Reasons To Celebrate

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BMI toasted the team behind Blake Shelton’s latest No. 1, “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking,” on Thursday, April 28 at the organization’s Music Row office. Written by John Wiggins and Bud Lee, the song marks Shelton’s eighth chart-topper, as well as a triumphant return to the top for veteran hit-makers Wiggins and Lee.

(L-R): Warner Music Group’s Kelli Cashiola, producer Scott Hendricks, BMI’s Jody Williams, Blake Shelton, Notewrite Music’s Pauline Andrews, and co-writers Bud Lee and John Wiggins. Photo: Steve Lowry

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Warner Bros. Records’ guitar slinging newcomer Frankie Ballard had reason to celebrate when he warmed up the sold-out crowds at two events at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena recently. He opened for Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Bob Seger on April 21, and again on April 24 at the Predators game where he performed the national anthem on electric guitar. Ballard’s current single “A Buncha Girls” is from his self-titled debut set for release May 24. This month he will open for Taylor Swift on select dates.

(L-R): Warner Music Nashville President & CEO John Esposito, and Frankie Ballard at the Bob Seger show

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Over two decades after its release, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s (NGDB) classic “Fishin’ in the Dark” is still setting records. Released digitally in 2009, the song has been certified Gold by the RIAA for over 500,000 downloads. “Fishin’ in the Dark” was a monster hit for NGDB in 1987. Band member Jeff Hanna says, “‘Fishin’ in the Dark’ seems to have a life of its own and has certainly become a signature song for us over the years. We love that this song has become a summer anthem and continues to appeal to new audiences year after year.” In its fourth decade, NGDB is currently on an extensive North American Tour.

Two John Rich Six Paks On The Way

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John Rich will get the Six Pak treatment on May 17, when Warner Bros. Records releases his latest project Rich Rocks. The recording includes his single “Country Done Come To Town” as well as five other high energy tracks and guests Kid Rock, Hank Williams Jr. and Lil Jon.
Also available May 17 is Rich’s For The Kids Six Pak, which pays tribute to the families and friends of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. A portion of the proceeds from sales of For The Kids will go to support St. Jude.
Rich is currently one of six remaining contestants on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice, where he is competing on behalf of St. Jude. The show airs Sundays at 8 pm CT, and the finale will air May 22.
Track Listing for Rich Rocks:
1. Country Done Come to Town
2. You Had Me From Hell No (feat. Lil Jon)
3. Mack Truck (feat. Kid Rock)
4. You Rock Me
5. Texas (feat. Cowboy Troy)
6. Let Somebody Else Drive (feat. Hank Williams, Jr.)
Track Listing for For the Kids:
1. For the Kids
2. Thank God for Kids
3. Where Angels Hang Around
4. She’s a Butterfly
5. Simplify
6. Rescue Me

Natalie Kilgore Joins George P. Johnson Marketing

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Natalie Kilgore


Natalie Kilgore has begun her new gig as Sr. Publicist for George P. Johnson (Nashville). Known as GPJ, the marketing company works with numerous global brands through its over 23 international offices. In the last year has worked with country stars Jason Aldean, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, and Zac Brown Band’s successful Letters for Lyrics campaign for RAM Trucks.
Advertising Age’s Annual Agency Report just named GPJ the number one event marketing agency for the second year in a row. The report reinforces the importance of live, participatory experiences—online, on devices or through physical events— for marketing and building brand loyalty.
Kilgore was most recently publicist for Big Machine Label Group. She can be reached at her new office at Natalie.Kilgore@gpj.com or 615-768-3228.

"A Little Bit Stronger" At No. 1

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Sara Evans scored the fifth No. 1 single of her career recently with “A Little Bit Stronger.” She was in Key West, Florida with the RCA promotion staff when they received the news.
The track written by Hillary Scott, Luke Laird and Hillary Lindsey has already been certified Gold by the RIAA for 500,000 paid downloads.
Evans says, “This song has had the biggest emotional response of any other single I’ve ever released. I’m humbled and overwhelmed. This is my dream and the passion and desire has never gone away; it was just put on hold for a little while. I feel very thankful and grateful to so many people right now: country radio, my fans and the music industry.”

(L-R): RCA promotion team Matt Galvin, Steve Pleshe, Josh Easler, Evans, Keith Gale, Norbert Nix, Liz Sledge, Parker Fowler, and Dan Nelson. Photo: Alan Mayor

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Hillary Scott also celebrated the song reaching the top of the charts yesterday (5/2) during Lady Antebellum rehearsals in Nashville. Her bandmates Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley surprised her with a mini No. 1 celebration for her first chart topping song as a songwriter outside of Lady A.

(L-R): Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley

Little Big Town Tour Provides Music Lessons For Kids

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Little Big Town’s tour is helping provide music lessons for children through the “Road Trips and Guitar Picks” initiative, sponsored by Country Financial. The band’s April 16 show at Bridgestone Arena with Sugarland will fund 2,000 music lessons for children at Nashville’s WO Smith Music School. Fans who visit facebook.com/tripsandpicks can enter to win LBT prizes.

Back row (L-R): Country Financial’s Corey Hodges; Little Big Town’s Jimi Westbrook; W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School’s Jonah Rabinowitz; Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, and Phillip Sweet; Front row (L-R): W.O. Smith Students

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Legendary songwriters Don Schlitz and John Ford Coley have been added to tonight’s (5/3) ReTune Nashville Anniversary concert. The flood relief benefit at Soundcheck will also feature The Harters, Keith Anderson, Chad Warrix, Craig Wayne Boyd, and Australian guitar phenomenon Joe Robinson, with GAC’s Nan Kelley as host. Tickets are $40 at the door. Doors open at 5:30 and the music begins at 6:30. More than 70 pieces of art made from flood damaged instruments will be up for auction.

Jason Sturgeon played in Winston Salem, NC and visited WPAW, The Wolf 93.1. (L-R): WPAW's Charley McCain, Jason Sturgeon and WPAW PD Randy Bliss

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Toolpusher recording artist Jason Sturgeon scored a sponsorship from Jägermeister for his 2011 summer Rolling On Tour. The outing launched last weekend and hits more than six cities through the end of May, including Pensacola, FL; Johnson City, TN; Indianapolis, IN; and Lynchburg, VA.

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Head to the Country Music Hall of Fame for Cookin’ Out Country, an outdoor lunch going on Wednesdays in May. Performing will be Richie McDonald (5/4), Darryl Worley (5/11), and Bryan White (5/25). Music from 11:45-12:15.

 
 

Twain To Surprise Oprah Audience With CMA Music Fest Trip

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Shania Twain will appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show today (5/3) to give her first television interview in over five years. In the interview she will discuss the release of her autobiography From This Moment On, which hits stores today, and her upcoming Oprah Winfrey Network series Why Not? With Shania Twain.
Twain will also surprise Winfrey’s studio audience with two-day passes (for June 9-10) to the 2011 CMA Music Festival, including accommodations at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. To top it off, Twain will host a private brunch for the lucky audience members upon their visit to Nashville.
Why Not? With Shania Twain premiers on OWN this Sunday, May 8. Twain also has upcoming visits planned with The Today Show (5/4), The Ellen DeGeneres Show (5/12) and The Talk (5/18).

WMG Auction Narrows To Two Bidders

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Today’s (5/3) New York Post reports that Warner Music Group is likely to be sold to either the Gores brothers or Len Blavatnik’s Access Industries. Both are said to have bid about $3 billion for the company.
According to the Post, billionaire investment brothers Tom and Alec Gores are interested in acquiring Warner because a third brother, Sam Gores, is chairman of the Paradigm Talent Agency.
Blavatnik already owns 2 percent of Warner and has strong ties to Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman.
After the Warner buy-out ends, EMI is expected to hit the auction block. BMG Rights Management has reportedly exited the race for Warner in hopes of acquiring EMI. Read more.

In Color: Photo Spread

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Faith Hill performed at the sold-out 2011 Symphony Spring Fashion Show on April 26. Fashion label Marchesa and Florida-based boutique Marissa Collections presented the event, which was chaired by Johnna Watson and Janet Bentz. Hosted by the Nashville Symphony Orchestra League at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the show brought the crowd of over 800 people to their feet. After the show, dinner was prepared under the direction of Symphony Executive Chef Roger Keenan, as over 600 guests enjoyed the meal and breathtaking views of downtown Nashville from the 22nd floor of the Pinnacle at Symphony Place.

(L-R) Chair Johnna Watson, Deborah Roberts, Keren Craig, Faith Hill, Georgina Chapman, Marissa Hartington, Chair Janet Bentz Photo: Susan Adcock

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Warner Music Nashville/Elektra’s new group HER & Kings County rocked the post-race concert for the 12th annual Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon Saturday (4/30) night at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, presented by Nissan. HER & Kings County warmed up the crowd for headliner Montgomery Gentry. While backstage, the group had a chance to catch up with Troy Gentry. HER & Kings County is currently in the studio working on their debut release with producer Wayne Kirkpatrick.

(L-R): HER & Kings County’s Brother Love and A. Wonder, Troy Gentry, HER & Kings County’s Monique, Justin, Caleb and F-Bomb Photo: Gabe McCurdy

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LoCash Cowboys, the Stroudavarious Records’ country music duo comprised of Chris Lucas and Preston Brust, visited W.O. Smith Music School April 26 to connect with students, their parents, and faculty at the after-school music program for children from low-income families. The duo performed a 45-minute acoustic set, including their current Top 40 radio single, “Keep In Mind.”

LoCash Cowboys’ Chris Lucas and Preston Brust with students at the W.O. Smith Music School Photo: Thomas Newton

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The Savannah Music Group Evening of Song took place recently at the Downtown Hotel Indigo featuring Savannah Music Group writers Dave Gibson and Nolan Neal. In attendance were Savannah GM Bob Saporiti and movie soundtrack mogul Frank Stallone.

(L-R) Gibson, Stallone, Saporiti and Neal Photo: Denise Fussell


 

New Music From Lady Antebellum

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Get excited: the time for new Lady Antebellum music has arrived.
The Grammy-winning trio of Charles Kelley, Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott has released “Just A Kiss,” the lead single from their forthcoming 2011 album. The group will host a live webchat through Facebook and ladyantebellum.com/live to discuss their new music tomorrow (5/3) at 12:30 pm CT. Later in the week, they will debut the song live on Fox’s American Idol Thursday, May 5 at 7 pm CT. “Just A Kiss” will be available for purchase through all digital retailers tomorrow, but hard copies of the single will be available only at Wal-Mart stores.
“We love writing songs from personal experience, and this is definitely one of those songs,” explains Hillary Scott. “There is so much excitement at the beginning of a new relationship…all the butterflies and that optimistic feeling that this person could be ‘the one.’ This song is about one of those times when your brain kicks in and tells your heart ‘good things are worth waiting for.’”

Industry Ink: Tom T. Hall Tribute Album

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Several acclaimed musicians have teamed to record a tribute version of Tom T. Hall’s 1974 release Songs of Fox Hollow. For the project, producers Peter Cooper and Eric Brace assembled artists Patty Griffin, Bobby Bare, Jim Lauderdale, Mike Bub, Buddy Miller, Duane Eddy, Tommy Cash, Elizabeth Cook & Tim Carroll, Gary Bennett, Jon Byrd, Mark & Mike, and Fayssoux Starling McLean. Cooper and Brace also recorded songs for the children’s album remake, as did Tom T. Hall who sings a new tune he wrote with wife Dixie Hall for the occasion. Recorded at Hall’s Fox Hollow farm outside Nashville, I Love: Tom T. Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow will be released by indie label Red Beet Records and the Country Music Hall of Fame’s CMF Records. Set for release May 23, it will arrive in time for Hall’s 75th birthday.
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A young Frank Wing


Speaking of birthdays, APA Agent Frank Wing recently celebrated his 50th. Send greetings to fwing@apanashville.com.
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O'Shea


Nashville based Australian duo, O’Shea have two reasons to celebrate. The husband-wife team recently scored the No. 1 video on the Australian Country Music Channel with “Smash” and also announced they are expecting their first child later this year.
“Smash” was released to Australian country radio in February and was co-written by the duo with Kim Carnes. It’s the second single from their upcoming Australian album, Mr & Mrs.
Fresh from co-headlining the CMC Rocks the Hunter festival in Australia alongside Alan Jackson, Jack Ingram and Joe Nichols, O’Shea is busy taping their own 26-episode reality show, O’Shea USA, now airing on the Country Music Channel in Australia.
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Skip Ewing’s Horse & Writer songwriting retreats will be held Sept. 12 – Sept. 17, 2011 at Triangle C Ranch in Dubois, WY. Ewing is an award winning songwriter with 11 No. 1 singles and over 250 album cuts to his credit, including “You Had Me From Hello” (Kenny Chesney), “Love, Me” (Collin Raye), and “Something That We Do” (Clint Black).
Attendees of the “Invitational” receive a full scholarship awarded by a committee of pro-songwriters and music industry professionals. Attendees of the “Classic” retreat pay tuition. Applications must be postmarked by July 15, 2011. Details at www.horseandwriter.com or email theteam@horseandwriter.com.
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Belmont University and Watkins College of Art, Design & Film have partnered in a new reciprocal agreement. Starting this semester, Belmont students can pursue a minor in film through Watkins, and Belmont Honors students may take supplemental courses at Watkins. Meanwhile, Watkins students can take courses in Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, as well as other course offerings though Belmont’s Department of General Education.
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The TSU Guitar Summit, a multi-genre summer guitar festival, will take place June 3-5, 2011 at Tennessee State University. Set to participate are guest artists Pat Flynn, Walter Egan, Rand Bishop, and Boomer Castleman. Instructors include well-known Nashville guitar teachers that specialize in working with songwriters and artists Gary Talley, Denny Sarokin, and Summit Coordinator Dave Isaacs. All levels welcome. For details, contact disaacs@tnstate.edu or 615-963-2108 or visit TSUGuitarSummit.com.