Jerry Fuller. Photo: Courtesy of Footprint Sound
Jerry Fuller, the songwriter and producer behind such hits as Ricky Nelson’s “Travelin’ Man,” Al Wilson’s “Show and Tell” and Gary Puckett And The Union Gap’s “Young Girl,” died on July 18 due to complications from lung cancer. He was 85.
Born in Forth Worth, Texas into a musical family, Fuller moved to Los Angeles in 1959 to pursue a career. Early on, he worked as a demo singer, which led to a recording/songwriting contract with Gene Autry’s Four Star Music and Challenge Records. He charted several singles on the label, including “Betty My Angel,” “Tennessee Waltz,” “The Place Where I Cry,” “Guilty Of Loving You,” “I Get Carried Away” and “Shy Away.”
Fuller was touring with The Champs in the 1960s when he met Glen Campbell. Impressed by his voice, he convinced Campbell to move to Los Angeles, where the young talent helped him demo the Fuller-penned “Travelin’ Man.” The song became a Gold-certified, No. 1 hit for Nelson, starting a string of Nelson hits with Fuller such as “Young World,” “It’s Up To You,” “A Wonder Like You” and “Congratulations.”
Unfortunately, Fuller was drafted into the U.S. Army just as he was becoming an in-demand songwriter. After two years in the service, he accepted an offer to lead Four Star’s New York office. During a night out in Albany, Fuller made a connection with The Knickerbockers and eventually signed them. His first No. 1 as a producer came with the group’s “Lies” that reached No. 1 in the U.K.
He continued to have hits as a producer in the ’60s and ’70s, including Gary Puckett And The Union Gap’s “Woman, Woman,” “Young Girl,” “Lady Willpower” and “Over You,” all of which sold millions of copies. Fuller also produced O.C. Smith’s “Little Green Apples” and Mark Lindsay’s “Arizona,” “Miss America” and “Silver Bird.”
He ventured further into business in the ’70s, starting companies Moonchild Productions Inc. and Fullness Music Company, and working with artists like Johnny Mathis and Mac Davis. He also started writing country songs, enjoying hits with Ray Price’s “That’s All She Wrote,” “To Make A Long Story Short” and “Feet” as well as Reba McEntire’s “I Still Long To Hold You Now And Then” and “That Makes Two Of Us.” He wrote Al Wilson’s multi-genre smash “Show And Tell,” which was Cashbox‘s Single of the Year for 1973.
In 1982, Fuller produced his old friend Campbell’s Old Home Town album, featuring “I Love How You Love Me” and his song “A Woman’s Touch.”
Other artists who recorded one or more of Fuller’s over 1,100 songs include Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls, Hank Snow, Roy Clark, Cher, Ray Charles, Don McLean, Dottie West, Barbara Mandrell, Marty Robbins, Johnny Lee, Pat Boone, Steve Wariner, Percy Sledge and many more.
Fuller died surrounded by family and loved ones. He is survived by his wife, Annette Fuller and their children, Adam Lee and Anna Nicole. Funeral services have yet to be announced.
Weekly Register: Megan Moroney Takes Top Country Album Debut
/by Liza AndersonMegan Moroney. Photo: CeCe Dawson
Megan Moroney‘s Am I Okay? takes the top debut on the country albums chart this week, landing at No. 3 with 43K in total consumption (13K album only/38 million song streams), according to Luminate data.
Zach Bryan’s The Great American Bar Scene stays at No. 1 with 88K (2.7K album only/108 million song streams), followed by Morgan Wallen’s One Thing At A Time at No. 2 with 66K (1.4K album only/83 million song streams). Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album descends to No. 4 with 38K (354 album only/49 million song streams), and Shaboozey‘s Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going shifts down to No. 5 with 34K (1.1K album only/40 million song streams).
The country streaming songs chart shows no movement among the top five, as Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” rests at No. 1 with 32 million new streams, adding to 478 million ATD. Wallen and Post Malone‘s “I Had Some Help” holds No. 2 with 28 million streams, adding to 423 million ATD, while Wallen’s “Lies, Lies, Lies” continues at No. 3 with 22 million streams, adding to 49 million ATD. Bryan’s “Pink Skies” sits at No. 4 with 18.3 million new streams, adding to 188 million ATD, and his “28” secures No. 5 once again with 18 million streams, adding to 41 million ATD.
In Pictures: 11th Annual Faster Horses Festival Features Current Country Stars
/by Liza AndersonLainey Wilson headlining Faster Horses Festival 2024.
Faster Horses Festival returned to Brooklyn, Michigan this past weekend for its 11th annual event. This year’s festival featured headliners Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson and Hardy along with other current country stars.
Jelly Roll headlining Faster Horses Festival 2024. Photo: Marc Nader
Emerging artist Zach Top kicked off the three-day event on Friday (July 19), followed by Jackson Dean and Tyler Hubbard. The evening commenced with a video tribute to military members, which included special clips from previous festival-goers who are currently on active duty. Cody Johnson also honored our veterans, singing “God Bless America” during his set, with fans cheering. Jelly Roll then took to the stage for his headlining performance, welcoming Hubbard for a special cover of Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places” and bringing Johnson back on out for his No. 1 “Son Of A Sinner” and their collaboration “Whiskey Bent.”
Cody Johnson performing at Faster Horses Festival 2024
The Faster Humans Fun Run got the party started on Saturday morning (July 20). As per festival traditional, fans showcased their Faster Horses spirit as they raced around the Michigan International speedway before catching the day’s lineup. Attendees sang along to Alexandra Kay, Sawyer Brown and Shane Smith & The Saints, and Old Dominion treated the crowd fan-favorite tunes as the sun began to go down. Wilson then closed out the night with a bang, entering the stage on top of a vintage orange truck. In addition to performed hits such as “Heart Like A Truck” and “Watermelon Moonshine,” she invited a young fan onstage to crown her “Cowgirl of the Night.”
Hardy headlining Faster Horses Festival 2024
The first two nights ended with dance parties and sets from DJ Rod Youree at the Next From Nashville Stage, which also displayed the talents of Jake Worthington, Sadie Bass, Tanner Adell, Aidan Canfield, Stephen Wilson Jr., Josh Ross and more throughout the weekend.
On Sunday (July 21), the sunshine continued as Tigirlily Gold, Ashley Cooke, Kip Moore and Riley Green rounded out the the festival alongside Hardy. The final headliner wrapped the event on a high with his genre-melding anthems and electrifying live production, comprised of pyrotechnics, rolling smoke and bright strobe lights.
Old Dominion performing at Faster Horses Festival 2024
Sadie Bass performing at Faster Horses Festival 2024
Logan Mize Salutes Small-Town Life On New Album
/by Lorie HollabaughLogan Mize has released his new album, Her Heartland, which serves as love letter to small-town life and his upbringing in the midwest.
Produced by Daniel Agee, the 14-track project aims to tell relatable stories of unconditional love, life on the road and more. The Big Yellow Dog Music artist has been slowly teasing Her Heartland with multiple singles over the past year, including “I Hold You” and “Out Of State Plates.” The album also features songs penned by the late Abe Stoklasa as well as Daniel Tashian, Jessie Jo Dillon, Josh Hoge and more.
“Her Heartland is a collection of material we’ve released over the past year,” says Mize. “We’ve stayed in the same lane sonically so the songs all seem to fit together really well. I’m proud of this one and I think it’ll end up having multiple slow burners with a long shelf life.”
Her Heartland Track Listing:
1. “Her Heartland” (Logan Mize, Daniel Agee)
2. “Out of State Plates” (Logan Mize, Daniel Agee, Kyle Sturrock)
3. “Ends in Why” (Randy Montana, Eric Paslay, Charlie Muncaster)
4. “Last Hometown” (Donovan Woods, Colton Venner)
5. “Another Right Now” (Donovan Woods, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins)
6. “If You’re Up” (with Jessie James Decker) (Daniel Tashian, Abe Stoklasa, Sarah Buxton)
7. “Rural Route Kid” (Logan Mize, Daniel Agee, Rob Williford)
8. “American Dream” (Daniel Agee, Logan Mize)
9. “I Hold You” (Stephen Wilson Jr., Derrick Southerland, Jamie Paulin)
10. “Hope I’m Not The Only One” (Jessie Jo Dillon, Jon Nite, Jordan Schmidt)
11. “Just Keep Breathing” (Logan Mize, Daniel Agee, Blake Chaffin, Colton Venner)
12. “Bloodline” (Randy Montana, Django Walker, Josh Hoge)
13. “Heaven On Dirt” (Logan Mize, Blake Chaffin, Andrew Petroff)
14. “The World Just Keeps Getting Better” (Logan Mize, Daniel Agee, Jason Nix)
Randy Rogers Band To Release 20th Anniversary Edition Of ‘Rollercoaster’
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto: Backstage Design Studio
Randy Rogers Band will celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 2004 album, Rollercoaster, with the release of a remastered and resequenced edition on Aug. 23.
“20 years. They say, ‘don’t blink.’ Yet, that’s exactly how this feels,” shares Randy Rogers. “We all feel so lucky to still be standing up on that stage playing these songs. What a ride. Cheers to you Rollercoaster!”
Produced by Radney Foster, the new edition seeks to capture the original spirit of the band’s seminal album while bringing it into the modern age. Initially released on Aug. 24, 2004, Rollercoaster marked their second full-length album, and helped to launch them into stardom.
In January at The MusicFest in Steamboat, Colorado, Randy Rogers Band performed the collection from top to bottom with help from collaborators Wade Bowen, Cody Canada and Foster. In support of the 20th anniversary release, the group will be hitting the road next month for shows across Texas and beyond, including select dates withParker McCollum, Flatland Cavalry and Ian Munsick.
Rollercoaster 20th Anniversary Edition Track Listing:
1. “Down & Out” (Randy Rogers, Brady Black, Geoffrey Hill, Jon Richardson, Les Lawless)
2. “Somebody Take Me Home” (Randy Rogers, Radney Foster)
3. “This Time Around” (Randy Rogers, Cade Canada)
4. “Love Must Follow You Around” (Randy Rogers, Radney Foster)
5. “Lay it All On You” (Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen)
6. “Tonight’s not The Night” (Randy Rogers, Radney Foster)
7. “Again” (Randy Rogers, Cody Canada)
8. “Can’t Slow Down” (Randy Rogers)
9. “They Call It The Hill Country” (Kent Finlay)
10. “Ten Miles Deep” (Jon Richardson)
11. “I Miss You With Me” (Randy Rogers)
SOLID Raises $40,000 For CMA Foundation
/by Madison HahnenSOLID Nashville presents CMA Foundation with a check on June 27, 2024 at the CMA Event Space in Nashville, TN. Photo: Britney Buckwalter/CMA
The SOLID organization revealed that they have raised $40,000 for the CMA Foundation during this year’s CMA Fest.
The Backstage Auction, held at Fan Fair X, offered festival attendees the chance to bid on various items including signed instruments, merch bundles, concert tickets and more. Those who could not make it to Nashville were also able to bid online. The auction was spearheaded by SOLID members Leah Ducey, Mark Thress and Samantha Funderlich.
“Our record-breaking donation can be attributed to our continued support from CMA as well as the entire SOLID community coming together to ensure that we once again surprise and delight CMA Fest fans with unique offerings in new ways,” says Ducey. “We are so grateful to CMA for providing one-of-a-kind items and support throughout CMA Fest who ensure that fans know where to find our Backstage Auction online and on-site at Fan Fair X. We were thrilled to greet countless CMA Fest fans who return to our booth and look forward to finding items from their favorite country music artists year after year.
“Of course, none of this would be possible without the combined efforts of my co-chairs, Mark Thress and Samantha Funderlich, our entire SOLID 2024 Board and the SOLID organization as a whole for bringing in special items and exclusive experiences from country music’s biggest stars. I would like to take a moment to thank them all and express extra gratitude to our volunteers who truly made the entire Backstage Auction possible all weekend long. We are absolutely elated with the results this year and look forward to our continued partnership with CMA for years to come.”
SOLID President Rio Van Risseghem shares, “Every year our partnership with CMA on The Backstage Auction grows stronger and we are so thankful to be able to work with them once again. With the addition of some highly coveted items donated from CMA, we surpassed our CMA Foundation contribution from last year and finally hit an incredible $40,000 mark. SOLID’s Music Market Chairs, Leah Ducey, Mark Thress, and Samantha Funderlich rallied SOLID’s entire membership in securing donated items and staffing The Backstage Auction with SOLID volunteers for CMA Fest weekend.”
Songwriter & Producer Jerry Fuller Dies At 85
/by LB CantrellJerry Fuller. Photo: Courtesy of Footprint Sound
Jerry Fuller, the songwriter and producer behind such hits as Ricky Nelson’s “Travelin’ Man,” Al Wilson’s “Show and Tell” and Gary Puckett And The Union Gap’s “Young Girl,” died on July 18 due to complications from lung cancer. He was 85.
Born in Forth Worth, Texas into a musical family, Fuller moved to Los Angeles in 1959 to pursue a career. Early on, he worked as a demo singer, which led to a recording/songwriting contract with Gene Autry’s Four Star Music and Challenge Records. He charted several singles on the label, including “Betty My Angel,” “Tennessee Waltz,” “The Place Where I Cry,” “Guilty Of Loving You,” “I Get Carried Away” and “Shy Away.”
Fuller was touring with The Champs in the 1960s when he met Glen Campbell. Impressed by his voice, he convinced Campbell to move to Los Angeles, where the young talent helped him demo the Fuller-penned “Travelin’ Man.” The song became a Gold-certified, No. 1 hit for Nelson, starting a string of Nelson hits with Fuller such as “Young World,” “It’s Up To You,” “A Wonder Like You” and “Congratulations.”
Unfortunately, Fuller was drafted into the U.S. Army just as he was becoming an in-demand songwriter. After two years in the service, he accepted an offer to lead Four Star’s New York office. During a night out in Albany, Fuller made a connection with The Knickerbockers and eventually signed them. His first No. 1 as a producer came with the group’s “Lies” that reached No. 1 in the U.K.
He continued to have hits as a producer in the ’60s and ’70s, including Gary Puckett And The Union Gap’s “Woman, Woman,” “Young Girl,” “Lady Willpower” and “Over You,” all of which sold millions of copies. Fuller also produced O.C. Smith’s “Little Green Apples” and Mark Lindsay’s “Arizona,” “Miss America” and “Silver Bird.”
He ventured further into business in the ’70s, starting companies Moonchild Productions Inc. and Fullness Music Company, and working with artists like Johnny Mathis and Mac Davis. He also started writing country songs, enjoying hits with Ray Price’s “That’s All She Wrote,” “To Make A Long Story Short” and “Feet” as well as Reba McEntire’s “I Still Long To Hold You Now And Then” and “That Makes Two Of Us.” He wrote Al Wilson’s multi-genre smash “Show And Tell,” which was Cashbox‘s Single of the Year for 1973.
In 1982, Fuller produced his old friend Campbell’s Old Home Town album, featuring “I Love How You Love Me” and his song “A Woman’s Touch.”
Other artists who recorded one or more of Fuller’s over 1,100 songs include Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls, Hank Snow, Roy Clark, Cher, Ray Charles, Don McLean, Dottie West, Barbara Mandrell, Marty Robbins, Johnny Lee, Pat Boone, Steve Wariner, Percy Sledge and many more.
Fuller died surrounded by family and loved ones. He is survived by his wife, Annette Fuller and their children, Adam Lee and Anna Nicole. Funeral services have yet to be announced.
Mac McAnally To Make Headlining Debut At The Ryman In January
/by Lorie HollabaughMac McAnally
Mac McAnally is set to make his headlining debut at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Jan. 31.
During the milestone event, the award-winning creator plans to take the audience through decades of musical work. Tickets are available now. For more information, click here.
McAnally has released a rendition of Jimmy Buffet’s “Oysters and Pearls,” which he and Buffet wrote together, and tune “All The Way Around” this year. Serving as a guitarist and longtime member of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band, he continues to play sold-out shows across the country for his fans and “Parrot Heads,” keeping the spirit of his friend and collaborator alive. In addition to Buffet, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) inductee has penned chart-toppers for the likes of Alabama and Kenny Chesney as well as contributed to albums by Toby Keith, Dolly Parton and George Strait.
McAnally is also involved in Walt Disney World Resort’s revamped Country Bear Musical Jamboree, and is currently producing new projects for Sawyer Brown, Ned LeDoux and more.
Kashus Culpepper To Launch ‘Howlin’ Under The Harvest Moon Tour’ This Fall
/by Lorie HollabaughKashus Culpepper. Photo: Cole Calfee
Kashus Culpepper will hit the road on the “Howlin’ Under The Harvest Moon Tour,” his second headlining journey, this fall.
The Alabama native will be joined by newcomers Coleman Jennings, Anna Graves and Alex Lambert across various dates of the 11-stop tour. The trek will kick off in Austin on Sept. 12, and travel to Dallas, Detroit, Birmingham and more before visiting Nashville on Oct. 12. Tickets go on sale this Friday (July 26), with select presales taking place throughout the week. For more information, click here.
“I’m back,” announces Culpepper. “My second headlining run is coming this fall, and I’m bringing along some artists that I truly love and am excited to sing with. Can’t wait to see y’all out there, and connect with y’all on the road. This year has already exceeded my expectations and it’s all because of y’all, so thank you for all the love and support. Hope to see you out at a show!”
The newly-signed Big Loud Records artist has also released his second single, “Who Hurt You,” and inked with Big Loud Publishing and Warner Chappell Music, after signing with CAA earlier this month.
Tucker Wetmore Announces Inaugural Headlining Tour
/by John Nix ArledgeTucker Wetmore. Photo: Anna Schaeffer
Breakout artist Tucker Wetmore has announced the “Waves On A Sunset Tour 2024,” his first-ever headlining run.
The 16-stop tour will kick off in Statesboro, Georgia on Oct. 4 and visit multiple cities through mid-November. Throughout the journey, Wetmore will be joined by Hannah McFarland, Eli Winders and Ashland Craft.
“I am so excited to be going on my first headline tour! Thank you to my fans and listeners for making this possible,” he expresses. “This has been a dream come true of mine for so long. So excited to bring out some of my friends, Hannah McFarland, Eli Winders and Ashland Craft, on the road with me. God is good!”
Presale tickets will be available this Wednesday (July 24) at 10 a.m. local time, with general sales starting this Friday (July 26) at 10 a.m. local time. For more information, click here.
With his debut radio single “Wind Up Missin’ You” positioned to break into the top 30 in only six weeks, Wetmore continues to release new music. His latest tunes, “Already Had It” and “Steal My Thunder” with Conner Smith, come from the star-studded Twisters soundtrack. Additionally, Wetmore performed for over seven thousand fans at CMA Fest last month.
Ahead of the headlining shows, he plans to support Luke Bryan on his “Farm Tour 2024” as well as Jordan Davis, Jason Aldean, Dustin Lynch, Jelly Roll and more on select dates.
Jonnie Macson To Become Concord’s New VP Of Royalties
/by LB CantrellJonnie Macson
Jonnie Macson will become Vice President of Royalties for Concord Music Publishing.
Expected to be based in Concord’s Nashville headquarters, Macson will focus on improving global royalty systems to help ensure that Concord’s songwriters and publishing clients around the world are fairly, accurately and promptly compensated. He will report to General Manager of International Operations Jeff Van Driel.
Macson spent nearly 20 years in Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG)’s offices in Franklin, Tennessee and London, England, working his way up from Global Royalties Assistant to Vice President in charge of all global administration. While there, he led the launch of the client services portal UMPG Window, project-managed the successful distribution of UPMG’s first-ever TikTok deal and advised senior leadership on administration projects across the company.
“I can think of no one better suited than Jonnie to join our team. He has such a deep understanding of royalty systems and a wealth of technical knowledge needed to significantly enhance our processes,” says Van Driel. “As we continue to grow, it is vital we have people like Jonnie working on behalf of our songwriters, their estates and their legacies.”
“For the past 20 years, I have watched Concord grow by leaps and bounds from a small indie to a global player,” states Macson. “Songwriters are the backbone of the music industry, and it is truly a joy to work on their behalf. I am beyond excited for this opportunity.”