ASCAP At CMA Music Festival
Post Monroe with ASCAP’s Beth Brinker and Michael Martin
ASCAP hosted a variety of hit songwriters and up-and-coming writer-artists at this year’s CMA Music Festival. On Saturday, June 10, the 4th annual ASCAP Hit Songwriters Round at the HGTV Lodge featured reigning ASCAP Country Music Songwriter of the Year Ashley Gorley, reigning ASCAP Christian Music Songwriter of the Year Ben Glover, and hitmakers JT Harding and Brent Anderson. Later that afternoon, ASCAP presented hit writers Marc Beeson and Andy Albert on the Durango Music Spot stage at Fan Fair X inside Music City Center. On Sunday, ASCAP showcased rising songwriter-artists on the Music City Stage at the Nashville Visitor Center inside Bridgestone Arena Tower from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Featured artists included Anna Vaus, Martin McDaniel, Sarah Allison Turner, Dorado, Lucas Hoge, Brandon Ratcliff, Crooked King, Raquel Cole, Adam Hambrick and Post Monroe.
APA Signs Casey James, Holds Open House Party During CMA Music Festival
Pictured (L-R): Scott Brown, David Corlew, Stephen Sutherland and Karrigan Shields attend APA Nashville’s open house at One Nashville Place on June 6, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for APA
APA Nashville has signed singer-songwriter Casey James, who finished in third place on the ninth season of Fox’s American Idol in 2010. The Texas native independently released his album, Strip It Down, on Friday, June 9.
The agency also kicked off CMA week with their “360 Annual Pre-Fest Gathering” at their downtown Nashville headquarters on June 6. The happy hour hosted music industry managers, publicists, talent executives, brand partners, TV/film executives and producers, as well as artists including: Crystal Bowersox, Jim Brickman, Brennley Brown, Lee Greenwood, James, Josh Martin, Mee Tracy McCormick, Hudson Moore, Hailey Orrantia, Ron Pope, Royal Teeth, Jim Scholten (Sawyer Brown), Scooter Brown Band, Shenandoah, Street Corner Symphony, and Hailey Whitters.
BMI Hosts Acoustic Brunch Rooftop Performance
Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Bradley Collins, artist Ashley McBryde, Deep Eddy’s Nathan Way and BMI’s Jody Williams. Photo: Erika Goldring
BMI hosted an acoustic brunch rooftop performance June 7 to officially kick off the CMA Fest weekend in Nashville. With CMA Fest performer Ashley McBryde and Bonnaroo veterans Boy Named Banjo, the early afternoon concert marked the start of a busy weekend in the city. An exclusive group of industry VIPs was treated to top-notch performances backed by a views of the city and a Bloody Mary bar courtesy of Deep Eddy Vodka.
Musicians On Call Celebrates Chicago Expansion
Pictured (L-R): Pete Griffin, Musicians On Call President; Lindsay Ell; Steve Stewart, iHeartRadio’s Big 95.5 Program Director and Mid-day On Air Talent; Kevin O’Toole, Musicians On Call Board Member. Photo: Troy Gueno, iHeartRadio
Musicians On Call kicked off its Chicago launch with a special celebration featuring Stoney Creek Records recording artist Lindsay Ell. The event, presented by Genentech, a member of the Roche group, was held at Joe’s Bar on Weed Street and hosted by iHeartRadio’s Big 95.5 Program Director and Mid-day On Air Talent, Steve Stewart.
Taste of Country Festival Draws Record Crowd For 2017
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto credit: Patrick Tewey /Taste of Country Music Festival
The 5th Annual Taste of Country Music Festival hosted a record 56,000-plus fans over its three-day run June 9-11 at Hunter Mountain Resort in New York.
The star-packed lineup for this year’s festival included headliners Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert, and also featured Chris Young, Kip Moore, Tyler Farr, Maren Morris, Joe Nichols, Maddie & Tae, Cody Johnson, RaeLynn, and a host of rising new artists as well. Sam Hunt had to cancel his scheduled Sunday performance at the festival due to illness.
Photo credit: Joshua Timmermans/ Taste of Country Music Festival
Nashville Chamber Of Commerce Announces Emerging Leader Award Finalists
/by Lorie HollabaughThe NELAs program also includes the YP Nashville Impact Award, which honors a business leader making a significant impact in terms of community leadership and professional development of Nashville’s YPs and YP organizations. The 2017 Impact Award winner is Mary Ann McCready, president and founding owner of Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy.
More than 800 nominations from the business community were received for the NELAs this year, and a committee comprised of a diverse group of community leaders and experts within each industry selected the finalists based on their answers to essay questions, level of professional achievement, demonstrated leadership and community impact.
The Top 5 Finalist in the Arts, Entertainment and Music Business for 2017 are:
Arts, Entertainment and Music Business
ASCAP, YouTube Ink Voluntary Deal For U.S. Performance Rights
/by Jessica NicholsonThe deal combines ASCAP’s database of 10.5 million musical works with YouTube’s data exchange to aid in identifying songwriter, composer and publisher works on YouTube. The agreement is retroactive, allowing ASCAP to be compensated for content streamed on YouTube since the company’s 2013 deal to operate on a compulsory interim license with ASCAP.
ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews said, “This agreement achieves two important ASCAP goals – it will yield substantially higher overall compensation for our members from YouTube and will continue to propel ASCAP’s ongoing transformation strategy to lead the industry toward more accurate and reliable data. The ultimate goal is to ensure that more money goes to the songwriters, composers and publishers whose creative works fuel the digital music economy.”
“YouTube is dedicated to ensuring artists, publishers and songwriters are fairly compensated,” said Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music at YouTube. “As YouTube delivers more revenue to the music industry through a combination of subscription and advertising revenue, it’s great to see ASCAP take a progressive approach towards the long term financial success of its members.”
Creative Nation Promotes Two
/by Jessica NicholsonJeff Skaggs and Kelsey Granda
Nashville-based music company Creative Nation has promoted Jeff Skaggs to VP, Creative and Kelsey Granda to Sr. Director, Creative Administration of the music publishing division. In his role, Skaggs will help oversee all publishing responsibilities including songwriters’ calendars, pitching songs, signing and developing writers and artists and continuing to diversify and grow CN’s publishing roster. In her role, Granda will handle all creative administration for CN writers including demo booking and billing, production coordination, writer calendar bookings, WRIOS software development, catalog management and overseeing CN events.
“Jeff and Kelsey are the cornerstones of Creative Nation publishing. They are outstanding, not only at their jobs, but because they go above and beyond in their roles. More importantly, they are passionate about our songwriters and are the type of people I want to hustle alongside. Our greatest asset is our people,” says Creative Nation co-founder & CEO, Beth Laird.
Sheryl Crow Adds Farm Aid, Iridium Taping To Fall Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto credit: Marc Seliger
Sheryl Crow has announced additional dates on her tour in support of her latest album Be Myself which will include appearances at Wolf Trap, Chastain Park, Willie Nelson’s Farm Aid, and a special club show at the Iridium in New York which will be filmed for the PBS concert series “Front and Center.” She is also a special guest on Nelson’s Outlaw Tour this Summer and Fall as well.
Crow is also releasing a video for her new song “Halfway There” today which was shot in Nashville and Los Angeles and directed by filmmaker Gus Black. The video features a cameo from Gary Clark Jr. who also plays leads guitar on the track. She’ll perform the song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on June 27.
Crow describes the essence of the song as “…even though you may drive a big Chevy truck and I drive my hybrid, or you may wear designer clothes and I wear ripped jeans, that doesn’t mean we don’t want the same things in life and the same things for our kids in the future. The message is we need to agree to disagree and just try and meet halfway there.”
Industry Pics: SESAC, Sony Music Nashville, Tucker Beathard, Luke Bryan
/by Jessica NicholsonSESAC Celebrates With Paul Shaffer, Michael Tyler During CMA Music Festival
SESAC EVP of Creative and Business Affairs Dennis Lord gives Paul Shaffer a warm welcome prior to Shaffer’s (and The World’s Most Dangerous Band) performance at the Ryman Auditorium on Friday, June 9.
Pictured (L-R): Paul Shaffer, Dennis Lord
SESAC affiliate Michael Tyler performed for enthusiastic fans at the Radio Disney Stage in the Music City Center during CMA Fest. Tyler also stayed after the 5 p.m. closing time to finish his meet and greet with fans.
Michael Tyler
Sony Nashville’s Ryan Hurd Celebrates Add Day For “Love In A Bar”
Ryan Hurd stopped by the Sony Music Nashville offices on add day for his latest single, “Love In A Bar.” Hurd’s four-track, self-titled EP also includes “We Do Us,” “City Girl” and “Hold You Back,” and is a preview for Hurd’s upcoming full-length project.
Pictured (L-R): Mark Gray, Triple 8; George Courie, Triple 8; Nicole Walden, SMN; Liz Sledge, SMN; Ryan Hurd; Matt Galvin, SMN; Dennis Reese SMN
Tucker Beathard Makes Bonnaroo Debut
BMLG artist Tucker Beathard made his debut at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival’s Who Stage this year on June 11. Prior to his performance, he joined Ed Helms, Margo Price, Ethan Gruska, Philipp Bausch and Aaron Lee Tasjan for a panel discussion (hosted by Andy Langer) reflecting on playing the annual festival. Earlier in the week, Beathard took part in the first Wrecking Ball 2017 event in Nashville on June 7.
Tucker Beathard at Bonnaroo. Photo: Kevin Grace
Luke Bryan Performs Before Stanley Cup Final Game 6
Luke Bryan opened the television broadcast of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final on Sunday with a performance from the rooftop of Tootsie’s World Famous Orchid Lounge on Broadway in Nashville, in front of 60,000 fans.
Luke Bryan performs atop Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge. Photo: Bev Moser/Moments By Moser
Alexandria Hardy Promoted To GM At ‘MusicRow’ Reporting Station KYYK
/by Jessica NicholsonAlexandria Hardy
Alexandria Hardy has been promoted to General Manager for Palestine, Texas station KYYK, a MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart reporting station. Her duties also include overseeing operations for KYYK 98.3, KNET 1450AM/95.7 FM in Palestine, KKHA 92.5 in Bay City, and KBYC 104.5 in Bay City.
Hardy has been with Tomlinson Leis Communications for seven years. Since her hiring in 2010, she has worked as Billing Director, Traffic Director, On-Air Personality, Music Director and Office Manager. She was selected for the Rusty Walker Scholarship for the 2017 Country Radio Seminar, and attended the Texas Association of Broadcasters Annual Convention and Trade Show in 2015.
Hardy, 28, looks forward to growing her stations and bringing quality music to her community.
Craig Morgan’s ‘American Stories’ Tour To Launch This Fall
/by Lorie HollabaughThe limited-engagement tour kicks off in late September in Virginia and wraps on Veterans Day, and tickets go on sale Friday, June 16 at CraigMorgan.com. Twelve shows have been announced with additional dates and guests to be added in the coming weeks.
“I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to play massive arenas in front of thousands upon thousands of people but there is something really special about these smaller, intimate shows where I’m sitting onstage with my guitar and sharing stories from my heart,” said Morgan. “I’m bringing out guests and we’re talking and singing and telling stories about our country and God and family and all the things that are important to us.”
As Operation FINALLY HOME’s 2017 Ambassador, Morgan has partnered with the national non-profit to provide mortgage-free homes to veterans and their families from select dates during the 2017 tour.
Operation FINALLY HOME Welcomes “American Stories Tour” Dates:
Sept. 29* Hopewell, VA The Beacon Theatre
Sept. 30* Frederick, MD^ Weinberg Center for the Arts
Oct. 6** Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre
Oct. 7 ** Louisville, KY The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts Brown Theatre
Oct. 8 ** Saint Charles, IL Arcada Theatre
Oct. 12*** Redmond, OR Bank of the Cascades Event Center
Oct. 13 *** Everett, WA The Historic Everett Theatre
Oct. 14 *** Boise, ID Revolution Center
Oct. 15 *** Red Bluff, CA^ State Theatre for the Arts
Nov. 9 **** Atlanta, GA The Buckhead Theatre
Nov. 10 **** Birmingham, AL The Lyric Theatre
Nov. 11 **** Nashville, TN City Winery
*with special guest Mac Powell and Aly Beaird
** with special guests Mac Powell, Aly Beaird and Clint Romesha
***with special guests Mac Powell, Aly Beaird, Taya Kyle and Marla Cannon-Goodman
****with special guests Aly Beaird and Phil O’Donnell
^tickets on sale at a later date
Weekly Register: Luke Combs Debuts With No. 1 Country Album
/by Jessica NicholsonLuke Combs. Photo: Matthew Berinato
Luke Combs debuts at No. 1 on the Nielsen Soundscan country albums rankings with his River House/Columbia Nashville album This One’s For You, which moved 35K (43K total consumption) this week.
Chris Stapleton follows with From A Room selling 23K units.
Zac Brown Band‘s Welcome Home is at No. 3, with 14K, followed by Stapleton’s Traveller at No. 4, with 8.1K.
Wheeler Walker Jr.‘s Ol Wheeler debuts at No. 5 with 7.8K.
On the digital tracks sales chart, Sam Hunt‘s “Body Like A Back Road” is again at No. 1, with 47K. The track is now at 1.102 million sold.
Brett Young‘s “In Case You Didn’t Know” is at No. 2, with 44K, followed by Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood‘s “The Fighter” at No. 3, with 26K.
Thomas Rhett (ft. Maren Morris)’s “Craving You” is at No. 4 with 20K, with Luke Combs‘ “Hurricane” rounding out the Top 5 with 17K this week.
This week’s top debut track is Kelsea Ballerini’s “Legends,” which released June 7 and lands at No. 18 on the country rankings, with 9.1K. Danielle Bradbery also debut a new track, “Sway,” which lands at No. 23 country, selling 8K.
Information provided courtesy of Nielsen Soundscan.
Industry Ink: ASCAP, APA, BMI, Musicians On Call
/by Jessica NicholsonASCAP At CMA Music Festival
Post Monroe with ASCAP’s Beth Brinker and Michael Martin
ASCAP hosted a variety of hit songwriters and up-and-coming writer-artists at this year’s CMA Music Festival. On Saturday, June 10, the 4th annual ASCAP Hit Songwriters Round at the HGTV Lodge featured reigning ASCAP Country Music Songwriter of the Year Ashley Gorley, reigning ASCAP Christian Music Songwriter of the Year Ben Glover, and hitmakers JT Harding and Brent Anderson. Later that afternoon, ASCAP presented hit writers Marc Beeson and Andy Albert on the Durango Music Spot stage at Fan Fair X inside Music City Center. On Sunday, ASCAP showcased rising songwriter-artists on the Music City Stage at the Nashville Visitor Center inside Bridgestone Arena Tower from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Featured artists included Anna Vaus, Martin McDaniel, Sarah Allison Turner, Dorado, Lucas Hoge, Brandon Ratcliff, Crooked King, Raquel Cole, Adam Hambrick and Post Monroe.
APA Signs Casey James, Holds Open House Party During CMA Music Festival
Pictured (L-R): Scott Brown, David Corlew, Stephen Sutherland and Karrigan Shields attend APA Nashville’s open house at One Nashville Place on June 6, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for APA
APA Nashville has signed singer-songwriter Casey James, who finished in third place on the ninth season of Fox’s American Idol in 2010. The Texas native independently released his album, Strip It Down, on Friday, June 9.
The agency also kicked off CMA week with their “360 Annual Pre-Fest Gathering” at their downtown Nashville headquarters on June 6. The happy hour hosted music industry managers, publicists, talent executives, brand partners, TV/film executives and producers, as well as artists including: Crystal Bowersox, Jim Brickman, Brennley Brown, Lee Greenwood, James, Josh Martin, Mee Tracy McCormick, Hudson Moore, Hailey Orrantia, Ron Pope, Royal Teeth, Jim Scholten (Sawyer Brown), Scooter Brown Band, Shenandoah, Street Corner Symphony, and Hailey Whitters.
BMI Hosts Acoustic Brunch Rooftop Performance
Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Bradley Collins, artist Ashley McBryde, Deep Eddy’s Nathan Way and BMI’s Jody Williams. Photo: Erika Goldring
BMI hosted an acoustic brunch rooftop performance June 7 to officially kick off the CMA Fest weekend in Nashville. With CMA Fest performer Ashley McBryde and Bonnaroo veterans Boy Named Banjo, the early afternoon concert marked the start of a busy weekend in the city. An exclusive group of industry VIPs was treated to top-notch performances backed by a views of the city and a Bloody Mary bar courtesy of Deep Eddy Vodka.
Musicians On Call Celebrates Chicago Expansion
Pictured (L-R): Pete Griffin, Musicians On Call President; Lindsay Ell; Steve Stewart, iHeartRadio’s Big 95.5 Program Director and Mid-day On Air Talent; Kevin O’Toole, Musicians On Call Board Member. Photo: Troy Gueno, iHeartRadio
Musicians On Call kicked off its Chicago launch with a special celebration featuring Stoney Creek Records recording artist Lindsay Ell. The event, presented by Genentech, a member of the Roche group, was held at Joe’s Bar on Weed Street and hosted by iHeartRadio’s Big 95.5 Program Director and Mid-day On Air Talent, Steve Stewart.