While performing on the road as part of Mercury recording artist Jennifer Nettles‘ That Girl Tour, Nettles and Slate Creek’s Brandy Clark pair up for a rendition of “His Hands.” The song, penned by Nettles, Hillary Lindsey and Ashley Gorley, was originally released on the deluxe version of Nettles’ album That Girl. A live recording of the duet is now available on iTunes.
“What I love about what Brandy brings to this is song,” explains Nettles, “is that her voice has a sweet vulnerability to it that I think makes the character in the second verse that much more believable and that much more authentic.”
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For King and Country
will launch the 40-city fall tour, titled
You Matter—The Tour, beginning Sept. 14 at The People’s Church in Franklin, Tenn. The tour will wrap in New York City on Nov. 23, and is sponsored by Compassion International. The tour supports their sophomore release,
Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong.
For more information, visit
forkingandcountry.com.
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Fifty years after Johnny Cash‘s album Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian was released in 1964, a collection of top artists have come together to update the songs that meant so much to the late legend. Look Again To the Wind: Johnny Cash’s Bitter Tears Revisited will be released on Sony Music Master Works on Aug. 19. The project, produced by Joe Henry, will feature Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Bill Miller, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, and Norman and Nancy Blake, as well as up-and-comers the Milk Carton Kids and Rhiannon Giddens.
The album was recorded in three sessions: the first two in Los Angeles and Nashville and, lastly, one at the Cash Cabin, in Cash’s hometown of Hendersonville, Tenn. Providing the instrumental backing for most of the album are Greg Leisz (steel guitar, guitars), Keefus Ciancia (keyboards), Patrick Warren (keyboards for the L.A. sessions), Jay Bellerose (drums) and Dave Piltch (bass).
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Rory Partin
A recording with
Jimmy C. Newman is on the self-titled album from
Rory Partin. Newman added his contribution to “Jambalaya (On The Bayou)” prior to his
death in June 2014. For more information, visit
rorypartin.com.
Artist Updates (7/10/14)
/by Jessica Nicholson“What I love about what Brandy brings to this is song,” explains Nettles, “is that her voice has a sweet vulnerability to it that I think makes the character in the second verse that much more believable and that much more authentic.”
• • •
For King and Country
For King and Country will launch the 40-city fall tour, titled You Matter—The Tour, beginning Sept. 14 at The People’s Church in Franklin, Tenn. The tour will wrap in New York City on Nov. 23, and is sponsored by Compassion International. The tour supports their sophomore release, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong.
For more information, visit forkingandcountry.com.
• • •
The album was recorded in three sessions: the first two in Los Angeles and Nashville and, lastly, one at the Cash Cabin, in Cash’s hometown of Hendersonville, Tenn. Providing the instrumental backing for most of the album are Greg Leisz (steel guitar, guitars), Keefus Ciancia (keyboards), Patrick Warren (keyboards for the L.A. sessions), Jay Bellerose (drums) and Dave Piltch (bass).
• • •
Rory Partin
A recording with Jimmy C. Newman is on the self-titled album from Rory Partin. Newman added his contribution to “Jambalaya (On The Bayou)” prior to his death in June 2014. For more information, visit rorypartin.com.
YEP Announces Leadership Council
/by Troy_StephensonThe new YEP Leadership Council consists of Emilija Clark (Made In Network), Kristen Kee (Sony Music Nashville), Caroline Melby (Sea Gayle Music), Katie Roth (Crush Music/I.R.S. Records Nashville), Shannon Saunders (WME), Josh Saxe (BMG Chrysalis), Alina Thompson (CMT), Anna Weisband (THiS Music), Laura Williams (Regions Bank), and Jamie Younger (Warner Music Nashville).
“We have some incredibly exciting education initiatives coming down the pipeline for YEP so this was a great time to bring some really talented newcomers into the leadership fold of YEP as our executive board takes on new initiatives to be announced shortly,” stated Executive Director Andrew Cohen.
YEP is made up of people from multiple aspects of the industry and has grown to nearly 6,700 members in the three years since it’s formation in Nashville.
The YEP network creates a platform for the entertainment industry to thrive in a supportive and creative environment for the betterment of its members as well as the industry as a whole.
For more information on YEP, click yepnashville.com.
Shania Twain Hints at New Tour
/by Jessica Nicholson“I think I’m going to do more,” she says. “I guess it’s just something I’m enjoying more now than I have in a long time. Vegas has been a really good transition for me to get back onstage again, and I guess I’m enjoying it. So why not do more?”
Twain says that touring will not necessarily coincide with a new album project, though she says she has plans to return to the studio this year.
“It’s my priority this year and I will be in the studio as soon as I can get in, get my ducks in a row—I’m working on it all the time right now,” she says. “I’ve been writing for it for a long time now, I’ve got lots of things so it’s really about putting the puzzle together now.”
New Renderings Of Proposed Nashville Convention Center Site Released
/by Jessica NicholsonFollowing the opening of the Music City Center, Nashville has plans for its previously existing Nashville Convention Center. In December 2013, a plan was proposed to replace the structure with a one-million-square-foot, mixed-use development. New renderings of the project, designed by Gresham, Smith & Partners, have been released.
As previously reported, the new building will also include underground parking and entertainment complexes. A plaza-like setting along Fifth Avenue will provide a new showcase for the Ryman Auditorium.
The structure will include 840,000-square-feet of office space, a 673-room Nashville Renaissance hotel, along with 244,000 square feet of retail space, and a 50,000 square foot National Museum of African American Music. The latest renderings showcase a multi-story retail space with glass towers.
Construction is estimated to begin in 2017, with an opening tentatively slated for 2019.
Updated rendering of the new NCC construction
Updated rendering of the NCC location
'CMA Music Festival: Country's Night To Rock' Airing in August
/by Jessica NicholsonJason Aldean. Photo: Kayla Schoen / CMA
Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, Hunter Hayes, Brad Paisley, The Band Perry and numerous other Country artists will be featured in CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock, which is slated to air Tuesday, Aug. 5, beginning at 8 p.m. ET on ABC Television Network. The television special will be hosted for the second year by current CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town.
This marks the 10th time ABC will broadcast the special. The television event first aired in 2004, and moved to ABC in 2005. The annual special will continue to air on ABC through 2021.
Viewership for 2013’s CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock, grew by 46 percent over 2012, and by 33 percent in the adults 18-49 demographic.
CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock is executive-produced by Robert Deaton.
Industry Pics (7/9/14)
/by Jessica Nicholsonole songwriter Marty Dodson received a platinum record this week for his song “Fire It Up” with Joe Cocker. The ole team presented the award to Dodson at the company’s offices in Nashville.
Pictured (L-R): Gilles Godard (VP, ole); Emily Mueller (Creative Manager, ole); Shellien Kinsey (Creative Coordinator, ole); Marty Dodson; John Ozier (GM Creative, ole); and Ben Strain (Creative Director, ole).
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Lady Antebellum recently invited Grammy U members to soundcheck during a stop at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irving, Calif., on their Take Me Downtown Tour. Following soundcheck, Grammy U members did a Q&A with the trio, who answered questions about songwriting, touring and industry topics.
Pictured: Lady Antebellum with Grammy U students
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The Academy of Country Music welcomed singer-songwriter Robby Johnson to the office while he was in Los Angeles recently. Johnson performed his debut single, “South of Me,” previewed his current single, “Feel Good Song,” and signed up for professional ACM membership, as part of the Academy’s complimentary one-year membership offered to support emerging artists.
Robby Johnson performs at the ACM office in Encino, Calif.
Industry Ink (7/9/14)
/by Sarah SkatesAccording to the NYT, content providers at the deal-making retreat will likely be looking to join forces to gain clout against distributors in the face of acquisitions including Comcast’s proposed $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable, and AT&T’s pending $49 billion acquisition of DirecTV. Along these lines, the newspaper reports Discovery Communications and Scripps Networks, home to Great American Country, are dicussing teaming up.
Among those who received invitations to the conference were Tim Cook of Apple, Les Moonves of CBS, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Rupert Murdoch, Barry Diller and leaders from Google, Yahoo, Viacom, Pandora, and the major league sports organizations.
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All proceeds will benefit WMBA and Musicians on Call. To enter, register at racesonline.com.
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Concord Music Prepping Stax Records Musical
/by Sarah SkatesStax Records began in an old movie theater and became an international hit-making machine, spawning the careers of Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Booker T. & the MG’s, The Staple Singers and Steve Cropper, to name few.
As producer of Ray, Benjamin received a Best Picture Oscar nomination. He won a Grammy Award as producer of the film’s multi-platinum soundtrack. He co-founded New Visions Entertainment which has produced the films Against All Odds, White Nights, La Bamba and Everybody’s All American. He has collaborated with artists including Sting, Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and Mariah Carey.
In related Concord news, the company has acquired the catalog of R&B/soul label Vee-Jay Records, which includes over 5,000 master recordings by artists such as Little Richard, John Lee Hooker, Betty Everett, Jimmy Reed, Jerry Butler, The Staple Singers, Gene Chandler and The Dells. The purchase includes Chandler’s “Duke of Earl,” Hooker’s iconic “Boom Boom,” and Everett’s “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s In His Kiss).”
Concord Music Group’s active roster is home to Sir Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Ben Harper, and Steve Martin and more.
Underwood To Headline Global Citizen Festival
/by Jessica NicholsonUnderwood will be joined by fellow headliners Jay Z, No Doubt, fun., The Roots, and Tiesto. The festival is part of the Global Citizen movement’s aim to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030.
MSNBC and NBC News will serve as official media partners for this year’s Festival. For the first time, the festival will air live on television with MSNBC carrying the full concert on cable and msnbc.com. NBC News will produce a one-hour primetime special of the event to air on NBC at 9 p.m. on Sept. 27. MSNBC and NBC News will also highlight the issues surrounding global poverty in the coming months.
Free tickets to the festival are available beginning today (Wednesday, July 9), by fans participating in online actions at globalcitizenfestival.com. Fans take “action” to earn their admission, by signing petitions and emailing world leaders and sharing content on their social networks. These actions earn fans “points” that can be used to enter the prize draw to win free tickets. Ticket draws will occur throughout summer, and fans will be notified via Ticketmaster when they have been selected. A limited number of VIP tickets will also be available for purchase through ticketmaster.com
The Festival coincides with the UN General Assembly and will serve as a platform to call for tangible commitments from world leaders in the areas of vaccines, education and sanitation. Major campaigns tied to this year’s Festival include: securing contributions for the GAVI Alliance and the Global Partnership for Education, and building momentum by citizens for the Water for the World Act, a Congressional bill that will support efforts to benefit the 1.25 billion women and girls that currently go without safe access to sanitation.
CMA Songwriters Series Continues 10th Anniversary Celebration
/by contributorCharlie Worsham, Bob DiPiero, Striking Matches
By: Laura Hostelley
For the past decade, the CMA Songwriters Series has given the inside scoop to fans across the country on the songs that have impacted them. To celebrate the 10th anniversary, Bob DiPiero will take the stage alongside Striking Matches and Charlie Worsham at Joe’s Bar in Chicago on July 30 to perform their hit songs and share the stories behind them.
The first part of the anniversary kicked off at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and has continued with shows performed in Nashville, New York City, and London already in 2014. Other stops planned for the rest of 2014 include Austin, Nashville, New York and Paradise Island in the Bahamas with Bobby Pinson, Brett James, Caitlyn Smith and Kristian Bush.
The series, which began at Joe’s Pub in New York City, has made 75 appearances in 13 cities with 127 artists sharing their tales.
Tickets for upcoming shows can be purchased at cmasongwritersseries.com, or by calling (312) 337-3486.