Pictured at Grimey’s New & Pre-Loved Music counter-clockwise from front-center: Jody Williams, Clay Bradley, Beth Mason, Mark Mason, Leslie Roberts, Thomas Cain, Bradley Collins, Perry Howard and David Preston. Cover photo by Eric England.
~ON THE COVER~
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
BMI’s Jody Williams & his writer relations team
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is one of the pillars of Nashville’s songwriting business. Since opening its doors in 1939, an ambitious standard of service has guided the company. The establishment of BMI’s Nashville office was an active embodiment of that standard—a commitment to an entire region. When BMI opened its Music City outpost in 1958, it was the first performing rights organization to do so. A young woman named Frances Preston launched the new office of the burgeoning not-for-profit company. Suddenly, formerly marginalized and tragically overlooked blues, hillbilly, jazz and folk songwriters had a home where all were welcome.
For BMI, breaking new ground became the norm. Preston led the Nashville office
and ultimately, the entire company. Dubbed the “Songwriters’ Guardian Angel” by Kris Kristofferson, she was determined to pay the region’s songwriters more than lip service. Preston reshaped the performance royalty-payment paradigm. This groundbreaking method of directly paying songwriters for performances of their work was adopted by all PROs.
In the 1950s, the South spawned a cultural earthquake: rock ‘n’ roll. BMI’s Nashville office was ready. From Chuck Berry and James Brown to Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino, the new breed chose the new PRO. BMI also embraced Grand Ole Opry stars like Minnie Pearl and Hank Williams. The Nashville office became what it is today: a hub of activity in the middle of a region whose artistic wealth is almost too deep—too rich—to fully grasp.
Fast forward to 1996, when the bulk of BMI operations relocated to Nashville. With more than 400 employees, BMI is the largest music industry employer on Music Row.
Del Bryant’s path to assuming the role of BMI President & CEO also ran straight through Nashville. The versatile and innovative Bryant fondly refers to Nashville as his “home base,” and when he asked Jody Williams to lead BMI’s Nashville writer/publisher staff in 2006, the anticipation throughout Music Row was palpable. A veteran song man with respected ears and infectious passion for songwriters, Williams returned to BMI with a mandate to lead and serve the creative community.
Williams welcomed the challenge, developing and recruiting a devoted, effective staff, a group whose personal ties to Nashville music history—the Country Music Hall of Fame, no less—magnify BMI’s inclusive emphasis on family. In addition to tapping Clay Bradley as Assistant Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Williams assembled a team that includes longtime BMI executives Thomas Cain, Mark Mason, David Preston, Perry Howard, and Bradley Collins, as well as more recent additions Beth Mason and Leslie Roberts.
Nashville has become the epicenter of American music, and BMI’s Nashville office, in turn, is a crossroads of activity. In addition to Music Row favorites including BMI No. 1 parties and the annual BMI Country and Christian Awards, BMI’s layered approach to songwriter development comprises educational, creative and promotional opportunities: the BMI Songwriters Workshop with Jason Blume; local showcases including 8 off 8th, East Side Sounds, BMI Buzz at the Basement, and BMI Presents at 12th & Porter; the Road to Bonnaroo competition; and slots and stages at premier festivals including SXSW, the Key West Songwriters Festival, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Lollapalooza, the French Quarter Festival, Folk Alliance, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and more.
Willie Nelson and Toby Keith, Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift, Booker T. & the MGs and Cage the Elephant, Patsy Cline and Carrie Underwood, Allen Toussaint and Ben Folds, Bill Monroe and Alison Krauss, Chet Atkins and Vince Gill, the Carter Family and Lady Antebellum, Muddy Waters and Jack White, Eddy Arnold and Keith Urban, Loretta Lynn and Miranda Lambert, Allman Brothers and Zac Brown Band, Jerry Jeff Walker and Robert Earl Keen, Tammy Wynette & George Jones and Faith Hill & Tim McGraw, Wanda Jackson and Caitlin Rose, Harlan Howard and Jeffrey Steele: BMI’s Nashville family is part legacy, part present, and part future.
Today, BMI’s center of gravity remains in Nashville. And the company’s doors are still wide open.
BMI is an American performing right organization that represents more than 400,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. The U.S. corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.
MR Awards Issue (July 2010)
/by contributorPictured at Grimey’s New & Pre-Loved Music counter-clockwise from front-center: Jody Williams, Clay Bradley, Beth Mason, Mark Mason, Leslie Roberts, Thomas Cain, Bradley Collins, Perry Howard and David Preston. Cover photo by Eric England.
~ON THE COVER~
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
BMI’s Jody Williams & his writer relations team
Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) is one of the pillars of Nashville’s songwriting business. Since opening its doors in 1939, an ambitious standard of service has guided the company. The establishment of BMI’s Nashville office was an active embodiment of that standard—a commitment to an entire region. When BMI opened its Music City outpost in 1958, it was the first performing rights organization to do so. A young woman named Frances Preston launched the new office of the burgeoning not-for-profit company. Suddenly, formerly marginalized and tragically overlooked blues, hillbilly, jazz and folk songwriters had a home where all were welcome.
For BMI, breaking new ground became the norm. Preston led the Nashville office
and ultimately, the entire company. Dubbed the “Songwriters’ Guardian Angel” by Kris Kristofferson, she was determined to pay the region’s songwriters more than lip service. Preston reshaped the performance royalty-payment paradigm. This groundbreaking method of directly paying songwriters for performances of their work was adopted by all PROs.
In the 1950s, the South spawned a cultural earthquake: rock ‘n’ roll. BMI’s Nashville office was ready. From Chuck Berry and James Brown to Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino, the new breed chose the new PRO. BMI also embraced Grand Ole Opry stars like Minnie Pearl and Hank Williams. The Nashville office became what it is today: a hub of activity in the middle of a region whose artistic wealth is almost too deep—too rich—to fully grasp.
Fast forward to 1996, when the bulk of BMI operations relocated to Nashville. With more than 400 employees, BMI is the largest music industry employer on Music Row.
Del Bryant’s path to assuming the role of BMI President & CEO also ran straight through Nashville. The versatile and innovative Bryant fondly refers to Nashville as his “home base,” and when he asked Jody Williams to lead BMI’s Nashville writer/publisher staff in 2006, the anticipation throughout Music Row was palpable. A veteran song man with respected ears and infectious passion for songwriters, Williams returned to BMI with a mandate to lead and serve the creative community.
Williams welcomed the challenge, developing and recruiting a devoted, effective staff, a group whose personal ties to Nashville music history—the Country Music Hall of Fame, no less—magnify BMI’s inclusive emphasis on family. In addition to tapping Clay Bradley as Assistant Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Williams assembled a team that includes longtime BMI executives Thomas Cain, Mark Mason, David Preston, Perry Howard, and Bradley Collins, as well as more recent additions Beth Mason and Leslie Roberts.
Nashville has become the epicenter of American music, and BMI’s Nashville office, in turn, is a crossroads of activity. In addition to Music Row favorites including BMI No. 1 parties and the annual BMI Country and Christian Awards, BMI’s layered approach to songwriter development comprises educational, creative and promotional opportunities: the BMI Songwriters Workshop with Jason Blume; local showcases including 8 off 8th, East Side Sounds, BMI Buzz at the Basement, and BMI Presents at 12th & Porter; the Road to Bonnaroo competition; and slots and stages at premier festivals including SXSW, the Key West Songwriters Festival, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Lollapalooza, the French Quarter Festival, Folk Alliance, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival and more.
Willie Nelson and Toby Keith, Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift, Booker T. & the MGs and Cage the Elephant, Patsy Cline and Carrie Underwood, Allen Toussaint and Ben Folds, Bill Monroe and Alison Krauss, Chet Atkins and Vince Gill, the Carter Family and Lady Antebellum, Muddy Waters and Jack White, Eddy Arnold and Keith Urban, Loretta Lynn and Miranda Lambert, Allman Brothers and Zac Brown Band, Jerry Jeff Walker and Robert Earl Keen, Tammy Wynette & George Jones and Faith Hill & Tim McGraw, Wanda Jackson and Caitlin Rose, Harlan Howard and Jeffrey Steele: BMI’s Nashville family is part legacy, part present, and part future.
Today, BMI’s center of gravity remains in Nashville. And the company’s doors are still wide open.
BMI is an American performing right organization that represents more than 400,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. The U.S. corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.
Photos: Dierks Bentley, Rodney Atkins, Jennette McCurdy
/by Sarah SkatesCheck out Dierks goes unplugged for “Kimmel,” Rodney and fam hang with Jeff Fisher, Jennette turns 18 and more fun photos.
Dierks Bentley and his all-star band didn’t let a power outage at Jimmy Kimmel Live! stop them from performing last week. They improvised for a totally unplugged performance of "Up On The Ridge" as Kimmel recorded the show on his laptop's webcam.
Rodney Atkins, wife Tammy and son Elijah, visited with Titans coach Jeff Fisher during the pre-game reception for his 10th Annual Comcast “Jeff Fisher & Friends” Charity Softball Game Presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners. The event benefitted Soles4Souls Nashville Flood Relief, Nashville Children’s Alliance, Mercy Ministries, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and other charities. The event has raised over $500,000 to date. Photo: Richard Suter
Capitol Records Nashville threw an 18th birthday party for Jennette McCurdy in downtown Nashville on June 21. The star of Nickelodeon’s "iCarly" invited kids from Bellevue Middle School, one of the hardest hit areas by the flood, to enjoy a night of fun. Many artists and their children also turned out, including Martina McBride, Vince Gill and Amy Grant, Phil Vassar and Jamie O’Neal. McCurdy signed to Capitol Nashville on her 17th birthday and has been working on her debut album with producer Paul Worley. Photo credit: Kay Williams
BamaJam Records’ Blackberry Smoke hung with Joe Patrick backstage at the recent BamaJam festival in Enterprise, AL. (L-R): Paul Jackson, Brandon Still, Brit Turner, Richard Turner, Charlie Starr, and Joe Patrick. Photo: Bill Macky
The GAC TV booth at CMA Music Fest was all bluegrass on Sunday morning. The Grascals and Cherryholmes found themselves sharing time at the booth signing autographs for hundreds of fans. (L-R): B. J. Cherryholmes, Cia Cherryholmes, Danny Roberts (Grascals), Kristin Scott Benson (Grascals), Skip Cherryholmes, Jere Cherryholmes, Terry Smith (Grascals), Terry Eldredge (Grascals), Sandy Cherryholmes, Jeremy Abshire (Grascals), Molly Cherryholmes and Jamie Johnson (Grascals). Photo: Mechalle Myers courtesy of GAC
Wireless Spectrum Set To Double
/by adminAlthough clearly intended to relieve predicted future smartphone data congestion, the move also helps create jobs, spur economic growth and the creation of a public safety wireless network. Wireless and mobile technology are also sure to play a starring role in the growth of the music industry. More details on the plan are expected to be announced today.
Television broadcast companies however, may be cool to the concept since it appears they may be asked to “give up” some of their existing bandwidth. Cable companies that have invested in wired networks might also have something to fear from the threat of competition by beefed up wireless entities. Currently the wireless communications spectrum is about 547 megahertz. For the new plan to become law, Congress will have to approve various steps in the process.
Sugarland Sets October Release
/by Sarah SkatesSugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush wrote the first single with Kevin Griffin (of Better Than Ezra fame) and Shy Carter. As with all their past projects, Nettles and Bush collaborated on the entire album. Machine marks their third time co-producing alongside Byron Gallimore.
The Mercury Nashville duo is also offering a web series at www.youtube.com/sugarland. “The Week In Review” comes out every Wednesday and gives a glimpse of the band on their current The Incredible Machine tour.
The fall outing will be the follow-up to Sugarland’s 2008 album Love On The Inside, which spawned hits like “It Happens,” “All I Want To Do,” and “Already Gone.” In the meantime, the duo released the live CD/DVD Live On The Inside, and the holiday collection Gold And Green.
Sugarland has won multiple Grammys and sold over 8 million records since rocketing onto the music scene in 2004.
Trace Adkins Album Due In August
/by Sarah SkatesTrace Adkins is opening a new chapter in his career with the Aug. 17 release of his first album for Show Dog-Universal. Cowboy’s Back In Town is being described as vintage Adkins, running the gamut from love songs like “Still Love You,” to the rowdy side of country life in the hilarious “Hold My Beer.”
He also has a deluxe version coming out the same day, offering fans four bonus tracks, including “Hillbilly Bone” his hit with Blake Shelton.
Adkins showcases his writing chops on the outing—he penned the title track with friends Jeff Bates and Kenny Beard, who also co-produced with Jason Aldean hitmaker Michael Knox. Other highlights include a guest spot from labelmate Trailer Choir. The project’s first single is “This Ain’t No Love Song.”
In addition to headlining his own dates, Adkins is on the road with Toby Keith‘s American Ride Tour through September. The pair toured together previously, which led to Adkins’ eventual signing with Keith’s label.
Adkins has sold more than 10 million records and earned four Grammy nominations with hits such as “You’re Gonna Miss This,” “This Ain’t No Thinkin’ Thing,” “Honky-Tonk Badonkadonk” and “Ladies Love Country Boys.”
Cowboy’s Back In Town – Track Listing
1. Brown Chicken Brown Cow
2. Hold My Beer
3. Cowboy’s Back In Town
4. This Ain’t No Love Song
5. Hell, I Can Do That
6. A Little Bit Of Missing You
7. Still Love You
8. Don’t Mind If I Don’t
9. Ala-Freakin-Bama
10. Break Her Fall
11. Whoop A Man’s Ass
Deluxe Edition:
1. Happy Man
2. Between Rainbows and the Rain
3. Pictures On Mantles
4. Hillbilly Bone – performed by Blake Shelton (featuring Trace Adkins)
[Editor’s note: MR’s Boss Ross tipped “Hold My Beer” to Adkins’ team.]
Big Machine Adds Two Staffers
/by Sarah SkatesIn his new role, Heron will work to establish brand partnerships as well as provide creative and new media support for the Big Machine, The Valory Music Co. and Republic Nashville artist rosters. A graduate of Belmont University, Heron most recently spent six years as Sr. Manager of Marketing for Lyric Street Records. He will report directly to VP of Sales, Marketing and Interactive Kelly Rich.
“Ashley has been a great sounding board over the years and is extremely talented,” says Rich. “When he became available, we knew he was a natural fit.”
“Scott Borchetta and his team are fostering such a great culture of staff and artists, I’m really looking forward to working alongside and creatively partnering with more businesses in the business of Big Machine music,” adds Heron.
In her new position, Light will facilitate licensing clearance, publishing administration and royalty entry for the Big Machine Label Group roster. A graduate of California State University-Fresno and Middle Tennessee State University, Light’s industry experience includes stints at Encore Entertainment, Pamplin Music Corp, ICG, Still Working Music and, most recently, Sussman & Associates. She will report directly to Director of Administration Wayne Milligan.
“Karen is one of the best publishing administration professionals in the business,” says Milligan. “She not only brings with her solid credentials but a love for the creative process, songwriters and artists. I am very happy to be working with her again.”
“In some way or another, I have worked with various people and departments of Big Machine since it opened its doors which makes me even more excited now to be a part of this amazing team and family,” adds Light.
Ashley Heron can be reached at: 615-324-7930 and Ashley.Heron@bigmachinemail.com.
Karen Light can be reached at 615-324-7934 and Karen.Light@bigmachinemail.com.
Stealing Angels
/by ProgrammerPlaylist“He Better Be Dead”
Skyville/Nine North
Country trio Caroline Cutbirth, Jennifer Wayne, and Tayla Lynn—collectively known as Stealing Angels—is releasing its debut single “He Better Be Dead” to country radio. Impact date is Monday, July 12. The ladies have been recording songs for their debut album with renowned producer Paul Worley (Lady Antebellum, Dixie Chicks, Martina McBride, Big & Rich) and are the first signing to Worley’s new Skyville Records imprint which was launched with business partners Wally Wilson and Glen Morgan.
Stealing Angels found each other when Texas native Cutbirth moved to Nashville in 2006. There she met Wayne, granddaughter of the actor John Wayne, who had also come to town to chase her dream. In 2007 the two girls were approached to do a music based reality TV show, and the show’s producer introduced them to Tayla Lynn–Loretta’s granddaughter–and the three began working together. Ultimately they decided reality TV wasn’t for them, but luckily their music and collaborative spirit kept going after the cameras stopped.
Stealing Angels’ debut album is scheduled for release later in 2010. They will be performing in fairs and festivals all over the country this summer, as well as doing an extensive radio tour promoting their debut single.
http://www.stealingangels.com
http://www.facebook.com/StealingAngels
http://www.myspace.com/stealingangels
[wpaudio url=”https://music-row-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/10201351/stngls-hbbd.mp3″ text=”Stealing Angels – He Better Be Dead” dl=”0″ autoplay=”1″]
Eminem Bringing Year’s Best Debut
/by Sarah SkatesRecovery has seen strong reviews (Rolling Stone gave it four stars), hit singles and a pre-release leak yielding good word-of-mouth. Among the tracks are collaborations with female pop stars Pink and Rihanna.
19/Oglesby Rework Relationship
/by Sarah SkatesChris Oglesby is resuming his role as head of Oglesby Writers Management (OWM), the company he founded in 2004.
In 2006 OWM partnered with 19 Entertainment, taking seat as the company’s Nashville office. Oglesby will continue his close relationship with 19 Entertainment under the new arrangement between 19/CKX and OWM.
Among other changes at 19 Entertainment, Jennifer Carrington’s position was eliminated. Her last day with the company will be Wednesday, June 30. She can be reached at jenlcarrington@gmail.com or (615) 491-3453.
19/CKX will continue to develop and manage Carrie Underwood and newcomers Sons Of Sylvia. Both artists are signed to 19 Recordings, in addition to other major labels.
Gill At Clapton’s Crossroads Festival
/by Sarah SkatesVince Gill performs with Albert Lee at the Crossroads Guitar Festival. Photo: Vince Cunetto.
Vince Gill was among the guitar gods who took the stage at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival over the weekend. He joined fellow headliners B. B. King, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Buddy Guy and, of course, Clapton at the Chicago event.
Sheryl Crow performed as well, pairing with Gill for the Clapton classic “Lay Down Sally.”
Gill’s A-list band backed up sets by guitar slingers Keb’ Mo’, Earl Klugh and Albert Lee. And Clapton’s band was comprised of guest stars Beck and Steve Winwood.
Pete Huttlinger was also among the 24 musicians on the line-up for the day-long event at Toyota Park.
It was the third festival Clapton has organized to benefit his Crossroads addiction treatment facility in Antigua.
Gill and Clapton onstage at Clapton's Nashville concert in March. Photo: Danielle Pope