Pictured (L-R): Kent Earls (Universal Music Group), Mike Dungan (Capitol Nashville), Jody Williams (BMI), LeAnn Phelan (ASCAP), Dann Huff (producer), David Preston (BMI), seated: Keith Urban (singer-songwriter), JT Harding (songwriter)

Music industry members gathered yesterday (March 18) at Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame to celebrate Keith Urban’s 17th No. 1 single, “Somewhere In My Car.” The soiree was presented by ASCAP and BMI, in honor of ASCAP writer JT Harding, BMI writer Urban, as well as the song’s producer Dann Huff.

Publishers/administrators on the song include Songs of Universal, Mary Rose Music, Heavy Metal Disco, Mighty Seven, and Songs of SMP.

The afternoon began with a performance of “Somewhere In My Car” by Urban, followed by songwriter tributes from ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan and BMI’s Jody Williams.

“The Nashville community knows JT as a songwriter, but there is so much more to know,” Phelan said of Harding. “He’s written three No. 1 smashes in country so far and we can’t forget the awesome song ‘Smile’ by Uncle Kracker that he co-wrote. This Detroit native also has a career as a rock star, indie film actor, he’s toured Afghanistan playing for the troops, and he has a Broadway musical under his belt. This past summer, the musical ‘Somewhere With You’ played 14 shows in New York’s musical theater festival on Broadway. It featured 17 of his songs, and now there are talks of a longer run on Broadway. He’s the only guy I know who stands up during his guitar solos at the Bluebird Café.”

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 14 years since he celebrated his first No. 1 with ‘But For The Grace of God,” said BMI’s Williams. “In that time, his BMI catalog has generated some amazing stats. Today we present to Keith his latest BMI Million-Air Awards.” BMI’s Millionaire awards are given to songs that generate more than 1 million spins on radio. Urban picked up Million-Air awards yesterday for “Kiss a Girl,” “For You,” “Long Hot Summer,” “Put You In A Song,” “Sweet Thing,” and “Til Summer Comes Around.”

Additional Million-Air awards were announced for Urban’s songs “Better Life” (2 million radio performances), “Days Go By,” “Who Wouldn’t Want To Be Me” and “But For The Grace of God,” (3 million radio performances each), and “Somebody Like You” (4 million).

“Your songs are powerful and stand the test of time. The most exciting part is that you keep adding new ones like ‘Somewhere In My Car.’ BMI is proud to represent you,” said Williams.

Universal Music Publishing’s Kent Earls said, “Thank you for letting us wave your banner and represent your songs. You are a great ambassador for both country music and Nashville and we are proud to work with you.”

Capitol Nashville CEO Mike Dungan noted that “Somewhere In My Car” is the third No. 1 from Urban’s gold-album Fuse. “I came to Capitol almost 15 years ago and there wasn’t much there. As a matter of fact, it was a disaster,” said Dungan. “But there was this bright shining light in the corner that was so far ahead of the curve that it was frightening. As you can imagine, not everybody understood what he was about. Nobody had done what he did. That was like pushing a rock up the hill, but Capitol and Keith did it. Everything since then has been the realization of the talent that is Keith Urban. This man, more than anyone, has made a difference. We know what an incredible musician he is, but he’s also one of the most incredible human beings I’ve ever known. Every time I’m around him, he inspires and we are honored.”

Appropriately, Avenue Bank announced a donation on behalf of the songwriters to the Musicians Hall of Fame. Additional award presentations were made by the Country Music Association and Country Radio Broadcasters.

Pictured (L-R) standing: Allison Jones (BMLG), Matt Turner (Big Loud Shirt), Perry Howard (BMI), Mike Molinar (Big Machine Music), Hannah Williams (Sony/ATV), LeAnn Phelan (ASCAP), Ben Strain (Ole), John Zarling (BMLG), seated: Rodney Clawson, Justin Moore, Jeremy Stover

BMI and ASCAP co-hosted a celebration yesterday (March 18) at the Country Music Association in Nashville to commemorate the chart-topping success of Justin Moore’s “Lettin’ The Night Roll,” which was penned by Moore, along with Rodney Clawson and Jeremy Stover.

Publishers on the song include ole Songs of Countrywood, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Amarillo Sky Songs, Big Machine Music, Big Red Toe Music, and Double Barrel Ace Music.

The song marks Moore’s fifth chart-topper as an artist, and third as a songwriter.

BMI writer Clawson first signed a publishing deal in 2000. In 2014, he had three No. 1 radio hits.

For the song’s producer/publisher Stover, “Lettin’ The Night Roll” is his fourth chart-topper as a writer and sixth as a producer. The ASCAP member is also behind Moore’s hits “Small Town USA” and “Til My Last Day.”

Moore thanked everyone involved with the song. “Getting a No. 1 was never in my vocabulary,” said Moore. “I moved to town in 2002, and just hoped to get a record deal. I didn’t even really care if I had a record, I just wanted to say I had a record deal. I got to make an album, and I thought, ‘If I can just have one hit, that would be pretty cool, that way my buddies back home wouldn’t tell me I failed.’ Then I had a hit, and I thought, ‘I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder.’ It’s like a drug, as a songwriter and artist, you’re always worried about that next one. It’s always fun to do something like this, especially with guys like Rodney and Jeremy and so many other folks. I want to thank you guys for coming out on the bus to write songs. We live in Arkansas. You guys had to spend time away from your families to come out on the road, and I appreciate that.”

Avenue Bank made a charitable donation on behalf of the song’s writers to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Legendary singer/songwriter/entertainer Johnny Cash‘s critically acclaimed American Recordings series will soon be available as a vinyl box set. Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) will bring Cash’s complete American Recordings to vinyl, with a box set to release March 24.

Even during his career’s twilight years, Cash’s creative spirit and work ethic never tired. His work with producer Rick Rubin to create the American Recordings series in the 1990s-2000s cemented Cash’s creative legacy, and added a rewarding musical coda to a career that gave the world classics including “I Walk The Line,” “Ring of Fire,” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”

The box set includes all six albums in the series: American Recordings (1994), American Recordings II: Unchained (1996), American Recordings III: Solitary Man (2000), American Recordings IV: The Man Comes Around (2002), American Recordings V: A Hundred Highways (2006), and American Recordings VI: Ain’t No Grave (2010).

In 1994, Cash’s first American Recordings project earned him a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Folk album. In 1997, Unchained earned Cash the Best Country Album Grammy honor. Cash had teamed with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for the project, which featured cover versions of Beck’s “Rowboat,” Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage,” as well as “The Kneeling Drunkard’s Plea” written by June, Anita, Helen and Mother Maybelle Carter.

In 2000, Cash teamed again with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for American III: Solitary Man. Cash’ rendition of  “Solitary Man” brought the singer another Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. 2002’s The Man Comes Around is the last album released by Cash before his death in 2003. The project earned a CMA Award for Album of the Year, while the project’s “Give My Love To Rose” earned a Grammy for Best Country Male Vocal Performance. It was Cash’s cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt,” along with its unvarnished, somber video, that stood as a defining snapshot of Cash’s later career and final months. “Hurt” earned a 2003 Grammy award for Best Short Form Video and 2003 Country Music Association for Single of the Year, and Music Video of the Year.

Cash died in 2003 from complications with diabetes.

American V: A Hundred Highways was released post-humously in 2006, with material recorded from 2002-2003. It featured Cash’s last original song, “Like the 309.” The last project in the series, 2010’s American VI: Ain’t No Grave, featured songs recorded during the American V: A Hundred Highways sessions. Among the tracks are “Redemption Day,” (penned by Sheryl Crow), and “Can’t Help But Wonder Where I’m Bound” by Tom Paxton.