Grand Ole Opry & Whiskey Jam Team Up For Opry Plaza Summer Concert Series

The Grand Ole Opry and Nashville’s popular concert series Whiskey Jam have teamed up for the Opry Plaza Summer Concert Series, which is set to kick off this Friday, May 26 at 5 p.m. at the Opry House.

The free series will showcase artists curated by Whiskey Jam every Friday and Saturday through Labor Day weekend, including a special Tuesday night show on June 6 featuring Julia Cole during CMA Fest week. For a decade now, Whiskey Jam has hosted artists such as Jelly Roll, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton and Lainey Wilson as well as Opry members Lady A, Luke Combs and Carly Pearce.

The Opry Plaza Summer Concert Series Powered by Whiskey Jam will feature performances by Chris Ferrara on May 26, Kayley Bishop on May 27, Daves Highway on June 2, Emily Ann Roberts on June 3, with more artists to be announced.

“Saying this is a dream come true would be a huge understatement,” says Ward Guenther, Whiskey Jam Co-Founder. “Whiskey Jam is honored to be collaborating with the Opry, quite simply the biggest name in Nashville live music history. They were so gracious to consider us, and we can’t wait to share some of our favorite rising artists with the Opry’s loyal fan base.”

“We are thrilled to have Whiskey Jam join our annual Opry Plaza Summer Concert Series this year,” says Jordan Pettit, Director of Artist Relations & Programming Strategy, Opry Entertainment Group. “Whiskey Jam provides an important community for emerging artists to connect, collaborate and perform, and we’re excited to shine a spotlight on their efforts as we showcase incredible music every weekend before the Opry shows throughout the summer.”

Jay Allen Signs With ONErpm Nashville

Pictured (L-R, top row): Tim Loudermilk (Allen’s lawyer), Tim Wipperman (ONErpm), Stacy Stavola (Allen’s day to day manager); (L-R, bottom row): Ryan Cunningham (ONErpm), Jay Allen and Kylie Dembek (ONErpm). Photo: Courtesy of ONErpm

Singer-songwriter Jay Allen has signed with ONErpm Nashville.

ONErpm will also handle distribution for Allen’s new music, including his next single, “Jello Shot,” co-written with his longtime producer Micah Wilshire and Cory Batten. The rowdy single will be released June 16 on all platforms, followed by a video premiering June 30.

The Iowa native and former Voice contestant has recently been featured on ABC’s World News Tonight, PeopleTV, and in People and Forbes magazines, among others. He was selected as a Highway Find on Sirius XM in 2017 with his song “Sounds Good to Me,” and won the 2022 Country Now Award as Favorite Competition Contestant.

Allen was also presented with the Alzheimer’s Association’s Caregiving Award in 2019. After seeing his mother suffer from the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s, Allen wrote the moving tribute, “Blank Stares.” A video of him performing the song with his mother went viral, with over 500 million views. His mother has since passed, but Allen continues to tour the country as an advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association, and the song has gone on to raise over $100 million to help fight the disease.

“After years of fighting against Alzheimer’s, I feel like it’s finally time to start having fun, and I believe it’s what my mother would want as well,” he says. “It’s awesome how God works and connects you with the right people at the right time. Emmanuel Zunz and Tim Wipperman are like big brothers to me, along with the rest of the talented and hard-working team.” Allen adds enthusiastically, “This is going to be a blast, and I’m pumped to show everyone what we’ve been working on.”

“Jay Allen is one of the most driven, focused and versatile talents we’ve signed,” says Wipperman, Managing Director of ONErpm Nashville. “He has that rare capability to believably sing a tender ballad about his mom, then switch to a rockin’, bootie-shaking dance song and kick butt. We’re stoked to have him.”

Allen is performing with a full band on Sunday, June 11, at 6 p.m. on the Hard Rock stage during CMA Music Fest week in Nashville.

UMG Nashville Names Chelsea Blythe Exec. VP Of A&R

Chelsea Blythe. Photo: Cécile Boko

Universal Music Group Nashville has named Chelsea Blythe as its Executive Vice President of A&R.

Blythe began her career as an A&R intern at Interscope Records before becoming the department coordinator where she worked on award-winning artists including Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, Rae Sremmurd and Mike WiLL Made-It. Moving to Columbia Records in 2016, Blythe climbed to Vice President of A&R, signed Symba as her first artist, played a role in signing Baby Keem to the label and developed multi-Platinum-selling artists Polo G and The Kid LAROI.

In 2021, Blythe reunited with celebrated A&R executive Tunji Balogun, who found Blythe for that pivotal first internship, at Def Jam Records. As Sr. Vice President of A&R at Def Jam, Blythe led A&R efforts on Armani White, 26AR, and Anella Herim among others.

“I’m so excited to bring Chelsea to UMG Nashville as EVP A&R,” says UMGN Chair & CEO Cindy Mabe. “Her bold leadership, dynamic spirit, and passion for the music and artists will align perfectly with the culture we are building. Her love for country music brought her to Nashville and her dynamic presence and impeccable instincts will help lead our artist development strategy and innovate the future of country music.”

“I’m very excited to begin this chapter of my career with UMGN,” says Blythe. “I have immense respect and passion for country music, and I am honored that Cindy has recognized my enthusiasm with this opportunity. I am inspired by her unwavering leadership and look forward to implementing my experience in this role while building with the country community.”

Industry Ink: Tenille Townes, Jordyn Shellhart, Keith Anderson, More

Tenille Townes Releases ‘Train Track Worktapes’ Documentary 

Tenille Townes with Sony Music Nashville, WME and ShopKeeper Management team members. Photo: Laura Spinelli

Tenille Townes celebrated the premiere of Train Track Worktapes: The Documentary on Monday (May 21) with team members from Sony Music Nashville, WME and ShopKeeper Management at the WME Nashville office. The documentary recounts the writing and recording of Train Track Worktapes, Townes’ recently released five-song project. She created the EP during a 15-day charity train trip across southern Canada in the winter of 2022.

Jordyn Shellhart Celebrates Debut Album ‘Primose’

Jordyn Shellhart with Warner Music Nashville and the Center of Excellence Staff. Photo courtesy of Warner Music Group

Jordyn Shellhart shared a toast to her debut album, Primrose, with Warner Music Nashville and the Center of Excellence following a Nashville “Day of Service “on Friday (May 19).

Keith Anderson Inks Exclusive Deal With Kinkead Entertainment

Pictured (L-R): THG Management’s Ron Backer, Kinkead Entertainment’s Greg Scott, Art Benson, Keith Anderson, Bob Kinkead, Julie Devereux, THG Management’s Billy Holland. Photo: Ben Costello

Award-winning artist Keith Anderson has signed with Nashville-based agency Kinkead Entertainment for exclusive booking representation.

Anderson, who is currently touring throughout North America, is known for “Pickin’ Wildflowers,” “I Still Miss You,” “Every Time I Hear Your Name” and more. Notably, he co-wrote the No. 1 single, “Lost In This Moment,” for Big & Rich as well as the Grammy-nominated “Beer Run” for Garth Brooks and George Jones.

Anderson is managed exclusively by The Holland Group.

William Clark Green Makes Grand Ole Opry Debut

Pictured (L-R): Sound Business Management’s Evan Blanc, Why&How’s Aaryn Cantu, Harrison Klein, William Clark Green, UTA’s Zach Hartley, Brett Saliba, Austin Salazar (Tour Manager) and All Eyes Media’s Kayla Sprindis. Photo: Kaiser Cunningham

William Clark Green recently achieved a career milestone by making his debut at the Grand Ole Opry.

Green’s performance included the song “Anymore” from Baker Hotel, which hit No. 1 on Texas country radio just four days before his debut. He also featured “My Mother,” from his 2018 album Herbert Island, in a Mothers’ Day tribute to his mother and his wife, who attended with their 10-month-old son.

The Flint, Texas native emerged from Lubbock’s college bar scene and has carved out his own space with underdog anthems featuring witty, vivid characters. Green recently announced summer tour dates, and plans to announce his fall tour soon.

WMG Donates 300 Volunteer Hours Around Nashville 

Warner Team Members with Strings For Hope

More than 100 employees from Warner Music Nashville, Warner Chappell Music, Warner Chappell Production Music and Warner Music Group’s Center of Excellence for U.S. Shared Services served the local community on Friday (May 19) during the third annual Nashville “Day of Service.”

The six service projects, coordinated alongside Hands On Nashville, addressed impact areas such as the environment, education, health and wellness, hunger and homelessness as well as crisis intervention. Nonprofit partners included Friends of Shelby Park, Room in the Inn, Monroe Harding, Sexual Assault Center, Project C.U.R.E. and Strings For Hope.

Employees congregated at the Warner Music Nashville office on Music Row after volunteering over 300 hours to share their experiences over lunch, including specialty beverages from Nash Taps.

Charley Crockett Performs For CMHOF Exclusive Event

Pictured (L-R): Charley Crockett, CMHOF’s Kyle Young, Ken Levitan and Gloria Dumas. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a special evening performance featuring acclaimed recording artist Charley Crockett as a thanks to its Honor Society members. Crockett is currently featured as part of the museum’s annual exhibition, “American Currents: State of the Music,” which explores significant music and events that helped shape the previous year in country music.

Members of the Honor Society consist of donors who give a thousand dollars or more annually to the museum, providing meaningful support for the museum’s award-winning exhibits, education programs and the preservation of the museum collection. These members also receive exclusive invitations to events including the annual induction ceremony for the new Hall of Fame class.

Darius Rucker Commemorates 10 Years Of ‘True Believers’ With Vinyl Release

Darius Rucker is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his double-Platinum album True Believers with a vinyl release. The standard black vinyl along with 500 commemorative signed copies are available for preorder now.

The collection includes the title track, top 10 hit “Radio,” and Diamond-certified single “Wagon Wheel,” which is one of the top five best-selling country songs of all time.

“This album changed so much for me musically and for our live show,” says Rucker. “As a kid who worked as a clerk in a record store, there’s a part of me that has always wanted this album to live on vinyl, so this is a great way to commemorate 10 years of [True] Believers.”

The vinyl unveiling precedes the release of Rucker’s latest studio album Carolyn’s Boy, out later this year. The project’s single, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves,” is impacting country radio now, and fans will hear the new music and the three-time Grammy winner’s expansive catalog of hits on the road this summer during the “Starting Fires Tour.”

He will also return to Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on June 5 for his 14th annual “Darius & Friends” concert benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and headline the second year of his personally curated Riverfront Revival Music Festival in his hometown of Charleston, South Carolina on Oct. 7 and 8.

Leslie Fram, Mickey Guyton, Trisha Yearwood To Be Honored At ‘Hometown to Hometown’ Event

Mickey Guyton, Leslie Fram, Trisha Yearwood

Nashville’s fourth annual “Hometown to Hometown” event from Save The Music and SongFarm.org is set for Monday, June 5 at City Winery.

This year’s event will honor CMT’s Leslie FramMickey Guyton and Trisha Yearwood for their contributions to the music industry and their passion for music education.

Hosted by CMT Hot 20 Countdown’s Cody Alan and Rissi Palmer, the annual fundraiser will feature special acoustic performances from Kelsea Ballerini, Madeline Edwards, Caylee Hammack, Karyn Rochelle, Leslie Satcher and Brittney Spencer, with appearances by Tracy Gershon (President, TG Management & Consultants; Co-Founder, Northern Light Music), Cindy Mabe (Chair & CEO, Universal Music Group Nashville), Melinda Newman (Executive Editor, West Coast & Nashville, Billboard), and Julie Williams (Artist, CMT Next Women of Country and Black Opry).

All funds raised from this year’s “Hometown to Hometown” event will support music technology programs in under-resourced high schools in Nashville, Georgia and Texas, helping impact the lives of thousands of students.

“Since Save The Music first teamed up with Ross Copperman and SongFarm.org in 2019, the Nashville songwriter community has funded nine music education programs through this annual event, reaching thousands of students from North Carolina to Nashville to Texas to Washington State. This year’s event is going to be the biggest and best ever as we celebrate an all-female roster of songwriters, executives and artists.  We’re incredibly grateful to Leslie, Mickey, Trisha and all of this year’s performers for empowering young people to reach their full potential through the power of making music,” says Henry Donahue, Executive Director of Save The Music.

For the past 25 years, Save The Music has donated over $70 million in instruments and music technology equipment to over 2,500 public schools nationwide. With the support of sponsors and donors, including CMT, Gibson Gives, MAXISIQ and MTV Entertainment Studios, “Hometown to Hometown” continues to make a significant impact on music education in the area.

Concord Music Publishing Promotes Jen Hubbard To Director, Sync A&R

Jen Hubbard. Photo: Audrey Spillman

Concord Music Publishing has appointed Jen Hubbard to the newly formed role of Director, Sync A&R.

Hubbard joined Concord in 2018 and most recently served as Director of A&R out of the Nashville office. She will continue to work with artists, producers and writers including Ruelle, Madi Diaz, Paige Blue, Jung Youth, Lucas Arens, Fleurie, Jeff Bowman, Tofer Brown, Jeremy Lutito, Aaron Chafin and more. Hubbard was instrumental in signing indie-pop artist Charli Adams and has served as the lead contact in the Nashville office for writers, artists and producers outside of the country market.

In her new role, Hubbard will be responsible for the development and management of Concord’s U.S. songwriter roster for the purpose of sync activity, bridging the gap between the A&R and Sync teams. She will support Concord’s overall strategy to streamline sync-forward initiatives and provide more opportunities for writers across film, television, ads, gaming and more.

Hubbard reports to Brad Kennard, SVP of A&R with support from Kourtney Kirkpatrick, VP of Publishing Sync and Brooke Primont, EVP of Global Sync.

Beginning her career with Razor & Tie in 2014, Hubbard served as Creative Coordinator and then Creative Manager. Over the course of her career, she has contributed and assisted with the creation of music for numerous placements in film and prominent television series including This is Us and Nashville, as well as cuts for Platinum artists such as Lady A, Brothers Osborne, Calum Scott, Birdy, Chloe Moriondo, Joy Oladokun, Patrick Droney, Valley, Randall King, Scotty Sire, Matt Stell, LoCash, Runaway June, Molly Tuttle, Adam Doleac, Caylee Hammack, Charli Adams, Hunter Hayes and more.

‘CMA Fest: 50 Years Of Fan Fair’ Documentary To Air On Hulu

Lauren Alaina poses with fans at the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage on Thursday, June 7 during the 2018 CMA Music Festival in downtown Nashville.

The CMA has announced the launch date for its original documentary, CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair, featuring the story of one of the world’s largest and longest-running country music festivals.

YouTube video

Debuting on Hulu on July 5, the documentary is told through exclusive one-on-one interviews, never-before-seen archival content and CMA Fest performances. It celebrates the festival’s humble beginnings as Fan Fair in 1972, which drew 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium, its move to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in 1982, and then ultimately to downtown Nashville in 2001. CMA Fest now draws 80,000 fans a day, across four days, with attendees from all 50 states and 39 countries.

The 75-minute film features exclusive interviews with many notable country artists including Bill Anderson, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Shy Carter, Luke Combs, Vince Gill, Wynonna Judd, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Reba McEntire, Mark Miller, Dolly Parton, Jeannie Seely, Blake Shelton, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Trisha Yearwood, Chris Young, and many more.

The project marks CMA’s first feature-length film, with CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern and CMA Senior Vice President, Marketing, Content & Communications Strategy Kelly Striewski serving as the film’s executive producers.

“CMA Fest has taken several shapes throughout its storied history,” says Trahern. “As we step into our 50th year, our hope with this film is to underscore the one thing that has remained with the festival—its heart. We are thrilled to share the evolution and magic of this incredible event with the Hulu audience.”

“What better way to tell the story of CMA Fest than through the eyes of the artists, our industry and the fans,” adds Striewski. “This film highlights the truly unique connection that exists within CMA Fest and how this festival has continued to grow the country community throughout its 50 years. We couldn’t be happier to have this story debut on Hulu.”

“We have a long and valued partnership with CMA and are excited to expand on that by adding this extraordinary film to the Hulu slate,” says Rob Mills, Executive Vice President, Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment, Walt Disney Television. “We can’t wait to share this with music lovers everywhere, who will be treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the heart of CMA Fest and its many contributions to the country music community.”

Casey Childers To Lead ONErpm U.S. Digital Strategy Team

Casey Childers

Long-time ONErpm employee Casey Childers has been promoted to lead the new Digital Strategy department at the company.

Nashville-based Childers was most recently Senior Project Manager at ONErpm, where she was the central marketing strategist for artists including Chri$tian Gate$, Jordi, PLVTINUM, Taylor Acorn, Elohim and Against the Current. She will report to ONErpm’s Head of US Marketing Jenna LoMonaco.

“Our goal is to be able to provide the help artists need to grow their social footprint in a way that is true and organic to them” states LoMonaco. “With Casey and the Digital Strategy team’s work, we can now provide hands-on help with social growth, engagement, and new forms of revenue. We aim to continue to not only provide transparent and innovative technology to ONErpm’s artists but also focus on true Artist Development by a team of dedicated experts.”

ONErpm has launched the Digital Strategy Department to offer artists a one-on-one social media strategy to guide them on the best ways to amplify their message and obtain new ways to engage with fans and increase monetization. The ONErpm Digital Strategy team ensures artists are reaching their greatest potential, boosting the possibilities to reach fans who are eager to discover and consume new music.

In recent years, music consumption via social platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube makes up 32% of all music consumption with a billion people now using short-form video platforms around the world, around three times the global audience of DSPs. In 2022, ONErpm executed a trial run for 15 targeted artists in various genres to grow their YouTube revenue based on best practices and artist participation focusing not only on the fan relationships but also forming a direct strategy on how to best use the platforms as a means to generate more revenue. At the end of the 3-month experiment, all artists who completed the program saw a 100% increase in their Youtube revenue.

River House Artists Adds Three To Team

Pictured (L-R): Liz Scherff, Taylor Aretz and Sydney Riley

River House Artists (RHA) has added three new team members to their Nashville-based office.

Taylor Aretz has joined RHA as Artist Development Specialist, a newly created role responsible for overseeing marketing efforts for the label’s roster. She joins after six years at Warner Music Nashville, most recently serving as a Manager of Artist Development where she worked on marketing efforts for artists such as Chris Janson, Randall King, Austin Snell and others. Aretz also worked cross-functionally across all departments to further seamless release campaigns for her group of artists.

Liz Scherff has joined RHA as a Digital Coordinator, reporting to Director of Marketing/Digital Strategy Kristin Watson Byrne. Scherff comes to RHA from Black River Entertainment, where she was a Promotions Coordinator in their in-house radio department and worked on music for Kelsea Ballerini, Ray Fulcher, MaRynn Taylor and more.

Finally, Sydney Riley has joined RHA as a Creative Services Coordinator and reports to Manager of Creative Services Taylor Brink. Riley is a recent graduate of MTSU’s Music Business program and interned at River House her senior year, focusing on the Digital and Marketing departments.

“We are so thrilled to add Taylor, Liz and Sydney to our team,” says Zebb Luster, GM of River House Artists. “We feel so fortunate to have Taylor’s experience and expertise in-house. Liz comes into her new role with great enthusiasm for our roster and fan engagement, and Sydney was an invaluable intern. We look forward to seeing the ways in which we all grow together.”

RHA’s label roster includes Luke Combs, Jameson Rodgers, Georgia Webster, Ryan Charles, Trey Lewis and Austin Snell. The company’s management roster includes Grant Gilbert, Reid Haughton and Zach Seabaugh. Their publishing roster includes Snell, Gilbert, Haughton, Seabaugh, Drew Parker, Ray Fulcher, Nicolette Hayford, Neil Medley, Billy Strings, Driver Williams, Jordan Rowe, Kasey Tyndall, Dan Alley, Knox Morris and Lukas Scott.