fancy.”
“2019 CMT Artists of the Year” will re-air Friday, October 18 at 7:30 a.m. ET; Saturday, October 19 at 1 a.m. ET; and Sunday, October 20 at noon ET; the full show is available for viewing now via CMT.com.
Pictured: Honorees Thomas Rhett and Reba McEntire. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for CMT/Viacom
Pictured: Tori Kelly and Chrissy Metz. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for CMT/Viacom
Pictured: Chrissy Metz and Vince Gill. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for CMT/Viacom
Pictured: Lindsay Ell and RaeLynn. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for CMT/Viacom
Opry Entertainment’s Country Lifestyle Network Gets A Name: Circle
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Opry Entertainment Group and Gray Television have unveiled the name of the new media network dedicated to the country music lifestyle experience – Circle. The linear 24/7 network will begin in early 2020 with TV stations owned by Gray TV, and additional distribution partners will be announced in the coming months. Circle also plans to launch a companion OTT (over-the-top) premium entertainment service in late spring 2020.
The 360-degree media platform is designed to bring viewers into country music’s inner circle, and the name is also a nod to the iconic wooden circle on the Grand Ole Opry stage where countless country music superstars have performed. Circle will feature original programming centered around artists and their music, hobbies, outdoor and offstage adventures, food, family, and friends. The network will also offer entertainment news, documentaries and movies along with licensed programming and archival content, and its lineup will include the return of a weekly broadcast of the Grand Ole Opry.
“As country music’s fan base continues to expand, our goal as a company is to provide differentiated entertainment experiences that celebrate the country lifestyle and enrich the artist-fan connection that is the backbone of country music,” said Scott Bailey, president of Opry Entertainment Group. “Circle Media is a key piece of that strategy that will create a window into all of the best moments that happen in Nashville and throughout the South so fans can connect with up-and-coming artists and the superstars they love from anywhere they are.”
“Circle is all about fun, discovery and accessibility for country music fans,” said Drew Reifenberger, general manager of Circle Media. “Circle will align fans and artists by creating intimate experiences and camaraderie of a close-knit circle of friends.”
Dierks Bentley, Thomas Rhett, Kane Brown To Headline Country Fest
/by Lorie HollabaughThomas Rhett, Dierks Bentley, and Kane Brown are set to headline the 34th annual Country Fest June 25-27. The three-day country music and camping festival in Cadott, Wis. will also include Cole Swindell, Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Chris Lane, Matt Stell, Hardy, Neal McCoy, and many more.
The newly-expanded Bud Light’s Crossroads Stage will feature performances by Mitchell Tenpenny, Granger Smith feat. Earl Dibbles Jr., Runaway June, Tenille Townes, Ingrid Andress, and others. A kickoff party will be held Wednesday, June 24 to kick off the festivities.
Country Fest offers a variety of activities as attendees can relax in Hammock Haven, play giant games, take a stroll through the Northern Lights wooded walking trail, and much more. All tickets, campsites, and pit passes by artist are on sale now at countryfest.com or by calling the Country Fest office 800-326-3378.
BREAKING: Radio Legend Bob Kingsley Dies
/by contributorBob Kingsley. Photo: Provided by Westwood One
Bob Kingsley, a radio legend whose voice was synonymous with country music, died on Thursday, October 17, 2019, at his home in Weatherford, Texas while receiving treatment for cancer. He was 80.
One of broadcasting’s most beloved and iconic figures, Kingsley was a mainstay on radio for 60 years. His dominance in the country format began in 1978 when he took over as host of American Country Countdown after four years as the show’s producer for one of radio’s founding syndication companies, Watermark, founded by Tom Rounds. In 2006, he and his wife and business partner Nan Kingsley established Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40, produced by their own KCCS Productions, still running on more than 320 stations.
Kingsley received many of broadcasting’s top honors and was named to the Country Radio Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998 and the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2016. He is the namesake and was the first recipient of the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award, presented each year since 2014 at the Grand Ole Opry House and benefitting the Opry Trust Fund.
They were among the many fruits of a career built on a simple premise. “I love the music and the people who make it, and I want our listeners to have as much insight into both as I can give them, and to make the experience as enjoyable as possible,” he once said.
Bob’s love for radio and music dated to his childhood, when polio kept him in bed and in near isolation for a year. “I would listen to the radio and certain shows became really important to me. It was complete escapism and entertainment. I didn’t realize the imprint it was making, but it obviously stayed with me,” he said.
At 18, Kingsley joined the Air Force and served in Keflavik, Iceland, where he jumped at a chance to become an announcer on Armed Forces Radio. That experience and his love of country music would carry him to legendary stations like KFOX, KGBS, KFI, and KLAC in Los Angeles, and to his role as the voice of Drake-Chenault’s Great American Country format, used by hundreds of country radio stations.
His role as host of American Country Countdown with Bob Kingsley made him a household name. He supplemented the weekly countdown with Christmas specials, album release specials for artists including Alabama, George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood, and for many years a daily artist spotlight called America’s Music Makers. With Kingsley at the helm, the show was named Billboard’s Network/Syndicated Country Program of the Year for 16 years in a row.
Kingsley received the Academy of Country Music’s Major Market On-Air Personality of the Year Award in 1966 and 1967 and was named the Country Music Association’s National Broadcast Personality of the Year in 2001 and 2003. He was voted National Air Personality of the Year five times by Country Radio Broadcasters and Country Aircheck and won the ACM’s 2007 National Broadcast Personality of the Year Award. He was chosen as the recipient of the 2012 President’s Award by the CRB. In 2017, Bob received the Mae Boren Axton Service Award in recognition of his dedication and service to the ACM, on whose board he served for decades. He was twice the host and emcee of Alabama’s legendary June Jam.
Kingsley served in 2004 and 2005 as Master of Ceremonies at the National Veterans Day Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, one of many national and regional events to which he has volunteered time and energy, and he helped get information on benefits to countless veterans through vehicles like his Veterans Day 2005 radio special, “Bob Kingsley Salutes America’s Veterans.” He was the recipient of the Wounded Warrior Project’s Tony Snow Award for the significant difference he has made in the lives of injured servicemen and women.
His many charitable endeavors included work for Disabled American Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Wounded Warrior Project, Careity Foundation, and the Palliative Unit of Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth, among others.
An avid cutting horse enthusiast, he lived and worked with his wife of 30 years, Nan, on their Bluestem Ranch in Weatherford, Texas.
A celebration of life will be held in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, November 14, 2019, at 1:00 p.m. at The CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Kingsley’s name to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum or the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund.
Industry Pics: Midland, ACM, Grand Ole Opry, Dottie West Birthday Bash
/by Jessica NicholsonMidland At The Palomino
Pictured (L-R): Jess Carson, Cameron Duddy and Mark Wystrach of Midland attend Midland LIVE at the Palomino on October 15, 2019 in North Hollywood, California. Photo: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Big Machine Records
California’s legendary Palomino Club re-opened as a music venue–for one night only–as country trio Midland brought tight-knit harmonies and retro-yet-modern sound to 400 fans who packed out the club on Oct. 15. The trio’s Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson offered music from their debut album On The Rocks, and its followup Let It Roll, which released in August.
“They told us the Dos Equis was gone near the end of the set,” marveled lead singer/guitarist Wystrach. “It’s a good thing the Titos almost held out… It’s not that you wanna be drunk to listen, but more that this kind of country deserves a few cold ones.”
PIctured (L-R): Jason Owen, Cameron Duddy, Mark Wystrach, Rob Light, Jess Carson, Jake Basden and Allison Jones attends Midland LIVE at the Palomino on October 15, 2019 in North Hollywood, California. Photo: Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Big Machine Records
ACM Welcomes Riley Green
Pictured (L-R): Daniel Miller, Fusion Music/Red Light Management and ACM Board Member; Riley Green; RAC Clark, Interim ACM Executive Director; Zach Sutton, Red Light Management. Photo: Michel Bourquard/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music welcomed Big Machine Label Group’s Riley Green to the office while he was in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, Green performed his current single, “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” along with a few other songs from his new album, Different ‘Round Here.
Grand Ole Opry Welcomes Former President Jimmy Carter
Pictured: Rosalynn Carter, President Jimmy Carter, Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks. Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry
President Jimmy Carter and Mrs. Rosalynn Carter visited the Grand Ole Opry while in Nashville for a weeklong build marking the 36th year of their Habitat for Humanity Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. In a surprise moment, Opry members Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood introduced them on stage. Brooks and Yearwood have served as Habitat ambassadors for more than a decade and worked alongside the Carters at the build site.
President Carter had previously visited the Opry House as Governor of Georgia and again during his presidential term. President Richard Nixon was the first U.S. President to visit the Opry when he attended the opening night of the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974. President Nixon, who sang and played piano at the Opry that night, is the only President to have performed on the Opry stage.
Opry favorites provided the lunchtime entertainment at the Habitat build site as they performed behind the Opry mic stand for more than 300 volunteers each day Monday – Friday. More than 20 houses were built in North Nashville as part of the project.
Dottie West Birthday Bash Raises $28K
Jeannie Seely with Bill Anderson. Photo: Bev Moser/Moments By Moser
The third annual Dottie West Birthday Bash, held Oct. 10 at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley and sponsored by Springer Mountain Farms, raised more than $28,000 for the Nashville Musicians Association, with 100% of all money going to the Musician’s Emergency Relief Fund. Jeannie Seely hosted the event, which featured music from Bill Anderson and his Po Folks Band, Tim Atwood, John Berry, Buddy Cannon, Melonie Cannon, Michele Capps, Peter Cooper, Danny Davis, Steve Dorff, Erin Enderlin, Tess Frizzell, Jamey Johnson, Jon Randall, John Schneider, Jeannie Seely, Bobby Tomberlin, Dallas Wayne and Kenna West along with special guests and surprises.