Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley and his Hot Country Knights, Lindsay Ell, and more will perform at the upcoming fifth annual “Dance Party to End ALZ” held at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon on Nov. 13.

Hosted by Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Ashley Williams, and Jay Williams, the star-studded benefit will also feature performances from Tracy Lawrence, Ashley Campbell, Melinda Doolittle, Charles Esten, Chrissy Metz, and other special guests.

Artists will perform their favorite songs from the ’90s to raise awareness and funds in the fight to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia. Apple Music’s Beats 1 Today’s Country radio host Kelleigh Bannen will serve as emcee for the event and will also perform.

“For the past five years, Dance Party to End ALZ has been bringing people together to dress up, dance and experience great live music as some of the biggest names in country music sing cover songs from the ‘80s and ‘90s,” Williams-Paisley shares. “Most importantly, though, my siblings Ashley, Jay and I throw this event to help drive awareness and funds for a cause that affects millions of American families, including our own. To date, we’ve raised more than $1.3 million for the Alzheimer’s Association, helping fund research that is going to one day help lead us to a cure for this devastating disease.”

General admission tickets and VIP table packages are available now at alz.org/danceparty. Funds raised will directly support the Alzheimer’s Association’s research grant program.

BMI kicked off Americana Music Week on Monday evening (Sept. 12) by presenting its Troubadour Award to Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams.

With her 1998 album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Williams became the first Americana performer to earn a Gold Record. She has recorded 15 albums as one of the founding artists of the Americana genre.

“The Troubadour Award is a the songwriters’ songwriter award,” said BMI’s Mason Hunter. “A troubadour is a class of lyric poets and musicians,” added the organization’s Clay Bradley, who presided. “A troubadour helps us make deeper discoveries about ourselves, helps us to share with one another.”

The honoree was feted with video remarks by Steve Earle, Ray Kennedy and Elizabeth Cook. Some of the Americana field’s finest saluted her in song.

Madeline Edwards did a feisty version of “Passionate Kisses.” Angel Olsen was slow and bluesy on “Fruits of My Labor.” Amos Lee offered the sweet elegy “Little Angel, Little Brother.”

Austin music journalist Bill Bentley praised the songwriter by saying, “She was a woman who could tear your heart in two. Her records were like letters from Heaven.”

Jason Isbell introduced “Drunken Angel” as a jangly bopper. Billy Gibbons performed “Change the Lock” as a stomping rocker. ZZ Top, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Billy Gibbons also presented Williams with a gold bandana.

Video greetings came from Robert Plant, Sharon Van Etton, Mike Campbell and Dwight Yoakam. Then Bradley and BMI’s Mike O’Neill presented the Troubadour silver trophy urn.

Lucinda Williams was helped to the stage, since she is still recovering from a 2020 stroke that affected her mobility. But she was droll, witty and charming as she acknowledged the video praises of Earle and Cook.

“There’s so much love in the room,” Williams added. “Thank you BMI and everybody, and all the other people who helped make this happen. I’m extremely appreciative of this.

“Thanks to everyone for making me feel at home here in Nashville. Everybody’s been very supportive. It feels like family.”

The songs of Lucinda Williams have been recorded by a who’s-who of Americana music. Among those who have sung her tunes are Alison Krauss, Willie Nelson, Ruthie Foster, John Mellencamp, Kasey Chambers, The Cactus Brothers, Emmylou Harris, Prairie Oyster, Mollie O’Brien, Rodney Crowell, Ben Folds, Patty Lovelsss, Joy Lynn White, Duane Jarvis, Elvis Costello, Bettye LaVette, Michelle Shocked, Tom Petty, Linda Thompson, Norah Jones, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Sarah McLachlan.

BMI’s Troubadour Award has been previously given to such Americana icons as John Prine, John Hiatt and Robert Earl Keen. The annual ceremony serves as a homecoming for BMI’s Americana family of artists. The Troubadour Awards are sponsored by JP Morgan Chase and Dickel Bourbon.

The event was an intimate, invitation-only dinner with a cocktail hour on the plaza in front of BMI’s entrance.

Blake Shelton Makes Grand Ole Opry Return With Gwen Stefani & The Voice Alumni

Blake Shelton returned to the Grand Ole Opry House on Saturday (Sept. 10) to perform two back-to-back shows. The Opry member sang hits “Boys ‘Round Here” and “God’s Country,” as well as his latest single “No Body.”

Shelton also brought out a special guest, Grammy-winning multi-Platinum recording artist, Gwen Stefani, who officially made her Grand Ole Opry debut in May 2020 virtually from Oklahoma. The pair performed “Nobody But You” and “Happy Anywhere.”

Multiple NBC’s The Voice alumni graced the stage on Saturday, including season 21 runner up Wendy Moten and season 17 winner Jake Hoot. Todd Tilghman, the winner from season 18, also took the circle, making his Grand Ole Opry debut.

 

Caroline Bouldin Upped To Creative Manager At Jody Williams Songs

Jody Williams Songs has elevated Caroline Bouldin from Coordinator to Creative Manager.

Bouldin began her tenure as an intern with JWS upon the company’s inception in the spring of 2020. A junior at Belmont University when she started, she was then hired as Coordinator during her senior year.

“Caroline’s contemporary, commercial country tastes bring a new and distinctive perspective to our catalog. In her previous role as Coordinator, Caroline’s singular interest in the success of our writers coupled with her exceptional attention to detail significantly elevated the company,” notes Nina Fisher, Senior Creative Director. “We are confident that she will take on the role of Creative Manager with just as much pride and conviction”.

Bouldin adds, “Since joining Jody Williams Songs, I have been inspired by our extraordinary roster of songwriters and our innovative, collaborative team. I have immense gratitude for Jody Williams and Nina Fisher for their leadership, guidance and confidence. I can’t wait to see what this next chapter has in store.”

 

TIM Publishing Adds Jordan Mohilowski To Writer Roster

TIM Publishing has inked an exclusive worldwide publishing deal with award-winning songwriter and producer Jordan Mohilowski.

Previously signed to Disney Music Publishing and Fairtrade, Mohilowski was the longtime drummer for CCM band The Afters, and is currently creating music in the acoustic pop band In Paradise. Nominated for Producer of the Year at the 2021 Dove Awards, Mohilowski has earned cuts from MercyMe, Walker Hayes, Cain, The Afters, and Gary Levox of Rascal Flatts. He has also earned ad placements with Apple, Wal-Mart and Gatorade, as well as sync placements on American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, Shark Tank, Selling Sunset, Disney, NBC, ABC, TBS and many more.

“I honestly can’t believe I get to wake up each day and create songs for a living. I am so humbled that Chris [Tomlin], Jason [Ingram], and Stacey [Wilbur] have come around me and are ready to champion me into this new season,” Mohilowski shares. “It’s an honor and a dream come true to be a part of the TIM Team.”

“We are so honored to come alongside Jordan and the music he is creating,” Willbur adds. “He is one of the most talented, passionate, and hard-working songwriter/producers in the industry. We are excited to see the future unfold this coming season and look forward to having him on the TIM Publishing Team.”

 

Pickers Original Vodka Unveils Newest Mural Honors Ben Eyestone

Pickers Original Vodka has unveiled the next mural in its series promoting Nashville musical artists and the Music Health Alliance, honoring the memory of Ben Eyestone. Created by local artist Bryan Deese, the mural is located at The Purple Building at 5 Points (107 North 11th Street in Nashville, Tennessee).

Eyestone, was a 28-year-old drummer with severe abdominal pain. As an uninsured, working musician, he tried to obtain a colonoscopy for 12 weeks and encountered barriers to treatment at every turn, ultimately dying on July 12, 2017 from colon cancer. To ensure that what happened to Eyestone never occurs again, MHA has created the Ben Eyestone Fund to cover the costs of a menu of diagnostic healthcare services serving working, uninsured or underinsured, and music industry professionals with lower income and obvious diagnostic needs.

“On behalf of the family of Ben Eyestone, and our team at Music Health Alliance, we are so incredibly thankful for the partnership and support from Jeff and Jenny Pennington and Pickers Vodka to ‘Heal the Music,’” says Tatum Allsep, Music Health Alliance founder and CEO. “This mural honors a beloved musician and beautiful human who lost his life much too soon. It is an important reminder that we are all in this together to help music makers just like Ben gain access to life-saving healthcare.”

As part of the mural series, one dollar for every bottle of Pickers Original Vodka sold at Middle Tennessee bars, restaurants, and venues that support live music will be donated to Music Health Alliance. For every one dollar donation, MHA provides $30 in life-saving healthcare resources.

Mitchell Tenpenny is celebrating his recent history-making trip to the top of the country charts with his current single, “Truth About You.”

The Gold-selling tune marks the shortest span between No. 1 songs in the modern chart era with just three weeks since Tenpenny’s last chart topper. On Aug. 22, the Riser House/Columbia Nashville/Sony Music Nashville artist’s co-penned collaboration with labelmate Chris Young, “At The End Of A Bar,” reached No. 1.

“It takes a huge team and support to bring a song to No. 1,” Tenpenny notes. “I’m so thankful to everyone, including the fans, who believed this song was special and helped bring it to the top of the charts. To have this No. 1 just three weeks after being part of my last one is unbelievable. Thank you country radio. You’ll never know how much this means to me. I’m just overwhelmed with thankfulness.”

This Friday (Sept. 16), Tenpenny will release his new studio album, This Is The Heavy, on which he co-wrote all of the project’s 20 songs. He also co-produced the record alongside Jordan M. Schmidt.

In January 2023, he will embark on his headlining “This Is The Heavy Tour,” kicking off in Salt Lake City, Utah on Jan. 26 at The Union Event Center.

Music industry veteran LeAnn Phelan will lead a free, five day LP Creative Therapy Workshop for Songwriters. These one-hour Zoom Workshops will take place at 5:30 p.m. from Sept. 12–16, with replays available.

Phelan has had a passion for developing songwriters over the last 25 years, serving in A&R at Sony Records, as Co-Head of Creative at ASCAP, and as owner of LP Creative MGMT. However, during the COVID pandemic, she launched an additional endeavor called LP Creative Therapy Workshops.

Two years later, after featuring more than 65 industry guests and reaching over 200 songwriters, Phelan will celebrate the 10th LP Creative Therapy Workshop with this upcoming five-day stint. Topics and tools covered in Phelan’s workshop will include sessions entitled: 5 C’s of the Creative Journey, 4 Steps Closer to a Pub Deal, 3 Essential Tools for the Writer Room, 2 Best Pieces of Advice from Legendary Songwriters, and 1 Guaranteed Way to Gain Momentum in Your Songwriting Journey. An additional 8-week online course will be available for those that want to dive in deeper.

“Besides being live and individually curated to each group, LP Creative Therapy Workshop provides education to songwriters relating to the business around their creativity. We learn from publishers, managers, attorneys, hit songwriters, and newly signed songwriters,” Phelan notes. “I get to know the people that show up and curate the experience based on where their interests lie. Basically, I give them what they want, and I add in what I know they need.”

The upcoming workshops are open to all, including songwriters all across the globe, and are not genre-specific. To register for the LP Creative Therapy Workshop, click here.