Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame members Sonny Curtis and Craig Wiseman will join hit songwriter Rodney Clawson for the next Hits From The Hall show.

The concert will take place Wednesday, May 25, at City Winery from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Tickets are $20 for downstairs seating and $30 for limited upstairs VIP seating. All seats are reserved and may be purchased at citywinery.com/nashville or by contacting the venue at (615) 324-1010.

Wiseman has written hits like “Live Like You Were Dying,” “The Good Stuff,” and “Believe.” Curtis has composed songs like “I Fought the Law,” “Love Is All Around” and “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.” Clawson’s credits include “I Saw God Today,” “Drunk on You” and “Sippin’ on Fire.”

Songwriter and Big Loud Records/Big Loud Shirt founder Craig Wiseman has added Kane Brown and Chris Lane as performers for his 12th Annual Stars For Second Harvest benefit concert, slated for Tuesday, June 7 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

They will join previously announced Grammy-winning songwriters Josh Osborne and Shane McAnally (“Follow Your Arrow”).

Press materials for the event also hint at a soon-to-be-announced guest headliner, touting “a star you would like to have a ‘Sangria’ with and one of the biggest Voices in country music.”

Tickets for the event are on sale for $35 and $55 and are available at Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, Ryman box office, Ryman.com, or by calling 800-745-3000.

“As a fellow songwriter, I couldn’t be happier to share the stage with some of the hottest songwriters in the business,” said Wiseman. “We promise to share stories, play some of our favorite hits and treat ticketholders to a memorable night.”

Proceeds from the concert benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in their efforts to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community. For more information, visit secondharvestmidtn.org.

Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani To Perform On Billboard Music Awards

Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani will make the awards show debut performance of “Go Ahead and Break My Heart” on the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, May 22. The song is from Shelton’s upcoming album, If I’m Honest, to be released on May 20.

The Billboard Music Awards will be broadcast live on ABC from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ludacris and Ciara will host the show. Ariana Grande is also scheduled to perform.

 

Montgomery Gentry Performs At Hits For The Homeless Benefit

Layman Lessons hosted a local benefit concert, Hits For The Homeless on Monday, May 9, featuring Montgomery Gentry. All proceeds raised went directly to Layman Lessons which supplies bottled water canteens, survival rescue blankets and food for the local homeless.

 

Clay Walker Teams With Joel Osteen To Aid Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund

Clay Walker has teamed with Houston mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston pastors Joel and Victoria Osteen of Lakewood Church to raise funds for Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund. A benefit concert will be held Friday, May 20 at 8 p.m. at Lakewood Church.

Individual donations will grant anyone entrance to the live concert. Viewers and others not in attendance will have the opportunity to give by texting HOUSTON to 91999, sending a check to the Greater Houston Community Foundation/Greater Houston Storm Relief Form, or donating by wire, money transfer, or credit card.

For more, visit houstonrecovers.org.

Merle Haggard‘s final studio recording, “Kern River Blues,” premieres on SiriusXM on Thursday, May 12.

During his final weeks, after Haggard was advised not to return to touring, he visited the studio to record songs he had written while in the hospital. His final song, “Kern River Blues,” recalls his memories of leaving Bakersfield in the late ’70s.

The song features Haggard’s son Ben on guitar, and was recorded at the legendary singer’s studio on Feb. 9.
After the song’s premiere on Willie Nelson’s SiriusXM channel Willie’s Roadhouse, the song will be available via iTunes and at merlehaggard.com. Ten percent of all proceeds from the sale of the song will go toward charities for the homeless.

Haggard died on his birthday, April 6, at the age of 79 after a long battle with pneumonia.

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM

Chapter 528

The Nashville chapter of The Recording Academy stages many events throughout the year, but I think it’s worth becoming a member because of its annual Grammy Block Party alone.

This fabulous event always showcases music from widely diverse genres, all of it first rate. On Tuesday evening (May 10), the Block Party more than matched its reputation in that department.

Opening the festivities was Belmont University student and pop singer-songwriter Brad Blackburn. He is the winner of this year’s Grammy U Songwriter Showdown competition. Hosts The Warren Brothers next offered a bevy of their songs, including the party-hearty anthem “Red Solo Cup.”

Then Nashville’s own Diarrhea Planet rocked hard. Chicago’s Jonathan McReynolds offered jazz-inflected urban and Christian tunes. The Grammy nominee records for the Nashville label Entertainment One.

Americana music great Jason Isbell turned in a gripping set. He suggested that the giant Grammy statues flanking the stage emitted a force field between them. Pure-voiced young country sensation Kelsea Ballerini now has three hits in her quiver, “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs” and “Peter Pan.” Sacred steel guitar superstar Robert Randolph was booked as the virtuoso closer.

The setting was just as fabulous as the sounds. The outdoor amphitheater at Cumberland Park on the East Bank of the river is a lovely place, and way underused. The Grammy Block Party moved there last year and returned due to the attendees’ rave reviews about the venue. Breezes from the river wafted through the crowd.

Tracy Gershon took credit for the fact that the predicted rain never materialized. She said she focused on there being a 60 percent chance of sun while everybody else was worried about a 40 percent chance of showers.

The drinks were free. So was the fabulous food by Peg Leg Porker. Plates were piled with barbecued pork or roasted chicken quarters, superb cornbread muffins and your choice of delicious mac & cheese, baked beans, coleslaw and/or green beans. Goo Goo Clusters were dessert.

Like I said, it’s worth joining the Recording Academy, just for this fab, fab, fabulous party. Several attendees were evidently hip to this, since the booth signing up new members and renewals did steady business, particularly early in the evening.

Here’s another reason this is a fabulous gig: You can’t beat the networking. Having the schmooze of their lives were Patrick Clifford, Cliff O’Sullivan, Dusty Miller, Daniel Miller, David Corlew, Dave Brainard, Scott Robinson, Sherod Robertson, LeAnn Phelan, Fletcher Foster, Ben Fowler, Leslie Fram, Garth Fundis, Chris Farren, Asheville’s Jessica Tomasin (the Nashville chapter takes in Louisville, Asheville, Knoxville and other nearby music communities), Brad Kennard, Chris Keaton, Mark Bright, Mike Sistad, Allison Jones, Lisa Harless and Beverly Keel.

Todd Cassetty was introducing his young artist Kalie Shorr to one and all. Other artists and writers in attendance included Brett James, Billy Falcon, Casey Donahew, Jenny Tolman, Zach Crowell and current chapter president Shannon Sanders.

Earle Simmons, Whitney Daane, Allen Brown, Erika Wollam Nichols, the Symphony’s Alan Valentine, Vanessa Davis, Justin Levenson, Doak Turner, Scott McDaniel, Jensen Sussman, John Styll, Tom Luteran and Dan Daley merrily worked the balmy outdoor “room.”

This was the 18^th annual Grammy Block Party. Has it really been going on that long? Time flies when you’re having fun.