CRB Announce Leadership For 2023 CRS Agenda Committee

/by

The leaders of the 2023 CRS Agenda Committee have been revealed, which include Joey Tack (WLHK/Indianapolis) as Chairman and Brent Michaels (KUZZ/Bakersfield) as Vice-Chair.

Both Tack and Michaels served in leadership positions on the 2021-2022 agenda committee but are swapping the roles in which they previously held.

CRB, Inc. is now accepting applications for the CRS 2023 Agenda Committee.  The deadline to apply is April 8, and interested parties can submit here.

Industry professionals who want to be considered to serve on the committee must be available to attend agenda meetings in Nashville in person on June 29-July 1. Applicants must also be available to attend CRS 2023 on March 13-15, 2023.

“We’re looking for the brightest minds and rising stars to help us put together the biggest gathering of country music professionals in the industry,” says Tack and Michaels. “Please consider applying and lending us your expertise.”

The CRS 2023 Agenda Committee will be made up of volunteer professionals from all sectors of the country radio, streaming, and record industries. The committee is responsible for planning events for the upcoming year’s CRS.

LeAnn Rimes Enlists The Next Generation Of Female Country Artists For ‘CMT Crossroads’

/by

Multi-Platinum singer-songwriter LeAnn Rimes is the next headliner on an upcoming installment of CMT Crossroads.

CMT Crossroads: LeAnn Rimes & Friends will feature a powerhouse lineup of Ashley McBryde, Brandy Clark, Carly Pearce and Mickey Guyton, and will premiere Thursday, April 14 at 7 p.m. CT exclusively on CMT.

The all-female concert event celebrates Rimes’ 25th career anniversary. From her biggest chart-topping hits alongside new songs, the 90-minute special brings the Grammy award-winning vocalist together with the next generation of female artists who have been inspired and influenced by her music.

“It was such a magical and surreal experience, celebrating the past 25 years of my music as a full installment of CMT Crossroads. And to share the stage with women who are each, so unique and truly standing in their own magnificence, to get to hear firsthand how I have, in some special way, influenced their artistry… it was humbling and special,” shares Rimes, who recently announced her upcoming “The Story…So Far Tour.” “This is such an expansive year for me, from my new album release later this year to my upcoming tour, and I could not think of a better way to kick it all off than to celebrate the past, present and future with this memorable show.”

YouTube video

“What better way to celebrate LeAnn’s music and legacy than to bring together those who credit LeAnn for inspiring their own careers,” adds Margaret Comeaux, Executive Producer & Senior Vice President, Production, CMT. “The reciprocal admiration amongst these women is more than evident throughout filming, and makes for a truly magical connection on stage in this special extended episode of CMT Crossroads.”

A 3x CMT Music Awards nominee, Rimes took home her first trophy in 2008 for Collaborative Video of the Year with Bon Jovi. She also celebrated the world premiere of “Swingin’” and a performance of “Nothin’ Better To Do” at past CMT Music Awards. Rimes also teamed up with British soul singer Joss Stone for a special edition of CMT Crossroads.

NSAI Announces Winners Of 22nd Annual Song Contest

/by

Tarrah Walson & James Maltese

NSAI has announced the winners of its 22nd Annual Song Contest. Tarrah Walston of Nashville took home the Grand Prize for her submission “Tabs On You,” while James Maltese of Princeton, New Jersey is the Lyric-Only winner for his submission “Ferris Wheels.”

Walston was awarded $5,000 cash; a mentoring session with hit songwriter Rhett Akins; NSAI and CMT prize packs, including tickets to the CMT awards; and a one-year single-song publishing contract with Anthem Entertainment. She will also take part in the 30th anniversary Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival where she’ll perform the winning song at the Hard Rock Cafe Nashville tonight (March 29) to open the round featuring Jamie Floyd, Ty Herndon, Jake Hoot and Rachel Thibodeau.

Maltese won a mentoring session with hit songwriter Ali Tamposi; $2,500 cash; an NSAI prize pack, including a new acoustic guitar; and more.

In addition to the prize packages given, the nine song category runners-up will each receive a meeting with an industry professional and a one-year NSAI membership. The Lyric-Only category runner-up receives an event certificate to attend one of NSAI’s education events as well as a one-year NSAI membership.

The contest was presented by The Bluebird Cafe and CMT, with final judging held at Anthem Entertainment in Nashville. In total, the contest had nearly 2,500 entries and, after several rounds of judging, 22 songs placed in this year’s competition.

The judging panel featured Kelly Archer (professional songwriter), Fletcher Foster (President and CEO of F2 Entertainment Group), Leslie Fram (Senior Vice President, Music Strategy and Talent at CMT), Erika Wollam Nichols (COO and General Manager of The Bluebird Cafe), and Tim Wipperman (President of Publishing at Anthem Entertainment Nashville).

Full List of Winners:
Grand Prize Winner – “Tabs On You” – Tarrah Walston (Nashville, TN)
Lyric-Only Winner – “Ferris Wheels” – James Maltese (Princeton, NJ)
Lyric-Only Runner-up – “Where The Green Grass Glows” – Everton Rocca (Franklin, TN)

Song Category Runners-up
“Better On You” – Lauren Eliza (Nashville, TN)
“Comes To Light” – Andrew Marik (Memphis, TN)
“Cowboy Buddha” – Andrea Brodeur (Boston, MA)
“Hold That Thought” – Elysse Yulo (Nashville, TN)
“How Many Angels” – Sam Varga (Louisville, KY)
“Jingles In My Heart” – Sal Cosentino (Brooklyn, NY)
“John Denver” – Chris Nurthen (Memphis, TN)
“Make It A Habit” – Hayden Cain (Richmond, KY)
“The Devil’s A Liar” – Russell Dritz (Chappaqua, NY)

Honorable Mentions
“Beer Thirty” – Robert Starnes
“Broken Heartland” – Matt Jordan
“Buying Houses” – Sam Blasko
“Colors Of God” – Russ Parrish
“Seven Day Weekend” – Steven Sumners
“Starts With A Spark” – Jon Eborn
“Stealing Home” – Alli Carruth
“Till It Happens To You” – John Frank
“Why We Drive Trucks” – Ryan Price
“Wrong Turns Right” – Carin Fradin

Breland To Host Ryman Oasis Center Benefit With Kane Brown, Charles Kelley, More

/by

Breland is hosting a star-studded concert, “Breland & Friends,” on April 12 at the Ryman Auditorium. The show will benefit Middle Tennessee’s Oasis Center to help support local youth in need.

Sponsored by Amazon Music, the show will feature the Platinum-selling entertainer and a top lineup of guests, including Tyler Braden, Kane Brown, Russell Dickerson, Mickey Guyton, Charles Kelley, RaeLynn, Restless Road, Seaforth, and Brittney Spencer. The show will kick off at 7:30 pm CT with tickets for the special evening available here.

“Oasis Center does incredible work with youth in crisis, and their impact on the Nashville community and beyond is unmatched,” Breland explains. “I can’t think of a better location to celebrate and raise money for this amazing organization than the Mother Church itself. Every artist I have joining me at the Ryman represents the same altruistic ideals as the Oasis Center, and I’m so excited to share the stage with them.”

One of Middle Tennessee’s most comprehensive youth development agencies, Oasis Center helps young people and their families navigate complex challenges with over 20 programs and services available to respond to the area’s diverse needs.

The night before the benefit, Breland will be on hand at the 2022 CMT Music Awards, where he is nominated for three fan-voted awards.

Later this spring, Breland will also be a part of Amazon’s For Love & Country documentary, which explores the growing diversity movement in country music. His forthcoming album, Cross Country, is set for release this summer through Bad Realm Records/Atlantic Records/Warner Music Nashville.

Brad Paisley Takes A Trip Across The Pond For Upcoming ‘World Tour 2022’

/by

Brad Paisley. Photo: Timothy Hiele

Brad Paisley will embark on his “World Tour 2022” beginning this May and running through October. This marks the decorated country artist’s ninth European tour and his first international shows since 2019.

The trek, which will travel around much of Europe, Canada and the U.S., will launch on May 27 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The run will end with his first-ever tour in Australia this fall.

Paisley will be joined by Tracy Lawrence, Scotty McCreery, Morgan Evans, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack and others along the way as direct support. Tickets for all dates will be available for purchase at bradpaisley.com.

A portion of ticket sales will go to The Store, a nonprofit free-referral based grocery store which aims to empower low-income individuals and families in the Nashville area. The Store was co-founded by Brad and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, and currently serves 450 families a month.

In 2021, Paisley played over 30 concert stops across the U.S., playing major markets such as Tampa, Dallas, Houston, Charlotte, Raleigh, Chicago, Phoenix and more. The tour kicked off in Nashville on July 4 for Music City’s Let Freedom Sing! concert, which broke attendance records as 350,000 people gathered into downtown for the show.

Earlier this year, Paisley also scored his 25th career No. 1 with Jimmie Allen on their hit collaboration “Freedom Was A Highway.”

“World Tour 2022” Dates:
Friday, May 27, 2022 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
Sunday, May 29, 2022 – Windsor, ON – The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
Thursday, June 2, 2022 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake *
Friday, June 3, 2022 – Philadelphia, PA – Waterfront Music Pavilion*
Saturday, June 4, 2022 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts*
Friday, June 10, 2022 – Simpsonville, SC – CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park X
Saturday, June 11, 2022 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans AMPHITHEATER at Va. Beach X
Friday, June 24, 2022 – Greeley, CO – Greeley Independence Stampede – Island Grove Regional Park
Saturday, June 25, 2022 – Fort Hall, ID – Shoshone-Bannock Hotel Casino
Sunday, June 26, 2022 – Airway Heights, WA – Northern Quest Resort & Casino
Friday, July 15, 2022 – Glasgow, Scotland – SSE Hydro ++
Saturday, July 16, 2022 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena ++
Tuesday, July 19, 2022 – Tilburg, Netherlands – 013 Poppodium ++
Wednesday, July 20, 2022 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena ++
Friday, July 22, 2022 – Bergen, Norway – Bergenhus Festning ++
Sunday, July 24, 2022 – Trondheim, Norway – Kristiansten Festning ++
Wednesday, July 27, 2022 – Gothenburg, Sweden – Liseburg Amusement Park
Friday, July 29, 2022 – Gavle, Sweden – Furuviksparken
Sunday, July 31, 2022 – Schwetzingen, Germany – Schlossgarten Open Air
Friday, August 12, 2022 – Albuquerque, NM – Sandia Resort Casino – Sandia Amphitheatre
Saturday, August 13, 2022 – Tucson, AZ – Ava Amphitheatre
Thursday, August 18, 2022 – Murphys, CA – Ironstone Amphitheatre X
Friday, August 19, 2022 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre X
Saturday, August 20, 2022 – Temecula, CA – Pechanga Resort Casino – Pechanga Summit X
Wednesday, August 24, 2022 – Put In Bay, OH – Bash on the Bay Country Music Festival
Thursday, August 25, 2022 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview XX
Friday, August 26, 2022 – Niagara Falls, ON – Fallsview Casino Resort – Niagara Falls Entertainment Centre
Saturday, September 17, 2022 – McHenry, IL – Splash into Country – Rise Up McHenry
September 23-25 – Willowbank, QLD – CMC Rocks
Monday, September 26, 2022 – Brisbane, QLD – Brisbane Entertainment Centre ++
Thursday, September 29, 2022 – Melbourne, VIC – Rod Laver Arena++
Saturday, October 1, 2022 – Deniliquin, NSW – Deni Ute Muster
Sunday, October 2, 2022 – Mareeba, QLD – Savannah In The Round
Wednesday, October 5, 2022 – Sydney, NSW – Qudos Bank Arena++
Saturday, October 8, 2022 – Auckland, New Zealand – Spark Arena ++

*Tracy Lawrence & Tenille Townes
++ Morgan Evans
X Tracy Lawrence & Caylee Hammack
XX Scotty McCreery & Caylee Hammack

Conner Smith Inks With Warner Chappell, Home Team & Miller Crow Music For Publishing

/by

Pictured (L-R, top row): Virginia Bunetta (Home Team), Spencer Nohe (WCM), Zach Crowell (MCM), Ben Vaughn (WCM); (L-R, bottom row): Conner Smith, Thomas Rhett (Home Team)

Rising singer-songwriter Conner Smith has signed a global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music, in partnership with Thomas Rhett’s Home Team and Miller Crow Music.

Smith recently released his debut collection Didn’t Go Too Far on The Valory Music Co., which featured his current single “Learn From It” and viral hit “I Hate Alabama.” The 21-year-old Nashville native has been writing songs since he was 6 years old, and aligned with BMI at age 9.

“Conner is one of the most exciting new artists in Nashville,” says Rhett. “I am so honored to be a part of his publishing and songwriting journey along with Ben Vaughn and the whole Warner Chappell team. Home Team was meant for writers like Conner who know exactly who they are and what they have to say.”

Spencer Nohe, Senior Director, A&R, WCM Nashville adds, “Conner is a remarkable and prolific songwriter who has quickly proven to be an electrifying performer who will have a significant impact in country music for years to come. More importantly, he operates with humility, discipline, and a quiet, confident work ethic which is an honor to represent. We couldn’t be more grateful to partner with Conner, Home Team, and Zach [Crowell] for this next chapter of Conner’s career.”

Smith, who has been named to many prestigious artist-to-watch lists since debuting on the country scene, has scored opening slots on Rhett’s “Bring The Bar To You” tour and Ryan Hurd’s “Tour De Pelago.” He has also performed alongside young country favorites including Kane Brown and Sam Hunt, and is managed by Homestead Music.

“I couldn’t feel more thankful to get to center myself and career around people who I respect and trust so much,” Smith shares. “Having people on my team who believe in me the way Home Team, Warner, and Miller Crow do is really a special thing. I’m excited to share this next chapter with people who are dialed into the vision I have for my journey.”

Shane McAnally Hits Peak Of MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

/by

Shane McAnally. Photo: Robby Klein

Shane McAnally has made his way to the top spot on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week.

McAnally is a co-writer on five currently charting songs, including Old Dominion’s “No Hard Feelings,” Kenny Chesney’s “Everyone She Knows,” Walker Hayes’ “AA,” Sam Hunt’s “23,” and Carly Pearce & Ashley McBryde’s “Never Wanted To Be That Girl”

After eight weeks at No. 1, Ashley Gorley moves to the No. 2 spot on the chart to make way for McAnally. He is a co-writer on such songs as “New Truck” (Dylan Scott), “Sand In My Boots” (Morgan Wallen), “Beers On Me” (Dierks Bentley, Hardy & Breland), “Slow Down Summer” (Thomas Rhett), “Give Heaven Some Hell” (Hardy), “Take My Name” (Parmalee), and “You Didn’t” (Brett Young).

Eric Church and Michael Hardy also swap places this week, with Church at No. 3 and Hardy at No. 4.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, More Set For New Festival In Southern California

/by

Kacey Musgraves

Goldenvoice, the team behind the massive country music festival Stagecoach, have announced Palomino Festival, a brand new event that celebrates alt-country. The one-day-only festival will take place Saturday, July 9 on the grounds of Brookside at the Rose Bowl.

The line up for the inaugural Palomino fest includes Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson & Family, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Turnpike Troubadours, Orville Peck, Old Crow Medicine Show, Valerie June, Charley Crockett, Nikki Lane, Morgan Wade, Amythyst Kiah, and more. See the full lineup below.

This new addition to Goldenvoice’s portfolio of southern California festivals is aiming to appeal to long-time country fans, brand new Americana lovers, and everyone in between.

Head Goldenvoice talent buyer Stacy Vee, who also books the company’s Stagecoach Festival, shares, “It has been a dream for as long as I can remember to do a festival taking a modern, fresh approach to today’s alt-country music. Artists in the space have been pushing boundaries, creating sounds that are brand new. I wanted to fan these flames and celebrate this changing culture. We at Goldenvoice love doing things ‘our own way,’ and there are a lot of artists out there right now doing the same thing. We came together to celebrate carving your own path: this is Palomino.”

General admission passes for Palomino Festival start at $179 plus fees, and VIP passes are $399 plus fees. For ticketing and additional information, visit goldenvoice.com.

Russell Dickerson Celebrates Sold Out, ‘Home Sweet’ Show At The Ryman

/by

Russell Dickerson. Photo: Thomas Heney

Russell Dickerson brought his electric, headlining “All Yours All Night Tour” to Nashville’s historic Ryman auditorium on Friday (March 25). Closing out the first leg of his tour with the sold-out hometown show, Dickerson delivered hit after hit over the course of 90 minutes.

Opening with the tour’s rock-infused, electric guitar heavy namesake, the crowd didn’t wait long before getting to their feet and singing along. Dickerson went into his Platinum-certified single “Every Little Thing” before addressing the already buzzing audience.

“This isn’t even real life. It feels so good to say ‘Nashville.’ It’s my hometown, it’s where I grew up. It feels good to be home,” the Triple Tigers recording artist said. “There are so many friends, family and team members in the house tonight, and so many people that aren’t even from Nashville! Thank you so much for coming out tonight.”

Russell Dickerson. Photo: Thomas Heney

Backed by his four-piece band and killer production, Dickerson busted through a string of hits and fan-favorites, including the sentimental “Forever For A Little While,” the sexy “Honey,” and the country rocker “Never Get Old,” which also featured a medley of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band‘s “Fishing In The Dark” and Garth Brooks‘ “Ain’t Goin’ Down (‘Til The Sun Comes Up).”

The multi-Platinum artist surprised the hometown crowd as he broke out into “She Likes It” with special guest and pop singer-songwriter Jake Scott, who joined Dickerson for a special studio remix of the song last year. He also gave a stunning performance of “Home Sweet,” a single that spawned a reimagined version with Lady A late last year.

Throughout the evening, Dickerson was fighting back tears, the first wave of which came when performing his debut single, “Yours.”

“Thank you guys so much for singing this. I love you Nashville,” he whispered halfway through. “I was just showing pictures to my team from a show where we played this exact same [set]. I was basically swinging from the rafters of the club and I swiped to a picture of the crowd and there was one person standing in that entire room. The fact that we can go from one person that’s standing in a random club to a sold out Ryman show means more to me than y’all know,” he shared as the audience met him with roaring applause.

“If you’ve been following me for the last 12 years then you know it hasn’t been a quick journey… I can’t thank y’all enough. This means the absolute world. I could go on all night, but I just want to sing this with you guys,” Dickerson added before finishing out the triple-Platinum hit with the crowd singing along to every word.

Dickerson also shared a handful of acoustic performances throughout the night, including the vulnerable “Waiting For You,” the Lori McKenna and Casey Brown-penned “Just Like Your Mama,” and the title track from his 2020 sophomore album Southern Symphony.

Before leaving the stage, the beloved entertainer made sure to bring the energy and the dance moves as he exploded into fan-favorite “MGNO (My Girl’s Night Out),” which had the entire room on their feet and singing along to bits of WALK THE MOON‘s “Shut Up and Dance” and Whitney Houston‘s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me).” The fun continued as Dickerson also invited rising artist Breland, who opened the night, back to the stage to perform his breakout hit “My Truck,” as well as a high-energy duet of Dickerson’s “It’s About Time.”

Coming back out for his two-song encore, Dickerson was accompanied by only a guitar as he addressed the crowd before sining his No. 1 hit “Love You Like I Used To.”

Russell Dickerson. Photo: Thomas Heney

“I just want every single one of you to know how grateful we are for every single one of you being here tonight. No one would be on this stage and none of us would be in business without live music, and thank God live music is back… This song hit right in the peak of the pandemic, and I thought my career was over because we couldn’t play shows anymore,” he said before rolling through a long list of thanks to his label (Triple Tigers), management (Dennis Entertainment), booking agency (CAA), and more.

“Through this pandemic [my team] pushed this song all the way to No. 1 for two weeks in a row. Thank you country radio for believing in me and for believing in this song. I don’t usually say this but I have to brag on my team and country radio, because while we were at home stuck in quarantine and couldn’t see you or play songs for you, this song set a record for the longest running top 10 song in country radio history. I love you and I am so grateful for every single one of you, from the bottom of my heart.”

The song, which slowly built from a lone guitar into a full band affair, saw the deafening crowd scream along to every word. Dickerson took his time to bask in the roaring applause and standing ovation, once again fending off tears.

The set wrapped with arguably Dickerson’s biggest song, the feel good “Blue Tacoma,” which featured a floating sea of confetti to cap off the night for the glowing performer who was smiling ear to ear all evening.

Before taking the stage, Dickerson was surprised with a commemorative plaque for his recent RIAA Gold certification for “Home Sweet” selling 500,000 units since its release.

The newly-added second leg of the “All Yours All Night Tour” will kick off in the UK at London’s Electric Ballroom on Oct. 12.

Season 4 Of CRS360 Webinar Series To Kick Off March 30

/by

The 2022 CRS360 Webinar Series will kick off on March 30 with “What You Didn’t See,” the first part of a two-part follow-up to the CRS Research Presentation presented by NuVoodoo at CRS 2022.

CRS Research Presentation 2022: “What You Didn’t See” will divulge comprehensive lifestyle and behavioral data not shared during the original presentation on Feb. 24, and provides insights to all programmers targeting the country consumer market.

NuVoodoo’s Leigh Jacobs and Carolyn Gilbert, as well as CRS Agenda Committee member and iHeartMedia EVP Programming Maynard will serve as panelists on the webinar, with Big Machine’s GM and CRS Research Committee member Clay Hunnicutt serving as moderator.

“The consumer data compiled by our research partners at NuVoodoo was vast,” explains CRS Executive Director RJ Curtis. “A one-hour session at CRS wasn’t enough time to share every nugget, so Leigh Jacobs and Carolyn Gilbert have prepared an additional presentation designed to go deeper and wider. They’ll share insights into lifestyle and beliefs based on never before asked questions–the findings may challenge our assumptions about country consumers’ approach to social and political topics.”

Registration for the March 2022 edition of the CRS360 webinar series is open now. Only a limited number of slots are available and will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.