Jimmie Allen. Photo: Shea Flynn

Fresh off of his appearance at last night’s 64th Annual Grammy Awards, Jimmie Allen announced he’ll release his third Stoney Creek Records/BBR Music Group album, Tulip Drive, on June 24. The lead single from the record, “Down Home,” is available everywhere now.

Like his previous projects, the album’s title has a personal meaning for Allen and family ties. Tulip Drive is the name of the street his late grandmother grew up on. Similarly, his 2018 debut album Mercury Lane was named for the street Allen grew up on, and his 2020 and 2021 releases, Bettie James & Bettie James Gold Edition, were named for his grandmother (Bettie Snead) and father (James “Big Jim” Allen).

Jimmie Allen at the 64th annual Grammy Awards red carpet. Photo: Courtesy of BBR Music Group

“A lot of the songs on this album are from that time period. This is the first album where a lot of the songs are actually written based off a lot of my own personal life experiences–from relationships, the hardships of life, to the parties and the good times,” Allen shares. “A lot of these songs are based off things I went through when I was in later in high school and college, at a place where I was just learning a lot of life lessons from my grandmother. I wanted to honor her by naming this album Tulip Drive, after the street she lived on in Lewes, Delaware.”

Allen was nominated for Best New Artist at last night’s 64th annual Grammy Awards, and attended the show for the first time in addition to performing “Down Home” and presenting multiple categories during the premiere ceremony. He also performed the song at the Recording Academy Honors, presented by the Black Music Collective, on April 2 and appeared throughout the weekend at the 31st annual MusiCares Person of the Year Benefit Gala, Spotify’s Best New Artist celebration, and at a panel for I AM Musicology Presents: Road to the Grammys.

Allen is currently on the “Down Home Tour,” which kicked off with a sold-out start earlier this year. For a full list of upcoming dates, click here.

The worldwide release of Kenny Rogers: All In For The Gambler, the 90-minute concert film and album, has been set for May 20. The Blackbird Presents music release includes an all-star lineup of artists in a once-in-a-lifetime concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to celebrate the country/pop music icon.

The CD/DVD combo features Rogers and Dolly Parton’s final live performance together, including their chart topping duet “Islands In The Stream,” as well as artists performing Rogers’ classic hits such as “The Gambler” (Chris Stapleton), “Lady” (Lionel Richie), “She Believes In Me” (Lady A), “Through The Years” (Little Big Town), and “We’ve Got Tonight” (Idina Menzel and Charles Kelley).

Kenny Rogers: All In For The Gambler also includes previously unseen performances of the Country Music Hall of Famer’s classics: “Lucille” (Justin Moore), “Love Or Something Like It” (The Oak Ridge Boys), “You Turn The Light On” (Wynonna), “Blaze Of Glory” (Billy Dean, Crystal Gayle, Kim Forester, Lee Greenwood, Rudy Gatlin, Steve Gatlin, T. G. Sheppard, T. Graham Brown, Travis Tritt) and more.

Blackbird Presents’ Keith Wortman is the creator and executive producer of All In For The Gambler. Grammy award-winner Don Was served as music director and presided over an all-star house band backing the performers at the historic concert event taping. Rogers’ manager, Ken Levitan, also serves as executive producer.

“Like millions of fans around the world, Kenny Rogers has been the soundtrack of my life, and I am honored and privileged to share this show celebrating his monumental career,” says Wortman, CEO of Blackbird Presents.

The CD/DVD combo is available for preorder now at AllInForTheGambler.com and KennyRogers.com.

Kenny Rogers: All In For The Gambler Track List:
The Gambler – Chris Stapleton
Tulsa Turnaround – Elle King
Love Or Something Like It – The Oak Ridge Boys (DVD ONLY)
She Believes In Me – Lady A
Blaze Of Glory – Billy Dean, Crystal Gayle, Kim Forester, Lee Greenwood, Rudy Gatlin, Steve Gatlin, T. G. Sheppard, T. Graham Brown, Travis Tritt
You Turn The Light On – Wynonna
Coward Of The County – Aaron Lewis
Sweet Music Man – Jamey Johnson(CD ONLY)
Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Is In) – Jamey Johnson
Twenty Years Ago – Hillary Scott & Linda Davis
Morning Desire – Billy Currington (DVD ONLY)
Lucille – Justin Moore
Through The Years – Little Big Town
We’ve Got Tonight – Idina Menzel & Charles Kelley
Lady – Lionel Richie
You Can’t Make Old Friends – Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton
I Will Always Love You – Dolly Parton
Islands In The Stream – Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton

Pictured: Cameron Bedell and Seth Ennis performing at The Bluebird Cafe (stage sponsored by Academy of Country Music). Photo: Tin Pan South/Sydney Zuyus

Night three of Tin Pan South featured songs from Nashville tunesmiths at venues across the city.

Chart-topping songwriters Brad Clawson, Ben Johnson, Taylor Phillips, and Will Weatherly played some “hits from the Tape Room” at 3rd & Lindsley’s 6 o’clock show. Over at the Bluebird, audience members heard from Phil Barton, Cameron Bedell, Seth Ennis, and Liz Rose.

Chris DeStefano, Emily Shackelton, and Eric Van Houten entertained at The Listening Room; while Endurance songwriters Seth Alley, Johnny Dailey, Chase Martin, and Paul Sikes played the Cross-Eyed Critters stage.

Pictured (L-R, front row): Rob Hatch, Lydia Cahill (SESAC), Jesse Lee, Lyndsie McClure (NSAI), Joe Fox; (L-R, back row): Shannan Hatch (SESAC), Bart Herbison (NSAI), ET Brown (SESAC), Scott Jungmichel (SESAC), Jimmie Allen, Brad Peterson (Regions Bank). Photo: Amanda Terranova

More Tape Room writers took over the 3rd & Lindsley stage at 9 o’clock, including Wyatt McCubbin, Hunter Phelps, and the company’s founder and CEO Ashley Gorley. Hitmakers Gary Burr, Peter Cincotti, Mark Hudson, and Victoria Shaw set up camp over at The Lounge at City Winery.

SESAC affiliates Jimmie Allen, Rob Hatch, Jesse Lee, and Jon Nite played some of their many hits at The Listening Room Cafe; while Jessie James Decker, Dave Pittenger, and Shane Stevens treated audience members at the Hard Rock Cafe stage.

Among the songwriters who will be featured at tonight’s rounds (April 1) are Bob DiPiero, Bill Anderson, Rodney Clawson, JT Harding, and many more. See the full schedule here.

Pictured: Surprise guest Tenille Arts showed up at Hard Rock Cafe (stage sponsored by Musicnotes) for the round presented by Hot 106.7 joining Dave Pittenger, Shane Stevens, and Kyle Clark. Photo: Tin Pan South/Kari Jakobsen

Pictured: Hunter Phelps & Wyatt McCubbin perform as part of “Hits From The Tape Room” at 3rd & Lindsley (stage sponsored by Visit Music City). Photo: Tin Pan South/Brittni Talley

Pictured (L-R): Catherine Brewton, Jeshua “TedyP” Williams, Wardell Malloy and Mike O’Neill. Photo: Steve Lowry for BMI

Winners for the 2022 BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards were recently celebrated at the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville. BMI’s Gospel Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Publisher of the Year, as well as the top 20 songs of the previous year were all honored at the private event hosted by BMI’s President & CEO, Mike O’Neill, and BMI’s Vice President, Creative-Atlanta, Catherine Brewton.

The event kicked off with Mali Music performing the Grammy award-winning song “Movin On,” co-written with Jonathan McReynolds and Terrell Demetrius Wilson. Natalie Grant followed with a performance of Donald Lawrence’s hit song, “God,” which she is featured on. CeCe Winans also gave a powerful rendition of “Believe for It.”

Pictured (L-R): Kierra Sheard and J. Drew Sheard II. Photo: Steve Lowry for BMI

BMI’s Gospel Songwriter of the Year was a four-way tie between Aaron Lindsey, J Drew Sheard II, Kierra Sheard and Jeshua “TedyP” Williams.

Grammy, Dove and Stellar award-winning songwriter Lindsey was honored for two chart-topping songs: “It Belongs to Me,” co-written and performed by Juan and Lisa Winans (feat. Marvin Winans) and “Thank You for It All,” co-written by Jarmone E. Davis and Marvin Sapp. Grammy award-winning songwriter and producer Williams was honored for his work on “Hold Me Close” and for co-writing “Trouble Won’t Last” with Keyondra Lockett, who won her first BMI award for the hit single.

Drew and Sheard were honored for co-writing “His Love” and “It Keeps Happening,” which marked Kierra’s first No. 1 single at Gospel radio as a solo artist and her third No. 1 overall on the Gospel Airplay chart. This also marks the first time that siblings have received this honor at a Trailblazers of Gospel Music Awards ceremony.

BMI’s Gospel Song of the Year was “Speak to Me,” co-written by Troy Taylor and featuring samples from Donnie McClurkin’s 1996 single “Speak to My Heart.” The hit single, performed by Koryn Hawthorne, spent 41 weeks on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Chart and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2021 Dove Awards. This was McClurkin’s fifth BMI Gospel Award, and Taylor added his first BMI Gospel Award to his collection of honors, which includes three BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards.

Pictured (L-R): Phil Thornton, BMI Vice President Catherine Brewton, BMI AVP Creative Los Angeles Wardell Malloy, and Tamar Rand. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images for BMI

BMI’s Gospel Publisher of the Year went to Be Essential Songs for having hits such as “In Spite of Me,” “Movin’ On,” and “Never Lost” among its repertoire.

The ceremony also featured performances by gospel greats and BMI Trailblazers of Gospel Music Icons, Sapp and Kirk Franklin, as well as rising gospel star DOE. Greg Cox joined Franklin on stage for a rendition of “Strong God,” which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart. To close out the performances, Jekalyn Carr gave a rousing rendition of “Stand” by Donnie McClurkin as a tribute to the gospel legend.

The top 20 Gospel Songs of the previous year were awarded prior to the ceremony, welcoming 27 first-time winners. Some of the emerging songwriters who collected their first BMI award included Byron Cage, Emerald Campbell, Quennel Gaskin and Juan Winans, to name a few.

Keith Urban and Kelsea Ballerini are among the list of presenters for the upcoming 64th Annual Grammy Awards on April 3.

Other presenters include Megan Thee Stallion, Joni Mitchell, Questlove, Lenny Kravitz, Dua Lipa, Ludacris, Billy Porter, Bonnie Raitt, Avril Lavigne, Jared Leto, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, and Anthony Mackie.

Previously announced performers on the show include J Balvin with Maria Becerra, Jon Batiste, Brothers Osborne, BTS, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, Cynthia Erivo, H.E.R., Lady Gaga, John Legend, Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Maverick City Music, Nas, Aymée Nuviola, Leslie Odom, Jr., Ben Platt, Olivia Rodrigo, Silk Sonic, Chris Stapleton, Billy Strings, Carrie Underwood, and Rachel Zegler.

Hosted by Trevor Noah, the show will air live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.