Music City will pay tribute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary at Nashville’s Big Bash New Year’s Eve Celebration at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park this year.
The live show will include a 50-minute tribute to celebrate the genre over the decades, and “Music City Hip-Hop 50” will conclude with a guest DJ set by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, who has a music degree and did a DJ set at Grimey’s record store during his campaign.
The segment will be curated by Eric Holt, managing partner of The Lovenoise Group and assistant professor of Music Business at Belmont University, and Nashville artist Jason Eskridge, along with guest appearances by artists Tim Gent and Daisha McBride. Eskridge will DJ the segment, with Kenny Smoov of 92Q emceeing.
“For five decades, hip-hop has not only been a cultural force around the world but has grown and flourished in Music City,” says Deana Ivey, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “As we celebrate the history of hip-hop and Nashville’s own vibrant hip-hop scene, we honor the roots, the rhymes, the creators and the collaborations that have found inspiration in Music City.”
Mayor O’Connell says, “I am excited that this event will highlight the diversity of Nashville’s music scene. Our relationship with country music is historic, but we have such a diverse group of creatives that deserve our celebration. It’s a tough assignment to DJ a set surrounded by truly terrific artists like Jason Eskridge, Daisha McBride and Tim Gent, but I look forward to the challenge.”
The family-friendly hip-hop segment will kick off at 5:15 p.m. and will conclude with remarks from Mayor O’Connell, as well as a 10-minute DJ set that he will play and mix. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., and the program is free and open to the public. The early-evening segment gives families a way to celebrate the free Big Bash event with children of all ages.
The tribute will also help mark the 20th anniversary of The Lovenoise Group, an urban promoter that provides performance platforms for local urban artists and a community hub where Black music lovers can come together to experience the power of culture.
Big Bash is partnering with the HERO (Homeless Education Resource Office) Program of Metro Nashville Public Schools to support students and their families who are experiencing homelessness. Through the partnership, Big Bash sponsor Crav’n Flavor will replenish the HERO food pantry for the month of January from scratch. Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola Consolidated and Carl Black Chevrolet will support HERO families by supporting the transportation fund over the next 12 months so that families can access community resources and navigate the work of obtaining stable housing. Additionally, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp will contribute $1 from each official Big Bash event t-shirt sold to support the HERO program. Donations to the HERO Family Fund can be made at BigBashHERO.
Nashville’s Big Bash will feature Thomas Rhett, newly crowned CMA Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd as headliners. The concert is free and open to the public, and the five-hour CBS special will air live on Dec. 31 at 6:30 pm CT on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+.
This will be the 15th annual concert and seventh year at Bicentennial Park. As a live event, the Big Bash generates as much as $38 million in direct visitor spending and attendance of 200,000, with more than half being local residents.
Ian Munsick Plots ‘Boots, Buckles & Bolos Tour’ For Spring
/by Lorie HollabaughIan Munsick has announced his “Boots, Buckles & Bolos Tour,” kicking off Jan. 19 in Grant, Oklahoma.
Spanning from Baltimore to Colorado and Florida to Wisconsin and more, Munsick will be joined by a rotating lineup of special guests on the new trek, including Ben Chapman, Ryan Charles, William Clark Green, Tyler Halverson, Meghan Patrick, Peytan Porter, The Munsick Boys, The War And Treaty, Treaty Oak Revival, Chancey Williams, Charlie Worsham and Jake Worthington.
“Every time I walk on stage I only have one goal for when I walk off… leave knowing somebody thought that was the best show they’ve ever seen,” says Munsick. “I know how hard country music fans work for their money and their weekend, so when you choose to spend it at an Ian Munsick concert, I wanna make sure you get every penny’s worth of every minute. The ‘Boots, Buckles & Bolos Tour’ is gearing up to be our best yet. New music, new cities and new opening acts are gonna make this run of shows some you do not wanna miss! Break out your shit-kickers, waist trophies and neck blingage cuz the west is riding to your town!”
Ticket presale for the newly announced dates begins today (Nov. 30), while general on-sale is available beginning tomorrow (Dec. 1). The “Boots, Buckles & Bolos Tour” is presented by Xtreme Concepts, known for its Western ranch inspired lifestyle brands, including Big Horn Bison Ranch, Musket Powder Seasoning and Bison Union. Initially built to serve the U.S. government, military and commercial sectors, Xtreme Concepts, Inc. earned its reputation as a global leader in education, security and technology solutions. Longtime sponsor Southern Recipe Small Batch Pork Rinds will also return to support the tour.
Munsick will conclude 2023 on tour with the Turnpike Troubadours, and in 2024 he’ll also tour alongside Lainey Wilson on her “Country’s Cool Again Tour.”
Charlie Worsham Announces The Compadres Fund
/by Liza AndersonCharlie Worsham. Photo: Jess Williams
Singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Charlie Worsham has announced The Compadres Fund via the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, which will support nonprofits that champion arts education and mental health services.
Worsham has been actively engaged with local and national nonprofit organizations since the start of his career over a decade ago. He began working with the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee when he established his Follow Your Heart Scholarship Fund in 2016.
“The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has been my good ‘compadre’ for a long time,” he shares. “It’s where I met my bride. It’s also where I’ve been proud to grow a scholarship fund for kids from my hometown following their hearts. The logical next step in following my own heart was to establish The Compadres Fund, with my bride Kristen, to continue to support arts education, mental health services like Porter’s Call and provide help to those who need it most.”
All proceeds from Worsham’s “Every Damn Monday” show on Dec. 11 at The Basement East in Nashville will benefit the new fund. He will also perform at the annual “Carols By Candlelight” show on Dec. 9 benefitting Rady Children’s Hospital – San Diego, and kick off his headlining “Compadres Tour” in 2024.
The names of both the fund and upcoming tour hail from Worsham’s recently released project, Compadres. The five-track album features collaborators Dierks Bentley, Luke Combs, Elle King, Kip Moore and Lainey Wilson, among others.
2024 Dates & Ticketing Process Updates Announced For Tin Pan South
/by Lorie HollabaughThe 32nd annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival, presented by Regions, is set to take place April 2-6.
This year, producers are introducing some changes surrounding the ticketing process. The festival will be retiring the traditional Fast Access Pass and cash-at-the-door system, and will institute a pre-show ticket sales system for all shows. Tickets for each festival show will go on sale three weeks in advance of the respective show date, and will be available for purchase at tinpansouth.com.
The pre-show ticketing process will allow ticket-holders the confidence of admission with their tickets in-hand rather than risking access based on time of arrival before doors open and line lengths. For shows that are not sold-out, ticket purchases will be allowed at the door.
Tin Pan South will once again present two shows per night at 10 venues throughout Nashville over the five-day event. The festival lineup will be revealed on Thursday, March 7 and ticket sales will begin on Tuesday, March 12. Last year over 400 songwriters participated in the renowned industry event and songwriter fans from around the world attended to hear tunes performed as they were written, by the creators themselves.
Planning is underway for a few additional daytime offers for festival-goers and attendees of the Tin Pan South Songwriting Seminar, the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)’s accompanying education event taking place April 5-6 at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. The seminar provides two days of panels, sessions and presentations by professionals in the music industry and songwriting space, welcoming more than 200 developing songwriters each year.
Ticket On-Sale Information:
Tuesday, April 2 Shows – 8 a.m. CT on Tuesday, March 12
Wednesday, April 3 Shows – 8 a.m. CT on Wednesday, March 13
Thursday, April 4 Shows – 8 a.m. CT on Thursday, March 14
Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6 Shows – 8 a.m. CT on Monday, March 18
AIMP To Celebrate The Season With Holiday Parties
/by Liza AndersonThe Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) will celebrate the season with a slate of holiday parties in Nashville, Los Angeles and New York.
The AIMP Nashville Chapter will kick things off with their members-only AIMP Nashville Holiday Party, which will be held tomorrow (Nov. 30) from 4-6 p.m. CT at Never Never. Attendees will be treated to cocktails and appetizers as the Chapter celebrates this year’s accomplishments and prepares for 2024. Those who would like to join the chapter or who wish to check their membership status can contact aimpnashville@gmail.com.
“The AIMP Nashville Chapter has much to celebrate this year, from our return to the Ryman for this year’s AIMP Nashville Country Awards, to our ninth annual Songwriter Series honoring up-and-coming writers, to the release of the sixth season of our AIMP Nashville Pubcast,” says Ree Guyer, President, AIMP Nashville Chapter. “It has been an honor to lead the chapter as President for the first time this year, and I’m excited to look back on our successes on behalf of the Nashville independent music publishing community while preparing for another great year ahead.”
The Los Angeles Chapter will host the AIMP LA 2023 Holiday Party & Annual Awards event on Tuesday, Dec. 5 from 5-8 p.m. PT at the BMI offices in Beverly Hills, and present the Indie Publisher of the Year Award to A&I Music Entertainment as well as the Individual(s) Award in Support of Songwriters & Publishers to twin brothers Todd and Jeff Brabec.
The AIMP New York Chapter will round things out on Thursday, Dec. 7 with the AIMP NY 2023 Holiday Party from 6-9 p.m. ET at Little Rebel, where Reservoir Executive Vice President of A&R and Catalog Development Faith Newman will be honored with the 2023 Indie Spirit Award.
Morgan Wallen Commands Spotify’s 2023 Year-End Lists
/by LB CantrellSpotify unveiled its 2023 Wrapped campaign, showing users’ top artists, songs, albums and podcasts of the past year.
The platform also revealed its most-streamed artists, songs and more from its more than 574 million subscribers around the world. Globally, the top streaming artist was Taylor Swift, with more than 26.1 billion global streams since Jan. 1. The most-streamed song was “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus and the album was Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny.
Swift was also the top-streamed artist in the United States, followed by Drake, Morgan Wallen, The Weeknd and Bad Bunny. Wallen’s “Last Night” was the most streamed song in the U.S. in 2023.
Two of Wallen’s albums, 2023’s One Thing At A Time and 2021’s Dangerous: The Double Album, were in the top five most streamed albums in the United States, with One Thing At A Time topping the list.
For more Spotify year-end data, visit spotify.com.
Reba McEntire Appoints Justin McIntosh As Manager, Among Other Team Changes
/by Liza AndersonJustin McIntosh
Reba McEntire has made changes within her core team, adding Justin McIntosh as her new Manager. She has also added Tyler Lewis as Management Coordinator and expanded Leslie Matthews Dugger‘s role of Brand Manager.
McIntosh has worked closely with McEntire for more than a decade since he joined her former management home Starstruck Entertainment as VP of Marketing & Creative. Prior to Starstruck, McIntosh worked at Big Machine Label Group, where he was instrumental in digital & marketing strategies for the label’s roster. A Belmont University graduate, his professional experience also includes a role with Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB), in addition to his own creative consulting agency. He is a member of the Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music and the Recording Academy, and has served on the Boards of the Nashville Film Festival and The Theater Bug.
Lewis previously worked as a talent agent for Ovation Artist Group, where he played an important role in the careers of artists including CeCe Winans, Dailey & Vincent, The Isaacs and more. The Lipscomb University alum has extensive experience working major live events and television productions such as the CMA Awards, CMA Fest and ABC’s Nashville.
Dugger is continuing to build upon her 15-year plus position as the country star’s Brand Manager. In addition to managing McEntire existing brand partnerships with Dillard’s and Justin Boots, her role has expanded becoming an integral decision maker in McEntire’s overall brand. The Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) graduate has also leveraged her extensive fashion and retail experience to include personal styling for the artist.
“I consider my team a well-oiled machine,” says McEntire. “We have fun and we get the job done, but the best part is we like each other. Everyone brings something different to the party with their creativity and curiosity, while earning the respect of others. 2024 is going to be an amazing year!”
She continues to be represented by WME, The GreenRoom PR and Tri Star Sports & Entertainment.
Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen Dominate Year-End Apple Music Charts
/by LB CantrellApple Music has revealed its 2023 Year-End Charts, spotlighting the biggest songs of the year across Apple Music and Shazam and, for the first time, the songs music fans sang along to the most using Apple Music Sing.
Taylor Swift is Apple Music’s Artist of the Year, with more Apple Music subscribers listening to her in 2023 than to any other artist in the world. With this feat, Swift set a new all-time record for the most listeners for any artist in a single year on Apple Music. In the first 10 months of 2023, she saw 65 songs reach Apple Music’s Global Daily Top 100—more than any other artist.
Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” was crowned No. 1 on the Top Songs of 2023: Global, with more listens on Apple Music worldwide than any other song this year. It marks the first country song since “Old Town Road” (2019) to top the chart. In 2023, “Last Night” smashed the record for the country song with the most days at No. 1 on the Global Daily Top 100. 11 country songs reach the Top Songs of 2023: Global chart, up from four last year. Wallen also scored the No. 1 album of the year with One Thing At A Time.
The full suite of Year-End Charts are available to view and listen to on Apple Music.
The platform also rolled out its Apple Music Replay 2023 feature, where subscribers can discover, listen to and share their top songs, artists, albums genres and more.
Driver Williams Signs With Jody Williams Songs & Warner Chappell Music
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): JWS Founder, Jody Williams; JWS Creative Manager, Tenasie Courtright; Driver Williams; JWS Senior Director, Creative Nina Jenkins Fisher; Warner Chappell Music Senior Director, A&R, Spencer Nohe. Photo: Jaime Sillas
Driver Williams has signed an exclusive songwriting agreement with Jody Williams Songs (JWS) and Warner Chappell Music.
Williams is a Nashville native who has written songs for Eric Church, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean and more. He is also the original lead guitarist for Church’s band, a position he has held since 2005.
At JWS, Driver will continue to work with his father, Founder Jody Williams, as well as Senior Director, Creative Nina Jenkins Fisher and Creative Manager Tenasie Courtright.
Driver shares, “It’s truly a dream come true to be able to work exclusively with my dad, and call Jody Williams Songs/Warner Chappell Music my songwriting home. I’m excited to do my part to contribute to such a sterling roster and song-forward endeavor.”
“The trajectory of Driver’s songwriting career is impressive. He is teed up for great things in 2024. We could not be more proud to work with him,” Jody shares.
Fisher adds, “Driver holds down a lane at JWS that no other writer touches. He is a lyricist that balances fresh ideas with a hard-earned understanding of our genre. I’m thrilled to be on his team.”
Kylie Morgan’s ‘Making It Up As I Go Tour’ Set To Launch In February
/by Lorie HollabaughEMI Records Nashville artist Kylie Morgan will launch her “Making It Up As I Go Tour” in February.
The tour will include stops in Chicago, San Diego, Las Vegas, Portland, Indianapolis, and more. Her spring dates include a festival appearance at Stagecoach, and a home-state show in Oklahoma. Tickets go on sale this Friday (Dec. 1). For more information, click here.
“All I’ve ever wanted to do was be on stage and have people singing my words back to me,” shares Morgan. “This past year I have had that dream come true night after night. I am extremely grateful for this next chapter and seeing it on a tour of my very own, with incredible people to help me make it happen by my side.”
The tour announcement follows her recent signing with WME for global representation. The singer-songwriter will be represented by the agency’s Morgan Kenney and Aaron Tannenbaum.
Morgan also recently released her debut full-length album, Making It Up As I Go, that features 12 tracks written or co-written by her. She has amassed more than 400 million career streams, and is currently on her first arena trek supporting Old Dominion on their “No Bad Vibes Tour” through December.
Music City To Celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary During New Year’s Eve Big Bash
/by Lorie HollabaughMusic City will pay tribute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary at Nashville’s Big Bash New Year’s Eve Celebration at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park this year.
The live show will include a 50-minute tribute to celebrate the genre over the decades, and “Music City Hip-Hop 50” will conclude with a guest DJ set by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, who has a music degree and did a DJ set at Grimey’s record store during his campaign.
The segment will be curated by Eric Holt, managing partner of The Lovenoise Group and assistant professor of Music Business at Belmont University, and Nashville artist Jason Eskridge, along with guest appearances by artists Tim Gent and Daisha McBride. Eskridge will DJ the segment, with Kenny Smoov of 92Q emceeing.
“For five decades, hip-hop has not only been a cultural force around the world but has grown and flourished in Music City,” says Deana Ivey, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “As we celebrate the history of hip-hop and Nashville’s own vibrant hip-hop scene, we honor the roots, the rhymes, the creators and the collaborations that have found inspiration in Music City.”
Mayor O’Connell says, “I am excited that this event will highlight the diversity of Nashville’s music scene. Our relationship with country music is historic, but we have such a diverse group of creatives that deserve our celebration. It’s a tough assignment to DJ a set surrounded by truly terrific artists like Jason Eskridge, Daisha McBride and Tim Gent, but I look forward to the challenge.”
The family-friendly hip-hop segment will kick off at 5:15 p.m. and will conclude with remarks from Mayor O’Connell, as well as a 10-minute DJ set that he will play and mix. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., and the program is free and open to the public. The early-evening segment gives families a way to celebrate the free Big Bash event with children of all ages.
The tribute will also help mark the 20th anniversary of The Lovenoise Group, an urban promoter that provides performance platforms for local urban artists and a community hub where Black music lovers can come together to experience the power of culture.
Big Bash is partnering with the HERO (Homeless Education Resource Office) Program of Metro Nashville Public Schools to support students and their families who are experiencing homelessness. Through the partnership, Big Bash sponsor Crav’n Flavor will replenish the HERO food pantry for the month of January from scratch. Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola Consolidated and Carl Black Chevrolet will support HERO families by supporting the transportation fund over the next 12 months so that families can access community resources and navigate the work of obtaining stable housing. Additionally, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp will contribute $1 from each official Big Bash event t-shirt sold to support the HERO program. Donations to the HERO Family Fund can be made at BigBashHERO.
Nashville’s Big Bash will feature Thomas Rhett, newly crowned CMA Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd as headliners. The concert is free and open to the public, and the five-hour CBS special will air live on Dec. 31 at 6:30 pm CT on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+.
This will be the 15th annual concert and seventh year at Bicentennial Park. As a live event, the Big Bash generates as much as $38 million in direct visitor spending and attendance of 200,000, with more than half being local residents.