Beverly Keel
The “My Music Row Story” weekly column features notable members of the Nashville music industry selected by the MusicRow editorial team. These individuals serve in key roles that help advance and promote the success of our industry. This column spotlights the invaluable people that keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.
Beverly Keel is Dean of MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment and a music industry activist who works for gender and racial equality in the music industry. She is also an award-winning music journalist whose work has appeared in People, Parade, InStyle, New York, Rolling Stone, The Tennessean, and many other publications.
Keel has been a professor in MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry since 1995 and became chair of the department in 2013. She took a leave of absence to serve as Senior Vice President of Artist and Media Relations for Universal Music Group Nashville, where she was responsible for the media campaigns of projects, including Lionel Richie, Vince Gill, Sugarland, Shania Twain, George Strait and many more.
In her work as an activist, Keel co-founded Change the Conversation in 2014 to advocate for gender equality in country music. She also co-founded Nashville Music Equality in 2020 to help create an anti-racist environment in the Nashville music industry. Keel was recently named a national “Change Agent” by Billboard for her advocacy efforts.
The SOURCE Hall of Fame member also serves as publicist for Jamey Johnson and has been a consultant for various projects and artists, such as Richie, Alison Krauss, and Scotty McCreery.
Beverly Keel with Kenny Rogers. Photo: Courtesy Beverly Keel
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Nashville. I attended school with Ty Conley, Earl Thomas Conley‘s son, and Kelly Greenwood, Lee Greenwood‘s daughter, but we didn’t give country music much of a thought. We thought it was cool, but I also thought the daughter of the manager of the movie theater was cool as well. She got to go to all those movies and eat all that popcorn. So, although I grew up here, I might as well have been in another state in terms of the country music industry.
You dad, Pinckney Keel, was an editor at the Nashville Banner for more than two decades. Did he instill a love of writing in you?
My dad spent about 27 years at the Nashville Banner. He invented the Weekender Section at the Banner and his claim to fame is that he gave Elvis the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis.” Unfortunately he died when I was in high school, before I knew I had an interest in journalism, so he never knew that I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
How did you realize that you wanted to pursue journalism?
I originally thought I wanted to do broadcast journalism, I guess I thought it would be cool to be on TV. I majored in broadcast journalism, but I got a part-time job at the Nashville Banner and was immediately hooked with print. It was just in my blood—I don’t know that there’s anything more exciting than a newspaper newsroom. Early on I thought I wanted to do sports journalism because I was a pretty good high school athlete. I got a scholarship and played volleyball at MTSU and I was a sports editor of Sidelines, the school paper at MTSU. [I became] a sports intern under Mark Howard at Channel 5, but then I realized I’d have to work every weekend and holiday of my life.
When I started with Banner, I just went where they had an opening and it was the business desk. Then, when I graduated, they hired me full time as a state desk writer. I decided to go to graduate school, and the Nashville Banner paid my way with a full scholarship. I had to come back and work two years, but I ended up coming back and working five. When I came back, the opening was in the business department and I was covering transportation. That was in the early ’90s, when the Garth Brooks/country music boom happened. I started covering the music business from a business perspective, and that’s how I got into it.
George Strait with Beverly Keel. Photo: Courtesy Beverly Keel
Then you briefly moved over into a publicity role at a label, before coming back to journalism.
In ’94, they were reviving Polydor Records in Nashville. I went over to work in the publicity department with Wes Vause. It was a disaster and I was so miserable. I would just go home and stare at the ceiling at night. (Laughs)
I had been an adjunct of MTSU, so I went full time in ’95 and started a freelance journalism career from scratch. I wrote for MusicRow, doing album reviews and features, and spent 10 years as the Nashville correspondent of People.
What are some big stories that you remember covering in the music business at that time?
I worked on the People magazine cover story when Tammy Wynette died. One week in ’98 was particularly memorable because I interviewed Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash all in the same week.
How did you become so involved at MTSU?
I served as an adjunct from ’90 to ’95. I started teaching media writing in the journalism department. I created an entertainment journalism class in the recording industry department. Then, when I was doing publicity at Polydor, I started teaching music publicity. I’m teaching that course tomorrow—I still teach that course 20-something years later.
I’m really proud of how well my students have done. The best part of my life is getting to know our students and seeing them succeed.
Beverly Keel interviewing A&R legends Martha Sharp and Mary Martin. Photo: Courtesy Beverly Keel
You have become a mentor for so many, including myself. Who have been some of your mentors?
Ruth Ann Harnisch, many people remember her as Ruth Ann Leach. I believe she was the first woman on TV in Nashville as an anchor. At one point she was on TV, had a radio show, and had a Nashville Banner column. My father was her editor at the Banner and I actually met her at the funeral home when he died. She took me under her wing then and still supports me to this day. Jane DuBose was my editor at the Banner. She really nurtured and guided me.
Patsy Bruce has been a long time mentor, Lura Bainbridge. Women have been so supportive of me, so I want to pass that on.
You became the Dean of the College of Media and Entertainment at MTSU in 2020. What are some of your goals for the program?
Quite simply to become the biggest and best possible program. We are the only College of Media and Entertainment in the world. Our recording industry program is ranked consistently on both Billboard and Hollywood Reporter‘s list of the best music or music business programs worldwide. So we keep raising our standards.
Everything’s changing: the music industry is changing, journalism is changing. Digital animation is a growing area for us, and we have a huge TV and film production major. So we are exploring. We want to be the leaders of the conversation and training in media and entertainment.
You’re also really well-known for your advocacy efforts. You co-founded Change the Conversation to advocate for gender equality in country music, and co-founded Nashville Music Equality to help create an anti-racist environment in the Nashville music industry. Do you feel that we’re moving in the right direction when it comes to race and gender in country music?
What is it that they say, the first step is acknowledging that you have a problem? I think that’s where we are.
Through Change the Conversation and Nashville Music Equality, we’ve raised awareness that the problem of sexism and racism exists, but the problem still exists. Last week I was driving from MTSU to Nashville, listening to a country radio station during drive time. I didn’t hear one female voice. Driving back at 7:00 or 8:00 p.m., I heard two songs by women. So, we have a long way to go. But keep in mind when we first started, people said there wasn’t a problem. The conventional wisdom now is there is a problem, so we’re getting there.
When it comes to racism in country music, the biggest thing I’ve learned over the last several years is it’s not that Black artists were not interested in performing and recording country music, it’s that the doors weren’t open for them. Now that we have raised awareness, we are seeing the needle move in terms of artists getting signed. You just saw Warner Music Nashville announce they have signed Breland; Big Machine has signed Tiera Kennedy; Brittany Spencer—who is one of our graduates—has exploded this year. So whether it is female artists or artists of color, all we’re saying is give them an even chance. The problem is the music is not getting heard. We’re trying to find ways to get their music heard.
Lionel Richie with Beverly Keel. Photo: Courtesy Beverly Keel
It takes a lot to get to the position you’re at. Do you have any scars that you’ve earned along the way?
I am blessed with a short memory. I am ridiculously positive. Not only is the glass half full, it’s a gorgeous glass.
Not everyone loves an outspoken woman. I’ve had to learn it’s okay not to be liked. When you speak about what you believe in, you sleep well at night.
If someone says “old school Music Row,” what do you think of?
The good old days. It was two or three No. 1 parties a day. It was before there was so much pressure on the artist to look perfect in designer clothes and to have perfect bodies. It was still an age of innocence. There was a lot of money flowing, there were a lot of albums being sold. It was a community. It was before email, so we had time. Email and cell phones took away our time. Now people do the jobs of two or three people. The pressure is relentless and it can be not a lot of fun. Back then, it was just fun and the music was so great.
What are you most proud of in your career?
The success of my students. That is the joy and highlight of my life. The success of my students has brought me more rewards and satisfaction than anything I’ve done. Whether it’s seeing Brian Wright become Executive Vice President of A&R at UMG, or Daniel Miller and Aaron Tannenbaum succeed. Erin Enderlin played “Monday Morning Church” for me and my faculty office, and it became a nominated song for Alan Jackson. I remember seeing Hillary Scott in the student grill after Victoria Shaw had introduced her to me.
It is a privilege to be able to get to know these people and just share a little moment of their lives.
Industry Ink: Carly Pearce, Big Machine Music, Jenny Tolman, Steve Ferguson
/by Lydia FarthingCarly Pearce To Be Inducted Into Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame
Carly Pearce. Photo: Allister Ann
Carly Pearce will be inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame on Oct. 28 alongside Grand Ole Opry background vocalist Norah Lee Allen, Steel Guitar Hall of Famer Tommy White, hit songwriter Marty Brown and posthumously, Bluegrass songwriting legend Pete Goble and guitarist and producer Paul Yandell.
“Kentucky is where I learned to love country music and the incredibly talented musicians who wove their stories and texture throughout the genre. From straight-up sass of The Judds and Patty Loveless or truly understanding Loretta Lynn’s heartache, to the Bluegrass tinge of Ricky Skaggs and Bill Monroe, their influences have driven my music,” shares Carly. “I am so excited and grateful to be inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame this fall.”
The reigning CMA Female Vocalist of the Year and Grand Ole Opry member is currently up for four ACM Awards, including Female Artist and Album for 29: Written in Stone. She will also perform her Video and Music Event-nominated “Never Wanted To Be That Girl” with Ashley McBryde.
Big Machine Music’s Sara Davis Earns First Mediabase No. 1
Pictured: Gayle & Sara Davis. Photo: Courtesy of Sara Davis
Big Machine Music songwriter Sara Davis earned her first No. 1 on the Top 40 Mediabase chart this week for “abcdefu,” performed by Nashville-based artist Gayle. Davis signed with Big Machine Music in May of 2021.
Penned by Davis, Gayle, and Big Yellow Dog Music’s Dave Pittenger, the song first gained traction on TikTok. Released in August of 2021, the track has garnered over 1.7 million user-generated videos on the platform and earned more than 100 million streams by December of 2021.
The Gold-certified song has spent 8 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and topped the Billboard Global 200 earlier this year. “abcdefu” currently sits at No. 3 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart.
Davis and Pittenger recently talked with MusicRow about the song’s origins and success. To read the full interview, click here.
Jenny Tolman Celebrates Upcoming Album Release In Nashville
Pictured (L-R): Jeannie Seely, Jenny Tolman and Ty Bentli.
Jenny Tolman held her album release show last night (Feb. 28) at Riverside Revival for her upcoming album, Married in a Honky Tonk. A portion of ticket sale proceeds benefits ACM Lifting Lives.
Tolman’s sophomore album, due on March 4, was produced by Tolman’s soon-to-be-husband and Grammy-nominated producer Dave Brainard.
Included in MusicRow‘s Next Big Thing class of 2020, Tolman offers a new depth and range that signals her growing maturity as an artist. Life continues to inspire her art as she prepares to release Married in a Honky Tonk just weeks before marrying Brainard.
Aaron Gonthier Earns 2022 Steve Ferguson CRS Scholarship
Pictured: Aaron Gonthier and GrassRoots Promotion’s Ashlee Wall
Aaron Gonthier, General Manager for WCVR (Randolph, Vermont), was presented with the 2022 Steve Ferguson CRS Scholarship on Feb. 24.
Gonthier was selected by a board of country radio programmers and other industry professionals to receive a paid registration for the 2022 Country Radio Seminar. Spearheaded by Nashville’s GrassRoots Promotion, the scholarship was established to honor the enduring legacy of longtime WTHO (Thomson, Georgia) PD Steve Ferguson, who passed away in 2019.
“We love the opportunity to honor industry professionals who carry on Steve Ferguson’s passion for country music and supporting independent artists,” says Nancy Tunick, GrassRoots Promotion Managing Director. “The selection committee saw those same qualities in Aaron Gonthier and we are thrilled to welcome him to his first Country Radio Seminar.”
My Music Row Story: MTSU’s Beverly Keel
/by LB CantrellBeverly Keel
Beverly Keel is Dean of MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment and a music industry activist who works for gender and racial equality in the music industry. She is also an award-winning music journalist whose work has appeared in People, Parade, InStyle, New York, Rolling Stone, The Tennessean, and many other publications.
Keel has been a professor in MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry since 1995 and became chair of the department in 2013. She took a leave of absence to serve as Senior Vice President of Artist and Media Relations for Universal Music Group Nashville, where she was responsible for the media campaigns of projects, including Lionel Richie, Vince Gill, Sugarland, Shania Twain, George Strait and many more.
In her work as an activist, Keel co-founded Change the Conversation in 2014 to advocate for gender equality in country music. She also co-founded Nashville Music Equality in 2020 to help create an anti-racist environment in the Nashville music industry. Keel was recently named a national “Change Agent” by Billboard for her advocacy efforts.
The SOURCE Hall of Fame member also serves as publicist for Jamey Johnson and has been a consultant for various projects and artists, such as Richie, Alison Krauss, and Scotty McCreery.
Beverly Keel with Kenny Rogers. Photo: Courtesy Beverly Keel
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Nashville. I attended school with Ty Conley, Earl Thomas Conley‘s son, and Kelly Greenwood, Lee Greenwood‘s daughter, but we didn’t give country music much of a thought. We thought it was cool, but I also thought the daughter of the manager of the movie theater was cool as well. She got to go to all those movies and eat all that popcorn. So, although I grew up here, I might as well have been in another state in terms of the country music industry.
You dad, Pinckney Keel, was an editor at the Nashville Banner for more than two decades. Did he instill a love of writing in you?
My dad spent about 27 years at the Nashville Banner. He invented the Weekender Section at the Banner and his claim to fame is that he gave Elvis the nickname “Elvis the Pelvis.” Unfortunately he died when I was in high school, before I knew I had an interest in journalism, so he never knew that I wanted to follow in his footsteps.
How did you realize that you wanted to pursue journalism?
I originally thought I wanted to do broadcast journalism, I guess I thought it would be cool to be on TV. I majored in broadcast journalism, but I got a part-time job at the Nashville Banner and was immediately hooked with print. It was just in my blood—I don’t know that there’s anything more exciting than a newspaper newsroom. Early on I thought I wanted to do sports journalism because I was a pretty good high school athlete. I got a scholarship and played volleyball at MTSU and I was a sports editor of Sidelines, the school paper at MTSU. [I became] a sports intern under Mark Howard at Channel 5, but then I realized I’d have to work every weekend and holiday of my life.
When I started with Banner, I just went where they had an opening and it was the business desk. Then, when I graduated, they hired me full time as a state desk writer. I decided to go to graduate school, and the Nashville Banner paid my way with a full scholarship. I had to come back and work two years, but I ended up coming back and working five. When I came back, the opening was in the business department and I was covering transportation. That was in the early ’90s, when the Garth Brooks/country music boom happened. I started covering the music business from a business perspective, and that’s how I got into it.
George Strait with Beverly Keel. Photo: Courtesy Beverly Keel
Then you briefly moved over into a publicity role at a label, before coming back to journalism.
In ’94, they were reviving Polydor Records in Nashville. I went over to work in the publicity department with Wes Vause. It was a disaster and I was so miserable. I would just go home and stare at the ceiling at night. (Laughs)
I had been an adjunct of MTSU, so I went full time in ’95 and started a freelance journalism career from scratch. I wrote for MusicRow, doing album reviews and features, and spent 10 years as the Nashville correspondent of People.
What are some big stories that you remember covering in the music business at that time?
I worked on the People magazine cover story when Tammy Wynette died. One week in ’98 was particularly memorable because I interviewed Chet Atkins, Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash all in the same week.
How did you become so involved at MTSU?
I served as an adjunct from ’90 to ’95. I started teaching media writing in the journalism department. I created an entertainment journalism class in the recording industry department. Then, when I was doing publicity at Polydor, I started teaching music publicity. I’m teaching that course tomorrow—I still teach that course 20-something years later.
I’m really proud of how well my students have done. The best part of my life is getting to know our students and seeing them succeed.
Beverly Keel interviewing A&R legends Martha Sharp and Mary Martin. Photo: Courtesy Beverly Keel
You have become a mentor for so many, including myself. Who have been some of your mentors?
Ruth Ann Harnisch, many people remember her as Ruth Ann Leach. I believe she was the first woman on TV in Nashville as an anchor. At one point she was on TV, had a radio show, and had a Nashville Banner column. My father was her editor at the Banner and I actually met her at the funeral home when he died. She took me under her wing then and still supports me to this day. Jane DuBose was my editor at the Banner. She really nurtured and guided me.
Patsy Bruce has been a long time mentor, Lura Bainbridge. Women have been so supportive of me, so I want to pass that on.
You became the Dean of the College of Media and Entertainment at MTSU in 2020. What are some of your goals for the program?
Quite simply to become the biggest and best possible program. We are the only College of Media and Entertainment in the world. Our recording industry program is ranked consistently on both Billboard and Hollywood Reporter‘s list of the best music or music business programs worldwide. So we keep raising our standards.
Everything’s changing: the music industry is changing, journalism is changing. Digital animation is a growing area for us, and we have a huge TV and film production major. So we are exploring. We want to be the leaders of the conversation and training in media and entertainment.
You’re also really well-known for your advocacy efforts. You co-founded Change the Conversation to advocate for gender equality in country music, and co-founded Nashville Music Equality to help create an anti-racist environment in the Nashville music industry. Do you feel that we’re moving in the right direction when it comes to race and gender in country music?
What is it that they say, the first step is acknowledging that you have a problem? I think that’s where we are.
Through Change the Conversation and Nashville Music Equality, we’ve raised awareness that the problem of sexism and racism exists, but the problem still exists. Last week I was driving from MTSU to Nashville, listening to a country radio station during drive time. I didn’t hear one female voice. Driving back at 7:00 or 8:00 p.m., I heard two songs by women. So, we have a long way to go. But keep in mind when we first started, people said there wasn’t a problem. The conventional wisdom now is there is a problem, so we’re getting there.
When it comes to racism in country music, the biggest thing I’ve learned over the last several years is it’s not that Black artists were not interested in performing and recording country music, it’s that the doors weren’t open for them. Now that we have raised awareness, we are seeing the needle move in terms of artists getting signed. You just saw Warner Music Nashville announce they have signed Breland; Big Machine has signed Tiera Kennedy; Brittany Spencer—who is one of our graduates—has exploded this year. So whether it is female artists or artists of color, all we’re saying is give them an even chance. The problem is the music is not getting heard. We’re trying to find ways to get their music heard.
Lionel Richie with Beverly Keel. Photo: Courtesy Beverly Keel
It takes a lot to get to the position you’re at. Do you have any scars that you’ve earned along the way?
I am blessed with a short memory. I am ridiculously positive. Not only is the glass half full, it’s a gorgeous glass.
Not everyone loves an outspoken woman. I’ve had to learn it’s okay not to be liked. When you speak about what you believe in, you sleep well at night.
If someone says “old school Music Row,” what do you think of?
The good old days. It was two or three No. 1 parties a day. It was before there was so much pressure on the artist to look perfect in designer clothes and to have perfect bodies. It was still an age of innocence. There was a lot of money flowing, there were a lot of albums being sold. It was a community. It was before email, so we had time. Email and cell phones took away our time. Now people do the jobs of two or three people. The pressure is relentless and it can be not a lot of fun. Back then, it was just fun and the music was so great.
What are you most proud of in your career?
The success of my students. That is the joy and highlight of my life. The success of my students has brought me more rewards and satisfaction than anything I’ve done. Whether it’s seeing Brian Wright become Executive Vice President of A&R at UMG, or Daniel Miller and Aaron Tannenbaum succeed. Erin Enderlin played “Monday Morning Church” for me and my faculty office, and it became a nominated song for Alan Jackson. I remember seeing Hillary Scott in the student grill after Victoria Shaw had introduced her to me.
It is a privilege to be able to get to know these people and just share a little moment of their lives.
Dolly Parton To Make SXSW Debut With The ‘Dollyverse’
/by Lydia FarthingLeading up to the releases of her original novel, Run, Rose, Run, co-written with best-selling author James Patterson, and its companion music album, Dolly Parton is partnering with Fox Entertainment’s Blockchain Creative Labs (BCL) to launch “Dollyverse.” The audience-centric Web3 experience will take place at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals starting next week.
Parton will make her first-ever appearance at SXSW on March 18, when she and Patterson will speak about the project at Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater. Immediately afterwards, she will give a live performance featuring songs from Run, Rose, Run, along with a few of her hits. The entire event will be streamed live for free on “Dollyverse” by Eluvio, which also will power the “Dollyverse’s” NFT sales.
James Patterson and Dolly Parton. Photo: Sebastian Smith/FOX for Blockchain Creative Labs.
The “Dollyverse” will release an exclusive selection of official and certified Dolly NFT collectibles, including limited-edition NFTs of the Run, Rose, Run album and a limited series of Dolly-inspired NFT artwork, for purchase during and after SXSW. In-person attendees will be able to claim a free NFT, while fans streaming the event will be able to receive tokens authenticating their participation.
“There’s almost nothing more important to me than connecting with my fans. And I’m almost always up for trying something new and different,” offers Parton. “I’d say releasing NFTs at my first ever appearance at SXSW, with James Patterson by my side, definitely counts as new and different!”
“Yet again Dolly is at the top of her craft,” shares Danny Nozell, Parton’s manager. “Her goal with new music has always been to use her gifts to connect with people. This partnership with BCL at SXSW, and the launch of ‘Dollyverse,’ provide her a totally new way to do that.”
Dates for “Dollyverse’s” limited-run and a schedule of NFT drops and information regarding her appearance at ACL Live will be announced in the coming days. Her performance at ACL Live will be for SXSW badge holders only and available on a first-come, first-serve basis depending on venue capability.
“I am a huge Dolly Parton fan. Who isn’t? She is a national treasure, whose important contributions to the world transcend her incredible work as an entertainer,” says Scott Greenberg, CEO of Blockchain Creative Labs. “Dolly is a true pioneer who brings the highest level of quality, heart and authenticity to everything she touches, which is why she’s the perfect person to introduce to the mainstream audience an easy-to-use, Web3 experience that will live stream her SXSW event and provide them the opportunity own and enjoy her music–not just a right to stream it–all designed to bring Dolly even closer to her fans.”
Run, Rose, Run is available for purchase beginning this Monday, March 7. Set in Nashville, the story centers around an aspiring female artist who comes to country music’s capital to pursue her music-making dreams. Behind the inspiration of her songs is a secret she has done everything to conceal, but she soon learns that her past is threatening the future she is trying to build.
Fans will also be able to listen to an album of 12 original songs inspired by the novel and written, performed and produced by Parton. The album is co-produced by Richard Dennison and Tom Rutledge, and will be released this Friday, March 4, by her label, Butterfly Records.
Grady Block Signs With Big Loud Publishing
/by Lorie HollabaughGrady Block. Photo: Chris Hornbuckle
Grady Block has signed with Big Loud Publishing. He joins his brother and co-writer Rocky Block on the Big Loud Publishing roster.
The Nashville native is the son of local radio personality Billy Block and was raised around music, playing drums from the time he could walk. His progression from behind the kit to behind the song was an easy one, and he was influenced by a wide variety of music ranging from Future and Fountains of Wayne to The Eagles and Jon Cleary.
Block has already earned his first cut as a songwriter on Lil Durk‘s “Broadway Girls” featuring Morgan Wallen, as well as his first co-production credit on Nelly’s Heartland project (“Five Drinks Ago”).
“We are thrilled to welcome Grady Block to the Big Loud Publishing family,” says Big Loud Publishing’s Senior Director of A&R, Michael Giangreco. “We have had the pleasure to get to know Grady over the past few years drumming for Ernest and being a close collaborator of Rocky’s. Watching him develop as a songwriter and producer is inspiring and we couldn’t be more excited for what is to come.”
“I’m so excited to join the Big Loud family,” Block shares. “It is a dream come true to have the opportunity to bolster and uphold the legacy that is Big Loud. From the top to the bottom, it is an absolute all-star team, which made my decision a no brainer. Thank you, Craig [Wiseman], Seth [England], and Joey [Moi] for taking a chance on a kid from South Nashville.”
Eric Church To Play Minneapolis Stadium Date With Morgan Wallen & Ernest
/by Lorie HollabaughEric Church has announced a second headlining stadium show this summer, “One Hell of a Night in Minneapolis.” The June 11 show at U.S. Bank Stadium will feature special guests Morgan Wallen and Ernest.
Tickets for the Minneapolis show go on sale to the general public March 11 at 10 a.m. CT via EricChurch.com. Members of the Church Choir will have early access to tickets beginning this Friday, (March 4) with the opportunity to add the “Church Choir Pre-Show Tailgate,” which includes food trucks, two drink tickets, a special gift, tailgate games, giveaways and more.
The announcement follows news of Church’s headlining Milwaukee stadium show at American Family Field over Memorial Day weekend, Set for May 28, Church will share the stage with Brothers Osborne and Parker McCollum.
Church embarks on his 55-city “Gather Again Tour” this Friday (March 4) at Orlando’s Amway Center. The in-the-round show will visit Chicago, Fort Worth, New Orleans, San Diego, Las Vegas and more through Aug. 28. For a full list of upcoming shows, click here.
Onsite Launches Global Entertainment Division, Adds Debbie Carroll To Executive Team
/by LB CantrellDebbie Carroll. Photo: Courtesy Onsite
Onsite, an international leader in the emotional and mental wellness space, is launching an innovative new division explicitly curated to meet the growing needs of the entertainment industry. The organization hopes to provide support to those in the entertainment space who carry tremendous influence, face unique challenges, and have a long, often tragic history of adversity, burnout, and stress.
“Working in both entertainment and psychology has provided a unique vantage point from the intersection of mental wellness and music, sports, film, etc.,” says Miles Adcox, Onsite Partners Chairman, and Proprietor. “Our experience has been instrumental in helping build a vision for a healthier entertainment landscape so artists, actors, athletes, and speakers can thrive interpersonally while building sustainable professional success. By cultivating proactive resources that go beyond symptom management and influence systemic change, this array of new services has the power to impact every aspect of the entertainment space and culture at large.”
Joining the team to lead Onsite’s entertainment division is industry veteran Debbie Carroll. Carroll has created scalable emotional health solutions in the areas of counseling, addiction recovery, human services, psychiatric care, coaching, and intensive outpatient care. For more than two decades, she has served as Vice President of Health and Human Services for MusiCares, a charitable partner of the Recording Academy.
“I am honored to be joining Onsite’s executive team,” shares Carroll. “It’s so exciting to draw on my understanding of the unique challenges within the entertainment community to create a portfolio of emotional health services to support creatives and public-facing professionals throughout their careers. We’re seeing the overall rise in demand for these services, and I’ve witnessed the increased need in the entertainment industry, as well.
“Onsite has long been a respected leader in emotional health and well-being and has the reach and resources to positively impact the lives of creatives, media personalities, athletes, and others living and working in the public-eye,” she adds.
Carroll will begin her new role on March 21. An official rollout of Onsite Entertainment will launch in the coming months.
Tin Pan South Lineup Revealed
/by LB CantrellThe full lineup and festival schedule has been revealed for the 30th annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival, presented by Regions Bank.
The lineup for the festival includes an array of artists set to take the stage March 29-April 2 at nine venues in the heart of Nashville. Attendees will be treated to sets from Lori McKenna, Ashley Gorley, Bill Anderson, Carly Pearce, Hillary Lindsey, Jimmie Allen, Luke Laird, Natalie Hemby, Steve Bogard, and many more. View the full lineup at tinpansouth.com.
Additionally, Fast Access Passes for the festival are on sale now at tinpansouth.com. Festival attendees with a Fast Access Pass will have the opportunity to choose from several shows each night throughout the week at the following venues: 3rd & Lindsley, Analog at Hutton Hotel, The Bluebird Cafe, Cross-Eyed Critters Watering Hole, Elliston Place Soda Shop, Hard Rock Cafe Nashville, The Listening Room Cafe, The Lounge at City Winery, and Station Inn. At-the-door admission will also be available for most shows.
Another stellar addition to the festival schedule will take place on Saturday, April 2 from 2:30-3:30 p.m., where Nashville Songwriters Hall of Famer Tom Douglas (“Little Rock,” “I Run To You,” “The House That Built Me”) performs his one-man show, Love, Tom at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Seating is limited, and attendance is free to Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival Fast Access pass-holders, museum members, and is included with museum admission.
Niko Moon Has Nothing But A ‘Good Time’ At His First No. 1 Party
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Jordan Minton, Mark Trussell, Niko Moon, Anna Moon, Joshua Murty. Photo: Steve Lowry
Industry members gathered for a night of firsts on Monday night (Feb. 28), when Niko Moon celebrated his first No. 1 as an artist.
While Niko has had success as a songwriter, co-writing such chart-toppers as Zac Brown Band‘s “Beautiful Drug,” “Loving You Easy” and “Homegrown,” and Dierks Bentley’s “Gone,” he’s never been able to commemorate his successes at a No. 1 party. The RCA Nashville rising star was all smiles during the celebration.
The party, hosted by SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, took place at Gibson Garage. JC Curleigh, Gibson’s CEO, said it was the first time the company had seen the swanky space used for an industry gathering since it opened in the summer of 2021, and that Gibson founder Orville Gibson would be proud. He also presented Niko with a brand-new Les Paul Gibson guitar in celebration of his No. 1 smash hit.
Shannan led a room full of joyful publishers, label personnel, and other team members through several presentations to celebrate Niko and his co-writers Anna Moon, Jordan Minton, Mark Trussell, and writer-producer Joshua Murty.
“I’d like to welcome you all to a ‘good time,'” Shannan quipped. She spoke about the reigning SESAC Songwriter of the Year, recalling when she met him. “He’s one of those people that even when you can’t see his face when you’re talking to him [on the phone], that smile comes through. You get his enthusiasm and happy nature. It’s so refreshing.”
BMI’s MaryAnn Keen spoke on behalf of Jordan, who was also celebrating his first No. 1. “You’ve got a lot going on right now,” she said to the songwriter, who currently has the No. 1 song on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart with “Best Things Since Back Roads” by Jake Owen. “You’ve worked really hard. I know this one will always be extra special as your first.”
Boom Music Group’s Joe Fisher and Kobalt’s Kevin Lane echoed MaryAnn’s sentiments about Jordan’s work ethic.
Niko Moon performing at the No. 1 party for “Good Time.” Photo: Steve Lowry
Warner Chappell’s Ben Vaughn, who was an early believer in Moon, was on hand to speak about his Warner Chappell writers. “Look at that smile,” he said to the beaming artist. Vaughn also gave all of the co-writers a special gift: hand-painted bottles of apple pie moonshine, like referenced in “Good Time.”
After reading off an impressive list of stats, Ben said, “Niko, the point is you draw people in. You have a vision, a work ethic, and that smile. We all love you and are proud to be your partner.”
Ben also spoke about writer-producer Joshua, who was visiting Nashville from the west coast. “Every time you hear Niko Moon’s music, and you think ‘Dang, that sounds so fresh,’ this guy had a lot to do with it.”
When Ben spoke about Mark, he let the crowd know that the songwriter had been named “most talented” at his high school. He then spoke about Mark’s many talents and work ethic. “I think that label sticks,” he said.
Niko stepped up to talk about his talented wife, Anna. “Ever since we met, I just wanted the world to know how insanely talented this woman is,” Niko said. “How many people out there get to enjoy their No. 1 with their husband or wife? I just feel so grateful that we’re able to experience this together.”
Sony’s Sr. VP of Promotion at RCA Nashville, Dennis Reese, spoke about working a positive song like “Good Time” during the darkness of the pandemic. “We launched this single at terrestrial radio right as the world was changing. Here comes this song called ‘Good Time’ when there was a lot of bad times. I really believe in my heart that music changes everything. It takes a tragedy and turns it into something we can come away with appreciation for. I believe that ‘Good Time’ did that for a lot of people.”
MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson, who presented the co-writers with their No. 1 Challenge Coin for reaching No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart, echoed Dennis’ sentiment about the positivity of “Good Time.”
Make Wake’s Chris Kappy, spoke about his journey to working with Niko. “Thank you for letting us wake up every day and represent you,” he said to the artist. “It’s a very special moment for us. We appreciate you a lot.”
When it came time for the co-writers to speak, Joshua kicked things off by talking about his friendship with Niko and Anna. “I’m grateful I get to make music with my two best friends that I love and am very proud of.”
Jordan recognized Niko’s effort at keeping the songwriters in the loop on the success of the song. “Niko was very attentive to us,” he said. “He would call me and Mark and let us know what was going on with the song. You were very good about communicating and being aware of things that a lot of artists maybe don’t take into account.”
Mark agreed. “At the time [‘Good Time’ came out], I was amazed at the hard work you put into it and the dedication you had for the song,” he said to Niko. “I’m so grateful to you and your team.”
Anna and Niko Moon. Photo: Steve Lowry
Anna spoke about her journey to becoming a hit songwriter. “13 years ago I was just a young girl, 15 years old, playing my little country songs. I didn’t know how I was going to be involved in music,” she said. “To be here today celebrating my first No. 1 is absolutely insane.
“I can’t say much more or I will start crying, but let me just say how proud I am of this guy. Everyone who knows Niko knows how hard he works.”
Niko closed the celebration with some history of “Good Time,” which he recorded at home. “This record was made in our old laundry room at our house. The entire Good Time album was made at home,” he said. “You know when your grandmama would cook you some food? It tastes different because there’s love in it. Because it’s homemade. I feel that way about music.
“Thank y’all for believing in this homemade project that we made,” Moon said, before thanking each of his team members. “I’m so happy y’all.”
Johnny Cash’s 90th Birthday Honored With New Tennessee Pathways Marker
/by Lorie HollabaughJohn Carter Cash and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development’s Commissioner Mark Ezell. Photo: Rick Murray
Johnny Cash was honored on Feb. 26 with the unveiling of his new Tennessee Music Pathways marker on what would have been the singer’s 90th birthday.
Representatives, friends and family of the country legend, along with city and state officials, gathered on Main Street in Hendersonville at HALO Realty, the original site of the House of Cash music publishing company, to celebrate the milestone achievement.
“Having lived in Hendersonville my whole life, I am grateful and indebted to Tennessee for preserving critical music sites and noting the former House of Cash building as one of those,” said John Carter Cash. “In the early 1970s, this building housed my father’s recording studio. He made hundreds of historical recordings here. I remember sitting on his lap and recording a song with him when I was no more than four years old. Later, it became the Johnny Cash Museum, bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to Sumner County. On behalf of the John R. Cash Revocable Trust and the rest of my family, we look forward to further working with the state to develop additional locations so that fans of music and students of history alike can continue to learn about my father, Johnny Cash.“
Cash made his home in Hendersonville with his wife, June Carter Cash, for 35 years. Roy Orbison and Marty Stuart were close neighbors of Cash, and celebrities and entertainers were regular guests at their lakefront home, which burned in 2007. Visitors come from all over the world to pay their respects to one of music’s greatest love stories at Hendersonville Memory Gardens.
“When the idea of the Tennessee Music Pathways came about, it was artists like Johnny Cash that helped to lay the foundation of this statewide initiative,” added Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell. “From Memphis, Nashville, Hendersonville, Bristol and more, Johnny Cash helped shape Tennessee’s rich music history across the state and we are so grateful to celebrate him and his great contributions to music.”
ASCAP Delivers Record-Setting Revenues & Distributions In 2021
/by Lydia FarthingASCAP has revealed its record-setting financial results for 2021, showing total revenue collected to be a historic high of $1.335 billion.
Increases in collections from the audio streaming and audio-visual sectors pushed ASCAP’s domestic revenue to $1.011 billion in 2021, up 4.4% from 2020. Additionally, ASCAP’s identification, matching and processing of trillions of musical performances drove distributions exceeding $1 billion for the fifth year in a row for a total of $1.254 billion available for distribution to its 850,000+ members in 2021.
“The ASCAP team is dedicated to building a future of opportunity for our songwriter, composer and music publisher members,” comments ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. “We know music creators have been deeply affected by the pandemic, and that is why it is so important that ASCAP has delivered more royalties to our members when they need it most. Through our licensing, advocacy and wellness efforts, we strive to provide both economic and emotional support to our members to help them weather these challenging times and to create a brighter future.”
ASCAP continued its shift to virtual events in 2021, such as The ASCAP Experience which featured conversations and award presentations on YouTube with ASCAP Golden Note Award winner Greg Kurstin and ASCAP Voice of the Culture Award winners Swizz Beatz, Timbaland and D-Nice. In 2021, the organization hosted 22 sessions and two feedback opportunities, drawing nearly 17,000 registrants from 93 countries and generating over 41,000 views of its original programming.
“Music creators have no greater champion than ASCAP,” adds ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams. “The ASCAP team worked extremely hard for our members for the second pandemic year, helping our community to stay healthy, creative, connected and financially stable during this time. Music gives us the gift of hope, which is so critical as we move forward. We forge ahead with our work in 2022 with inspiration and gratitude for the trust that our members place in us to enable their livelihoods, protect their rights and defend the value of music.”
Click here to read the full 2021 financial report.