Sharon Vaughn. Photo: Jessika Jarl
Mojo Music & Media, the global independent publishing and marketing company, has acquired the catalog of songwriter Sharon Vaughn.
The deal spans 25 years of Vaughn’s work and includes 28 charting singles released between 1977-2004, including standards such as Willie Nelson’s “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” Waylon Jennings’ “Broken Promise Land” and The Oak Ridge Boys’ breakout single “Y’All Come Back Saloon.” Also included are the top 10 hits “I’m Not That Lonely Yet” (Reba McEntire), “Lonely Too Long” (Patty Loveless),“Out Of My Bones” (Randy Travis), and “Powerful Thing” (Trisha Yearwood).
Vaughn was in her early 20’s when she first came to Nashville from Orlando, beginning her career as a background singer and eventually charting two singles as an artist. After a stint as an on-air TV personality, she pivoted to songwriting and landed her first major cut with “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” the first single and title track from the Oak Ridge Boys’ 1977 debut album.
Around the same time, Jennings cut “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” on the 1976 release Wanted! The Outlaws, a collaboration with Nelson, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, which became country’s first Platinum album. Nelson’s version, recorded for the soundtrack of the Robert Redford-starring Electric Horseman, topped the country chart in 1980.
Vaughn’s hit streak continued through the 80’s and into the 90’s, and she moved to Sweden in 2008. While there, she immersed herself with songwriters and producers across Europe and Asia and landed more than 100 cuts, including four chart-topping singles in Japan and a No. 1 dance record in the U.S. She also co-wrote The Sweet Potato Queens musical with composer Rupert Holmes and Melissa Manchester. Her post-2008 catalog is represented by BMG Scandinavia.
“Sharon came to Nashville with $50 and a dream and won over Music Row’s biggest names through sheer will, drive and talent,” says Mark Fried, Mojo’s Co-Founder and CEO. “She’s inspired a generation of women to pursue songwriting, no matter the challenges, always emphasizing the importance of art, craft and storytelling. We’re honored she’s chosen us to caretake and promote her truly iconic body of work.”
“It is gratifying to know that the works I created over the past decades have found a good home,” adds Vaughn. “I feel Mojo will respect and enrich my catalogues and through their efforts my songs will realize their potential.”
She has won numerous ASCAP awards, was inducted into the NSAI Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2005, and joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2019.
‘CMA Fest’ With Dierks Bentley & Elle King To Premiere August 3
/by Lorie HollabaughCMA Fest, the TV special, is returning this summer on Aug. 3 on ABC with three full hours of can’t-miss collaborations and performances. This year’s primetime special is hosted by Dierks Bentley and Elle King.
Filmed from Nissan Stadium in Nashville during the 49th CMA Fest, the special features 30 performances from country’s hottest stars as they take the stage during the four-day festival. Collaborations include Bentley and Billy Ray Cyrus, Wynonna Judd and Carly Pearce, Dustin Lynch featuring MacKenzie Porter, Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson, King and Ashley McBryde, Lady A featuring Breland, and Zac Brown Band with Darius Rucker.
Additional performers include Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Russell Dickerson, Parker McCollum, Old Dominion, Thomas Rhett and Carrie Underwood.
“I think Elle brings so much to the table,” Bentley shares. “Onstage she’s just a riot and also super talented–a great combination of talent with comedic humor. A lot of spontaneous moments between the two of us and just a lot of laughs.”
“I am co-hosting this whole shebang,” laughs King. “Not only do I get to do it with my buddy Dierks, I also get to see all these incredible performances and be a part of a big party!”
“When Dierks and Elle first performed together at CMA Fest in 2016, I knew they had something special,” adds CMA Fest Executive Producer Robert Deaton. “The festival itself may be over, but thanks to these two, along with a solid slate of performances and special collaborations, the party continues in homes across America. It was a fun challenge to think differently with our setup these last two years, but it felt great to be back with a full house at the stadium.”
Tennessee Tourism Celebrates 95 Years Since The Bristol Sessions In New Docudrama
/by Lydia FarthingTennessee Tourism is partnering with Circle Network and DittyTV for Born in Bristol, a one-hour docudrama to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the “Big Bang” of country music. The upcoming special is set to premiere on Saturday, July 30 at 9 p.m. CT on Circle Network with repeats throughout August. It will also debut on connected devices on Ditty TV on Saturday, July 30 at 7 p.m. CT.
Born in Bristol relives the 12 days in 1927 when musicians descended upon the Tennessee-Virginia state line. Musical pioneer Ralph Peer brought “hillbilly music” to life in a warehouse in the town, recording such artists as the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. The special takes viewers into the modern-day studio and all the way back to the warehouse as it may have looked nearly 100 years ago when Peer convinced 19 acts to let him record their music.
“If you’re a country music fan, we’re offering you a glimpse into the genesis of the genre as told by some of country’s most iconic artists,” says Circle Network’s Senior Vice President of Content, Evan Haiman.
The docudrama also features cinematic reenactments and new interviews with artists, including Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Eric Church, Marty Stuart, Shannon Campbell, Ashley Campbell, Ashley Monroe, Sheryl Crow, Steve Earle and Vince Gill, as well as Grammy-winning producer Carl Jackson.
“Those were songs that I grew up with and knowing and it influenced the way I write,” shares Parton. “But they’re really simple songs—ordinary songs about ordinary people. But they’re told in such a sweet, extraordinary way.”
“It was the first time [country music] was recorded, it was documented, and it was the bible of country music,” Church adds. “It is still the bible for country music.”
In 2014, Tennessee Tourism and Virginia Tourism Corporation, in partnership with the Birthplace of Country Music museum in Bristol, recreated the Bristol Sessions with the release of Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited, featuring new recordings of the original songs by modern-day stars including Country Music Hall of Famers Gill, Harris, Parton and Stuart.
Dailey & Vincent Sign With Conway Entertainment Group
/by Lorie HollabaughDailey & Vincent. Photo: Josh Daubin
Grammy-nominated duo Dailey & Vincent have signed with Conway Entertainment Group for touring representation.
“Our goal, and mine personally, is to work with and represent the most outstanding, the most professional, and the most entertaining musicians, songwriters and vocalists that exist,” notes Tony Conway, President of CEG. “We are so excited to be able to work with Dailey & Vincent who are certified A+ in all of those areas. We are honored to oversee their touring worldwide.”
“We are proud to be the new kids represented by the team at Tony Conway’s CEG,” says Darrin Vincent. “With a deep history as an agency and management company, we’re looking forward to a bright and prosperous future together.”
“In a fast-changing, interdependent world, it’s imperative we surround ourselves and our business with experienced and bona fide professionals who understand the importance of relationships and the continued planning for the challenges the future holds,” adds Jamie Dailey. “Conway Entertainment Group not only has the knowledge, but they have the heart and soul for music. That’s one of the many reasons we’re thrilled to sign on with Tony Conway and his impeccable team!”
The pair recently announced their upcoming country release Let’s Sing Some Country! due out Sept. 16 through their new partnership with BMG. Produced by Paul Worley the project unleashes another side to the award-winning duo fans don’t often hear. Since their first Grammy nomination for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group for their rendition of “Elizabeth” alongside Lady A, Little Big Town, The SteelDrivers and Zac Brown Band, the guys have been eyeing a country project.
Charley Crockett’s New Album ‘The Man From Waco’ Slated For September
/by Lorie HollabaughCharley Crockett. Photo: Bobby Cochran
Charley Crockett will release his latest album, The Man From Waco, on Sept. 9 via Son of Davy/Thirty Tigers. The lead single from the project, “I’m Just A Clown,” is out now.
Crockett wrote or co-wrote all 14 tracks on the album, which started out as a demo session with producer Bruce Robison at Robison’s studio outside of Austin and turned into Crockett’s first album made with his band, The Blue Drifters, backing him. Mostly first takes with only a handful of overdubs, The Man From Waco finds Crockett refining his “Gulf & Western” sound, which continues to draw an ever-growing legion of fans.
“I just wanted an honest partnership: do it at your place, live to tape, everybody in the room,” Crockett says of the recording experience. “The magic is in the performances on that tape. That’s what Bruce wanted to do, that’s what I wanted to do. When we were done, I said ‘these are masters, not demos.’”
Crockett is currently on the road across the U.S., mixing headlining shows with a slot on Willie Nelson’s roving Outlaw Music Festival and other festival appearances. He will also head to Europe and the UK for a headlining tour at the end of October.
Keith Urban To Serve As Presenting Sponsor For Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament
/by Lydia FarthingKeith Urban
For the sixth consecutive year, multi-Platinum recording artist Keith Urban will serve as the Presenting Sponsor of the Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament (MRLGT).
Urban, a CMA and ACM Entertainer of the Year Award winner, has been a long time supporter of the MRLGT, as well numerous other charities. His All For The Hall benefit concerts for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum have raised millions of dollars over the years. He is also the first Ambassador of the CMA Foundation, an advisory board member at the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and a longtime supporter of both The Mr. Holland’s Opus Fund and The Grammy Foundation.
Nashville-based boutique investment and development firm E3 Construction Services will also return as Tournament Host, and ASCAP, City National Bank, and Big Machine Records artist Tim McGraw will reprise their longtime roles as Title Sponsors.
The 35th annual event will be held on Monday, Aug. 15 at Nashville’s Old Natchez Country Club, and will once again benefit United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Middle Tennessee. One of the Nashville country music community’s original and longest-standing charitable efforts, the MRLGT raised over $100K in 2021 for a grand total of more than $2.4 million raised in the history of the tournament.
Registration for the MRLGT closes on Aug. 4. To register, sponsor, or for more information, click here.
Mojo Music & Media Acquires Catalog Of Sharon Vaughn
/by Lorie HollabaughSharon Vaughn. Photo: Jessika Jarl
Mojo Music & Media, the global independent publishing and marketing company, has acquired the catalog of songwriter Sharon Vaughn.
The deal spans 25 years of Vaughn’s work and includes 28 charting singles released between 1977-2004, including standards such as Willie Nelson’s “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” Waylon Jennings’ “Broken Promise Land” and The Oak Ridge Boys’ breakout single “Y’All Come Back Saloon.” Also included are the top 10 hits “I’m Not That Lonely Yet” (Reba McEntire), “Lonely Too Long” (Patty Loveless),“Out Of My Bones” (Randy Travis), and “Powerful Thing” (Trisha Yearwood).
Vaughn was in her early 20’s when she first came to Nashville from Orlando, beginning her career as a background singer and eventually charting two singles as an artist. After a stint as an on-air TV personality, she pivoted to songwriting and landed her first major cut with “Y’all Come Back Saloon,” the first single and title track from the Oak Ridge Boys’ 1977 debut album.
Around the same time, Jennings cut “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys” on the 1976 release Wanted! The Outlaws, a collaboration with Nelson, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, which became country’s first Platinum album. Nelson’s version, recorded for the soundtrack of the Robert Redford-starring Electric Horseman, topped the country chart in 1980.
Vaughn’s hit streak continued through the 80’s and into the 90’s, and she moved to Sweden in 2008. While there, she immersed herself with songwriters and producers across Europe and Asia and landed more than 100 cuts, including four chart-topping singles in Japan and a No. 1 dance record in the U.S. She also co-wrote The Sweet Potato Queens musical with composer Rupert Holmes and Melissa Manchester. Her post-2008 catalog is represented by BMG Scandinavia.
“Sharon came to Nashville with $50 and a dream and won over Music Row’s biggest names through sheer will, drive and talent,” says Mark Fried, Mojo’s Co-Founder and CEO. “She’s inspired a generation of women to pursue songwriting, no matter the challenges, always emphasizing the importance of art, craft and storytelling. We’re honored she’s chosen us to caretake and promote her truly iconic body of work.”
“It is gratifying to know that the works I created over the past decades have found a good home,” adds Vaughn. “I feel Mojo will respect and enrich my catalogues and through their efforts my songs will realize their potential.”
She has won numerous ASCAP awards, was inducted into the NSAI Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2005, and joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2019.
CMHOF To Premiere 43rd Annual Words & Music Showcase Tonight
/by Lydia FarthingThe Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will premiere its 43rd annual Words & Music Night showcase tonight (July 12) at 6 p.m. CT. The event will present a compilation of songs written by students from Tennessee, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Canada and Australia in collaboration with Nashville-based songwriters.
Hosted by Aaron Helvig, the museum’s Words & Music Program Senior Manager, students will introduce themselves and their professional songwriting partners, who will perform the song they wrote together. Throughout the evening, artists such as Priscilla Block, Ashland Craft, Walker Hayes, Miko Marks, John Osborne, Lily Rose, Tenille Townes and Hailey Whitters, will share words of wisdom and encouragement for aspiring songwriters.
Designed for grades 3-12, Words & Music allows students to tell their stories by writing original song lyrics, while developing language arts skills. Through the program, students interact with a professional songwriter in a performance workshop that transforms students’ lyrics into finished songs. More than 150,000 students have participated in the Words & Music program since its inception in 1979.
Words & Music Night will be available for on-demand viewing on the museum’s website.
Lorrie Morgan, Sawyer Brown, More To Headline Inaugural Inverness Country Jam
/by Lydia FarthingPictured (L-R, top row): Lorrie Morgan & Sawyer Brown; (L-R, bottom row): Sammy Kershaw & Aaron Tippin
The first ever Inverness Country Jam, presented by Sunny Cooter, is slated to take over the shores of Lake Henderson in Liberty Park and The Depot in Inverness, Florida from Oct. 28-30. The festival will feature two stages, food trucks, bars, festival vendors, and a kids’ play area.
Featured headliners for the inaugural event include Sawyer Brown, Aaron Tippin, Lorrie Morgan and Sammy Kershaw, with additional performances from Collin Raye, Matt Stell, Frank Ray, the James Barker Band, and more.
“We have invested millions in redeveloping our lakefront parks and The Depot District, which created an environment that is much more conducive to handling a big festival,” shares City Manager Eric Williams. “We have beautiful waterways, a natural lake system, and the longest bike trail in Florida. Our motto is ‘Small Town Done Right.’”
Tickets will go on sale beginning July 15. VIP packages will also be available, which will allow holders access to a private bar and restaurant-style tent, and more. For more details, click here.
Midland, Cody Jinks, LeAnn Rimes To Play San Diego’s Wild Horses Festival
/by LB CantrellMidland. Photo: Harper Smith
The full lineup has been announced for the Wild Horses festival in San Diego, California. The festival, now in its second year, is set to take place Sept. 24 and 25 at Petco Park.
Midland and Cody Jinks will serve as headliners. Joining them are LeAnn Rimes, Paul Cauthen, Kassi Ashton, Red Shahan, Drake Milligan, Erin Viancourt, Nancarrow, and Scott Ballew.
Wild Horses is put on by Outriders Present, who also hold the Under The Big Sky Festival in Montana.
For tickets and further information, visit outriderspresent.com.
Industry Ink: Parker McCollum, Randy Rogers, CreatiVets, Jessica Willis Fisher
/by Lorie HollabaughParker McCollum Inks Multi-Year Partnership With Lucchese Boots
Parker McCollum. Photo: Courtesy of Lucchese Bootmaker
Parker McCollum has partnered with Lucchese Boots in a multi-year deal.
“Lucchese has always been the boots that I wanted when I was a kid,” McCollum explains. “I can remember several years ago saying to the band and kind of saying to myself quite a bit, how much I would love to sign a deal with Lucchese one day and be able to represent them with what I do, since I just love their product so much… You can never shoot too high, and you can never dream too big. You just never know what you may end up actually getting in life.” He adds, “I’m just so excited to start this relationship and build on it and show the world what we can do.”
“We are truly excited to announce our long-term partnership with Parker McCollum,” says Doug Kindy, President of Lucchese. “Here at Lucchese, we view the craftsmanship and intent that goes into handmaking our boots akin to that of the curation of a new song. The output of the artistry may be different, but its process and dedication to the craft remain the same. Throughout our relationship, it has become evident that Parker understands our world just as we do his- he is a true ambassador and steward of the Lucchese brand, and we can’t wait to share what we have in store for both of our fanbases.”
Randy Rogers Celebrates A Smashing Good Time At Billy Bob’s Ahead Of Renovations
Randy Rogers and Josh Weathers. Photo: Courtesy Billy Bob’s Texas
Randy Rogers helped Billy Bob’s Texas begin its renovation on July 5, participating in a press conference and ceremony kicking off construction in Fort Worth. Along with Josh Weathers, Rogers was on hand to smash a glitter-filled guitar against one of the two stage-front poles that will be removed from the venue as part of the renovation.
Updates to Billy Bob’s Texas will be made to its main showroom, including raising stage-left to the level of the rest of the ceiling, an overall advanced audio and visual experience, and new digital ticketing improvements.
The Main Stage will reopen on July 22 and 23 with the “Hold My Beer And Watch This Tour” featuring Rogers and Wade Bowen.
Lighthouse ArtSpace Nashville Partners With CreatiVets For The Month Of July
Lighthouse ArtSpace Nashville, the home of Immersive Van Gogh, is teaming up with CreatiVets to contribute a portion of its proceeds throughout July to the charity. The partnership will amplify the healing and support services for veterans coping with post-traumatic stress, trauma and reintegration into society.
“As a veteran myself, it is an honor to work with an organization that puts our veterans’ needs at the forefront of their everyday operations,” states Steven Tropia, General Manager at Lighthouse ArtSpace Nashville. “We are grateful to be able to do our part in supporting our veterans as they discover the comfort and healing power of art.”
CreatiVets addresses these issues by providing an outlet through creative means such as music, art and counseling initiatives.
Jessica Willis Fisher Releases Piano Version Of “My History”
Jessica Willis Fisher has released a piano version of her song “My History,” out everywhere now. The autobiographical song, which first appeared on her solo album Brand New Day, finds her discovering that there is a way forward through music.
“Writing and music have played such an important role in my story and my healing,” Fisher shares. “There was a time I was unsure I would ever be able to come back to claim music for myself in a healthy way, so I am so grateful for the chance to share these songs straight from the heart on my own terms for the first time. Music can be such a powerful therapy and I want to do my part in making the world a safer, stronger, more beautiful place.”
All artist proceeds from the special version of the track will go towards Fisher’s newly-created charitable fund called The Brand New Day Fund, which supports a variety of organizations and causes close to her heart.