Front row (L-R): Co-chair Ali Harnell; honorees Rod Essig, Janet Miller, Dr. Joseph Smith, Scott Hamilton and Louis Messina; Co-chair Danielle Bouharoun and Kimberly Williams Paisley; Back row (L-R): Shawn Parr, Clare Bowen, Frankie Ballard, Charles Esten, Tommy Shaw, John Huie, Kelsea Ballerini, Charlie Daniels, George Strait, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, Will Evankovich, Joel Katz, Storme Warren, Tracie Hamilton, Brad Paisley and the T.J. Martell Foundation’s Laura Heatherly attend the 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala at Omni Hotel on February 27, 2017 (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation) [Click photo to enlarge]
Four decades ago, music executive Tony Martell set out on a mission to raise a million dollars for cancer research. His teenage son, T.J., had made the request before dying from leukemia. Tony had no fundraising experience, but he rallied friends including Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, and hosted an event that raised $50,000.
Tony Martell died in November 2016, but last night (Feb. 27) his mission continued with the 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Warner Music Nashville Chairman/CEO John Esposito led a tribute to Martell, recounting their friendship and the organization’s beginning. “The torch has been passed to us,” he said, challenging the crowd assembled at the Omni Hotel to make 2017 the “Year of Tony” with record-setting fundraising. While a slideshow of Martell played, Frankie Ballard performed “Helluva Life.”
Last night’s event added $535,000 to the fund for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research, totaling over $3 million raised by the dinner since 2009. The evening was co-chaired by Ali Harnell and Danielle Bouharoun. Boosting the total was a live auction hosted by Storme Warren and Shawn Parr, with top items including a trip to Las Vegas to see concerts by George Strait, and Reba with Brooks & Dunn, which brought in $20,000.
“Friends are continuing on with Tony’s life’s work,” said Master of Ceremonies actor Charles Esten, who credits organizations like Martell for his daughter surviving leukemia at age 2. Today she is in high school. Noting that his character on Nashville has had a rough week with the onscreen passing of “Rayna,” Esten brought out fellow Nashville star Clare Bowen. She performed “Love Steps In” and talked about how she and her brother are cancer survivors. “We were both given two weeks to live—me when I was four and he when he was 25,” she said.
Brad Paisley presents Scott Hamilton with the Lifetime Humanitarian Award at the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Charlie Daniels presented the Medical Research Advancement Award to his urologist, Dr. Joseph Smith. Daniels discussed the doctor’s important work in third-world countries, adding, “What Dr. Smith does is truly an art.”
Brad Paisley honored longtime friend and figure skater Scott Hamilton with the Lifetime Humanitarian Award. “This is a man who spends every waking minute thinking about making the world a better place,” said the singer, who performed “Today” in tribute.
Esten said, “Imagine having an Olympic gold medal be the prelude to your life’s work.”
Since his first diagnosis in the 1980s, Hamilton has been a major advocate in the fight against cancer. He currently has his third brain tumor, and maintains an inspiring, positive outlook. “Every great thing that exists in my life is because I had cancer,” he told the audience.
Eric Church, Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award recipient Louis Messina, and Katherine Church attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Mayor Megan Barry honored good friend Janet Miller with the Spirit of Nashville Award, noting that she is a key figure in the city’s economic development, transportation and civic initiatives. In her honor, Kelsea Ballerini performed “Peter Pan.”
John Huie, President of the Southern Region T.J. Martell board, saluted his CAA co-head Rod Essig with the Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award. Tommy Shaw of Styx played “Blue Collar Man” in tribute. Huie spoke about Essig’s passion and dedication to his career, and his keen communication skills. “He’s probably going to pass away with a phone stuck to his head,” joked Huie.
Essig recalled that the late Frances Preston once told him, “To lead is to serve,” and discussed his rewarding involvement with the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital board. “When I look at this award, I see nothing but ‘team,’” he summed.
Eric Church, George Strait, and Kenny Chesney attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Louis Messina, recipient of the Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award, wanted to be in the music business since seeing an Elvis concert at age 7. Messina attributed his career success to “six-degrees of George Strait.” Through his work with Strait, and subsequent tours, he met then-rising stars Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
Strait saluted Messina with his song “Troubadour” and talked about their huge concerts together. Glancing at the crowd, Strait joked, “In fact, I thought there’d be more people here.” Strait and presenter Chesney spoke about Messina’s hard work, dedication to artists, encouragement, big ideas and friendship.
Messina reminded the audience about how it all started, with Tony Martell. “His dreams changed people’s lives and his spirit will always be with us,” he said.
Scott Hamilton and George Strait attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Kenny Chesney, Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award recipient Louis Messina, and George Strait during the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Award recipients Louis Messina, Rod Essig, Janet Miller, Joseph Smith, M.D., and Scott Hamilton attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Kelsea Ballerini and Chris Young attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Kane Brown Says Fans ‘Have My Back,’ Talks Collaboration With Lauren Alaina
/by Jessica NicholsonKane Brown with MusicRow owner/publisher Sherod Robertson
In 2014, then-unknown Kane Brown began covering hits by Brantley Gilbert, George Strait, and Chris Young, uploading homemade performance videos to Facebook from his bedroom. His rich country voice quickly caught the attention of fans. A video for his rendition of George Strait’s “Check Yes Or No” garnered over seven million views, while a clip of Brown performing Lonestar’s “Amazed” earned more than 6 million views.
The response from fans emboldened Brown to upload his own original music to social media, a move that ultimately led Brown to write his six-song EP Closer, which he released independently in 2015. Around that time, Brown also began working with marketing exec Jay Frank, and soon after, his current manager Martha Earls.
Fast-forward to early 2016, when Brown signed with Sony Music Nashville’s RCA Nashville imprint, and began working on his debut major EP, Chapter 1, and his full-length, self-titled album. Though Brown co-wrote seven of the 11 tracks for the album, he recalls his first writing session had a less than enthusiastic start.
“Honestly, the first write I had in Nashville—and he’s my boy so I’m not bashing him—was Josh Hoge,” Brown said during a visit to the MusicRow office. “I went in and we were sitting on the couch, and he said, ‘Honestly, I didn’t even want to write with you.’
“He was like, ‘What do you want to write today?’ I had this title ‘Used To Love You Sober,’ so he helped a lot with the imagery. I came up with the lyrics and after that, I put it on Facebook and saw how well it did. He just fell in love with the song. He was like, ‘Yeah, we’ve got to keep writing.’ We wrote like four more songs after that. Kent [Earls, with Universal Music Publishing Group] is good at putting me with people I can relate to.”
Two of those Hoge co-writes, “Used To Love You Sober” and “Thunder In The Rain,” ended up being two of Brown’s most successful singles to date. Hoge also co-wrote “Comeback” for the full-length album. Brown says he hopes to include another of those Hoge co-writes on a future album.
Kane Brown performs during a visit to the MusicRow office.
Another of the standout tracks on Brown’s debut major label project, “Cold Spot,” was penned with Nashville luminaries Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin. Brown recalls the writing process had a distinctly retro, homey feel.
“Everyone I’ve written with are track guys and have the track ready before you go in. With [Tom and Allen], I told them I had this title and he just wrote a story before we had any instrumentals, and then we put it with music. They didn’t use computers. It was cool,” said Brown. “Tom made sandwiches for us during the write.”
Making his music available on social media, and taking the time to engage with his fan base on sites like Facebook have garnered the rising star an ardent following, one that is both supportive and protective of the young singer.
“You got to feed off that energy,” Brown says. “There are a couple of people that hate, but then you’ve got the hundreds of followers that love you,” says Brown, who takes the high road against detractors.
“I’ll either kill them with kindness or I won’t comment,” says Brown. Many times, he doesn’t need to comment. His fanbase has no qualms about responding for him.
“There was one time someone was hating and I was the first comment and I just said, ‘You did it to yourself.’ And then there were like 400 comments from everyone bashing that person. Later, I saw that person changed their name, made their account private, changed their profile picture and deleted the comment. It’s cool. They all have my back.”
Kane Brown with MusicRow staffers.
While Brown has garnered a gold single with “Used To Love You Sober,” his latest single features fellow rising country artist, and Brown’s former choir partner at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School in Georgia, Lauren Alaina.
Brown co-wrote “What Ifs” with Jordan Schmidt and Matthew McGinn.
“That song took a while to write,” Brown recalls. “Then we needed someone to sing background vocals. I was texting Lauren Alaina that day and asked her to come over. She came in and sang in her workout clothes before she went to workout. She just amplified the song by 10 with her vocals so we went to Universal and asked if we could keep her on there. It was something I always wanted to do, is have her on a song.”
Brown says it is not the first time the two have collaborated musically. “We did ‘I Can Only Imagine’ as a duet. That was before I hit puberty, though,” he said, laughing.
He says Alaina’s success as runner-up on Season 10 of American Idol inspired him to try the reality singing competition route before finding success via social media.
“They told me they didn’t need another Scotty McCreery,” Brown says. “Honestly, seeing her, they brought her back home for a parade, she really inspired me. Our hometown says ‘Home of Lauren Alaina,’ and I’m in a Sharpie beside the name.” he said laughing.
Brown and Alaina are both Academy of Country Music Award nominees this year, nominated for New Male Vocalist of the Year and New Female Vocalist of the Year, respectively.
“It would be awesome if we both won that.”
Jameson Peach Jam To Celebrate Georgia Hitmakers On March 21
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Georgia Music Foundation and Jameson® Irish Whiskey have announced the “Jameson Peach Jam,” a celebration of Georgia’s hitmakers at The George Jones Rooftop Bar in Nashville on Tuesday, March 21, beginning at 7:30 p.m. CT.
The “Jameson Peach Jam” is the official kick-off for the “Fourth Annual Jameson Irish Whiskey Presents Georgia On My Mind” benefit concert hosted by the Peach Pickers songwriters (Dallas Davidson, Ben Hayslip and Rhett Akins), slated for Tuesday, May 16 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
“Adding a second night of Georgia-bred music in Nashville was a direct result of the popularity and success of ‘Georgia On My Mind,'” said Davidson, who is also a chair of the Georgia Music Foundation. “There’s so much homegrown talent in Georgia that our Ryman show could go all night, but instead we are partnering with our friends at Jameson to create a second event spotlighting Peach State songwriters and one of Jameson’s emerging artists.”
Songwriters participating in the “Jameson Peach Jam” include Pat Alger, Tony Arata, Trea Landon, Jon Langston, Cole Taylor, and special guests.
Tickets for the “Jameson Peach Jam” cost $10 and proceeds benefit the Georgia Music Foundation. Tickets are available now via xorbia.com/events/georgiamusicfoundation/jameson-peach-jam.
Gyrosity Projects Expands Nashville Team
/by Lorie HollabaughDigital marketing company Gyrosity Projects has expanded their Nashville-based office with seven new employees.
Casey Mahlon and Maddie Menendez join the company from Girlilla Marketing and will focus on music, lifestyle and brand marketing as Account Managers along with Appalachian State grad Jonathan Stout. Belmont alum Shelby Wall joins the firm as Creative Director.
Gyrosity’s new web application Crosshair has added Northwestern University grad Curtis McCabe as Client Relations Liaison and Vanderbilt University alum Alessandra Nunez as Influencer Relations Liaison. Additionally, Kennesaw State graduate Will Deisley joins the team as New Business Representative.
“We’re proud to have built a team all under the age of 30 in just 18 months. We’re raising the standard of digital marketing services — from simple social media management to being a primary driver of new growth for artists, businesses and more. In the end, it’s all about achieving goals for our clients,” says Gyrosity Projects CEO Garrison Snell, who graduated from Belmont University in 2015.
CMT Garners Big Ratings Week With ‘Nashville’ and ‘Sun Records’
/by Lorie HollabaughThe highly anticipated premiere of Sun Records also got off to a strong start, giving the network its most watched night of CMT originals in the channel’s history. The premiere attracted nearly 3 million fans for a gross rating of .97 Adults 18-49 across premiere night airings on CMT, TV Land and Nick at Nite. The debut performed well with both adults and women garnering a 1.13 with Adults 25-54 and 1.32 with Women 25-54 and 1.15 with Women 18-49. On CMT, the premiere attracted 1.6 million fans and averaged a strong .52 Adults 18-49 rating. With adults the episode earned a .61 Adults 25-54 and .68 with Women 25-54 and .57 with Women 18-49.
The successful premieres come on the heels of overall ratings growth for the network, with original premieres on CMT pacing up 46 percent among Adults 18-49 and 73 percent among Women 18-49 versus a year ago. Total day ratings are up 27 percent with Adults 18-49 and 31 percent with Women 18-49.
“Our strategy of attracting new, diverse viewers by leaning into music-based storytelling is working,” said Brian Philips, President of CMT. “Not only did we convert Nashville viewers to Sun Records, fans, but we’re seeing a ratings lift across the entire schedule, proof that CMT is becoming a daily destination for new viewers.”
Industry Ink: Wade Hayes, Steve Wariner, Lindi Ortega, Songbirds Museum Shows
/by Lorie HollabaughWade Hayes Hosts ‘Country Hits Back’ Cancer Research Benefit
Wade Hayes will host the 2nd Annual “Country Hits Back” benefit March 7 at the Franklin Theatre which will help raise funds for research at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) where Hayes was treated. He was only 42 when he was diagnosed with advanced (Stage IV) colon cancer, which is the No. 2 cancer killer of men and women in the United States. One of Hayes’ VICC physicians was Jordan Berlin, M.D., Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and Co-Leader of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Research Program at VICC.
Randy Owen and Trace Lawrence will join Hayes on the show. Details and ticket information can be found at franklintheatre.com
Steve Wariner Signs With Live Arts And Attractions
Steve Wariner has joined the roster at Live Arts and Attractions for booking representation. “I couldn’t be more excited to be working with Steve and to represent his newest show.” said agency General Manager, Dan Mann. “I know him to be one of the finest guitar players in the world and a legendary songwriter. Now I get to represent his show that puts all those talents and more on display.”
Wariner recently released a new album, All Over The Map.
Lindi Ortega Makes A SESAC Stop
Songbirds Museum Hosts April Concerts
The Songbirds Guitar Museum in Chattanooga, which houses the world’s largest private collection of rare, vintage guitars, will be hosting several live shows in the newly-opened museum’s performance space. April shows will include the boundless California Guitar Trio, classical guitarist Michael McCallie, and surf music phenomenon guitarist Dick Dale. The museum and event site is located on the campus of the world famous Chattanooga Choo Choo, and general admission tickets are now on sale at SongbirdsGuitars.com.
Nashville Music Startup Dart Music Files For Chapter 11 Reorganization
/by Jessica NicholsonDart, which launched in 2015, was among the startups in the inaugural class for Project Music, an incubator for music technology startups, housed in the Nashville Entrepreneur Center.
Dart is the first automated platform for independent classical musicians to upload and distribute their music directly to iTunes, Spotfy, Amazon, and more. The services allows musicians to pay a low flat fee, upload their music for digital distribution to online stores, and be able to sell their music without paying royalty fees.
Dart’s Board of Directors, which includes McMurtry, Nashville technology entrepreneur Mark Montgomery, and veteran Nashville music industry executive Joe Galante, approved the Chapter 11 reorganization. Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP is serving as Dart’s legal advisors in the restructuring.
The process allows Dart to continue normal business operations while restructuring the company’s finances and contractual relationships.
“We worked hard to avoid this step,” said McMurtry. “Over the last several months, we’ve attempted to restructure the obligations on our 6% Convertible Promissory Notes. Despite being presented with a number of attractive scenarios to restructure outside of Chapter 11, certain of those note holders have refused to reach an agreement with the company that would allow it to reach new heights by providing it with the short-term liquidity necessary to achieve its objectives. It’s become clear that this process has reached an impasse and that any further delay would unnecessarily waste valuable resources of the company. Our filing today is a result of our loss of revenue during the past several quarters associated with the normal ebbs and flows experienced by start-up companies, combined with the reality that our negotiating efforts with our note holders shows no apparent prospect of a near term resolution.”
“The company, our employees, partners, creditors, and shareholders will be best served by an orderly, court-supervised restructuring,” McMurtry continued. “We filed with a strong core business and the liquidity resources necessary to carry out our restructuring plan. Our restructuring will maintain Dart as the leading provider of metadata services globally. We believe this action will allow us to restore our company and take it to new heights.”
According to a statement, as Dart Music navigates the Chapter 11 process, the business will continue to provide wages, healthcare and other benefits to its associates, fund its 401(k) contributions, and pay suppliers and vendors for the good sand services it receives throughout the restructuring process.
The Stars Align For T.J. Martell 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala
/by contributorFront row (L-R): Co-chair Ali Harnell; honorees Rod Essig, Janet Miller, Dr. Joseph Smith, Scott Hamilton and Louis Messina; Co-chair Danielle Bouharoun and Kimberly Williams Paisley; Back row (L-R): Shawn Parr, Clare Bowen, Frankie Ballard, Charles Esten, Tommy Shaw, John Huie, Kelsea Ballerini, Charlie Daniels, George Strait, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, Will Evankovich, Joel Katz, Storme Warren, Tracie Hamilton, Brad Paisley and the T.J. Martell Foundation’s Laura Heatherly attend the 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala at Omni Hotel on February 27, 2017 (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation) [Click photo to enlarge]
Four decades ago, music executive Tony Martell set out on a mission to raise a million dollars for cancer research. His teenage son, T.J., had made the request before dying from leukemia. Tony had no fundraising experience, but he rallied friends including Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington, and hosted an event that raised $50,000.
Tony Martell died in November 2016, but last night (Feb. 27) his mission continued with the 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Warner Music Nashville Chairman/CEO John Esposito led a tribute to Martell, recounting their friendship and the organization’s beginning. “The torch has been passed to us,” he said, challenging the crowd assembled at the Omni Hotel to make 2017 the “Year of Tony” with record-setting fundraising. While a slideshow of Martell played, Frankie Ballard performed “Helluva Life.”
Last night’s event added $535,000 to the fund for leukemia, cancer and AIDS research, totaling over $3 million raised by the dinner since 2009. The evening was co-chaired by Ali Harnell and Danielle Bouharoun. Boosting the total was a live auction hosted by Storme Warren and Shawn Parr, with top items including a trip to Las Vegas to see concerts by George Strait, and Reba with Brooks & Dunn, which brought in $20,000.
“Friends are continuing on with Tony’s life’s work,” said Master of Ceremonies actor Charles Esten, who credits organizations like Martell for his daughter surviving leukemia at age 2. Today she is in high school. Noting that his character on Nashville has had a rough week with the onscreen passing of “Rayna,” Esten brought out fellow Nashville star Clare Bowen. She performed “Love Steps In” and talked about how she and her brother are cancer survivors. “We were both given two weeks to live—me when I was four and he when he was 25,” she said.
Brad Paisley presents Scott Hamilton with the Lifetime Humanitarian Award at the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Charlie Daniels presented the Medical Research Advancement Award to his urologist, Dr. Joseph Smith. Daniels discussed the doctor’s important work in third-world countries, adding, “What Dr. Smith does is truly an art.”
Brad Paisley honored longtime friend and figure skater Scott Hamilton with the Lifetime Humanitarian Award. “This is a man who spends every waking minute thinking about making the world a better place,” said the singer, who performed “Today” in tribute.
Esten said, “Imagine having an Olympic gold medal be the prelude to your life’s work.”
Since his first diagnosis in the 1980s, Hamilton has been a major advocate in the fight against cancer. He currently has his third brain tumor, and maintains an inspiring, positive outlook. “Every great thing that exists in my life is because I had cancer,” he told the audience.
Eric Church, Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award recipient Louis Messina, and Katherine Church attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Mayor Megan Barry honored good friend Janet Miller with the Spirit of Nashville Award, noting that she is a key figure in the city’s economic development, transportation and civic initiatives. In her honor, Kelsea Ballerini performed “Peter Pan.”
John Huie, President of the Southern Region T.J. Martell board, saluted his CAA co-head Rod Essig with the Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award. Tommy Shaw of Styx played “Blue Collar Man” in tribute. Huie spoke about Essig’s passion and dedication to his career, and his keen communication skills. “He’s probably going to pass away with a phone stuck to his head,” joked Huie.
Essig recalled that the late Frances Preston once told him, “To lead is to serve,” and discussed his rewarding involvement with the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital board. “When I look at this award, I see nothing but ‘team,’” he summed.
Eric Church, George Strait, and Kenny Chesney attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Louis Messina, recipient of the Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award, wanted to be in the music business since seeing an Elvis concert at age 7. Messina attributed his career success to “six-degrees of George Strait.” Through his work with Strait, and subsequent tours, he met then-rising stars Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.
Strait saluted Messina with his song “Troubadour” and talked about their huge concerts together. Glancing at the crowd, Strait joked, “In fact, I thought there’d be more people here.” Strait and presenter Chesney spoke about Messina’s hard work, dedication to artists, encouragement, big ideas and friendship.
Messina reminded the audience about how it all started, with Tony Martell. “His dreams changed people’s lives and his spirit will always be with us,” he said.
Scott Hamilton and George Strait attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Kenny Chesney, Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award recipient Louis Messina, and George Strait during the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Award recipients Louis Messina, Rod Essig, Janet Miller, Joseph Smith, M.D., and Scott Hamilton attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Kelsea Ballerini and Chris Young attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 9th Annual Nashville Honors Gala. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for T.J. Martell Foundation
Cam, William Michael Morgan, Michael Ray to Play BMI Key West Songwriters Festival
/by Lorie HollabaughThe kickoff concert at the Ocean Key Resort Sunset Pier will feature the Dylan Altman Blues Band with special guest Steve Cropper.
“We’re so thrilled to celebrate another great year of bringing top songwriters to Key West. It’s the perfect opportunity for folks to discover their next favorite performer singing alongside a cherished writer in some of the most fun venues in Florida,” says Mason Hunter, Executive Director of Partnerships and Events at BMI. “Charlie Bauer and the great folks at the Smokin’ Tuna Saloon has allowed us to elevate the festival to the next level, guaranteeing a one-of-a-kind and unforgettable experience for performers and attendees alike.”
Festival goers can attend more than 50 free shows featuring more than 200 songwriters during the event, with each day featuring free stages at the southernmost Beach Resort, a sunset show on the Pier House Resort beach, and shows at venues around the city including Sloppy Joe’s and the Green Parrot Bar. Other shows include the annual NSAI “Bluebird at Blue Heaven” show and a closing concert at the historic Casa Marina Resort.
Tickets for the festival will go on sale in mid-March. A complete listing of shows, venues, sponsoring hotels, local businesses, participating songwriters and more can be found at keywestsongwritersfestival.com.
Paula Abdul to Receive Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award From Music Biz
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto credit: Randall Slavin
The Music Business Association will present the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award to Paula Abdul on May 18 during the Music Biz convention’s awards luncheon at Nashville’s Renaissance Hotel.
Abdul is a spokesperson and advocate for many charitable organizations, including We.org, where she serves as an ambassador helping uplift and empower youth in cities all over the globe. She also partnered this year with Turnaround Arts, a program of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, to adopt a school in Brooklyn and help foster arts education in schools around the nation. And her work with Avon in 2014 as the Avon Global Ambassador for their international #CheckYourself digital campaign in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month yielded a campaign which garnered half a billion media impressions around the world.
“Paula’s efforts on behalf of youth empowerment, women’s health issues, and arts education are a prime example of what artists can do to give back to their community and the world,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “She has truly embraced the public platform that her massive success has provided to improve the lives of those around her. We are so pleased to recognize her with this Award and hope her example — as well as the continuing legacy of Harry Chapin — will remind everyone how important it is to donate time, energy, and influence to charitable causes.”
“I’ve been blessed to be able to do what I love for a living, but it’s helping others that really brings me the most joy,” said Abdul. “The work itself is the true reward, but I hope this recognition will bring further awareness to the causes I fight for and inspire others to do the same. My thanks to the Music Business Association. What an honor!”
Abdul joins a list of previous Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award winners that includes the T.J. Martell Foundation, Martina McBride, Dee Snider, Annie Lennox, Melissa Etheridge, Norman Lear, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Michael Jackson and Harry Chapin himself.
Old Dominion Celebrates Gold Certification For ‘Meat And Candy’
/by Troy_StephensonPictured: Front Row, seated (L-R): Old Dominion band members; Brad Tursi, Geoff Sprung, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Whit Sellers. Back Row (L-R): Caryl Healey (VP, Sales, SMN), Jim Catino (VP, A&R, SMN), Ken Robold (EVP & COO, SMN), Steve Hodges (EVP, Promotion & Artist Development, SMN), Will Hitchcock (Morris Higham Management), Randy Goodman (Chairman & CEO, SMN), Clint Higham (Morris Higham Management), John Zarling (EVP, Marketing & New Business, SMN), Taylor Lindsey (Director, A&R, SMN) [Click Photo To Enlarge]
Band members Matthew Ramsey, Brad Tursi, and Geoff Sprung were in the spirit of the event with gold glittered beards. Along with Trevor Rosen and Whit Sellers, the band was praised on stage by Sony Music Nashville CEO, Randy Goodman. “One of the first albums I listened to when I came back to work at Sony was Meat And Candy,” said Goodman.
He went on to list the certifications that the radio singles received. This included their first No. 1 single, “Break Up With Him,” which was certified platinum. “Snapback” went gold and was the most streamed song for Sony Nashville in 2016. Their latest single, “Song For Another Time,” was also certified gold.
The band was invited to the stage to be awarded their plaques for the gold certification of the album.
Ramsey stated that the band never expected this kind of success. “When you play music, you just want to be heard,” he said. “Thank you to everyone that listened.”
The band then surprised the guests with the name of their next single, “There’s No Such Thing As A Broken Heart.” It will be the first from their next album. The event concluded with the new single being played throughout the bar.