Journalist John Nova Lomax died on Monday (May 22) in Houston, Texas at age 53.
For more than two decades, he chronicled the music and lifestyles of the Lone Star State. He authored two books and was a senior editor at Texas Monthly in 2015-2019. He was at The Houston Press for a dozen years, 2000-2012 as both the music editor and staff writer. During this period, he became a mentor to aspiring music journalists. He also wrote for Texas Highways, Houstonia, Spin, The New York Times, The Village Voice and L.A. Weekly.
Nova was an authority on the culture of Houston. One of his books was Houston’s Best Dive Bars: Drinking & Diving in the Bayou City. The other was Murder & Mayhem in Houston (co-witten with Mike Vance). He authored a blog called “Sole of Houston,” which was about seeing his hometown on foot, mile by mile. This also ran as a Houston Press series. He was a regular contributor to the Texas Monthly radio program “Talk Like a Texan.”
He wrote vividly about everything from the downfall of country singer Doug Supernaw to the woes of the Houston Texans football team. He skills as a music writer were reflected in profiles about Johnny Nash, Bobby “Blue” Bland, blues guitarist Goree Carter and many other locals. He was also an eloquent food reporter. His 2007 story about Supernaw won ASCAP’s prestigious Deems Taylor Award for excellence in music writing.
Mimi Swartz of Texas Monthly wrote, “Lomax—and that’s what those who knew him best called him—was one of those writers who, if he was interested in something, could make you interested in it too. Some writers have good ideas but can’t execute; some writers are good enough with words but lack the singularity of vision that makes readers want to follow them anywhere. Lomax had both.”
John Nova Lomax was born in Houston in 1970, but was raised in Nashville. He is the son of noted Nashville journalist, artist manager, performer and author John Lomax III. His “big brothers” were Steve Earle and the late Townes Van Zandt, both of whom were managed by his father.
The Lomax family also includes his great-grandfather John Avery Lomax, the dean of American folklorists and the discoverer of Leadbelly. His grandfather, John II, managed John Lee Hooker and founded the Houston Folklore Society that launched Guy Clark, K.T. Oslin, Earle and more. Great uncle Alan Lomax guided the Library of Congress Archive of American Folksong, wrote prolifically and was a recording artist. Great aunt Bess Lomax Hawes became a leading authority on children’s folklore, a manager at the National Endowment for the Arts and co-wrote The Kingston Trio hit “M.T.A.”
Nova’s mother was Julia Plummer Taylor, known as Bidy. She became an alcoholic who lived on the streets of Nashville before she was struck and killed while trying to cross Interstate 40 in 1998.
Nova had returned to Houston to attend high school in 1985. He dropped out of the University of Texas in Austin and drifted professionally until his father offered him a writing job penning a liner-notes essay. He pursued writing full-time from 2001 onward.
John Nova Lomax struggled with alcoholism his entire life. He went through a recurring cycle of hospitalizations, recoveries and relapses. These accelerated as he got older, but he often hid his problems from loved ones. His liver and other organs began to fail last year, and he entered Intensive Care.
His father posted a final update on Monday. “After a long hard fight in which he defied all doctor’s predictions, John Nova Lomax passed away peacefully early this morning with his former wife, Kelly Graml, at his side,” John Lomax III wrote. “He was in no pain at the end and slipped peacefully away to another realm.”
The medical bills are significant. There is a GoFundMe account. The family plans to distribute any remaining funds after funeral expenses and medical bills to Nova’s children, John Henry and Harriet Rose. He is also survived by his sister, Mandy, a Nashville visual artist.
John Lomax III says they plan to have a quiet family service for his gifted son, followed at some point by a memorial celebration with music. The family is also hoping to put out a book of Nova’s writings.
2023 BMI Christian Awards To Honor Dorothy Leonard Miller In June
/by Lorie HollabaughThe upcoming 2023 BMI Christian Awards are set to take place at the organization’s Nashville headquarters on June 20.
Hosted by BMI’s AVP of Creative, Nashville, Leslie Roberts; President & CEO, Mike O’Neill; and VP of Creative, Nashville, Clay Bradley, the night will celebrate the top songs and publishers behind this past year’s most-performed songs in Christian music.
BMI will crown the Christian Songwriter of the Year, Christian Song of the Year and Christian Publisher of the Year, and the invitation-only event will pay special tribute to this year’s BMI Spotlight Award recipient, Dorothy Leonard Miller, for her dedication to the genre and illustrious career.
Miller serves as CEO/Founder of Daywind Music Group and New Day Christian Distributors, one of the first female-owned and operated music businesses, and has led the companies to become the most predominant source for original content and distribution services for the Christian market. Since 1986, many top artists and writers in Southern Gospel music have found a home at Daywind Music, impacting millions of people annually through live performances, music sales, streams, radio and television including Greater Vison, Dianne Wilkinson, Karen Peck & New River, Jason Cox and more. In receiving the BMI Spotlight Award, Miller joins an exclusive group of honorees including Randy Edelman, Frank Gari and Mike Post.
“Dottie’s dedication and passion for Christian music is something to marvel at,” says Roberts. “She started this idea in her garage decades ago and her faith, hard work and determination has led her to become one of the most successful people in this business. It’s truly an honor to have the chance to highlight her impactful contributions at the BMI Christian Awards along with so many other meaningful creators in our community.”
Jake Owen’s Latest Album ‘Loose Cannon’ To Fire Off June 23
/by Lorie HollabaughJake Owen. Photo: Matt Paskert
Jake Owen is celebrating summer with the release of his seventh studio album, Loose Cannon, due out via Big Loud Records on Friday, June 23.
Owen is dropping four new songs from the album this Friday, May 26, including “On The Boat Again,” “Solo, Solo,” “Nothing” and “Hot Truck Beer.” The upcoming 16-track album offers fans a collection of summertime staples penned by some of Nashville’s best writers including Ashley Gorley, Brent Cobb, Rodney Clawson, Jessie Jo Dillon, Luke Laird and more, as well as a collection of artist-writers including Jordan Davis, Devin Dawson, Walker Hayes, Jordan Fletcher, Hunter Phelps and more.
“I can’t wait to share this new wave of music with my fans,” Owen says. “This album is a long time coming and feels like the best version of me. Grab your buddies, put the boat in the water, pour a cold one out, and we’ll catch y’all out on the lake. It’s the best time of year and we’re ready to celebrate.”
One of the four new instant-grat tracks, “On The Boat Again” interpolates the familiar chorus of Willie Nelson‘s classic “On the Road Again” and adapts it for boating season. To help put everyone in a summer mood, Owen will perform “On The Boat Again” this Memorial Day on ABC’s Good Morning America. He’ll also host a special fan album preview pop-up show that evening at The Rockaway Hotel in New York City.
Owen is also set to perform this Saturday, May 27, at Charlotte Motor Speedway following the Coca-Cola 600 qualifying and the ALSCO Uniforms 300 Xfinity Series.
Loose Cannon Tracklist:
“Hot Truck Beer” (Jordan Fletcher, Jim McCormick, Austin Nivarel)
“Go Getter” (Brent Cobb, Jake Mitchell, Aaron Ratiere)
“Solo Solo” (Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, Blake Pendergrass, Hunter Phelps)
“On The Boat Again” (Willie Nelson, Devin Dawson, Kyle Fishman, Rocky Block, Blake Pendergrass)
“Hearts and Habits” (Thomas Archer, Jamie Moore, Jared Mullins, Ben Stennis)
“When It All Shakes Out” (Jacob Davis, Jordan Dozzi, Josh Jenkins)
“Hope Less” (Jared Mullins, Ben Stennis)
“It Don’t, He Won’t and You Do” (Jordan Dozzi, Justin Ebach, Chase McGill)
“Friends Don’t Let Friends” (Jessie Jo Dillon, Hunter Phelps, Ben Stennis)
“Boy In The Chevrolet” (Ashley Gorley, Taylor Phillips, Bobby Pinson)
“Shrank” (Lalo Guzman, Walker Hayes, Hunter Phelps)
“Nothing” (Dallas Davidson, Kyle Fishman, Earle Hagen, Reid Haughton, Herbert Spencer, Cole Taylor)*
“Somewhere South With Rum” (Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins)
“The Ending” (Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird, Chris Tompkins)
“Hey Can I Buy You A Beer” (John Byron, Rocky Block, Travis Wood)
“Loose Cannon” (Matt Roy)
All songs produced by Joey Moi
* co-produced by Kyle Fishman
Spencer Crandall Inks With Warner Chappell & Stem
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Hudson Hill Management’s Jeff Cherry, Warner Chappell’s Sara Latimer and Christina Wiltshire, Spencer Crandall, Stem’s Alison Junker and Jeff Tobias, Lewis Brisbois’ Matt Cottingham, Warner Chappell’s Ben Vaughn. Photo: Nina Long
Rising country artist Spencer Crandall has added to his team, signing with Warner Chappell Music for publishing and Stem for distribution and label services.
Crandall has earned more than 300 million global streams since breaking onto the scene in 2016 with tunes such as “Made,” “My Person” and “Girls Like You.” His most recent project, Western, has already notched over 60 million streams since its October 2022 release.
“The partnerships with Warner Chappell and Stem make so much sense for us right now. These teams are made up of some of the hardest working people in country music,” says Crandall. “I really respect how these teams grow artists, especially independently, and I couldn’t be more excited to do this next chapter with them.”
“I’ve never met an artist as business-focused, goal-oriented and driven as Spencer,” shares Christina Wiltshire, Sr. Director, A&R at Warner Chappell. “His fan club is called the Stadium Gang because he won’t stop until he’s playing stadiums. I want to help him get there.”
Crandall’s alignment with Stem follows the company’s recent expansion into Nashville. Stem provides a financial platform for artists to run their own businesses. With its innovative technology, artists can track, divide, disperse and even donate revenue to various recipients, designating percentages and simplified splits in real-time.
“Stem is incredibly thrilled to be working with Spencer Crandall, a wildly talented artist who has proved himself to be a powerhouse in the independent space,” shares Stem’s Jeff Tobias and Alison Junker. “We look forward to supporting Spencer in this exciting new chapter of music!”
Crandall recently joined forces with another country riser, Shaylen, to release a new track, “To Be Continued… feat. Shaylen.” He also just wrapped his 36-stop “Western Tour” and will perform at CMA Fest on June 11.
CRB Issues Initial Determination For Phonorecords III Appeal
/by LB CantrellThe Copyright Royalty Board has issued its initial determination in the remand/appeal of Phonorecords III, which upheld the 15.1% headline rate increase that was determined in 2018.
Now, a 15-day window opens for rehearing motions. Then the U.S. Copyright Office also must undertake a legal review for error, which they have up to 60 days to complete.
Following those steps, a determination will be published, starting a clock of at most 6 months for DSPs to make retroactive adjustments/arrearage payments, meaning the arrearage payments would come early next year.
National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) President & CEO David Israelite says, “We are pleased the court finally has confirmed the result of Phono 3, a case which was decided in 2018. This initial remand decision upholds the 15.1% headline rate increase we fought for, however the length of time we have waited for this decision proves the Copyright Royalty Board system is woefully flawed. Now songwriters have some certainty about their rates, and we will ensure they receive the hundreds of millions of dollars that digital streaming companies owe them during this adjustment period.”
Of the initial determination, Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) Executive Director Bart Herbison shares, “The testimonies of the three songwriter witnesses in this trial were powerful, convincing and illustrated the difficulty of songwriters earning a living in the streaming era—as well as the importance and value of the composition in the commercial music process. Steve Bogard, Liz Rose and Lee Miller, all NSAI board members, were moving and informative and played a huge role in the historic increase.”
Herbison adds, “The process is long and difficult requiring time and preparation. We are thankful to these songwriters and to the NMPA.”
Colbie Caillat Makes Solo Grand Ole Opry Debut
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto: Grand Ole Opry/Chris Hollo
Singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat made her solo debut at the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, May 20.
Caillat performed three songs during her segment, including her current single “Worth It” as well as her Platinum-selling hits “Bubbly” and “Try.” She was joined backstage during the evening by “Worth It” co-writers Liz Rose and AJ Pruis, who came to show support on her special night.
Produced by Jamie Kenney, “Worth It” was released last month and has already racked up over 3.5 million streams across all platforms. Caillat will also perform “Worth It” at the National Memorial Day Parade this Monday, May 29, at 1 p.m. CT live nationwide across ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and the CW stations.
Grand Ole Opry Salutes The Troops At Special Tuesday Night Celebration
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Locash’s Chris Lucas, William Lee Golden of The Oak Ridge Boys, Michael Trotter Jr. of The War And Treaty, John Conlee, Tanya Trotter of The War And Treaty, Rhonda Vincent, Duane Allen of The Oak Ridge Boys, Jason Crabb and Locash’s Preston Brust. Photo: Chris Hollo for Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry honored our service men and women with a special Tuesday Night Opry Salute The Troops performance.
The red carpet was led by a drumline and special guests including Richard Casper, a United States Marine Veteran, Purple Heart recipient, artist and CreatiVets co-Founder/Executive Director, as well as retired Army General Keith Huber, who served 38 years as an Infantryman and Green Beret with tours in Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Haiti, Honduras, Kosovo and Afghanistan. Huber is a senior advisor for the veterans and leadership initiatives at MTSU and was a guest announcer representing The Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center at MTSU.
Performers for the special evening included Opry members John Conlee, The Oak Ridge Boys and Rhonda Vincent as well as Craig Campbell, Jason Crabb, Locash and The War And Treaty—the husband-and-wife duo of U.S. Army veteran Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter.
The Opry and sponsor Humana partnered with CreatiVets to invite men and women of the U.S. military and CreatiVets members, as well as spouses, children and parents of service members to walk the red carpet into the Opry House for the evening’s show.
Highlights of this year’s Opry Salute the Troops will air as a special Opry Live on Memorial Day weekend (Saturday, May 27) on the Opry’s TV broadcast home, Circle Network, Circle All Access Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Texas Music Journalist John Lomax IV Passes
/by Robert K OermannJournalist John Nova Lomax died on Monday (May 22) in Houston, Texas at age 53.
For more than two decades, he chronicled the music and lifestyles of the Lone Star State. He authored two books and was a senior editor at Texas Monthly in 2015-2019. He was at The Houston Press for a dozen years, 2000-2012 as both the music editor and staff writer. During this period, he became a mentor to aspiring music journalists. He also wrote for Texas Highways, Houstonia, Spin, The New York Times, The Village Voice and L.A. Weekly.
Nova was an authority on the culture of Houston. One of his books was Houston’s Best Dive Bars: Drinking & Diving in the Bayou City. The other was Murder & Mayhem in Houston (co-witten with Mike Vance). He authored a blog called “Sole of Houston,” which was about seeing his hometown on foot, mile by mile. This also ran as a Houston Press series. He was a regular contributor to the Texas Monthly radio program “Talk Like a Texan.”
He wrote vividly about everything from the downfall of country singer Doug Supernaw to the woes of the Houston Texans football team. He skills as a music writer were reflected in profiles about Johnny Nash, Bobby “Blue” Bland, blues guitarist Goree Carter and many other locals. He was also an eloquent food reporter. His 2007 story about Supernaw won ASCAP’s prestigious Deems Taylor Award for excellence in music writing.
Mimi Swartz of Texas Monthly wrote, “Lomax—and that’s what those who knew him best called him—was one of those writers who, if he was interested in something, could make you interested in it too. Some writers have good ideas but can’t execute; some writers are good enough with words but lack the singularity of vision that makes readers want to follow them anywhere. Lomax had both.”
John Nova Lomax was born in Houston in 1970, but was raised in Nashville. He is the son of noted Nashville journalist, artist manager, performer and author John Lomax III. His “big brothers” were Steve Earle and the late Townes Van Zandt, both of whom were managed by his father.
The Lomax family also includes his great-grandfather John Avery Lomax, the dean of American folklorists and the discoverer of Leadbelly. His grandfather, John II, managed John Lee Hooker and founded the Houston Folklore Society that launched Guy Clark, K.T. Oslin, Earle and more. Great uncle Alan Lomax guided the Library of Congress Archive of American Folksong, wrote prolifically and was a recording artist. Great aunt Bess Lomax Hawes became a leading authority on children’s folklore, a manager at the National Endowment for the Arts and co-wrote The Kingston Trio hit “M.T.A.”
Nova’s mother was Julia Plummer Taylor, known as Bidy. She became an alcoholic who lived on the streets of Nashville before she was struck and killed while trying to cross Interstate 40 in 1998.
Nova had returned to Houston to attend high school in 1985. He dropped out of the University of Texas in Austin and drifted professionally until his father offered him a writing job penning a liner-notes essay. He pursued writing full-time from 2001 onward.
John Nova Lomax struggled with alcoholism his entire life. He went through a recurring cycle of hospitalizations, recoveries and relapses. These accelerated as he got older, but he often hid his problems from loved ones. His liver and other organs began to fail last year, and he entered Intensive Care.
His father posted a final update on Monday. “After a long hard fight in which he defied all doctor’s predictions, John Nova Lomax passed away peacefully early this morning with his former wife, Kelly Graml, at his side,” John Lomax III wrote. “He was in no pain at the end and slipped peacefully away to another realm.”
The medical bills are significant. There is a GoFundMe account. The family plans to distribute any remaining funds after funeral expenses and medical bills to Nova’s children, John Henry and Harriet Rose. He is also survived by his sister, Mandy, a Nashville visual artist.
John Lomax III says they plan to have a quiet family service for his gifted son, followed at some point by a memorial celebration with music. The family is also hoping to put out a book of Nova’s writings.
DeFord Bailey Avenue Unveiled In Nashville
/by Lorie HollabaughDeFord Bailey Ave. street sign is unveiled. Photo: Ramona Whitworth Wiggins
The city of Nashville renamed Horton Avenue to DeFord Bailey Avenue, to honor “harmonica wizard” DeFord Bailey, one of the original stars of the Grand Ole Opry and its first African American performer.
The new street name was officially unveiled on May 20 in a public ceremony, immediately followed by a free outdoor concert. The dedication and celebration was held at the north end of the William Edmondson Homesite Park, which borders on Horton Avenue, and featured country and R&B performances by two of Bailey’s grandsons, Carlos DeFord Bailey and Herchel Bailey, along with guest artist Smokin’ Otis.
DeFord Bailey was one of the most popular performers on WSM’s Grand Ole Opry radio program from its early days in 1926 until 1941, when he was abruptly dismissed by WSM management. Bailey was born in 1899 in rural Smith County, eventually moving to Nashville, where he lived in the Edgehill neighborhood until his death in 1982. In 2005, Bailey was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Invited speakers and special guests at the event included members of the Bailey family, the Mayor’s office, Metro Council sponsors, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, National Museum of African American Music, and the Grand Ole Opry.
DeFord Bailey biographer David C. Morton also also attended. The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum recently reissued the long-out-of-print biography DeFord Bailey: A Black Star in Early Country Music, written by Morton with Charles K. Wolfe.
Morgan Wallen Continues To Shatter All-Genre Records With ‘One Thing At A Time’
/by LB CantrellMorgan Wallen performs at American Family Field. Photo: David Lehr
Morgan Wallen continues to make history as his third studio album, One Thing At A Time, notches its 11th consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
The last album to spend 11 consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 came in 1987 with Whitney Houston‘s Whitney, which featured mega-hits “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” and “So Emotional.” Prior to that it was 1976 into 1977 as Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life, featuring “Isn’t She Lovely” and “I Wish,” logged its first consecutive 13 weeks at No. 1.
Wallen’s 2021 sophomore album, Dangerous: The Double Album, notches its 120th non-consecutive weeks in the Billboard 200 Top 10, second in longevity only to 173 weeks held by the Original Cast Recording, My Fair Lady, in 1956. The five-time Platinum project also continues to surpass records previously held by Adele and Bruce Springsteen.
“These stats are all so humbling and being mentioned in the same sentence as Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston is something I never could have imagined,” Wallen says. “But I’m most grateful to everyone who listens to my music. That’s the connection that means the most to me and it’s the best compliment out there—the fact that you guys like it.”
One Thing At A Time has yielded three No. 1 hits, including the 10-week No. 1 “You Proof,” three-week No. 1 “Thought You Should Know” and the latest pop-crossover hit “Last Night.” The latter became the fastest-climbing No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay charts since 2015 at just 11 weeks, has spent six non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and now claims the longest Hot 100 reign—surpassing Kenny Rogers’ “Lady” and Johnny Horton’s “The Battle of New Orleans,” which spent six week at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1980 and 1959, respectively.
After a period of vocal rest, Wallen will take his record-breaking music back out on the road with his “One Night At A Time World Tour” picking back up on June 22 at Chicago’s Wrigley Field.
Big Machine Label Group Partners With Hard 8 Working Group For New Label Venture
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R, back row): Big Machine Label Group’s Mike Rittberg, The Hard Working Record Company’s LJ Stoll, Big Machine Label Group’s Andrew Kautz; (L-R, front row): Hard 8 Working Group’s Dirk Hemsath, Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta and Hard 8 Working Group’s Rich Egan. Photo: Nick Rau
Big Machine Label Group (BMLG) has partnered with renowned management company Hard 8 Working Group (H8WG) to form a new venture, The Hard Working Record Company.
The new label venture will focus on discovering, developing and publishing pop acts as well as other genres, and will be helmed by BMLG’s President/CEO/Founder Scott Borchetta and H8WG’s Co-Founders Dirk Hemsath and Rich Egan, along with partners David Conway and Mike Bachta.
The venture is a progression of the relationship between BMLG and H8WG, which started when the two entities worked together on Brantley Gilbert and Kidd G. Based in Nashville, the new imprint will fall under the BMLG umbrella. The Hard Working Record Company has brought on LJ Stoll to serve as General Manager and VP of A&R.
“Our continued growth and dominance depend on quality and visionary A&R in all genres,” says Borchetta. “Rich, Dirk and the Hard Working team live for artist discovery and development and they’re bringing in heat from the onset.”
“Rich and I had been toying with the idea of starting a label again, since that’s the world we both came from. We had been working closely with Scott and Big Machine on the artist Kidd G and Scott mentioned he wanted to start a more pop-leaning imprint, and that’s the world we’ve been in heavily for the last few years most recently building pop star Tate McRae,” says Hemsath.
H8WG was founded in 2017 when Hemsath and Egan combined their management companies, The Working Group and Hard 8 Management. Both entities had a huge impact on the careers of artists such as The Working Group’s Billie Eilish, Morgan Wallen and Daughtry and Hard 8’s Jakob Dylan, Mac Miller and Gilbert.
The Hard Working Record Company joins other enterprises Borchetta has recently invested in. He chartered his rock imprint, Big Machine/John Varvatos Records, in 2017, and established a partnership with Blac Noize! to sign and develop hip-hop and R&B acts in 2022.