John Paul White Inks New Publishing Deal

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Four-time Grammy Award winner John Paul White has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Warner Chappell Music (WCM) Nashville. White, a former member of the popular duo The Civil Wars, has collaborated with and written songs for artists including Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Rodney Crowell, Eli Young Band, Ronan Keating, and more.

“JPW is in a league of his own. Aside from his world-class vocals and inventive melodies, he is a diverse and in-demand collaborator, a creative producer, and an astute businessman,” said Ben Vaughn, President and CEO of WCM Nashville, adding, “Really proud to welcome him to the global Warner Chappell family.”

“It was very important for me to find a partner that wholeheartedly believes in me and my work,” said White. “Ben and the entire team at Warner Chappell have a real expertise, dedication, and passion for the music. I’m grateful for their support and look forward to working together.”

The Civil Wars earned Grammy wins for Best Folk Album and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group for Barton Hollow. In 2016, White released his solo album Beulah. Since 2013, he led his own label Single Lock Records, out of Florence, Alabama; the label’s roster has included Lera Lynn and the late Donnie Fritts. White co-produced Fritts’ 2015 Oh My Goodness album and Lynn’s 2018 duets collection Plays Well With Others.

In April, White released his LP, The Hurting Kind, co-produced by Alabama Shakes’ Ben Tanner with co-writing credits from Nashville songwriters Bobby Braddock and Whisperin’ Bill Anderson. White is currently touring throughout America, Europe, and Canada as he writes for his next record.

White is co-managed by Brad Oldham at Vector Management and Michael Goldstone at Mom & Pop.

Randy Travis, James Dupré To Hit The Road This Fall

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Randy Travis has joined with Outback Presents for The Music of Randy Travis Tour, which features Travis and his The Price co-star James Dupré.

Country Music Hall of Fame member Travis’ longtime touring band, along with tour manager Jeff Davis, will rejoin Travis on the road for the first time since his stroke in 2013. The show will include Dupre and the band performing all 16 of his No. 1 hits including “On The Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen” and “Three Wooden Crosses.” Travis will make a special appearance and VIP passes are available in most markets that include a meet and greet with Travis himself.

“We are incredibly excited to be back on the road and give Randy’s fans a chance to hear his music live again, and who better to sing his many hits than James Dupré?” said Mary and Randy Travis. 

The Music of Randy Travis Tour Dates:
Oct. 16 – Indianapolis, Ind. – The Murat**
Oct. 17 – Evansville, Ind. – Victory Theatre*
Oct. 18 – Macon, Ga. – Macon Auditorium**
Oct. 19 – Gulfport, Miss. – Island View Casino^
Oct. 23 – Augusta, Ga. – The Bell**
Oct. 24 – Spartanburg, S.C. – Memorial Auditorium**
Oct. 25 – Knoxville, Tenn. – Knoxville Auditorium**
Oct. 26 – North Little Rock, Ark. – Verizon Arena*
Oct. 28 – Nashville, Tenn. – Ryman Auditorium^
Oct. 29 – Atlanta, Ga. – Symphony Hall**
Nov. 1 – Minneapolis, Minn. – TBA^*
Nov. 2 – Green Bay, Wis. – Weidner Center***

Key:
*On Sale Now
^On Sale Fri., Sept. 6 10 A.M.
**Pre-Sale Thurs., Sept. 5 10 A.M. – 10 P.M., On Sale Fri., Sept. 6 10 A.M.
***Pre-Sale Wed., Sept. 4 10 A.M. – 10 P.M., On Sale Thu., Sept. 5 11 A.M.
^*Pre-Sale Thurs., Sept. 12 10 A.M. – 10 P.M., On Sale Fri., Sept. 13 10 A.M.

Acoustic Music Kingpin Keith Case Passes

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Keith Case.

Longtime Nashville booking agent and artist manager Keith Case died Tuesday (Sept. 3) at age 79.

His Keith Case & Associates firm was arguably the most important booker of acoustic-music in the history of Music Row. At various times, Keith represented troubadours such as Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, John Hartford, Mary Gauthier, Suzy Bogguss, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jesse Winchester, Billy Joe Shaver, Robert Earl Keen and Elizabeth Cook.

He also booked the bluegrass acts Blue Highway, The Seldom Scene, King Wilkie, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Sierra Hull, The Steeldrivers, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, The Steep Canyon Rangers and Ralph Stanley; acoustic experimentalists David Bromberg and Dan Tyminski; gospel legends The Fairfield Four and a number of other roots, Americana and folk artists.

He was a key figure in developing the career of Alison Krauss & Union Station.

Case has also been associated with Matraca Berg, Mike Ferris, Rhonda Vincent, Pete Wernick, Hot Rize, Tim & Mollie O’Brien, The Del McCoury Band, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Jeannie Kendall, Ronnie Bowman, The Greencards, Gurf Morlix and Slaid Cleaves.

Many of Case’s clients were in the soundtrack cast of O Brother Where Art Thou, which was the Grammy Album of the Year in 2000.

Keith Case began his career as a booking agent in Denver. He moved to Nashville in 1982 and formed his own company two years later. Case was a founding member of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), as well as an important figure in the Folk Alliance organization. He was also a mentor to Denise Stiff, the longtime manager of Krauss, Tyminski and Sarah Jarosz.

When he retired, Keith Case & Associates was renamed KCA Artists. He helped his company’s operations move to The Cumberland Music Collective, which is the agency run by Case’s former vice president Lee Olsen.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Apple Music Releasing Exclusive Live EPs From Up Next Artists

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Apple Music is releasing exclusive live EPs by Ashley McBryde, Bad Bunny, Daniel Caesar, Khalid, King Princess, Lewis Capaldi, and Omar Apollo throughout the summer as part of Apple Music’s Up Next Live, a series of intimate performances from past and present Apple Music Up Next artists.

The albums were recorded live at Apple retail stores around the world, and all shows were hosted after hours in local Apple stores in Milan, San Francisco, Brooklyn, Paris, London, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Performances kicked off July 9 with global sensation Bad Bunny at Apple Piazza Liberty in Milan and wrapped up in Washington D.C. with a performance by Khalid at Apple Carnegie Library.

The Apple Music Up Next monthly program showcases some of the best new artists in the world. Each month, Apple Music tastemakers and editors identify one artist to feature, then utilize the power of the platform to raise awareness of that artist to Apple Music’s growing audience of music fans. Apple Music Up Next also includes a deeply curated companion playlist full of incredible new artists across genres from all over the world.

TG Sheppard Readies First Country Solo Project In Over 20 Years

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TG Sheppard is set to release his latest album, Midnight in Memphis, on Sept. 20. The new album is his first solo country project in more than two decades.

Produced by Sheppard with Buddy Hyatt, the 13-track compilation features a tune written by his wife, singer-songwriter Kelly Lang, and a title track that was written by his dear friend, Sir Barry Gibb.

“Two years seems like a long time to spend on an album, but when you’ve had as much fun as I’ve had making this one, it goes quickly,” says Sheppard. “Hard for me to believe it’s been this long since my last solo country album. You might say, it was actually 22 years in the making.”

Midnight in Memphis reminisces on Sheppard’s time spent in Memphis where he met and became friends with the King, Elvis Presley. As an tribute to his late friend, the album includes two tracks depicting the life and impact of Elvis. Sheppard, who has 21 No. 1s to his credit, releases Midnight in Memphis on the heels of his latest “Priscilla-approved” single, “I Wanna Live Like Elvis.” The country legend also recently debuted The TG Sheppard Show, airing Fridays from 3-6 p.m./ET on SiriusXM’s Elvis Radio Channel 19.

Midnight in Memphis Track List: 
1. I Wanna Live Like Elvis
2. Black Coffee
3. We Hours
4. Addicted to You
5. Say Hello to Heaven
6. I’m a Song
7. I Was Losing You
8. Good Man
9. Thanks to You
10. 100% Chance of Pain
11. Midnight in Memphis
12. Sober
13. The Day Elvis Died

Trisha Yearwood To Host 10th Annual ‘CMA Country Christmas’

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Photo Credit: Russ Harrington

Trisha Yearwood will host this year’s CMA Country Christmas, the yearly musical celebration that airs on ABC during the holiday season. In addition to hosting, Yearwood will also perform on the 10th annual special, which promises to be a night filled with Christmas classics and festive one-of-a-kind collaborations.

Also appearing on CMA Country Christmas with Yearwood are Kristin Chenoweth, for KING & COUNTRY, Chris Janson, Tori Kelly, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Runaway June, CeCe Winans, Brett Young and Chris Young.

“Music, memories and enjoying the season with loved ones are what make Christmastime so special,” says Yearwood. “Hosting ‘CMA Country Christmas’ is an opportunity to share joy and celebrate the holidays with friends and family everywhere.”

CMA Country Christmas will be taped Wednesday, Sept. 25 at Belmont University’s Curb Event Center in Nashville. Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday, Sept. 6 at 10:00 AM/CT at CMAChristmas.com/tickets.

Academy of Country Music Adds Seven New Awards

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Pictured (L-R): Chuck Aly, ACM Vice President and Special Awards Committee Co-Chair; RAC Clark, Interim ACM Executive Director; Allen Shamblin, Songwriter; Miranda Lambert; Tom Douglas, Songwriter; Lori Badgett, ACM President; Ed Warm, ACM Chairman. Photo Credit: Getty Images/John Shearer/Courtesy of the Academy of Country Music

The Academy of Country Music has revealed seven all-new ACM Decade Award categories, to be presented only every 10 years.

The new Song of the Decade honor was awarded in a surprise backstage presentation recently to Miranda Lambert and songwriters Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin, for “The House That Built Me.”

The ACM Song of the Decade Award recognizes a song that has impacted country music over the decade. The factors considered include but are not limited to, success at radio, commercial media, sales and streaming, creative integrity, artistic merit and ACM Award recognition. Lambert is the most-awarded artist in Academy history, with a total of 34 wins. In 2010, the hit song “The House That Built Me” won in three separate ACM categories, including Single Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Video of the Year.

Other newly-minted accolades include ACM Album of the Decade, ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Decade, ACM Breakout Artist of the Decade, ACM Single of the Decade, ACM Songwriter of the Decade and ACM Music Event of the Decade. Winners in these categories will be announced in coming weeks.

The ACM Decade Awards were ratified by the ACM Board of Directors and the ACM Special Awards Committee co-chaired by Chuck Aly and Kelly Rich, following an examination of the most influential projects over the past decade of country music.

“The Special Awards committee convened multiple times, put aside their professional interests and were diligent in considering the fullness of country music in arriving at these honors. This is not, however, the Academy of Country Music deciding who or what should be honored. This is simply our recognition of self-evident truth. ‘The House That Built Me’ is the Song of the Decade in country music. It is a monument unto itself,” said Aly, Academy of Country Music Vice President and ACM Special Awards Committee Co-Chairman.

As previously announced during the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards, the ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award was presented to Jason Aldean. He joins only five other honorees that have received the Artist of the Decade Award, which include Marty Robbins in 1969, Loretta Lynn in 1979, Alabama in 1988, Garth Brooks in 1998 and George Strait in 2008. This Award was renamed the ACM Dick Clark Artist of the Decade Award after Clark passed away in 2012, in recognition of his many years as the ACM Awards producer and early host.

Breaking: Jody Williams To Exit BMI

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Jody Williams, BMI’s Vice President of Creative in Nashville since 2006, announced today that he will leave the company at the end of this year. Williams will continue to serve as a consultant for BMI throughout 2020 and plans to also return to the world of music publishing, forming a new company. BMI will announce a successor to Williams at a later date.

Mike O’Neill, BMI’s President & CEO, stated, “When Jody and I first discussed this possibility over a year ago, I understood his desire to return to his other love of music publishing, but I also knew that BMI would miss his passion, creativity and unwavering support for songwriters and publishers. Jody has worked for BMI three different times in his career and his impact on BMI has been profound.  I am grateful for his support and friendship and know he will have tremendous success.”

Williams added, “The greatest honor of my career has been representing BMI’s Nashville family of songwriters and publishers.  I have always strived to carry forward the incredible example of BMI’s former CEOs Frances Preston and Del Bryant, who taught so many of us how to care for songwriters.  That inspiration, coupled with the support of Mike O’Neill and the BMI team, allowed us to thrive over the past decade.  I am forever grateful.”

Williams’ accomplishments throughout his tenure at BMI have been many.  He has been an important mentor to countless songwriters throughout his career including Liz Rose, Kix Brooks, Natalie Hemby, Josh Turner, Maren Morris, and Robert Earl Keen, among others.  Most recently, he was instrumental in growing BMI’s market share among country music songwriters, helped establish the creation of the company’s new creative office in Austin, TX, and oversaw the creation of BMI’s Nashville-based Partnerships and Events department.

Williams first began working at BMI in the late 1970s in the company’s mailroom.  He then began his journey in music publishing, becoming one of Nashville’s leading publishing figures, holding creative positions for several major publishing firms.  He returned to BMI in 1987 and rose to the position of Assistant Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations. Later, Williams was lured into the publishing world again, this time as President of the Nashville division of MCA Music Publishing, which flourished under his leadership.  He ultimately founded his own publishing company, Jody Williams Music, which was sold to olé Media Management, now Anthem Entertainment, when he returned to BMI once again.

Williams is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Country Music Association (CMA), and serves as a Trustee on the Board of Officers and Trustees of The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

A Nashville native, Williams resides in Nashville with his wife Karen, who he met in 1977 when they both worked at BMI.

Jon Langston’s ‘Now You Know’ EP Coming In October

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Jon Langston will release his six-song EP, Now You Know, on Oct. 25.

Langston performed his first sold-out headlining show at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works last week, which served as the official launch for his The Bird Dog Tour, named after his fan-voted fan club name. He is currently wrapping up a string of shows as part of Luke Bryan’s Sunset Repeat Tour.

Last year, Langston was announced as the first signing to Luke Bryan and UMG Nashville’s 32 Bridge Entertainment label.

Langston’s previous single “When It Comes To Loving You” reached No. 1 on the all-genre iTunes Chart, while his catalog has earned more than 400 million streams to date.

Now You Know EP Track List:
1. “Now You Know” (Jon Langston, Brad Clawson, Brock Berryhill)
2. “Dance Tonight” (Langston, Jody Stevens)
3. “When It Comes To Loving You” (Langston, Dan Isbell)
4. “Dial One Up” (Langston, Jody Stevens, Brett Tyler, Cole Taylor)
5. “Sunday Morning Heart” (Langston, Jonathan Singleton, Dan Isbell, Reid Isbell)
6. “Cigarettes & Me” (Langston, Dan Isbell, Monty Criswell)

Mark Your Calendar—September 2019

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Industry Events

September 4
TJ Martell Foundation Let’s Talk Event

September 8
2019 CCMA Awards at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, AB

September 11-15
AMERICANAFEST 2019

September 11
Americana Honors & Awards in Nashville

September 15-18
Ken Burns’ Country Music documentary airs on PBS from 7:00-9:00 p.m. CT

September 16
ASCAP Christian Music Awards 2019

September 17
2nd Annual Nashville Songwriter Awards at the Ryman Auditorium

September 20-21
iHeartRadio Music Festival at the T-Mobile Arena and the Las Vegas Festival Grounds

September 20-22
Music City Food+Wine Festival

September 21
Music Expo conference hosted by SAE Institute

September 21-22
Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tennessee

September 24-28
IBMA’s World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, North Carolina

September 26
IBMA Awards Show at 7:30 p.m. ET in Raleigh, North Carolina

 

Single Add Dates

September 1
The Shannon Woods Band/Trainwreck/Hilliard Entertainment, LLC

September 3
Eric Church/Monsters/EMI Records Nashville
Jessie G/Whatever This Is/Redneck Records
Jake Gill/These Boots/Probability Records

September 9
Luke Combs/Even Though I’m Leaving/River House Artists/Columbia Nashville

September 12
Aaron Watson/Country Radio/BIG Label Records

September 13
Stephan Hogan/Good As Us
Jillian Cardarelli/I Never Do This/Jillian Cardarelli Music

September 16
Noah Schnacky/I’ll Be The One/Big Machine Records
Shane Owens/Hard Luck Girl/Amerimonte Records
Drew Hale Band/Wicked Game/Oath Management

September 16
Chris Young/Drowning/RCA Records

September 30
CJ Solar/Coming My Way/Sea Gayle Records

 

Album Releases

September 6
The Highwomen/The Highwomen/Low Country Sound-Elektra Records

September 13
Brett Young/The Acoustic Sessions [EP]/BMLG Records
The Lumineers/III/Dualtone
Various/Country Music – A Film By Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) [2CD, 2LP and digital configurations]/Legacy
George Strait/Strait Out of the Box: Part 1 [Walmart re-issue]/MCA Records Nashville
Hailey Whitters/The Days

September 20
Brittany Howard/Jaime/ATO Records
Zac Brown Band/The Owl/BMG
Riley Green/Different ‘Round Here/BMLG Records
Colt Ford/We The People Volume 1/Average Joes Entertainment

September 27
Jon Pardi/Heartache Medication/Capitol Records Nashville