Trey Lewis
River House Artists’ Trey Lewis first garnered industry attention when his risqué yet hilarious tune, “Dicked Down In Dallas,” went viral on social media.
Though Lewis was receiving a massive amount of engagement on the internet, which was translating to streams, some country music fans and industry members seemed a bit hesitant to accept the rowdy newcomer with a very non-traditional breakout hit.
While some scoffed, others saw the artist behind “Dicked Down In Dallas” and jumped on board. Shortly after releasing his first EP, Shut the Door, Sony Music Publishing announced they had signed Lewis to a publishing deal. Then came the news that River House Artists had inked a record deal with him.
Despite the playfulness in”Dicked Down In Dallas,” Lewis is a tender-hearted, deep artist with a miraculous story that he shared with MusicRow during a recent visit.
Pictured (L-R): River House Artists’ Lynn Oliver-Cline; MusicRow‘s LB Cantrell and Liza Anderson; Trey Lewis; MusicRow‘s Caela Griffin, Sherod Robertson and Steve Boero
As a teenager in Birmingham, Alabama, Lewis fell into drugs and alcohol. After some jail visits, he went to rehab and participated in a sober living program. Once he conquered his addiction, he knew he had to make a change in his life to keep him on track, which ended up being music. He now has 16 years of sobriety to be proud of.
As part of his sobriety journey, he had to sponsor someone else who was trying to get sober. The person Lewis ended up sponsoring was a musician who would make trips to Nashville.
“He asked me to come to Nashville one weekend to be his sober companion. We came up here and his producer asked me to play some songs. They told me I had a great voice, and that’s what started everything. That’s where I caught the bug,” Lewis shares.
While coming back and forth to Nashville, Lewis met a girl and got married. When their marriage ended in 2017, the disappointment eventually led Lewis to change the course of his life and move to Music City.
After meeting collaborators who turned into friends, Lewis found himself amongst a hard-working class of rising singer-songwriters, constantly hustling by playing in bars and writers’ rounds, writing with each other and holding down jobs to pay the bills. He moved in with one of closest friends, now Sony Music Nashville-signed recording artist Ella Langley. The two still live together, though music keeps them on the road most of the time.
Right as “Dicked Down In Dallas” started to take off online, Lewis remembers playing a round with some friends at Live Oak in Nashville. That night proved to be magical, with industry executives and other prominent artists filling the crowd, drawn from the new buzzing hit.
“We had all this buzz around this song and that night, all these people [in my life] like Alex Maxwell, Joybeth Taylor, Ella Langley and Matt McKinney were there. They’re all signed writers now and have songs coming out every Friday on big artists,” Lewis says. “I know some people look at that song and think, ‘That’s raunchy,’ and some know it was just a joke, but what it did for my friend group was it shined a light on the work we were doing.”
Lewis notes that his attorney, Scott Safford, made sure he knew all of his options when labels started calling. He decided he wanted to hold on to ownership of the hit song, and was rewarded financially. He was able to give his band a much-deserved raise and pay off his mom’s debt.
“That was amazing. With all of the things that I’ve been through—some self-inflicted—and the things I put my mom through… the fact that I was able to do that was amazing,” Lewis emotionally shares.
When Lynn Oliver-Cline and River House came aboard, they weren’t interested in acquiring Lewis’ cash cow. They just wanted in on the genius to come.
“We didn’t take ‘Dicked Down In Dallas’ because he makes great money from it and is able to take care of his band, crew and family,” Oliver-Cline says. “When we came aboard, I said, ‘We will work on what’s moving forward. We don’t want to take what you’ve worked so hard on. Let’s look at the future.'”
She adds, “That’s why we’re here. He’s made this incredible record coming out in January called Trouble Maker.”
Lewis is currently working a new single, “Always You,” which highlights his depth and promise for more great music to come.
Final Nominees For CMA Awards To Be Announced Sept. 7
/by Lorie HollabaughFinal nominees for The 57th Annual CMA Awards will be revealed on Sept. 7 at 7 a.m. CT. The complete list will also be posted on the CMA Awards website.
Winners of The 57th Annual CMA Awards will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible CMA Professional voting members. The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA members on Monday, Oct. 2. Voting for the CMA Awards final ballot ends Friday Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. CT.
Two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan and NFL superstar Peyton Manning return to host this year’s CMA Awards, airing live Nov. 8 on ABC. Performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.
Finalists for the 2023 CMA Broadcast Awards will also be revealed Sept. 7, with winners announced in October.
Carrie Underwood Wraps Guns N’ Roses Stadium Dates With Nashville Show
/by Liza AndersonCarrie Underwood during the “Guns N’ Roses World Tour 2023” show at Nashville’s GEODIS Park. Photo: Jeff Johnson
Carrie Underwood wrapped the last of her three stadium dates as a special guest on the “Guns N’ Roses World Tour 2023″ at Nashville’s GEODIS Park on Saturday night (Aug. 26). The country superstar also joined the legendary rock group earlier this summer at Croix-Bleue Medavie Stadium in Moncton, New Brunswick and at Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau.
Carrie Underwood with Guns N’ Roses during the “Guns N’ Roses World Tour 2023” show at Nashville’s GEODIS Park. Photo: Jeff Johnson
The park was packed with anticipation for Underwood’s Music City performance, which included a variety of hits spanning her over 15-year career, songs from her current Denim & Rhinestones album, as well as rock classics such as Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll,” Heart’s “Alone” and Motörhead‘s “Ace Of Spades” and more. She once again performed alongside rock legends Guns N’ Roses during their rain-filled set, joining them for their smash hits “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City.”
Next month, Underwood will continue her ongoing “Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency” at Resorts World Las Vegas in addition to starring in her 11th consecutive show open for NBC’s Sunday Night Football. She is also set to release her Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition) on Sept. 22.
Phyllis Stark To Join ‘Country Aircheck’
/by LB CantrellPhyllis Stark
Veteran journalist Phyllis Stark will join Country Aircheck in a newly created role of Executive Radio Editor on Sept. 5. Stark is the former Nashville Bureau Chief for All Access, which closed its doors on Aug. 15.
Stark has been covering the radio and country music industries for more than three decades. In addition to her time at All Access, Stark served as the Nashville Bureau Chief and Sr. Radio Editor at Billboard; Managing Editor of Billboard’s radio publication, Airplay Monitor; Sr. Content Editor at Cox Media Group’s Rare Country; Executive Producer/National Content for the E.W. Scripps Company/Journal Broadcast Group; and Contributing Editor for the CMA’s Close Up magazine.
She has also worked as Executive Editor/Country Music at Radio-Info.com; VP/A&R for independent record label Robbins Nashville; and Nashville Music Correspondent and feature writer for Microsoft’s MSN.com.
“Having competed with Phyllis in various iterations over the years, I know exactly how formidable she is as a writer and thinker in the radio and music business trade coverage space,” says Country Aircheck Publisher/CEO Lon Helton. “Adding her to our already stellar team will immeasurably strengthen Country Aircheck’s ability to tell the stories of this business and its people.”
Stark can be reached at phyllis@countryaircheck.com.
Drake White Hosts Inaugural ‘Benefit For The Brain’ Concert
/by Lorie HollabaughDrake White performs during his “Benefit for the Brain” concert. Photo: Zack Knudsen
Drake White hosted his first-ever, sold-out charity “Benefit for the Brain” concert at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Monday night (Aug. 28), just four years after recovering from a stroke he suffered on stage.
Colbie Caillat performs with Drake White during his “Benefit for the Brain” concert. Photo: Zack Knudsen
White and friends including Riley Green, Randy Houser and Jamey Johnson performed during the special evening, along with Colbie Caillat, who made a surprise appearance. The benefit was emceed by Miles Adcox, Founder of Onsite, a wellness organization focused on life-changing therapeutic framework.
White kicked off the night with a medley of tunes including “The Coast Is Clear,” the song he was unable to finish performing four years ago on stage in Virginia due to his stroke. He told his inspiring account of the story to the crowd before singing and finished by stating he would make it through the song tonight.
Other highlights of the evening included Jamey Johnson inviting Riley Green on stage to sing Johnson’s 2008 award-winning hit, “In Color.” White’s good friend Caillat surprised the audience for a special duet of White’s compelling “Power of a Woman,” and White delivered a stripped down, acoustic version of “The Optimystic” to a captivated audience, resulting in a standing ovation.
Jamey Johnson performing with Riley Green at Drake White’s “Benefit for the Brain” concert. Photo: Zack Knudsen
“After my stroke all I wanted to do was get back to the stage,” said White to the crowd. “This is what I was born to do, and this is what God put me on earth to do. To stand on this Ryman stage and host this charity concert.”
“Benefit for the Brain” raised over $253,000 during the night, with proceeds benefitting organizations CreatiVets, Make-A-Wish Middle Tennessee and the Miracle Hope Foundation. These organizations were hand-picked to reflect the three specific pillars White was focused on benefiting: military personnel and their families with a focus on PTSD and other related issues; child and adolescent brain health; and progressive research into alternative brain and stroke treatments.
UMG Nashville Promotes Vipin Reddy To VP Of Streaming
/by LB CantrellVipin Reddy. Photo: Chris Hollo
UMG Nashville has elevated Vipin Reddy to VP of Streaming. After joining the label group in 2018, Reddy now leads the department. In his new role, he oversees all DSP relationships as well as audio and video streaming strategy for all UMGN artists globally.
Prior to joining UMGN, Reddy was part of the UMG global streaming marketing team. The William & Mary graduate and Fairfax, Virginia native has cultivated strong relationships with UMGN streaming partners and most recently was point on UMGN artist strategy with Apple Music and Pandora.
“From the day he joined the company, Vipin has been an integral part of the streaming team,” says UMGN EVP & COO Mike Harris. “His deep knowledge of the streaming business has been vital to UMG Nashville’s success. We are excited for Vipin step into this leadership role and look forward to the team’s continued success.”
Under Universal Music Group Nashville’s umbrella are imprints Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville, and Mercury Nashville. Their combined rosters include Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Boy Named Banjo, Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, CB30, Chris Stapleton, Dalton Dover, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, George Strait, Hootie & The Blowfish, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Kylie Morgan, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Luke Grimes, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Priscilla Block, Reba McEntire, Sam Hunt, Sam Williams, The War And Treaty, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard and Vince Gill.
Range Media Partners Adds William Lowery & Shawn McSpadden To Leadership Teams
/by LB CantrellWilliam Lowery, Shawn McSpadden
Range Media Partners has hired Nashville-based executives William Lowery and Shawn McSpadden. At Range, Lowery will focus on business development ventures and content opportunities, while McSpadden will be charged with growing the division’s already robust music division, talent roster and shared services department as the newest Managing Partner. Both will remain in Nashville.
Lowery comes to Range from his venture advisory firm Brigade Media Capital, which has interests in a portfolio of media companies across production, sports, music and consumer products. Last year, Brigade financed three feature films, helped launch a Dolly Parton NFT and brokered her first South by Southwest performance and activation. Prior to forming Brigade, Lowery was a senior executive at Endeavor Content, where he ran its faith-based division and identified music and content crossover opportunities. Lowery brings with him his roster of clients.
McSpadden joins Range from Red Light Management, where he was a founding manager at the Nashville office. For 17 years he oversaw music publishing, outside business ventures and managed artists across multiple genres. As Range Nashville’s first Managing Partner, McSpadden is leading the build-out of its services and supporting its roster that includes Midland, Hailey Whitters, Stephen Wilson Jr, Ryan Bingham, Drayton Farley, Brent Cobb and others.
“I have known Will for years and we were always circling similar ideas,” says Matt Graham, Range Music Founding Partner/Range Media Partners Co-Founder. “I am thrilled to have him join our team at Range to help identify IP and talent that can plug into our wider business opportunities and content plays. Shawn is a newer relationship, but I knew immediately after meeting him and learning of his diverse music background that he was exactly the sort of culture fit and well-rounded executive we needed to help build out our partnership and services in new areas. He’s a team player who believes deeply in the importance of mentorship and has done an incredible job of supporting our existing Nashville team members.”
“It’s been extraordinary to witness Range’s rise and expansion in the midst of all the turbulence in the world, so partnering with them for a new regional focus is an honor,” adds Lowery, now SVP of Partnerships and Business Development. “We plan to be a disruptive force here in Nashville and the surrounding markets, and the scope of services provided will be a first of its kind, and much needed resource for content creators and media investors in this region.”
“I love being a part of a team! The culture at Range is amazing and the people are always pushing to be better, and think differently about our artists,” shares McSpadden. “We are building something exciting and are excited for Range to expand their community.”
Since its inception a little over two years ago, Range Media Partners has launched its own label in partnership with Capitol Music Group (CMG) and Virgin Music & Artist Label Services (Virgin), and represents a wide range of talent including Jack Harlow, Saweetie, Justin Tranter, Cordae, Murda Beatz, Nova Wav, Nicky Romero, D Smoke, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Lauv, MAX, HARV, Sean Douglas, Wondagurl, Rich the Kid, Yola, Eric Bellinger, Tkay Maidza, Pentatonix and more. The company also represents award-winning actors and filmakers.
On The Row: Trey Lewis Proves Depth With Latest Releases
/by LB CantrellTrey Lewis
River House Artists’ Trey Lewis first garnered industry attention when his risqué yet hilarious tune, “Dicked Down In Dallas,” went viral on social media.
Though Lewis was receiving a massive amount of engagement on the internet, which was translating to streams, some country music fans and industry members seemed a bit hesitant to accept the rowdy newcomer with a very non-traditional breakout hit.
While some scoffed, others saw the artist behind “Dicked Down In Dallas” and jumped on board. Shortly after releasing his first EP, Shut the Door, Sony Music Publishing announced they had signed Lewis to a publishing deal. Then came the news that River House Artists had inked a record deal with him.
Despite the playfulness in”Dicked Down In Dallas,” Lewis is a tender-hearted, deep artist with a miraculous story that he shared with MusicRow during a recent visit.
Pictured (L-R): River House Artists’ Lynn Oliver-Cline; MusicRow‘s LB Cantrell and Liza Anderson; Trey Lewis; MusicRow‘s Caela Griffin, Sherod Robertson and Steve Boero
As a teenager in Birmingham, Alabama, Lewis fell into drugs and alcohol. After some jail visits, he went to rehab and participated in a sober living program. Once he conquered his addiction, he knew he had to make a change in his life to keep him on track, which ended up being music. He now has 16 years of sobriety to be proud of.
As part of his sobriety journey, he had to sponsor someone else who was trying to get sober. The person Lewis ended up sponsoring was a musician who would make trips to Nashville.
“He asked me to come to Nashville one weekend to be his sober companion. We came up here and his producer asked me to play some songs. They told me I had a great voice, and that’s what started everything. That’s where I caught the bug,” Lewis shares.
While coming back and forth to Nashville, Lewis met a girl and got married. When their marriage ended in 2017, the disappointment eventually led Lewis to change the course of his life and move to Music City.
After meeting collaborators who turned into friends, Lewis found himself amongst a hard-working class of rising singer-songwriters, constantly hustling by playing in bars and writers’ rounds, writing with each other and holding down jobs to pay the bills. He moved in with one of closest friends, now Sony Music Nashville-signed recording artist Ella Langley. The two still live together, though music keeps them on the road most of the time.
Right as “Dicked Down In Dallas” started to take off online, Lewis remembers playing a round with some friends at Live Oak in Nashville. That night proved to be magical, with industry executives and other prominent artists filling the crowd, drawn from the new buzzing hit.
“We had all this buzz around this song and that night, all these people [in my life] like Alex Maxwell, Joybeth Taylor, Ella Langley and Matt McKinney were there. They’re all signed writers now and have songs coming out every Friday on big artists,” Lewis says. “I know some people look at that song and think, ‘That’s raunchy,’ and some know it was just a joke, but what it did for my friend group was it shined a light on the work we were doing.”
Lewis notes that his attorney, Scott Safford, made sure he knew all of his options when labels started calling. He decided he wanted to hold on to ownership of the hit song, and was rewarded financially. He was able to give his band a much-deserved raise and pay off his mom’s debt.
“That was amazing. With all of the things that I’ve been through—some self-inflicted—and the things I put my mom through… the fact that I was able to do that was amazing,” Lewis emotionally shares.
When Lynn Oliver-Cline and River House came aboard, they weren’t interested in acquiring Lewis’ cash cow. They just wanted in on the genius to come.
“We didn’t take ‘Dicked Down In Dallas’ because he makes great money from it and is able to take care of his band, crew and family,” Oliver-Cline says. “When we came aboard, I said, ‘We will work on what’s moving forward. We don’t want to take what you’ve worked so hard on. Let’s look at the future.'”
She adds, “That’s why we’re here. He’s made this incredible record coming out in January called Trouble Maker.”
Lewis is currently working a new single, “Always You,” which highlights his depth and promise for more great music to come.
Beau Bailey Joins Tape Room Music In Partnership With Red Light Management
/by Liza AndersonPictured (L-R): Tape Room’s Caroline Hodson, Ashley Gorley, Blain Rhodes, Beau Bailey and Tape Room’s Kelly Bolton. Photo: Courtesy of @musiccitymom
Artist-songwriter Beau Bailey has signed with Ashley Gorley‘s Tape Room Music in partnership with Red Light Management.
Bailey’s signing follows the announcement of Tape Room’s strategic partnership with Red Light Ventures and Firebird Music. This joint venture combines Tape Room’s award-winning songwriting skills with Red Light and Firebird’s proven track records of success in developing artists.
The Monroe, Louisiana native grew up hunting and fishing, which helped to set the tone of the stories he tells through song. Bailey started writing and playing guitar at age 15. In January of 2020, he made his way to Music City with his pop-rock band, The Revelries, and secured a record deal with UMG Nashville.
After the group disbanded over health-related challenges, Bailey narrowed his focus on strengthening his songwriting skills. Over the past year, his independent efforts have led to country and pop cuts with Graham Barham, Kasey Tyndall, Mary Jo Young, Eddie And The Getaway, Lecade and more.
“Beau’s tenacity, creative instincts and passion make him a perfect addition to the Tape Room roster,” says Kelly Bolton, Tape Room Music Senior Vice President, A&R. “We couldn’t be more excited to have him on our team and we are ready to get to work!”
“Being a part of the Tape Room family is such an honor and I find myself having to pinch my arm to make sure this is reality,” shares Bailey. “Ashley is my songwriting hero, and he’s written the soundtrack to my life, so to have the opportunity to work beside him and learn from him is nothing short of amazing. Kelly, Blain [Rhodes] and Caroline [Hodson] are the best in the business and immediately made me feel like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I’m beyond blessed to have such great people in my corner and I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Ben Goldsmith To Drop Debut Album In September
/by Lorie HollabaughSinger-songwriter Ben Goldsmith is set to release his debut album, The World Between My Ears, on Sept. 22. The track “Blown Away,” written by Goldsmith and Bobby Bare Jr., is available now.
The 17-year-old pop artist co-wrote each of the 15 songs on his debut project, which includes several other tracks released earlier this year: “Flowers In Your Hair,” “It’ll All Be Alright” and “Wolves.” The World Between My Ears is the product of the singer traveling back and forth to Nashville during the pandemic to write songs, create his own sound and woodshed in the studio with Brad Jones, who co-produced the project with him.
Goldsmith has had a busy year so far. In June, not only did he graduate high school a year early, but he also signed to Sony Music, UTA and UMPG Nashville. A week later, he took the stage at Bonnaroo to perform, and was also later named to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Emerging Artists 18 and Under” list.
Goldsmith is set to open to Jack Bott’s “Sucker for Sunsets North American Tour” this fall.
TuneIn & Garth Brooks Launch Sports Station, Tailgate Radio
/by Steven BoeroGarth Brooks. Photo: Blue Rose, Inc
TuneIn and Garth Brooks are joining forces to launch Tailgate Radio from Brooks’ SEVENS Radio Network to bring all genres of music to sports fans’ next tailgate party.
Exclusively available on TuneIn, Tailgate Radio complements TuneIn’s extensive global sports coverage, including complete coverage of the 2023 college football season, to help fans get the party started before every game and keep it going even after the game is over.
Hosted by Maria Taylor, the station weaves her vast sports knowledge and insight with a music playlist that will keep listeners’ energy high whether they are tailgating or throwing a party at home.
“Working closely with Garth and his foundation as we created the PowHER program, which mentors middle school girls, has been nothing short of amazing,” says Taylor. “ And now, we are embarking on Garth’s extraordinary vision to connect sports and music fans with Tailgate. It’s such an honor to be chosen by greatness to be a partner in the radio space.”
From the start, Tailgate Radio will feature a roster of shows, including:
“This is one of those ideas someone says, ‘Why didn’t we do this a long time ago?’” says Brooks, “This combines everyone’s passion for sports and music. It also allows you to enjoy your tailgate, barbeque or poolside party without doing the work. There’s so much music on this channel, Tailgate Radio will be everyone’s favorite.”
Set to launch just in time for college football season kickoff, fans can pair Tailgate Radio with TuneIn’s extensive global coverage of nearly every sport through a new integration created exclusively for the station. TuneIn Switch allows listeners to easily jump between the music driving their pre- and post-game celebrations and the games themselves.
Tailgate Radio is the second channel from the SEVENS Radio Network exclusively available on TuneIn. The network’s first station, The BIG 615, launched on TuneIn in June with Host Storme Warren, and has quickly climbed the ranks as one of the highest-performing stations on the platform drawing in a global audience.