Music City has lost one of its R&B mainstays with the death of singer, songwriter and philanthropist Marion James. Known as “Nashville’s Queen of the Blues,” James died on Thursday, Dec. 31, at age 81 following a stroke.
Marion Agness James was a Nashville native who was born into a musical family. Her mother was a church pianist, her sister sang with gospel’s Clara Ward Singers, an uncle was a guitarist and several of her cousins became professional musicians.
As a girl, she sang in church and learned blues music by listening to her mother’s record collection. She also attended African-American vaudeville shows. James married horn arranger and trumpeter James “Buzzard” Stuart, who worked on her recordings as well as with such blues stars as Junior Parker and Bobby Blue Bland.
She began performing in Nashville nightclubs in the early 1960s. Among James’s early band members were guitarist Jimi Hendrix and bass player Billy Cox, both of whom later rose to rock stardom in the Band of Gypsies.
In the 1960s, the city’s Jefferson Street area boasted a plethora of R&B nightspots, including Club Baron, New Era, Brown’s Dinner Club, Sugar Hill, Club Del Morocco, Club Stealaway and Maceo’s. Printer’s Alley also hosted African-American acts at its Jolly Roger club. Her fiery performances at venues such as these brought her first nickname/billing: “House Rockin’ James.”
Marion James began her recording career with the 1966 single “That’s My Man”/”Give Me Your Love.” This was on the Nashville R&B label Excello Records. Armed with her debut hit, she continued to perform throughout the 1970s.
She temporarily retired in the 1980s, but staged a comeback with the 1994 CD Marion James & The Hypnotics. She appeared at the 1997 Nashville Music Awards at the Ryman Auditorium, singing “Every Night of the Week” with Tracy Nelson and co-presenting the R&B awards with Ted Jarrett.
She launched an annual event called The Musicians Reunion Benefit. This evolved into the Marion James Musicians Aid Society, a charity to help down-and-out performers.
Essence was issued as her second CD in 2003. It featured such stellar sidemen as Jack Pearson, Bob Babbitt, Reese Wynans, Beegie Adair, Denis Solee and George Tidwell. She celebrated the album’s release with a Music City Roots broadcast from The Factory in Franklin.
In 2004, she was featured at Franklin’s Jazz, Blues & Heritage Festival. A year later, “That’s My Man” was reissued on Night Train to Nashville Volume Two. The CD’s jacket photo was a shot of James on stage with her band at a 1971 show. Also in 2005, James began a long string of appearances at the Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar in Printer’s Alley.
The Tennessee Jazz & Blues Society presented her in concert at Belle Meade Plantation in 2007. She starred at the Nashville Blues Awards in 2009, and this event was a benefit for the Marion James Musicians Aid Society. She also headlined Nashville’s Spring Blues Festival that year.
Northside Soul became her next CD in 2012. It hit the Top 10 on Living Blues magazine’s chart. In 2013, she released the song “Back in the Day” in homage to the golden era of Jefferson Street. In recent years, she was devoted to preserving the legacy of the neighborhood, including campaigning for statues of Hendrix and former Jefferson Street habitué Little Richard.
Details for a memorial service for Marion James have not been announced. A fundraiser has been created to help cover the costs of her funeral at www.gofundme.com/marionjames.
Backroad Anthem Singer Craig Strickland Found Dead
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Craig Strickland and Chase Morland. Photo: Backroad Anthem Twitter
According to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the body of Backroad Anthem singer Craig Strickland has been found, reports 40/29 News. Strickland’s body was recovered along the shoreline of Kaw Lake, north of where the boat capsized. The office told 40/29 News that it could take four to eight weeks for a full autopsy to be released.
Strickland’s wife Helen also confirmed that Strickland’s body had been found. “#CraigStrickland was found today. He is safe with his Father in Heaven. Thank you Lord for leading us to him today. I will praise you, Amen.” she posted on Twitter.
Strickland and friend Chase Morland had gone duck hunting at Kaw Lake during last week’s winter storm. The Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s office in Oklahoma City has also determined the cause of death for Morland as drowning and exposure to freezing temperatures. Morland’s body was found on Monday, Dec. 28.
Backroad Anthem visited the MusicRow offices in October to preview new music.
Bobby Braddock Adds Original Demos To His Website
/by Craig_ShelburneSongwriter Bobby Braddock has posted 48 of his original demos to his website in conjunction with the publication of his new memoir, Bobby Braddock: A Life on Music Row.
BobbyBraddock.com now features the original demos of some of his biggest hits including “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “Golden Ring,” “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” “Time Marches On,” “I Wanna Talk About Me,” and “People Are Crazy,” as well as obscure titles like “Dead,” “Cocaine Crazy Country Boy,” and “Blackabilly” (about the birth of rock ‘n’ roll).
“I’ve always been a fan of hearing original demos of other writers’ hit songs, no matter how good or bad they might be,” Braddock wrote on his Facebook page. “I’ve included not only the original demos of hits, but also demos of other songs of mine that were mentioned in the book, plus a few of my pet obscure songs or some weird things I thought people might get a kick out of. There are 48 demos in all, in chronological order from 1966 (I think I was about seven, tee hee) to 2015.”
The website also includes a very condensed version of the book, written in Braddock’s words. Also featured are reviews from celebrities, authors, and the media, as well as testimonials about the memoir that he has received from friends and strangers alike. A gallery of the book’s many classic pictures is also included. Braddock is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Bobby Braddock: A Life on Nashville’s Music Row was published in October by Vanderbilt University Press and Country Music Foundation Press.
Read an exclusive interview with MusicRow.
Nashville’s Johnny Cash Museum Set To Expand
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Johnny Cash Museum is set to expand its location at 119 3rd Avenue South in Nashville, with a new wing slated to open in mid-February 2016.
Construction starts today (Monday, Jan. 4) to increase exhibit space by 40 percent. The new space will make room for additional exhibits and artifacts.
Additionally, The Nashville Post reports that a 24-hour diner concept, Sun Diner Cafe, will soon reside at 105 3rd Ave. S., adjacent to the Johnny Cash Museum. T.C. Restaurant Group, which also owns Nashville’s Tequila Cowboy, Luigi City Pizza, and WannaB’s Karaoke Bar, is behind the project. No opening date has been released.
Sun Diner Cafe will pay homage to Cash, along with other Sun Records luminaries including Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis. The cafe is set to also offer Sun Records memorabilia.
Sun Records, which was originally founded in Memphis, Tennessee, is now based in Nashville.
Music Health Alliance To Offer Health Insurance Seminars
/by Troy_StephensonMusic Health Alliance, the music industry’s non-profit healthcare advocate, is offering a series of free seminars open to everyone in the music industry. The seminars will be hosted by Music Health Alliance’s founder Tatum Hauck Allsep, and will take place Jan. 12 and Jan. 19. The last day to enroll or change health insurance is Jan. 31.
Questions that will be addressed include:
What are the new health insurance options?
How much will it cost me?
Am I eligible for a subsidy?
Who is eligible for free insurance?
Where do I get care if I can’t afford insurance?
How do I apply?
Music Health Alliance Get Covered 101 for Music Professionals:
Jan. 12, 2016,-12:30 p.m.-2 p.m.
Get Covered 101 For Music Professionals at MusiCares
1904 Wedgewood Ave. Nashville, TN 37212
Sign up here.
Jan. 19, 2016, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Get Covered 101 For Music Professionals at BMI
10 Music Square E. Nashville, TN 37203
Sign up here.
For more information on Music Health Alliance, visit their website here.
Mark Your Calendar — January 2016
/by Eric T. ParkerSingle Add Dates
Drew Baldridge/Dance With Ya/Cold River
Chelsea Bain/The Power Of A Woman/Turn 3 Records
Nick Hickman/Tailgate Dance Floor/Burning Ground Ent
January 11
Old Dominion/Snapback/RCA Nashville
Jennifer Nettles/Unlove You/Big Machine
Cole Swindell/You Should Be Here/Warner Bros.
Kali Rose feat. Gary Chapman/Kids/HMG Nashville
Ross Coppley/Wildfire/Hart Street Entertainment
Kari Holmes/Something New/HMG Nashville
January 18
Trace Adkins/Jesus And Jones/Wheelhouse Records
Delaney Grant/Better/HMG Nashville
Corey Farlow/Burnin’ Me Up/HMG Nashville
January 25
Jordan Rager/Feels Like One Of Them/Broken Bow Records
Album Releases
Morgan Myles/Miss Morgan Myles [EP]
January 12
Robby Johnson/Don’t Look Back/Contrast Music Records
January 15
Hank Williams Jr./It’s About Time/Nash Icon Records
Brothers Osborne/Pawn Shop/EMI Nashville
Randy Rogers Band/Nothing Shines Like Neon/Tommy Jackson Records-Thirty Tigers
January 29
Aubrie Sellers/New City Blues/Carnival-Thirty Tigers
Industry Events
Final round ballots due for Grammys
January 15-17
7th annual 30A Songwriters Festival in Florida
January 19
Second ballot for ACM Awards closes
LifeNotes: Marion James, Nashville’s Queen Of The Blues, Passes Away
/by Robert K OermannMusic City has lost one of its R&B mainstays with the death of singer, songwriter and philanthropist Marion James. Known as “Nashville’s Queen of the Blues,” James died on Thursday, Dec. 31, at age 81 following a stroke.
Marion Agness James was a Nashville native who was born into a musical family. Her mother was a church pianist, her sister sang with gospel’s Clara Ward Singers, an uncle was a guitarist and several of her cousins became professional musicians.
As a girl, she sang in church and learned blues music by listening to her mother’s record collection. She also attended African-American vaudeville shows. James married horn arranger and trumpeter James “Buzzard” Stuart, who worked on her recordings as well as with such blues stars as Junior Parker and Bobby Blue Bland.
She began performing in Nashville nightclubs in the early 1960s. Among James’s early band members were guitarist Jimi Hendrix and bass player Billy Cox, both of whom later rose to rock stardom in the Band of Gypsies.
In the 1960s, the city’s Jefferson Street area boasted a plethora of R&B nightspots, including Club Baron, New Era, Brown’s Dinner Club, Sugar Hill, Club Del Morocco, Club Stealaway and Maceo’s. Printer’s Alley also hosted African-American acts at its Jolly Roger club. Her fiery performances at venues such as these brought her first nickname/billing: “House Rockin’ James.”
Marion James began her recording career with the 1966 single “That’s My Man”/”Give Me Your Love.” This was on the Nashville R&B label Excello Records. Armed with her debut hit, she continued to perform throughout the 1970s.
She temporarily retired in the 1980s, but staged a comeback with the 1994 CD Marion James & The Hypnotics. She appeared at the 1997 Nashville Music Awards at the Ryman Auditorium, singing “Every Night of the Week” with Tracy Nelson and co-presenting the R&B awards with Ted Jarrett.
She launched an annual event called The Musicians Reunion Benefit. This evolved into the Marion James Musicians Aid Society, a charity to help down-and-out performers.
Essence was issued as her second CD in 2003. It featured such stellar sidemen as Jack Pearson, Bob Babbitt, Reese Wynans, Beegie Adair, Denis Solee and George Tidwell. She celebrated the album’s release with a Music City Roots broadcast from The Factory in Franklin.
In 2004, she was featured at Franklin’s Jazz, Blues & Heritage Festival. A year later, “That’s My Man” was reissued on Night Train to Nashville Volume Two. The CD’s jacket photo was a shot of James on stage with her band at a 1971 show. Also in 2005, James began a long string of appearances at the Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar in Printer’s Alley.
The Tennessee Jazz & Blues Society presented her in concert at Belle Meade Plantation in 2007. She starred at the Nashville Blues Awards in 2009, and this event was a benefit for the Marion James Musicians Aid Society. She also headlined Nashville’s Spring Blues Festival that year.
Northside Soul became her next CD in 2012. It hit the Top 10 on Living Blues magazine’s chart. In 2013, she released the song “Back in the Day” in homage to the golden era of Jefferson Street. In recent years, she was devoted to preserving the legacy of the neighborhood, including campaigning for statues of Hendrix and former Jefferson Street habitué Little Richard.
Details for a memorial service for Marion James have not been announced. A fundraiser has been created to help cover the costs of her funeral at www.gofundme.com/marionjames.
Rewind: 2015 ‘MusicRow’ Events
/by Jessica NicholsonMusicRow looks back on its events from 2015, including the MusicRow CountryBreakout Awards during CRS, the Rising Women On The Row breakfast and the reader-voted MusicRow Awards.
2015 MusicRow CountryBreakout Awards
MusicRow Magazine presented its 13th annual CountryBreakout Awards at Margaritaville in Nashville. Entertainers at the event included Chase Bryant and Austin Webb.
The CountryBreakout Awards recognize success at radio on the MusicRow chart during the preceding year (January to December 2014). A list of award recipients is below.
13th annual MusicRow CountryBreakout Award winners:
Male Artist of the Year–Eric Church
Female Artist of the Year–Miranda Lambert
Group of the Year–Florida Georgia Line
Breakout Songwriters-Brett James and Rodney Clawson
Breakout Artist of the Year–Cole Swindell
Independent Artist of the Year – Chris Weaver
CountryBreakout Reporter of the Year– Ryan McCall of WGLR (Platteville, Wisconsin)
For Robert K. Oermann’s full recap, click here.
Pictured (L-R): MR’s Sarah Skates and Sherod Robertson present Songwriter of the Year honors to Brett James and Rodney Clawson. Photo: Bev Moser/Moments By Moser
2015 MusicRow Rising Women On The Row
MusicRow‘s 2015 Rising Women on the Row event saluted ASCAP’s Kele Currier, Loeb & Loeb’s Tiffany Dunn, UMG Nashville’s Dawn Gates, Sweet Talk Publicity’s Jensen Sussman, and Tri-Star Sports and Entertainment’s Lou Taylor.
The morning also included an interview with CMT executive Leslie Fram, and a performance by rising 10-year-old singer-songwriter Emi Sunshine. The event took place at Nashville’s Omni Hotel.
For Robert K. Oermann’s full recap, click here.
Pictured (L-R): MusicRow‘s Sarah Skates with Rising Women on the Row honorees Kele Currier, Tiffany Dunn, Dawn Gates, Jensen Sussman and Lou Taylor, and MusicRow’s Sherod Robertson. Photo: Moments By Moser.
2015 MusicRow Awards
The 27th annual MusicRow Awards were presented June 23 during a ceremony at ASCAP’s Nashville offices. MusicRow Publisher and Owner Sherod Robertson led the proceedings which honored Breakthrough Artist Sam Hunt, Producer of the Year Jay Joyce, Breakthrough Songwriter Michael Carter, Song of the Year “Girl Crush” and The Top 10 Album All-Star Musician Awards.
For Robert K. Oermann’s full recap, click here.
“Girl Crush” wins Song of the Year. Pictured (L-R): MusicRow‘s Eric T. Parker, Warner/Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, “Girl Crush” songwriters Liz Rose and Hillary Lindsey, BMG’s Kos Weaver, Universal Music Publishing Group’s Kent Earls, and MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson and Sarah Skates. Not pictured: co-writer Lori McKenna. Photo: Bev Moser.
Pictured (L-R): MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson, manager Brad Belanger on behalf of Sam Hunt, Breakthrough Songwriter Michael Carter, Song of the Year co-writers Hillary Lindsey and Liz Rose, and ASCAP’s Mike Sistad. Photo: Bev Moser
Rewind: 2015 ‘MusicRow’ CountryBreakout Chart No. 1s
/by Troy_StephensonSince 2002, The MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart has crowned No. 1 songs in the country radio marketplace, celebrating 48 chart-topping songs in 2015. MusicRow congratulates each artist, songwriter and label for its accomplishments this year.
Five artists celebrated three chart-toppers this year, making it a five-way tie for the artist with the most No. 1 songs on the MusicRow CountryBreakout chart this year.
Jason Aldean-
“Just Gettin’ Started”
“Tonight Looks Good On You”
“Gonna Know We Were Here”
Blake Shelton-
“Lonely Tonight”
“Sangria”
“Gonna”
Florida Georgia Line-
“Anything Goes”
“Sun Daze”
“Sippin On Fire”
Luke Bryan-
“I See You”
“Kick The Dust Up”
“Strip It Down”
Thomas Rhett-
“Make Me Wanna”
“Crash And Burn”
“Die A Happy Man”
The 14th Annual MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart Awards, based on radio airplay reported by stations on MusicRow’s radio panel, will be held during CRS in February.
MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart No. 1 Songs of 2015
1/8/15- Luke Bryan/I See You/Capitol Nashville
1/15/15- Thomas Rhett/Make Me Wanna/Valory Music Co.
1/22/15- Florida Georgia Line/Sun Daze/Republic Nashville
1/29/15- Chris Young/Lonely Eyes/RCA Nashville
2/5/15- Lee Brice/Drinking Class/Curb Records
2/12/15- Blake Shelton/Lonely Tonight/Warner Bros.
2/19/15- Jake Owen/What We Ain’t Got/RCA Nashville
2/26/15- Dierks Bentley/Say You Do/Capitol Nashville
3/5/15- Jason Aldean/Just Gettin’ Started/Broken Bow
3/12/15-Tyler Farr/A Guy Walks Into A Bar/Columbia Nashville
3/19/15- Zac Brown Band/Homegrown/Southern Ground
3/26/15- Keith Urban & Eric Church/Raise ‘Em Up/Capitol Nashville
4/2/15- Easton Corbin/Baby Be My Love Song/Mercury Nashville
4/9/15- Billy Currington/Don’t It/Mercury Nashville
4/16/15- Sam Hunt/Take Your Time/MCA Nashville
4/23/15- Kenny Chesney/Wild Child/Columbia Nashville
4/30/15- A Thousand Horses/Smoke/Republic Nashville
5/7/15- Tim McGraw/Diamond Rings And Old Barstools/Big Machine
5/14/15- Carrie Underwood/Little Toy Guns/Arista Nashville
5/21/15- Florida Georgia Line/Sippin’ On Fire/Republic Nashville
5/28/15- Brad Paisley/Crushin’ It/Arista Nashville
6/4/15- Kelsea Ballerini/Love Me Like You Mean It/Black River
6/11/15- Little Big Town/Girl Crush/Capitol Nashville
6/18/15- Brantley Gilbert/One Hell Of An Amen/Valory Music
6/25/15- Blake Shelton/Sangria/Warner Bros.
7/2/15- Jason Aldean/Tonight Looks Good On You/Broken Bow
7/9/15- Eric Church/Like A Wrecking Ball/EMI Nashville
7/16/15- Michael Ray/Kiss You In The Morning/Warner Bros- WEA
7/23/15- Kip Moore/I’m To Blame/MCA Nashville
7/30/15- Luke Bryan/Kick The Dust Up/Capitol Nashville
8/6/15- Thomas Rhett/Crash And Burn/Valory Music Co.
8/13/15- Sam Hunt/House Party/MCA Nashville
8/20/15- Keith Urban/John Cougar John Deere John 3:16/Capitol Nashville
8/27/15- Lady Antebellum/Long Stretch Of Love/Capitol Nashville
9/3/15- Kenny Chesney/Save It For A Rainy Day/Columbia Nashville
9/10/15- Florida Georgia Line/Anything Goes/Republic Nashville
9/17/15- Maddie & Tae/Fly/Dot Records
9/24/15- Chris Young/I’m Comin’ Over/RCA Nashville
10/1/15- Luke Bryan/Strip It Down/Capitol Nashville
10/8/15- Old Dominion/Break Up With Him/RCA Nashville
10/15/15- Carrie Underwood/Smoke Break/Arista Nashville
10/22/15- Cam/Burning House/Arista Nashville
10/29/15- Brothers Osborne/Stay A Little Longer/EMI Nashville
11/5/15- Tim McGraw/Top Of The World/Big Machine
11/12/15- Blake Shelton/Gonna/Warner Bros
11/19/15- Jason Aldean/Gonna Know We Were Here/Broken Bow
11/25/15- Brad Paisley/Country Nation/Arista Nashville
12/3/15- Thomas Rhett/Die A Happy Man/Valory Music Co.
12/10/15- Kelsea Ballerini/Dibs/Black River
12/17/15- LoCash/I Love This Life/Reviver Records
The Beatles Catalog To Stream Starting Dec. 24
/by Eric T. ParkerStreaming partners will include Spotify, Apple Music, DEEZER, Google Play Music, Microsoft Groove, Amazon Prime Music, Rhapsody, Slacker Radio, and Tidal. The Fab Four released their records for digital download in 2010 on iTunes.
Signature titles that will be available for streaming include “She Loves You,” “Hard Day’s Night,” “Help!,” “Taxman,” “Hey Jude,” and “Let It Be.”
The catalog is brought to market by Universal Music Group’s EMI imprint.
Brantley Gilbert Teams With Toys For Tots, Bendon For $10.5M Donation
/by Jessica NicholsonBrantley Gilbert. Photo: James Minchin
Brantley Gilbert has aligned with Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, as well as children’s activity product producer Bendon, Inc., to help kids this holiday season. Bendon Book Publishing International made a $10.5 million donation in children’s books to supplement the Marines’ annual distribution of Christmas gifts for at-risk children and youths.
“Growing up in rural Georgia, I know that sometimes Christmas isn’t a time of joy for some kids and our contribution might be all they receive this year so I really wanted our donation to matter. I’m honored the folks and Bendon understood why I wanted to work with them and Toys for Tots,” says Brantley. “Bendon’s books have some pretty cool heroes and lessons for all ages like Batman, Superman and Clifford the Big Red Dog to Disney, Peanuts and some of my favorites, Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. Whether a kid is into Barbie or Star Wars, I hope we’ve given a bit of fun and inspiration.”
“The holidays are a tough period of time for many families, and if we are able to bring a little happiness to a child with a gift which they may not have been otherwise given, than that’s a success,” says Bendon CEO Ben Ferguson. “We can not be more excited to partner with Brantley Gilbert on this donation. Brantley clearly supports and honors our military and his generosity and charitable work prompted me to align Bendon’s donation with him to the Marine Toys For Tots Foundation.”
Brantley Gilbert will return to Europe for dates on his Black Out Tour early next year, including shows in Manchester, London, and Birmingham, and in Glasgow, Scotland.