Ernest will celebrate the release of his sophomore album, Nashville, Tennessee, with an all-day fan album release event tomorrow (April 12).

The event will feature exclusive, limited edition merchandise, prizes from local vendors and brands, personal memorabilia from his career, and a one-day-only show at 6th & Peabody, home of Ole Smoky Moonshine and Yee-Haw Brewing Co.

The Big Loud Records artist worked with longtime producer Joey Moi on the 26-track project, which pays homage in name and sonically to his hometown. After announcing the album through a viral Nashville mayoral campaign video, Ernest released five additional tracks from the collection, including “I Went To College / I Went To Jail,” sung with fellow Nashville native Jelly Roll, as well as “Ain’t As Easy,” “How’d We Get Here,” “Ain’t Too Late,” and “Why Dallas (feat. Lukas Nelson).”

The songs joined already available tracks “Kiss Of Death” and “Slow Dancing In a Burning Room,” which were released late last year during his headlining run and back-to-back, sold-out nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

Terri Clark. Photo: Phil Crozier

Terri Clark is set to play her first-ever headlining show at the Ryman Auditorium on Aug. 29.

Tickets for the Ryman show are on sale this Friday, April 12. The country chart-topper is gearing up for the release of her star-studded duets album, Terri Clark: Take Two, an eight-song collection of her greatest hits reimagined, on May 31.

“The Ryman Auditorium holds a special significance for every country singer on the planet and I’m no exception,” shares Clark. “It’s not just a structure to me. I walk inside and while I can see the pews and the stained glass—they barely register. Instead, I hear Hank’s twang, the dulcet tones of Patsy, and am lifted by Loretta’s voice. It is one of the rare, truly iconic venues that has become not just a dream gig for artists of any genre—it is a goal. No matter who you are, when you step on the stage inside the Mother Church, you’re praying to the Gods of country music for just a little extra grace that night. The sound in the Ryman is unparalleled. We’ll have a few surprises and will be pulling out all the stops to ensure this is a night to remember for everyone—no matter if you’re on the stage or sitting in the pews under the glow of the stained glass.”

In conjunction with the duets album, Clark is also releasing a vinyl edition of her Greatest Hits collection. The 14-song vinyl collection commemorates the 20th anniversary of her Greatest Hits album featuring her top 10 singles, including the No. 1 hit, “You’re Easy On The Eyes.” The vinyl shares a release date with Clark’s duets album Take Two, as she celebrates both the original and fresh tracks on May 31.

Greatest Hits Vinyl Track List:
SIDE A
1. “Better Things To Do”
2. “When Boy Meets Girl”
3. “If I Were You”
4. “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me”
5. “Emotional Girl”
6. “Now That I Found You”
7. “You’re Easy On The Eyes”
SIDE B
8. “Everytime I Cry”
9. “A Little Gasoline”
10. “I Just Wanna Be Mad”
11. “I Wanna Do It All”
12. “Girls Lie Too”
13. “One Of The Guys”
14. “No Fear”

Pictured (L-R): Combustion’s Kelly Lyons and Chris Farren; Blake Bollinger; Combustion’s Falcon, Keithan Melton and Blake Duncan. Photo: Nick Sainato

Combustion Music has signed songwriter and producer Blake Bollinger to a worldwide publishing deal.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the incredible team at Combustion Music,” Bollinger says. “Not only do they have a huge track record of success, but the staff immediately felt like family. They are the perfect partner for this next chapter of my career.”

Bollinger has landed cuts with Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker, Parmalee, Kelsey Hart, Corey Kent and more, and has several songs featured on CBS, ABC, NBC and MTV. The Texas native’s production credits include Rodney Atkins, LoCash, Trea Landon, Kelsey Hart, Craig Campbell and Nate Kenyon.

Bollinger has also done programming for the last four Aldean records as well as the most recent Blake Shelton, Chris Janson and Shane Profitt records.

“Blake is an incredibly unique talent who excels and understands music from multiple perspectives…couldn’t be more excited to be working together!” shares Combustion Founder / President Chris Farren.

Combustion’s Keithan Melton, adds, “We’re thrilled to be working with Blake and look forward to winning together, very soon.”

Rendering of Belmont University’s new Curb College building

Belmont University has received a $58 million lead gift from music industry veteran Mike Curb and the Mike Curb Foundation to propel the expansion of its Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business on Music Row. The news and renderings were disclosed last night (April 9) to an industry crowd at a reception prior to the “Belmont at the Opry” event, which commemorated the music business program’s 50th anniversary.

The gift marks largest in the school’s history, and will support renovation of existing buildings as well as construction of a new state-of-the-art facility, aiming to preserve the area’s history while providing innovative spaces for entertainment industry education and collaboration.

Rendering of Belmont University’s existing Curb College building

“Mike Curb’s remarkable generosity and partnership with Belmont over many years has been invaluable in advancing entertainment and music business education,” noted Dr. Greg Jones, President of Belmont University. “This latest transformational gift solidifies Belmont’s position at the forefront of developing the next generation of music industry leaders. We are profoundly grateful to Mike and Linda [Curb] for their continued investment in Belmont’s mission.”

“As Nashville’s music industry has grown and evolved into an international entertainment hub, it’s crucial that our education system keeps pace to develop skilled talent,” said Curb. “Belmont has been a fantastic partner over the years in preparing aspiring artists, songwriters, engineers and music business leaders who go on to become invaluable employees for record companies throughout Nashville and the industry at large. With this latest investment, we’ll build upon that strong foundation to push entertainment and music business education ahead to the next level, ensuring a steady stream of well-prepared professionals for the ever-growing industry.”

The project is set to unfold in two phases. Already underway, phase one includes renovating the historic Buddy Lee Attractions/Capitol Records building, adding 17,000 square feet of songwriting rooms, listening spaces, live sound classrooms and student lounges. The renovation will also consist of new, updated space for Nashville’s Leadership Music offices, continuing Belmont and Curb College’s partnership with the organization.

Phase two will develop a new 75,000-square-foot building behind Belmont’s existing Music Row footprint. Construction on this facility will begin over the next two years and integrate all facets of the entertainment industry, including a performance venue anticipated to accommodate over 150 people, networking and gathering spaces for students and industry professionals, a coffee shop, content capture rooms and underground parking. This phase also involves a broader fundraising campaign for the building, which the school kicked off last night.

“For 50 years, our faculty, staff and world-class facilities have made Belmont a top destination for future music executives, engineers, artists and songwriters. Mike’s partnership over decades has allowed Belmont to continually elevate our entertainment curriculum and facilities in lockstep with industry needs,” said Brittany Schaffer, Dean of Curb College. “This lead gift allows us to deepen our integration with Music Row, creating an unprecedented immersive experience that will directly connect our students with industry leaders and opportunities while driving innovation alongside our partners in Nashville’s entertainment landscape.”

Construction details and timelines will be announced as plans progress.