Pictured (L- R): Mary Baker, executive director, Monroe Harding Children’s Home; Dr. Meg Rush, chief of staff, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt; Kelly Clarkson, Jaynee Day, president & CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank; Katrina Robertson, national sales director, Thistle Farms; and Ellen Lehman, president, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Photo: Justin McIntosh/Starstruck
posed with representatives from the four nonprofits that will benefit from this Saturday’s Miracle on Broadway concert event at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The group gathered to discuss the event which features special guests Kix Brooks, Garth Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Charles Esten, Shane McAnally, Martina McBride, Kacey Musgraves, Reba, Meghan Trainor, Hayley Williams (Paramore), and Trisha Yearwood performing their favorite holiday songs. You can donate by texting MIRACLE to 41010.
• • •
Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, BMI songwriter Guthrie Trapp, BMI songwriter Steve Cropper, BMI’s Mary Loving and David Preston.
Pictured (L-R): Musicians Pete Abbott, Guthrie Trapp, Jamie McLaughlin, Firekid, Meredith Morgan, Jimmy Wallace and Dave Santos.
Broadcast Music, Inc. writer
Steve Cropper was honored with another Million-Air certificate for his iconic hit “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” reaching an incredible 10 million broadcast performances. Cropper was presented with the award after playing at BMI’s HDRadio-sponsored showcase, Trapped Above Ground.
Guthrie Trapp and his Mule Kickers band are the hosts of the free, weekly event, bringing up-and-coming songwriters to play alongside legendary acts at Nashville’s Acme Feed and Seed.
• • •
Pictured (L-R): Colton Swon, Craig Wayne Boyd, and Zach Swon.
While making media appearances in New York City, Arista Nashville’s
The Swon Brothers received a surprise dinner invitation from
The Voice’s newly crowned season seven winner,
Craig Wayne Boyd. The Swons, likewise veterans of
The Voice and Team Blake, grabbed a bite with Boyd at New York’s Bond 45, where fans were delighted to spot the stars and get a few photo opps of their own.
• • •
Photo: Ashley Kennedy
Earlier this week
Stephen Barker-Liles and
Eric Gunderson of Love and Theft hosted their 2nd annual Toys for Tots benefit show here in Nashville. The event took place at Soulshine Pizza and featured performances by the duo as well as their songwriter friends including
Tyler Reeve,
Michael Ray,
Stevie Monce and
Trent Tomlinson. Guests were asked to bring a toy to donate or buy a t-shirt in support of the great cause.
BMG Chrysalis Extends Term with Jeff Stevens
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (L-R): From Left To Right: Daniel Lee (BMG Chrysalis, Senior Creative Director); Jeff Stevens; Kevin Lane (BMG Chrysalis, Creative Director); Kos Weaver (BMG Chrysalis, Executive Vice President)
BMG Chrysalis recently announced it has extended its publishing agreement with multi-hit songwriter and producer Jeff Stevens.
Stevens has secured numerous No. 1 singles as a songwriter during the course of his career, which includes producing UMG superstar Luke Bryan and writing his “Someone Else Calling You Baby” and “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.”
Additional hits include George Strait‘s “Carrying Your Love With Me”, “True,” “Carried Away,” and Tim McGraw‘s “Back When.”
Industry Pics: Kelly Clarkson, BMI, Swon Brothers, Love And Theft
/by Kelsey_GradyPictured (L- R): Mary Baker, executive director, Monroe Harding Children’s Home; Dr. Meg Rush, chief of staff, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt; Kelly Clarkson, Jaynee Day, president & CEO, Second Harvest Food Bank; Katrina Robertson, national sales director, Thistle Farms; and Ellen Lehman, president, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Photo: Justin McIntosh/Starstruck
Kelly Clarkson posed with representatives from the four nonprofits that will benefit from this Saturday’s Miracle on Broadway concert event at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The group gathered to discuss the event which features special guests Kix Brooks, Garth Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Charles Esten, Shane McAnally, Martina McBride, Kacey Musgraves, Reba, Meghan Trainor, Hayley Williams (Paramore), and Trisha Yearwood performing their favorite holiday songs. You can donate by texting MIRACLE to 41010.
• • •
Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, BMI songwriter Guthrie Trapp, BMI songwriter Steve Cropper, BMI’s Mary Loving and David Preston.
Pictured (L-R): Musicians Pete Abbott, Guthrie Trapp, Jamie McLaughlin, Firekid, Meredith Morgan, Jimmy Wallace and Dave Santos.
Broadcast Music, Inc. writer Steve Cropper was honored with another Million-Air certificate for his iconic hit “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” reaching an incredible 10 million broadcast performances. Cropper was presented with the award after playing at BMI’s HDRadio-sponsored showcase, Trapped Above Ground. Guthrie Trapp and his Mule Kickers band are the hosts of the free, weekly event, bringing up-and-coming songwriters to play alongside legendary acts at Nashville’s Acme Feed and Seed.
• • •
Pictured (L-R): Colton Swon, Craig Wayne Boyd, and Zach Swon.
While making media appearances in New York City, Arista Nashville’s The Swon Brothers received a surprise dinner invitation from The Voice’s newly crowned season seven winner, Craig Wayne Boyd. The Swons, likewise veterans of The Voice and Team Blake, grabbed a bite with Boyd at New York’s Bond 45, where fans were delighted to spot the stars and get a few photo opps of their own.
• • •
Photo: Ashley Kennedy
Earlier this week Stephen Barker-Liles and Eric Gunderson of Love and Theft hosted their 2nd annual Toys for Tots benefit show here in Nashville. The event took place at Soulshine Pizza and featured performances by the duo as well as their songwriter friends including Tyler Reeve, Michael Ray, Stevie Monce and Trent Tomlinson. Guests were asked to bring a toy to donate or buy a t-shirt in support of the great cause.
Lady A to Perform Anthem at National College Football Championship
/by Eric T. ParkerHeld at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, pre-game festivities will kick off at 7 p.m. with Grammy nominated Aloe Blacc, singing “America the Beautiful” joined by Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas.
For the main event, the Nation’s Colors will be presented by military members of the Joint-Service Color Guard from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, TX. For more information about the CFP National Championship, please visit collegefootballplayoff.com.
Before then, the trio will perform at the first annual Cheers for Charity event in downtown Nashville on new year’s eve, including dinner, drinks and music to benefit LadyAID. Immediately after, the band will head downtown to be featured in a segment of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest on ABC.
Shania Twain in Las Vegas: By The Numbers
/by Jessica NicholsonTo commemorate Shania’s dedication to the Shania Kids Can Foundation and to the City of Las Vegas, during the final show, John Meglen, President of Global Touring with AEG Live, and Sean McBurney, General Manager of Caesars Palace, presented the Shania Kids Can Foundation with a check for $5,000.
The Colosseum will bring more country artists to its stage next year, when Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together In Las Vegas launches June 24.
General Manager of Caesars Palace Sean McBurney (L) and President of Global Touring with AEG Live John Meglen (R) present a check to Shania Twain for her Shania Kids Can Foundation during her final performance of Shania: Still The One at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. (Photo: Denise Truscello/WireImage)
ACM Launches Campaign to 'Be Like Blake'
/by Eric T. ParkerBlake Shelton has donated more than $30,000 after teaming up with CrowdSurge to donate $1 from each ticket sold during the pre-sale for his 2014 Ten Times Crazier Tour. Funds went to the charitable arm of the ACM, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.
Fans who donate online for the new social roll-out by Jan. 5 will be entered to win a copy of the Academy’s retrospective book, This Is Country: A Backstage Pass to the Academy of Country Music Awards, signed by Shelton.
See a list of grants the charitable organization donated funds to this past year.
CMHoF Hosts Bakersfield Sound Tribute Concert
/by Sarah SkatesThe Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum marked the final month of its major, three-year exhibition, The Bakersfield Sound: Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, and California Country with a tribute concert on Saturday, Dec. 13 in the museum’s Ford Theater. Chuck Mead led a troupe comprised of Martin Lynds, Mark Miller, Carco Clave, Renae Truex through classics by Bakersfield legends, with an emphasis on Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. They were joined during the nearly two-hour program by special guests Deke Dickerson, Suzy Boggus, Chris Scruggs, Caitlin Rose, and Cam. Legendary guitarist James Burton walked onstage to a standing ovation and closed out the program by replicating his original signature licks from Haggard recordings of “Working Man Blues,” “The Fugitive,“ “Mama Tried,“ and more.
Catch The Bakersfield Sound at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum before it closes Dec. 31.
Pictured (back row, L-R): Deke Dickerson, Chuck Mead, and Martin Lynds; (middle row, L-R): the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Ali Tonn, Carco Clave, James Burton, Suzy Bogguss, Cam, Rose Lee Maphis, and Renae Truex; (front row, L-R): Chris Scruggs, Caitlin Rose, and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Abi Tapia. Photo: CK Photo
Weekly Chart Report (12/19/14)
/by Troy_StephensonClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report
MusicRowPics: Mitchell Tenpenny
/by Jessica NicholsonMitchell Tenpenny visit
Multi-talented newcomer Mitchell Tenpenny is no stranger to Nashville’s music scene. He learned the ropes of the music industry from his grandmother, late music publishing executive Donna Hilley. He plays several instruments, including guitar, drums, bass, mandolin, banjo, but first discovered his love of music through piano.
“My uncle made me learn piano when we were kids. We would go to his place in the summers and he wouldn’t let us go outside until we learned songs, like some Disney tunes. Later on, I went to visit a friend of mine, and he had a drum kit with a piano set up next to it. I started noodling around on the piano and he started playing drums. It was the first time I’d ever played music with anyone and I thought it was the coolest thing.”
After graduating from David Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tenpenny graduated from MTSU with a music business degree.
Tenpenny says he received practical advice from Hilley once he decided to record music. “My grandmother started telling me about writers and demo costs, and I started learning all the other instruments because it’s cheaper to do demos without having to pay somebody to play. I wanted to keep my costs down as much as possible if I got the chance to write for somebody and know how to do that stuff.”
It was also Hilley that educated Tenpenny on the role of a songwriter. “When I was younger, she introduced me to Curly Putman. She told me all of the songs he wrote, and at that time, I didn’t understand that the artists don’t always write the songs they sing. That really blew me away that Curly wrote ‘He Stopped Loving Her Today’ with Bobby Braddock. From then on, I wanted to be that guy writing songs.”
He would go on to sign a publishing deal with Sony/Tree Music, and a recording deal with Creation Lab Records. Tenpenny wrote or co-wrote all 11 songs on Creation Lab Records project. Tenpenny previewed several of his own songs during a recent visit to the MusicRow office.
He began with “I Hope It Rains,” a tune he says is on hold for soulful country singer Billy Currington. He followed with two Brad Clawson co-writes, “Lovin’ Rock and Roll,” and his current single, “Black Crow.”
Tenpenny will bring his music to radio taste-makers at stations across the country beginning in January.
See him live: Tenpenny is set to perform with The Warren Brothers at Nashville’s The Listening Room on Saturday, Dec. 20 beginning at 8:30 p.m.
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TuneCore Acquires DropKloud
/by Jessica NicholsonDropKloud allows artists to drop digital content (including access to a song, behind-the-scenes photos, or a pop-up showcase invite, for example) into ‘Klouds’ available to fans in specific physical locations. After a beta test at SXSW 2014, the app is undergoing further development and is expected to launch in spring 2015 as an exclusive TuneCore Artist Services.
“As technology continues to shape the music industry, TuneCore strives to be at the forefront of the evolution,” said Scott Ackerman, CEO of TuneCore. “We are excited to be able to provide the unique DropKloud product to TuneCore Artists as another tool to help them engage even more fans and expand their career as independent musicians. Our new innovation lab will be committed to creating cutting edge tools for our artist entrepreneurs.”
“Joining the TuneCore team was such a natural transition for DropKloud,” said James DeNino, Director of Product Strategy at TuneCore. Kedar Frederic, Director of Product Innovation, echoes that same enthusiasm by saying, “Our mission of providing Independent artists with innovative services that don’t exist today is completely in-line with the TuneCore philosophy.”
Vanderbilt's The Melodores Win 'The Sing-Off'
/by Sarah SkatesThe Melodores win “The Sing-Off.”
The Melodores, a Vanderbilt student a cappella group, won NBC’s The Sing-Off last night (Dec. 17). The competition was a one-night-only holiday special. The Melodores bested five other teams to win the $50,000 grand prize.
Each group performed live and without a backing band, with The Melodores offering “Trumpets” by Jason Derulo and “Take Me to Church” by Hozier.
Hosted by Nick Lachey, The Sing-Off judges included Boyz II Men vocalist Shawn Stockman, singer-songwriter Jewel and Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump.
Formed in spring 2009 on the Vanderbilt campus, The Melodores group includes about a dozen members, all of whom are current Vanderbilt students.