Miranda Lambert. Photo: MusicRow
Miranda Lambert brought her A-game during a preview concert for her upcoming seventh solo studio project Wildcard last night (Sept. 23) in Nashville. Instead of previewing the album at the standard country haunts around Music City, she fittingly chose the iconic “rock block” venue Exit/In, the intimate, bare bones music venue that has hosted artists including The Police, Jimmy Buffett, The Ramones, Death Cab For Cutie, and Etta James.
She was fully in the driver’s seat during her authoritative, hair-whipping take on Wildcard’s churning “Locomotive,” though she admitted being a little nervous about playing in Music City.
“We get a little jittery when we play Nashville for some reason. The energy is high and the expectations are high,” she said.
Some tracks on Wildcard might draw strongly on her rock ‘n’ roll capabilities, but don’t call it a reinvention. Lambert says she’s just getting back to the core of who she is as an artist. During the set, she recalled listening to one of the edgier songs off the project, “Mess with My Head.”
“In a way, I feel like I reinvented a new rock ‘n’ roll sound for myself on a few of these songs, but also in a way, I revisited the rock ‘n’ roll sound that was there in the first place. My husband [Brendan McLoughlin, whom she wed in February] was listening to ‘Mess with My Head’ because he’s supportive, and wants us to make however many cents we make these days when we get a stream,” she said with a smirk. “Right after it came on, [Lambert’s 2005 hit] ‘Kerosene’ came on. I was like, ‘This isn’t a departure at all, I’m just back, bitches.'”
And how.
Of course, dumpy bars are where Lambert started her career, performing for anyone who would listen in tiny clubs in and around Texas. As the venues got larger, her fans followed as she layered her Texas twang with shades of bluegrass (“White Liar”), smartly polished modern sounds (“Mama’s Broken Heart”), and acoustic-based, folkier material (see the exquisite double album The Weight Of These Wings).
With the new project, Lambert relishes in showcasing a fuller range of her abilities, moving effortlessly from the swampy “White Trash,” the uplifting country zinger “It All Comes Out In The Wash,” the Texas-born strains of “Tequila Does,” to the transparent portrayal of a hardcore romantic with a checkered past on the breezy “Track Record.”
Miranda Lambert. Photo: MusicRow
“I was in Texas with Jon Randall and Jack Ingram,” she said of “Tequila Does.” “The last time we went there we wrote ‘Tin Man,’ so there is good mojo there. We were hanging out and drinking tequila and I feel like anytime you drink tequila, everything’s better—not the next day, but right then. It sounds just like Texas and every time I sing it I feel like I’m onstage in Gruene Hall.”
The softly uplifting “Bluebird,” written with Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby, was inspired by an old poem.
“Luke texted me a line of an old poem he had seen somewhere, something about keeping a bluebird in your heart. He said, ‘I want to write that with you, because I feel like that’s something you did, and something we all do.’ It felt really magical, because something about a bluebird is hopeful, even through blue times. When I sing this song, I feel like a little flutter, and I feel every single word of what it means.”
Wildcard marks a production shift for Lambert, who chose to take a break from working with longtime producer Frank Liddell, and instead went into the studio with Jay Joyce, known for his work with Eric Church, Little Big Town, Cage The Elephant, and The Wallflowers.
“I made every single record in my career with Frank Liddell, who I adore and trust so much… but like any long relationship, sometimes you reach a place where you have to regroup. Me and him had a bottle of wine on the magic porch—the magic porch does some magic shit—it always involves some sort of holy water, if you will. We just talked it out and thought maybe we should take a minute from each other and go get inspired somewhere else and come back and revisit. He gave me his blessing, which I needed, because that’s what longtime relationships do. So I called Jay Joyce. I knew I needed to approach this record with the same energy and with the same heart, open-mindedness and excitement that I approached my very first record [Kerosene] in 2005. So I just wanted to be open and pushed and Jay was the man to do that.”
Lambert’s signature wit was in full force. Gwen Sebastian traded lines with Lambert on the quirky “Way Too Pretty For Prison,” a meditation on offing a sorry lover, in the tradition of the Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl” or Brandy Clark’s “Stripes.” Maren Morris was Lambert’s vocal cohort on the album version.
“I called Maren and said, ‘I got a song about killin’ someone. You in?’ She was like, ‘Duh,’” Lambert noted.
She offered another track from the project, “Pretty Bitchin’,” noting, “It makes fun of tabloids, which makes me happy.”
The moody album closer “Dark Bars,” a wholly appropriate song for an Exit/In show, was co-written with Liz Rose.
“I was sittin’ in New York, which I’ve been spending a lot of time there since I married a Staten Island native, he was an NYPD officer who has made me happy, thank the good Lord,” she said to the cheers of the crowd. “I spent a lot of time in SoHo in an apartment with a fire escape…just four days a week, don’t get me wrong, I had to go home.”
“We sat on the fire escape and smoked cigs out the window…I don’t do that anymore, but I was writing songs and ‘feeling creative.’ It’s an artist community in SoHo so I felt like we should just hone in on it. Liz got there early and I said, ‘Let’s just go hang out in some dark bars and see if we can find some stories to write about.’ And she said, ‘I think that is the story.’ She’s right, because today my guitar tech brought my guitar to the bus so I could practice this, and it smelled like beer and cigarettes and I got so excited. It felt like home to me. I’m so blessed that it’s gotten big and we can tour arenas and do all this crazy shit—it’s awesome—but I feel most at home on a stage like this in front of people who want to hear this music.”
Noting that her and her band are heading back out on the road this week, she closed with a cover of Linda Ronstadt’s “Willin’”.
“These times are especially hard and changing, figuring how the hell to put a record out anymore. I’m still old-school and romantic about records and how they are a snapshot of someone’s life, and their journey for the last couple of years. I feel it slipping away and I’m willing to change—I don’t want to be the granny that still fights it, you know, but I also am from the day of the endcap at Walmart being everything and that’s how you sold a record. I’m trying to learn with everybody how to get the music to the people. But right now, we’re just taking the music to the people on the road. However many shows we have to play, however many songs we have to sing—as a band, we’ve been doing this a really long time. I feel like no matter what, how the tide turns or changes, there is something magical about people on the stage just playing their songs and the people that love music that we all seek out…they are going to come to the show and they are going to find us. We just have to hope that’s what works.
“I feel like even though I’ve been doing this since I was 17—I’ll be 36 in November—and I feel like I’m just getting started.”
Miranda Lambert Brings Her A-Game To ‘Wildcard’
/by Jessica NicholsonMiranda Lambert. Photo: MusicRow
Miranda Lambert brought her A-game during a preview concert for her upcoming seventh solo studio project Wildcard last night (Sept. 23) in Nashville. Instead of previewing the album at the standard country haunts around Music City, she fittingly chose the iconic “rock block” venue Exit/In, the intimate, bare bones music venue that has hosted artists including The Police, Jimmy Buffett, The Ramones, Death Cab For Cutie, and Etta James.
She was fully in the driver’s seat during her authoritative, hair-whipping take on Wildcard’s churning “Locomotive,” though she admitted being a little nervous about playing in Music City.
“We get a little jittery when we play Nashville for some reason. The energy is high and the expectations are high,” she said.
Some tracks on Wildcard might draw strongly on her rock ‘n’ roll capabilities, but don’t call it a reinvention. Lambert says she’s just getting back to the core of who she is as an artist. During the set, she recalled listening to one of the edgier songs off the project, “Mess with My Head.”
“In a way, I feel like I reinvented a new rock ‘n’ roll sound for myself on a few of these songs, but also in a way, I revisited the rock ‘n’ roll sound that was there in the first place. My husband [Brendan McLoughlin, whom she wed in February] was listening to ‘Mess with My Head’ because he’s supportive, and wants us to make however many cents we make these days when we get a stream,” she said with a smirk. “Right after it came on, [Lambert’s 2005 hit] ‘Kerosene’ came on. I was like, ‘This isn’t a departure at all, I’m just back, bitches.'”
And how.
Of course, dumpy bars are where Lambert started her career, performing for anyone who would listen in tiny clubs in and around Texas. As the venues got larger, her fans followed as she layered her Texas twang with shades of bluegrass (“White Liar”), smartly polished modern sounds (“Mama’s Broken Heart”), and acoustic-based, folkier material (see the exquisite double album The Weight Of These Wings).
With the new project, Lambert relishes in showcasing a fuller range of her abilities, moving effortlessly from the swampy “White Trash,” the uplifting country zinger “It All Comes Out In The Wash,” the Texas-born strains of “Tequila Does,” to the transparent portrayal of a hardcore romantic with a checkered past on the breezy “Track Record.”
Miranda Lambert. Photo: MusicRow
“I was in Texas with Jon Randall and Jack Ingram,” she said of “Tequila Does.” “The last time we went there we wrote ‘Tin Man,’ so there is good mojo there. We were hanging out and drinking tequila and I feel like anytime you drink tequila, everything’s better—not the next day, but right then. It sounds just like Texas and every time I sing it I feel like I’m onstage in Gruene Hall.”
The softly uplifting “Bluebird,” written with Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby, was inspired by an old poem.
“Luke texted me a line of an old poem he had seen somewhere, something about keeping a bluebird in your heart. He said, ‘I want to write that with you, because I feel like that’s something you did, and something we all do.’ It felt really magical, because something about a bluebird is hopeful, even through blue times. When I sing this song, I feel like a little flutter, and I feel every single word of what it means.”
Wildcard marks a production shift for Lambert, who chose to take a break from working with longtime producer Frank Liddell, and instead went into the studio with Jay Joyce, known for his work with Eric Church, Little Big Town, Cage The Elephant, and The Wallflowers.
“I made every single record in my career with Frank Liddell, who I adore and trust so much… but like any long relationship, sometimes you reach a place where you have to regroup. Me and him had a bottle of wine on the magic porch—the magic porch does some magic shit—it always involves some sort of holy water, if you will. We just talked it out and thought maybe we should take a minute from each other and go get inspired somewhere else and come back and revisit. He gave me his blessing, which I needed, because that’s what longtime relationships do. So I called Jay Joyce. I knew I needed to approach this record with the same energy and with the same heart, open-mindedness and excitement that I approached my very first record [Kerosene] in 2005. So I just wanted to be open and pushed and Jay was the man to do that.”
Lambert’s signature wit was in full force. Gwen Sebastian traded lines with Lambert on the quirky “Way Too Pretty For Prison,” a meditation on offing a sorry lover, in the tradition of the Dixie Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl” or Brandy Clark’s “Stripes.” Maren Morris was Lambert’s vocal cohort on the album version.
“I called Maren and said, ‘I got a song about killin’ someone. You in?’ She was like, ‘Duh,’” Lambert noted.
She offered another track from the project, “Pretty Bitchin’,” noting, “It makes fun of tabloids, which makes me happy.”
The moody album closer “Dark Bars,” a wholly appropriate song for an Exit/In show, was co-written with Liz Rose.
“I was sittin’ in New York, which I’ve been spending a lot of time there since I married a Staten Island native, he was an NYPD officer who has made me happy, thank the good Lord,” she said to the cheers of the crowd. “I spent a lot of time in SoHo in an apartment with a fire escape…just four days a week, don’t get me wrong, I had to go home.”
“We sat on the fire escape and smoked cigs out the window…I don’t do that anymore, but I was writing songs and ‘feeling creative.’ It’s an artist community in SoHo so I felt like we should just hone in on it. Liz got there early and I said, ‘Let’s just go hang out in some dark bars and see if we can find some stories to write about.’ And she said, ‘I think that is the story.’ She’s right, because today my guitar tech brought my guitar to the bus so I could practice this, and it smelled like beer and cigarettes and I got so excited. It felt like home to me. I’m so blessed that it’s gotten big and we can tour arenas and do all this crazy shit—it’s awesome—but I feel most at home on a stage like this in front of people who want to hear this music.”
Noting that her and her band are heading back out on the road this week, she closed with a cover of Linda Ronstadt’s “Willin’”.
“These times are especially hard and changing, figuring how the hell to put a record out anymore. I’m still old-school and romantic about records and how they are a snapshot of someone’s life, and their journey for the last couple of years. I feel it slipping away and I’m willing to change—I don’t want to be the granny that still fights it, you know, but I also am from the day of the endcap at Walmart being everything and that’s how you sold a record. I’m trying to learn with everybody how to get the music to the people. But right now, we’re just taking the music to the people on the road. However many shows we have to play, however many songs we have to sing—as a band, we’ve been doing this a really long time. I feel like no matter what, how the tide turns or changes, there is something magical about people on the stage just playing their songs and the people that love music that we all seek out…they are going to come to the show and they are going to find us. We just have to hope that’s what works.
“I feel like even though I’ve been doing this since I was 17—I’ll be 36 in November—and I feel like I’m just getting started.”
Jackson Michelson Signs With WME
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Chris King (King Business & Financial Mgmt.), Pedro Vigil (Curb Records), Rush Davenport (Agent, WME), Scott Mason Thomas (5 Eighty Six Management), Jackson Michelson, Braeden Roundtree (Agent, WME), Todd Thomas (Caption Management), Morgan Kenney (Agent, WME) and Nate Towne (Agent, WME).
Curb artist Jackson Michelson has signed with WME for booking representation.
Michelson recently released the single “Stay Over,” which he penned alongside Jeff Pardo and Molly Reed Grayson. The Oregon native grew up surrounded by music, and looked up to his older brother, who toured as a Christian artist. Michelson often joined him on the road, selling merch, while simultaneously making plans for his own music career. His song “The Good Life” was supported by SiriusXM’s The Highway and he has played over 200 shows per year, opening for Lee Brice, Blake Shelton and more.
Dorian Yoanidis Joins FBMM
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured: Dorian Yoanidis. Photo: Courtesy FBMM
Dorian Yoanidis has joined FBMM. In his role as VP of Operations, Yoanidis is directly responsible for overseeing the information technology, facilities and operations of the firm.
“We are very fortunate to have Dorian as part of our FBMM family,” said Duane Clark, owner and vice chairman of FBMM. “Our team grew even stronger the day he came aboard. Dorian’s enthusiasm and vast operational experience have proven invaluable to our company and clients. Most importantly, his work reflects that he genuinely cares for our staff and has a laser focus on executing our vision. I am excited to work alongside Dorian as we continue providing excellent client service, and navigate exciting endeavors yet to come.”
Yoanidis, a New Jersey native, moved to Nashville in 1997 for a position at BMI, where he worked for nearly 20 years. During his tenure with BMI, Yoanidis held numerous positions and quickly ascended through the ranks. He worked as director of external audit, senior director of financial planning and audit, the assistant vice president of finance and operations, and the vice president and controller of Landmark Digital Services, a BMI technology venture. He most recently worked as the vice president, corporate controller for SESAC, where he was responsible for finance and accounting for the entire enterprise.
“During my music industry career, I became very aware of FBMM’s tremendous reputation,” Yoanidis said. “I’m honored to oversee the operations of a company of this caliber, and I’m enjoying working hand in hand with the owners to maintain our position as a leading entertainment business management firm.”
Yoanidis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Penn State University. He became a registered CPA in 1994.
ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO Rebrands, Gets New Location
/by Jessica NicholsonIn celebration of the 15th anniversary of the music creator conference ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, the conference has been rebranded as ASCAP Experience, and has a new location, now set for the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Los Angeles on April 1-3.
“Over the last 15 years, as our attendees and the music industry have evolved, so has ASCAP EXPO,” said ASCAP Executive Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer Lauren Iossa. “We have renamed it the ‘ASCAP Experience’ to encompass programming that meets the holistic needs of music creators today, with even more opportunities for participants to make music together. And we are excited to welcome all of our Experience attendees to join us in this next phase at a new venue in downtown LA.”
Programming for the event has also expanded, designed to present insights from best-in-class industry experts, hit songwriters, and to offer tools to boost creativity as well as technology demonstrations. There will also be a focus on wellness workshops, in addition to an abundance of live music.
Attendees can register at ascapexperience.com. Registration is open to ASCAP members through Oct. 1; the general public can register beginning October 2.
Brantley Gilbert To Headline Tootsie’s 59th Anniversary Birthday Bash
/by Lorie HollabaughBrantley Gilbert will be the headliner at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge’s upcoming 59th Anniversary Birthday Bash, a free block party on Oct. 9 with special guests Randy Houser, Lee Brice, Jon Pardi, Darryl Worley, Terri Clark, Montgomery Gentry, Payton Smith and more. Gilbert will be celebrating the release of his sixth studio album, Fire & Brimstone with his fans at the packed birthday bash held downtown on Broadway between 4th & 5th Avenue in Nashville.
“Whether serving our country, working your ass off to provide to your family, or just barely getting by but doing everything you can in the meantime to make it work, we have more in common than we are different, and we want to bring everyone together to pause and reflect on the moments that make it all worth the work,” adds Gilbert.
Previous Tootsies Birthday Bash performers include Kid Rock, Jake Owen, Travis Tritt and Jamey Johnson. This will be Gilbert’s first appearance on the Tootsie’s Birthday Bash stage. The outdoor concert begins at noon with Tootsies’ mainstays John Stone, Anthony Oreo and Emcee Scott Collier.
Kenny Chesney Heads Back To Stadiums On Chillaxification Tour With FGL, Old Dominion
/by Lorie Hollabaugh“These stadium shows are the most fun thing I do,” said Chesney. “It’s been a year, so when I get out there, I wanna make sure that No Shoes Nation is being rocked, having fun and getting all the music they can out of the day. We always try to do something different, bring someone new – and for anyone who’s never seen Michael Franti and Spearhead, just wait! I love playing for No Shoes Nation any time, anywhere, but these stadium shows are always something so powerful, I can’t tell you how much anticipation goes into each one. Not to mention, we’re always wanting to top what’s come before – and I think this lineup might just pack the most fun of them all.”
Tickets for all dates will go on sale next Friday, October 4. American Express card members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning September 26-October 3. General ticket sales begin Friday, October 4.
Chesney will be back in his wheelhouse with the massive stadium trek – he’s played 159 stadium shows over his career, rocking over a million people at Gillette Stadium alone.
Victoria Shaw Goes ‘Under The Covers’ With Fellow Writers On New Show
/by Lorie HollabaughVictoria Shaw with fellow songwriters Mark Hudson and Jeffrey Steele
Victoria Shaw is set to host a new show, Songwriters Under the Covers with Victoria Shaw, where top-selling songwriters share the little-known stories behind their hits along with an intimate, live acoustic performance on stage. The show will premiere on Oct. 16 on the ALL ARTS streaming app and website, which are available nationally, and the ALL ARTS New York-area broadcast channel.
Songwriters featured in the series include Brett James (Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take the Wheel”), Desmond Child (Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer”), Angela Hunte (Alicia Keys and Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind”), Erika Ender (Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito”), Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon’s “Keep on Loving You”), Mark Hudson (Aerosmith’s “Livin’ on the Edge”), and more.
ALL ARTS, the multimedia arts platform launched earlier this year by WNET, announced the launch of the program in collaboration with Shaw and Brighton Entertainment. “Every song has a story, and Songwriters Under the Covers with Victoria Shaw is the ideal vehicle to tell those stories. It’s the perfect balance between great performances and compelling storytelling,” notes Brad J. Fuss, President of Brighton Entertainment and Executive Producer & Director of the show.
“I have been doing these shows for the past 20 years,” said Shaw. “I’m blessed to know a lot of talented, funny, wonderful musicians who are dear friends. I invite those friends who just so happen to be top-selling songwriters from across the pop, rock and country worlds to join me on stage to play their huge hits and reveal what went into creating those iconic songs. It’s very organic, and my shows feel like you’re hanging out in my living room listening in on a bunch of songwriters singing songs, swapping stories and cracking jokes. That’s my goal every night, for my shows to feel like a party at my house.”
Justin Moore, Tracy Lawrence Team For Late Nights And Longnecks Tour
/by Jessica NicholsonJustin Moore and Tracy Lawrence will hit the road together next year on the 2020 Late Nights And Longnecks Tour, sponsored by ROXOR and led by Outback Presents.
The tour launches Jan. 16 at Dodge City, Kansas’ United Wireless Arena. Each night will feature a yet-to-be-announced opening act.
Moore recently earned his eighth chart-topper with “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home,” the lead single off his fifth album, Late Nights And Longnecks. His followup track, “Why We Drink,” impacts country radio on Sept. 30.
Lawrence has sold more than 13 million albums and has charted 18 No. 1 songs. Lawrence wrote eight of the 12 tracks on his recently-released album, Made In America.
Tickets for the Late Nights And Longnecks Tour will go on sale this Friday (Sept. 27) at 10 a.m. CT at tracylawrence.com.
LATE NIGHTS AND LONGNECKS TOUR:
Thurs., Jan. 16 | United Wireless Arena | Dodge City, KS
Fri., Jan. 17 | Barnett Arena (Rushmore Plaza) | Rapid City, SD
Sat., Jan. 18 | Bismark Event Center | Bismark, ND
Thurs., Feb. 20 | Raising Cane’s River Center Arena | Baton Rouge, LA
Fri., Feb. 21 | Rapides Parish Coliseum | Alexandria, LA
Sat., Feb. 22 | Stride Bank Center | Enid, OK
Fri., Feb. 28 | Bankers Life Fieldhouse | Indianapolis, IN
Sat., Feb. 29 | Wolstein Center | Cleveland, OH
Thurs., Mar. 5 | Amarillo Civic Center Coliseum | Amarillo, TX
Fri., Mar. 6 | Mission Ballroom | Denver, CO
Sat., Mar. 7 | Uptown Theater | Kansas City, MO
Thurs., Mar. 19 | Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre | Atlanta, GA
Fri., Mar. 20 | St. Augustine Amphitheatre | St. Augustine, FL
Thurs., Mar. 26 | Des Moines Civic Center | Des Moines, IA
Fri., Mar. 27 | U.S. Cellular Center | Cedar Rapids, IA
Sat., Mar. 28 | State Farm Center | Champaign, IL
Thurs., Apr. 9 | Scheels Arena | Fargo, ND*
Fri., Apr. 10 | Orpheum Theatre | Minneapolis, MN*
Sat., Apr. 11| Weidner Center | Green Bay, WI*
*Tracy Lawrence not on these dates
Jon Randall Extends Publishing Deal
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Jake Gear (Senior Creative Director, BMG), Emily Olson (Creative Director, SWM), Sara Beal (Publishing Director, SWM), Alex Orbison (Co-President, SWM), Jon Randall, Kos Weaver (Executive Vice President, BMG Nashville), Chuck Fleckenstein (General Manager & COO, SWM)
Hit songwriter Jon Randall has extended his worldwide publishing deal with Still Working and BMG. His recent cuts include “Pretty Bitchin” and “Tequila Does” on Miranda Lambert’s upcoming album, Wildcard, “RSVP” on Maren Morris’ album, GIRL, and last year’s ACM Song of the Year “Tin Man,” co-written with Miranda Lambert and Jack Ingram.
In addition to writing, Randall will continue to serve as the Head of A&R at Orbison’s Green Iris Records and is currently working with Green Iris artist Rachel Reinert on her forthcoming record.
“JR is the centerpiece of everything we do here at Still Working Music. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be extending our ever fruitful and rewarding relationship. We are simply lucky to have JR in our building and happy to provide a home for those amazing guitars!” said Alex Orbison.
“JR is a triple-threat creatively as a songwriter, player, and producer. He is a ‘destination writer’ here on the Row, and his songs are continuing to find both commercial and critical success. Thrilled to continue working together with JR and our partners at Still Working Music,” said BMG’s Jake Gear.
Still Working Music was founded in 1990 by the late Barbara Orbison and is now run by her sons, Alex Orbison and Roy Orbison, Jr. (Co-Presidents) along with Chuck Fleckenstein (COO and General Manager). Still Working Music writers include Tommy Lee James, Gordie Sampson, Jon Randall, Chase Bryant, Dylan Altman, Lance Miller, Rachel Reinert, and Ian Christian. Still Working Music partners with BMG, Kobalt, and Big Deal, among others. Among the company’s recent successes are Luke Bryan’s No. 1 hit “Knockin’ Boots,” Oliver Heldens’ “Summer Lover,” Conrad Sewell’s “Life,” Carly Pearce’s “Closer To You,” Hunter Hayes’ “Heartbreak,” Ashley Monroe’s “Hands On You,” Travis Denning’s “David Ashley Parker,” Dierks Bentley’s “The Mountain,” Kenny Chesney’s No. 1, “All The Pretty Girls,” and Lost Frequencies’ “Are You With Me,” a chart-topping hit in 18 countries around the world.
BMG is the world’s fourth biggest music publisher and the first new global player in the recordings business in decades. BMG Nashville, bolstered in 2017 with the acquisition of BBR Music Group, is the company’s third biggest operation of its 15 offices in 12 core music markets. Founded by international media, services and education company Bertelsmann in 2008 as a direct response to music’s digital revolution, BMG not only represents the traditionally separate music publishing and recording rights off the same state-of-the-art platform internationally, it offers a wide range of artist services from production music and neighboring rights to film, books and branded merchandise. BMG represents over 3 million songs and recordings, including the catalogues of Chrysalis, Bug, Virgin, Mute, Sanctuary, Primary Wave and Talpa Music.
ACM Names Chris Stapleton Artist-Songwriter Of The Decade
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Clay Hunt, Red Light Management; Kelly Rich, ACM Special Awards Committee Co-Chair; Chris Stapleton; Zach Peters, Red Light Management; Chuck Aly, ACM Vice President and Special Awards Committee Co-Chair. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music has named Chris Stapleton as the recipient of its newly-minted ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Decade. He was awarded the honor in a surprise presentation recently at the Berry Hill Studios in Nashville.
The award honors an artist who has commercially released material, written in whole or in part, by the artist. This honor also recognizes a songwriter whose creative works and performance have impacted country music over the decade and takes into consideration factors including success at radio, commercial media, sales and streaming, artistic merit and ACM Award recognition.
Since moving to Nashville in 2001, Kentucky native Stapleton has written more than 170 album cuts, with seven No. 1 hits, including 2017’s “Broken Halos.” Following the release of his quadruple-Platinum debut album Traveller in 2015, Stapleton issued two more chart-topping albums in 2017, including From A Room: Volume 1 (Platinum) and From A Room: Volume 2 (Gold). Most recently, he recorded the Randy Newman-penned track “Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy” for the Toy Story 4 soundtrack, and has collaborated on songs with P!nk, Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and Sheryl Crow.
Stapleton received his first-ever ACM Award nomination in 2014, and in 2015 took home six wins during the 51st ACM Awards. In 2017, Stapleton received three ACM Awards, including Album of the Year. ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Decade Award marks a total of 10 ACM Awards for Stapleton.
“Had Chris Stapleton not been an artist, his impact on country music as a songwriter would be indelible,” says Kelly Rich, ACM Special Awards Committee Co-Chair. “Had he not been a songwriter for himself and others, his influence as a recording artist, performer and vocalist would have been just as undeniable. In combination, however, Chris epitomizes the spirit and intent of this award. We are thrilled to recognize both aspects of his contribution to country music over the last decade.”
Stapleton is the third announced recipient of the seven all-new ACM Decade Award categories, which include ACM Songwriter of the Decade Award recipient Rhett Akins and ACM Song of the Decade Award recipients Miranda Lambert, and songwriters Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, for “The House That Built Me.” Additional winners will be revealed in the coming weeks.