Hailey Whitters. Photo: Harper Smith
Hailey Whitters will kick off the first leg of her new, headlining “Raised Tour” on Feb. 23 in Bloomington, Indiana. The trek will find the “College Town” singer hitting her favorite college towns across the country, with more dates to be announced soon.
The tour includes three dates in her home state of Iowa, and marks Whitters’ first headlining run in support of her third studio album Raised, released earlier this year via Pigasus/Songs & Daughters/Big Loud.
“The Raised record was largely influenced by not just the people and place that brought me up, but by the country music that influenced me,” Whitters explains. “My mom drove me five hours away from our hometown to see The Chicks on a school night and I bailed on my high school winter formal at the last minute because my dad came home that night with tickets to Brooks and Dunn.” She continues, “Country music is about people, place, and community. I’m super thankful for my fans, and I’m excited to create a live experience for this tour in some awesome venues where a whole new crop of country fans will create those same special kinds of memories.”
Whitters will support Shania Twain on her “Queen of Me” tour next May. Her breakthrough single, “Everything She Ain’t,” is currently climbing the charts, and she recently released covers of Randy Travis’ “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” and George Jones “New Baby For Christmas” in celebration of the holiday season.
“Raised Tour” Dates:
2/23: Bloomington, IN – Bluebird Nightclub
2/24: Lexington, KY – The Burl
3/3: Lincoln, NE – The Bourbon Theatre
3/4: Lawrence, KS – The Bottleneck
3/5: Columbia, MO – Rose Music Hall
3/17-19: Willowbank, Australia – CMC Rocks
3/24: Las Vegas, NV – Stoney’s Rockin Country
3/30: Iowa City, IA – Wildwood Smokehouse and Saloon
3/31: Peoria, IL – Crusens
4/1: Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s
George Strait To Headline Buckeye Country Superfest 2023
/by Lorie HollabaughGeorge Strait has been tapped to headline the Buckeye Country Superfest at Ohio Stadium on May 27, 2023.
Appearing alongside Strait at the annual festival will be Chris Stapleton, Little Big Town, and rising singer-songwriter Warren Zeiders. 2023 will mark the sixth year for the Buckeye Country Superfest at Ohio Stadium, following a record-setting attendance of over 63,000 fans in 2022.
Tickets go on sale this Saturday (Nov. 19). American Express cardholders can purchase tickets before the general public until Nov. 18.
The announcement follows the recent news that Strait and Stapleton will team up for one-off stadium shows in six markets next summer, with Little Big Town joining them for the dates. Tickets to the 2023 concerts in Phoenix, Milwaukee, Seattle, Denver, Nashville and Tampa are on sale now.
Gunnar Latham & Josh Grider Ink Publishing Deals With Major Bob Music
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, top row): Mike Doyle (Major Bob), Mitch Ballard (BMI Austin), Brendan Anthony (Texas Music Office); (L-R, middle row): Bob Doyle, Graham Kothman, Andy Friday (all of Major Bob); (L-R, bottom row): Gunnar Latham and Josh Grider (songwriters)
Texans Gunnar Latham and Josh Grider have signed separate worldwide publishing deals with Major Bob Music. The two songwriters and frequent collaborators were first introduced to the publishing company by Mitch Ballard, Executive Director, Creative, BMI Austin.
Raised in San Marcos, Texas, Latham competed in steer wrestling, team roping and tie down throughout college, then professionally. In 2019, he traded that life to chase down his music dreams.
Grider is a songwriter and producer raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico. In college, he and his band worked their way into the Austin music scene and racked up seven No. 1 singles at Texas radio. Soon after, Grider started adding trips to Nashville on his tour stops and decided to settle down and write songs full time.
“Mitch has a keen understanding of the Nashville and Texas markets after years of touring with artists who’ve grown their audiences and evolved as performers,” notes Mike Doyle, GM of Major Bob. “He’s got a great sense for spotting talent early and that’s what he did in this case. Long before Josh and Gunnar were on the Nashville radar, Mitch had introduced us and we were blown away with what they were doing.”
“Josh Grider is deep-rooted as an artist in Texas and Gunnar Latham has established himself as one of the best up-and-coming artists on the scene. When I first met Gunnar, and heard the songs that he and Josh were writing, I immediately sent their music to Andy Friday,” says Ballard. “Major Bob is the perfect fit for them. Bob [Doyle], Mike [Doyle], and Andy are very aware of the level and quality of talent in Texas and have been very proactive with the BMI Austin office to keep a finger on the pulse of talent coming out of the state.”
Major Bob Music is an independent Nashville-based publishing company owned by Bob Doyle that recently celebrated 36 years in business with over seventy No. 1 singles, two ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Awards, and a SESAC Songwriter of the Year. The company’s roster includes Garth Brooks, Zach Top, Nash Overstreet, Andy Sheridan, Ben Williams, Colin Healy, Angelo Petraglia, Ruby Amanfu and Jakub Vanyo.
Carly Pearce Tapped To Host 13th Annual ‘CMA Country Christmas’
/by Lydia FarthingThe 13th annual holiday television special, CMA Country Christmas, will return this holiday season with host Carly Pearce.
This year’s special, set to air on Thursday, Dec. 8, will feature performances from Steven Curtis Chapman, Dan + Shay, Scotty McCreery, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Pearce, Molly Tuttle, and The War And Treaty. CMA Country Christmas will air on ABC at 8 p.m. CT and will be available the next day (Dec. 9) on Hulu and Disney+.
Since its inception in 2010, CMA Country Christmas has rung in the holiday season each year with a show full of festive classics and one-of-a-kind musical performances. The special is a production of the Country Music Association (CMA), and is executive produced by Robert Deaton, directed by Milton Sneed, and written by Jon Macks.
Keith Urban, Tim McGraw, More Set To Headline Boots & Hearts Festival 2023
/by Lorie HollabaughBoots and Hearts has unveiled the headliners and first round of performers for the 2023 festival, taking place Aug. 10-13 at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds in Oro-Medonte, Ontario.
The weekend will celebrate Nickelback’s fi
A variety of weekend passes and single day tickets will be available, with pre-sale available now and public on-sale starting Nov. 18.
“As we approach our twelfth year of Boots and Hearts, we continue to move forward, trying new things and opening new doors. This allows us to grow and ultimately give our fans the best of the best,” says Eva Dunford, Founding Partner, Republic Live. “We work hard and aspire to be the Canadian flagship of music and experience. This includes artists, fans, partners, vendors, and our dedicated staff. Our BootsLife fans are some of the best in the world with their larger-than-life energy that we feel so grateful to celebrate year after year.”
The four-day, multi-stage Boots and Hearts Music Festival is Canada’s largest camping music festival, earning multiple awards, including five Canadian Country Music Association Awards, as well as international recognition from the Academy of Country Music for Festival of the Year.
Elle King, Jimmie Allen, & Rachel Smith To Host ‘New Year’s Eve Live’
/by Liza AndersonElle King, Jimmie Allen, and Rachel Smith. Photos: Courtesy of CBS.
Grammy-nominated artists Elle King and Jimmie Allen will host New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash alongside Entertainment Tonight’s Rachel Smith on Friday, Dec. 31. The special will air live from Music City at 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. CT to 9:30 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT on CBS. It will also stream live and on-demand on Paramount+*.
“This hometown gal is thrilled to be back for round two of Nashville’s Big Bash,” says Smith. “Hanging with my talented country friends in Music City on New Year’s Eve is the ultimate way to kick off the new year!”
The five-hour celebration will ring in 2023 with nearly 50 high-energy performances by some of country music’s biggest stars such as Brooks & Dunn, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Zac Brown Band, and more. Additional performers and information will be announced at a later date.
“When I got the call to host New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash, I was super excited and started looking forward to it right then,” shares Allen. “I was part of the show last year as a performer, so being able to co-host it this year with Elle King and Rachel Smith and see all the great performances that are lined up – it’s going to be awesome. Hosting is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time and to do it on CBS is a big deal. I get to represent not only Nashville and country music but my home state of Delaware – primetime television on New Year’s Eve! Let’s bring this new year in right!”
“New Year’s Eve has always been one of my favorite nights to celebrate because we get to reflect on the year we’ve had while getting a fresh start,” says King. “Nashville has been so amazing and welcoming to me this year and I can’t wait to see what next year brings. I am so excited to be hosting the festivities live from Music City!”
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash will cross multiple time zones, with the traditional countdown at midnight, eastern time, peaking with the famous Nashville music note drop and fireworks at midnight, central time. This year’s broadcast is executive produced by Robert Deaton and Mary Hilliard Harrington in partnership with the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp, and directed by Sandra Restrepo.
*Paramount+ Premium subscribers will have access to the livestream via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service as well as on-demand. Essential-tier subscribers will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.
Sheltered Music Publishing Acquires Interest In Catalog Of Dennis Linde
/by Lydia FarthingDennis Linde
Sheltered Music Publishing has acquired significant interest in Hall of Fame songwriter Dennis Linde’s music catalog.
Linde, who cut five solo albums in the ’70s, is known for writing a handful of Elvis Presley’s hits, including “Burning Love,” which marks Presley’s second highest-charting single in a decade, his 40th hit on Billboard‘s top 10, and would be his last on that chart.
Other notable Linde hits include Garth Brooks’ “Callin’ Baton Rouge” (1993) and The Chicks’ “Goodbye Earl” (1999), as well as “John Deere Green,” “Queen of my Double Wide Trailer,” “It Sure Is Monday,” and “Bubba Shot the Jukebox.” Steve Earl as well as fellow Hall of Fame songwriter and artist, Roger Miller, also recorded several of Linde’s songs.
“It is not often that a catalog as distinguished and diverse as Dennis Linde’s becomes available,” notes Sheltered Music SVP, Darrell Franklin. “As a music publisher, this is the quality of work we all aspire to represent. I’m honored to be able to do that with this music and to help further raise awareness and appreciation of one of Nashville’s greatest songwriting talents.”
“First and foremost, Dennis was a great father and loving husband,” shares Pam Linde. “He was the greatest man I ever met and I miss him every day. When we sat down with Lance [Freed] and Darrell, I knew that Sheltered Music Publishing would be a great home for Dennis’s musical legacy.”
Linde won BMI’s Top Writer Award in 1994 and earned 14 BMI Million-Air songs. In 2001, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Linde died in 2006 in Nashville at the age of 63.
Maren Morris, Avett Brothers, More Set To Play MerleFest 2023
/by Lorie HollabaughMerleFest has announced the first round of artists for its 2023 festival, set for April 27-30 in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. 2023 will mark the event’s 35th edition, and will honor Doc Watson’s 100th birthday year.
MerleFest 2023 will feature performances from The Avett Brothers, Maren Morris, the Black Opry Revue, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, and Peter Rowan.
Others set to appear include Andy May, Banknotes, Carol Rifkin, Charles Welch, Donna the Buffalo, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, Jim Lauderdale, Joe Smothers, Kruger Brothers, Laura Boosinger, The Local Boys, Mark Bumgarner, Mitch Greenhill & Mitch’s Kitchen, Pete & Joan Wernick, Presley Barker, Roy Book Binder, Scythian, T. Michael Coleman, The InterACTive Theater of Jef, The Waybacks, Tony Williamson, and Wayne Henderson.
A variety of ticket packages are available now, including general admission passes, reserved seating, parking and more.
Adam Wood Signs With Spirit Music Nashville & Lee Brice’s Pump House Music
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, front row): Mike Fiorentino, Director of A&R/Production, Spirit Music Nashville; Derek Wells, Vice President, A&R/Production, Spirit Music Nashville; Frank Rogers, Chief Creative Officer, Spirit Music Group/CEO, Spirit Music Nashville; Adam Wood; Lee Brice; Hannah Hall; Michelle Davey, Director of Administration, Spirit Music Nashville; and Kara Jackson, Senior Creative Director, Spirit Music Nashville; (L-R, back row): Brian Bradford, GM/VP of Administration, Spirit Music Nashville.
Singer-songwriter, producer and musician Adam Wood has signed to Spirit Music Nashville and Lee Brice’s Pump House Music.
Wood grew up in Colbert Heights, Alabama and graduated from the University of North Alabama with a degree in Commercial Music. In 2004, he moved to Nashville to pursue songwriting and producing, and has landed cuts from Brice, Scotty McCreery, Elvie Shane, Trace Adkins and Tyler Braden.
Among the songs he has credits on are “More Beer” and “Hey World” for Brice, “Hey Whiskey” for the duo Smithfield, and Braden’s single “Try Losing One,” which reached the top spot on Sirius/XM The Highway’s Top Thirty Countdown.
“I can’t say enough about how excited I am for Adam, Frank [Rogers] and the team over at Spirit,” notes Brice. “Adam has been poised to break out huge as a multi-talented songwriter and I can’t wait to have a front row seat for it. There’s nothing like being at a place that is excited and appreciates you and Spirit has their stuff so together and have every reason to be excited about Adam. The first song I heard before I ever met Adam put me on the floor and he has never let me down since. Better jump on this train y’all, it’s bout to bust out the station.”
“When Lee approached us about meeting with Adam, it was a no-brainer,” adds Frank Rogers, Chief Creative Officer, Spirit Music Group/CEO, Spirit Music Nashville. “I have had the privilege of writing with Adam and know first hand how talented he is in a writing room. Combine Adam’s talent, drive and personality with Lee’s crazy world and the sky is the limit!! We could not be more excited to welcome Adam and Lee to the Spirit family!”
“There is just something about the warmth and hustle at Spirit Music Nashville that really excited me,” Wood shares. “I couldn’t be happier to join this team and to continue my publishing relationship with a world-class artist and writer like Lee Brice.”
BoomTown Saints Sign With The Kinkead Entertainment Agency
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, back row): Claire Cook-Taylor, VP, 8 Track Ent.; Noah Gordon, Pres., 8 Track Ent.; The Kinkead Entertainment Agency’s Ben Costello, Jr. Agent; Nathan Brewer, Jr. Agent; Art Benson, VP; Michelle Barnett, Exec. Asst.; Julie Devereux, Pres.; Greg Scott, Sr. VP; (L-R, front row): Bob Kinkead, CEO, The Kinkead Entertainment Agency; BoomTown Saints’ Ben Chism and Chris Ramos; Gary Kraen, 8 Track Ent. Photo: Alan Taylor
Rising 8 Track Entertainment country duo BoomTown Saints have signed with The Kinkead Entertainment Agency for booking representation.
BoomTown Saints’ debut single, “All Trucks Go To Heaven,” has been garnering airplay nationwide since its release over the summer, and is currently climbing the Billboard Country Indicator chart with more than 170,000 streams. While off the road, the duo has been writing and recording new music, and will release their next single in early 2023.
“My team and I are very excited to be the agents for BoomTown Saints,” says The Kinkead Entertainment Agency CEO, Bob Kinkead. “We have been watching this duo evolve with their sound, songs and team for a year or so. Once we saw them perform we all knew that BoomTown Saints was the perfect fit for our agency. I was blown away by their energy, harmonies and their hit songs. I feel they are the real deal and I can’t wait to see where 2023 takes all of us.”
Kinkead Co-RA Greg Scott adds, “I have worked with Noah [Gordon] at 8-Track in various capacities over the years and am excited along with TKEA to be part of the team he has built to catapult BoomTown Saints to the top.”
“We could not be more excited to join the roster at The Kinkead Entertainment Agency,” shares BoomTown Saints’ Chris Ramos and Ben Chism. “The team’s passion and excitement is contagious, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
Hailey Whitters To Launch ‘Raised Tour’ In February
/by Lorie HollabaughHailey Whitters. Photo: Harper Smith
Hailey Whitters will kick off the first leg of her new, headlining “Raised Tour” on Feb. 23 in Bloomington, Indiana. The trek will find the “College Town” singer hitting her favorite college towns across the country, with more dates to be announced soon.
The tour includes three dates in her home state of Iowa, and marks Whitters’ first headlining run in support of her third studio album Raised, released earlier this year via Pigasus/Songs & Daughters/Big Loud.
“The Raised record was largely influenced by not just the people and place that brought me up, but by the country music that influenced me,” Whitters explains. “My mom drove me five hours away from our hometown to see The Chicks on a school night and I bailed on my high school winter formal at the last minute because my dad came home that night with tickets to Brooks and Dunn.” She continues, “Country music is about people, place, and community. I’m super thankful for my fans, and I’m excited to create a live experience for this tour in some awesome venues where a whole new crop of country fans will create those same special kinds of memories.”
Whitters will support Shania Twain on her “Queen of Me” tour next May. Her breakthrough single, “Everything She Ain’t,” is currently climbing the charts, and she recently released covers of Randy Travis’ “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe” and George Jones “New Baby For Christmas” in celebration of the holiday season.