Grammys Set Date For 2012, Re-Up With CBS

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The Recording Academy and CBS announced today (6/21) a new 10-year deal that will keep the annual Grammy Awards broadcast on the network through 2021. CBS has been the broadcast home of the show since 1973.
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012, at Staples Center in Los Angeles from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).
Also included in the 10-year agreement is the annual broadcast of the Grammy nominations concert, and a new series of specials, details of which will be announced in the future. The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night will be broadcast live from Los Angeles on Wed., Nov. 30.
“We have consistently collaborated to ensure that a dynamic, fresh and diverse live telecast is presented, and we are proud of the collective growth and results we have achieved,” explained Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. “In recent years, we have worked diligently to develop new GRAMMY programming that celebrates music throughout the year.”
Leslie Moonves, President/CEO, CBS Corporation, added, “The long-term structure of this deal will provide even greater continuity with marketing and sales opportunities for both organizations for an event that continues to grow in size and scope — both culturally and commercially.”
The 2011 Grammy Awards scored the show’s highest ratings in a decade.

Industry Ink: Conway Launches Show Me Festival

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Tony Conway pictured before Tim McGraw's set.


Tony Conway, President of CEG Live Concert Events, produced the first annual Show Me Music And Arts Festival in Springfield, Mo. last weekend (June 17-19). Among the top-name performers were Tim McGraw, Trace Adkins, Train, Big & Rich, One Republic, Little Big Town, and Kellie Pickler.
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Gibson Summer Jam 2011 will take place July 23 at the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville (1612 Elm Hill Pk.). Set to perform are Bachman & Turner, Gary Clark Jr., Johnny A. with Dixie Peach, The Kicks, 3 Pill Morning and A Friend Called Fire. Attendees can check out Gibson’s latest instruments and products. The event runs 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m., and coincides with Summer NAMM in Nashville. Details at www.gibson.com/summerjam11.
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Songwriter Paul Overstreet received a trail marker on the Mississippi Country Music Trail earlier this month in Jackson County. Among other musical pioneers who have been honored with trail markers are Conway Twitty, Faith Hill, Jimmie Rodgers and Marty Stuart.
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Country newcomer Justin Haigh is building a team. He has signed with Jim Della Croce’s Pathfinder Management, The Bobby Roberts Company for booking, The Press Office for public relations, Ken Landry and Jason Landry at Apache Ranch Records, and Sam Cerami and Jerry Duncan for radio promotion. Haigh’s new album People Like Me was produced by Lew Curatolo, and features the single and video, “All My Best Friends (are Behind Bars),” directed by Jim Shea.

(L-R): Jim Della Croce, Bobby Roberts, Justin Haigh, and Jason Landry


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Jake Simon







Jake Simon has joined BMI’s New York office as Associate Director, Writer/Publisher Relations. He will report to Charlie Feldman, Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, New York, and Samantha Cox, Executive Director, Writer/Publisher Relations, New York. Simon joins BMI from Universal Music Publishing where he was an Administrative Assistant.
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Bluewater Music has signed Ross Wariner and Cody Uhler of Nashville’s Uncle Skeleton to a worldwide administration agreement. Uncle Skeleton, a 12-plus member outfit that includes a string and horn sections, recently performed at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Wariner and Uhler established themselves locally as innovative songwriters, musicians and producers behind popular rock bands including Kindercastle and Nahnee Bori.

Ross Wariner and Cody Uhler


Major Stars, Major Tours

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Alan Jackson Debuts Single in Chattanooga
Alan Jackson performed at Chattanooga’s Riverbend Festival on Friday, June 17. Among the songs in his hit-laden set was new single, “Long Way To Go,” which he played live for the first time before the estimated crowd of 90,000.

(L-R): Maurice Miner, the co-op; Steve Hodges, Sr. VP Promotion, Capitol Records-EMI Records Nashville; Alan Jackson; Trudie Daniell, EMI Records Nashville Dir. Regional Promotion—SE; Kristi Curry, the co-op


Chesney Fills Field in Philly
Kenny Chesney’s Goin Coastal Tour sold out Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, drawing more than 52,000 fans for the all-day event. Playing the stadium for the fourth time in five years, Chesney’s set included a surprise appearance from rock singer-songwriter Grace Potter, who adds guest vocals to Chesney’s current single, “You And Tequila.” Also on Saturday night’s (6/18) guest list was Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid, who joined Chesney on stage to introduce the football song, “The Boys of Fall.”

Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter


Flatts Fest Kicks Off
Rascal Flatts launched their summer tour, Flatts Fest, over the weekend with two shows and crowds of 35,000. The sold-out, kick-off show in Bristow, Virginia, followed by the Virginia Beach show, saw huge crowds show up early to enjoy the karaoke challenge, the “Why Wait” wedding chapel, scavenger hunt and more. Flatts Fest is slated to run through Sept. 18.

Rascal Flatts onstage in Virginia

Ashley Heron Joins LA-based HYFN, Inc.

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Ashley Heron has joined Los Angeles-based digital creative and social media/mobile application development firm HYFN, Inc. as Vice President, Digital.
In this role he will manage client services and new business development as well as overseeing a team of developers. HYFN’s clients include Avon, Citi, Coca-Cola, Honda, Intel, LG, Nike and many more.
Heron comes to HYFN from Big Machine Label Group, where he served as Director, Strategic Marketing. While there he was responsible for executive marketing partnerships with Best Buy, Cabela’s, Sony, JetBlue and more for label artists including Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, Justin Moore and others. Prior to that he served for six years as Sr. Manager, Marketing for Lyric Street Records. A native of Sarasota, Florida, Heron graduated from Belmont University with a degree in Music Business.
“Ashley is a great creative mind and strategic thinker who has developed and executed marketing campaigns for a number of the biggest names in entertainment,” declares HYFN President and Founder Morgan Harris. “In today’s changing social landscape, Heron is the perfect fit for HYFN and its clients.”
Heron will relocate to Los Angeles for the job. Reach him at ashley@hyfn.com or 866-323-4936.

New Class Named To Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame

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Michelle Wright


Michelle Wright and Bill Langstroth will be inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. Recognized for her contributions to Canada’s country music landscape, Wright is this year’s Artist inductee. Langstroth, the host of one of Canada’s first talent showcases, “Singalong Jubilee,” will have his achievements in television production celebrated in the Industry Builder category.
The Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductions will take place during a private event to be held during Country Music Week, which runs Sept. 9-12, 2011, in Hamilton, Ontario. The week culminates in the live broadcast of the Canadian Country Music Awards, on Mon., Sept. 12, 2011.
During her 25-year career, Wright became the first Canadian artist in the modern era of country to have a Top Ten hit in America (“Take It Like A Man,” 1992). She has sold almost two million albums in North America.
“What a tremendous honour. I deeply appreciate this recognition and am so very proud to have had the opportunity to represent Canada across the globe through my music,” said Wright of her upcoming induction. “My thanks go out to the CCMA along with my fans, industry friends and outstanding team – a team that includes my manager Brian Ferriman and my husband Marco.”
Spending his youth in Montreal, Langstroth landed his first gig in Halifax as a producer at CBC. Working alongside notable musician Don Messer, Langstroth quickly climbed the ladder. He grew the Don Messer show to a nationally broadcasted program and in the years following hosted, “Singalong Jubilee.” Langstroth is the former husband of Canadian icon Anne Murray.
“I am honoured and delighted by my induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame,” said Langstroth. “To be recognized for my years in the industry by the CCMA as an industry Builder is a distinction that I am proud to celebrate alongside this year’s artist inductee, Michelle Wright.”

ICANN Opens Naming Floodgates

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Someone may have pulled their thumb out of the Internet dike which might explain why now a flood of domain names is on the way. ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Numbers and Names) has agreed to open the system and allow most any organization with enough money to create its own new .com substitute. That means we could see .Reba or .Pepsi or .Trump. The new virtual naming system will be pricey, costing those wanting a new domain tag a tidy $185,000. The paperwork to secure this new moniker will also be complex and require technical capability.
According to the L.A. Times:

Internet observers expect that the initial expansion might bring 500 new options for site suffixes, which are called generic top-level domain names (or gTLDs).  There are only 22 now, including the original eight, (.com, .edu, .gov, .int., .mil, .net, .org and .arpa).

Starting in 2000, ICANN has added 14 new top-level domains, including .biz, .info and .jobs. Few of the  new names have caught on, with .com remaining the standard across many industries, even though it can be difficult and expensive to find new .com names, with the most desirable long ago snapped up by companies, individuals and cybersquatters.
Lauren Weinstein, co-founder of People For Internet Responsibility and founder of Privacy Forum, believes the plan serves the “domain-industry complex” at the expense of everyone else. She tells Information Week:

“I believe we may see billions of dollars being wasted in ICANN’s new gigantic gTLD ‘domain name space’–mostly from firms falsely hoodwinked into thinking that new domain names will be their paths to Internet riches, and from firms trying to protect their names in this vastly expanded space, ripe for abuses.”

ICANN expects to begin accepting applications starting January 12, 2012.
 

Black River Adds Rhoades To Promo Staff

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Black River Entertainment has finished the restructuring of its promotion department today with its hire of Brian Rhoades to the position of Director of Promotion, Northeast.
“Brian is fired up and ready to go,” says Black River VP Promotion Rick Baumgartner. “From our first meeting, Brian possessed professionalism and an understanding of the difficulties facing promotion people in this ever-changing environment. I have no doubts we have made the right choice. He will be an incredible asset.”
Rhoades’ background includes time at CBS Records, Reprise Records, Epic Records, Capitol Records, Columbia Records and Virgin Records. He has worked with some of music’s biggest including The Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Paul McCartney and more. He was most recently Northeast Director of Promotion for EMI Records Nashville, where he worked with Eric Church and Troy Olsen.
His first day on the job is July 1 and after then he can be reached at brian@blackriverent or 615-780-3070.
Black River is preparing to release Craig Morgan’s first new music since he signed with the label in April. His single “This Ole Boy” ships to country radio this week and impacts in July.

EMI Back on the Auction Block

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EMI Group is actively pursuing buyers and other opportunities, the company announced today (6/20). In an official statement, EMI revealed it “has initiated a process to explore and evaluate potential strategic alternatives, including a possible sale, recapitalisation or initial public offering of the Company.”
EMI is currently under the control of creditor Citigroup. The bank took over the music company when previous owner Terra Firma, under the direction of Guy Hands, couldn’t meet its loan requirements.
The official statement continues, “The Company does not intend to disclose developments with respect to its strategic review process unless and until its Board of Directors has approved a specific transaction.”
Conventional wisdom indicated that EMI would begin courting suitors following the sale of Warner Music Group, so that two major music companies weren’t on the auction block at the same time.
Warner sold a few months ago to Russian billionaire Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries.

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Nominees Announced

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Five artists and ten songwriters are among the 2011 nominees named by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation for induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
In the Songwriter/Artist category, nominees are Garth Brooks, Larry Gatlin, Amy Grant, Alan Jackson and Townes Van Zandt. In the Songwriter category, nominees are John Bettis, Robert Byrne, J.J. Cale, Jan Crutchfield, Mark James, Dan Penn, Gretchen Peters, Thom Schuyler, Allen Shamblin and John Scott Sherrill.
“This is an amazing group of songwriters and songwriter/artists,” said John Van Mol, chair of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation (NaSHOF), which owns and administers the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.  “Every one of them is extremely worthy of induction, and it is our honor to place each of their names in nomination.”
Songs penned by the nominees include “Top of the World” by The Carpenters/Lynn Anderson (Bettis), “Two Dozen Roses” by Shenandoah (Byrne), “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton (Cale), “Statue of a Fool” by Jack Greene/Brian Collins/Ricky Van Shelton (Crutchfield), “Suspicious Minds” by Elvis Presley (James), “The Dark End of the Street” by James Carr/Archie Campbell & Lorene Mann (Penn), ”Independence Day” by Martina McBride (Peters), “16th Avenue” by Lacy J. Dalton (Schulyer), “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt (Shamblin), “Nothin’ But the Wheel” by Patty Loveless (Sherrill).
Songwriter/Artist nominees had numerous successes writing their own material, including “Unanswered Prayers” (Brooks), “Broken Lady” (Gatlin), “Every Heartbeat” (Grant), “Chattahoochee” (Jackson), “Pancho and Lefty” (Van Zandt).
Two songwriters and one Songwriter/Artist will be inducted at the NaSHOF’s annual Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony Saturday, October 16 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.

Renegade Country Debuts And Donates

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(L-R) Toolpusher Records' Jason Sturgeon with Renegade Country host Tyler Ryan


Renegade Country™ is a new 2-hour syndicated radio show hosted by experienced morning personality  Tyler Ryan. The show was launched June 9 during MusicFest at the Whiskey Bent Saloon in Nashville’s downtown music district.
The entertainment featured acoustic performances from artists such as The Roys, Sherrie´Austin, Andy Griggs, Matt Stillwell, Jason Sturgeon, Jeremy McComb, Buddy Jewell, Brian Randle, BridgetteTatum, One Night Rodeo and Von Grey.
Giving the debut show a unique twist, it was streamed live via Stageit.com and the proceeds were donated to the Tennessee Breast Cancer Coalition. Fans can visit www.renegadecountry.com and see the debut show performances archived on the site along with behind the scenes interviews and news from all of your favorite country music artists. Renegade Country was first formed in 2007 to give new artists a platform to showcase their music and promote independent artists. Principle involved are Dennis Kurtz, Tyler Ryan, Flick Wilshire and Brian Cecil. For airplay consideration email wave files to pd@renegadecountry.com or mail CDs to Renegade Country Programming 1209 16th Ave. S. Ste. 300 Nashville, TN 37212.