Kelly Ford

PickleJar, the live entertainment and artist payments app, has announced they will host multiple activations on-site during CRS 2022.

In addition to their previously announced sponsorship, PickleJar will present the pre-lunch performances on Feb. 23 and Feb. 25, the ping-pong tournament on Feb. 24, and the first-ever New Faces of Country Music backstage livestream on Feb. 25. Country radio veteran Kelly Ford will lead the content capture for all participating events.

Ford will conduct exclusive backstage interviews with New Faces members Gabby Barrett, Walker Hayes, Parker McCollum, Jameson Rodgers, and Lainey Wilson, as well as other industry insiders who will talk about these artists’ rise to fame. This unprecedented access will allow fans to go inside the historically industry-only event.

The New Faces of Country Music backstage programming will be livestreamed exclusively on PickleJar.com and on the PickleJar app.

The platform will also present full-day performances during PickleJar’s CRS Artist Showcase at Barlines in Omni Nashville Hotel from Feb. 23 – 25 for CRS participants and the public.

Ford first teamed up with PickleJar in 2021 to co-host PickleJar’s livestream of the Country Radio Broadcasters’ Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Heather McBee

Mending Hearts, an organization that helps women restore their lives from addiction through a long-term treatment program regardless of the ability to pay, has added music industry veteran Heather McBee as its new Executive Director.

With over 25 years in the music industry, McBee’s career includes stops at Sony Nashville, Cumulus, Project Music/Nashville Entrepreneur Center. She was honored as part of MusicRow‘s inaugural class of Rising Women on the Row in 2012.

With this transition, McBee makes the shift to the nonprofit space where she will be charged, in part, with engaging the music industry with the organization.

In her most recent role, she served as Interim Executive Director for Operation Song to provide transitional strategic support to the organization. At the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC), McBee was the VP of Operations which empowered her to co-found Project Music, an incubator for music-tech entrepreneurs. Additionally, she led the development of Sony Music Nashville’s digital music business and served at Cumulus Media, launching America’s Morning Show in 30+ markets.

“The next chapter of Mending Hearts will focus on expansion and Heather will play a key role in that process,” shares Founding CEO Trina Frierson. “We are excited to have her leadership and support of our mission to provide women in Tennessee with the most comprehensive recovery services possible. We think big at Mending Hearts-Heather is a visionary that will fit right in.”

“My goal is to help lead the organization toward pivotal growth,” McBee adds. “Serving women in recovery is an ever-changing landscape, and I hope to work with Trina, the Staff and Board to elevate the scope of our abilities, striving to boldly serve our community through all challenges.”

McBee can be reached at hmcbee@mendingheartsinc.org.

Circle Network is adding two new original series to its programming: Bill Cody Presents and Circle Presents: Country Sessions, set to premiere this month.

Bill Cody Presents will feature eight hour-long episodes with artists hand-selected by Grand Ole Opry announcer Bill Cody. Each episode will feature sit-down conversations with artists such as Marty Stuart, Ronnie Milsap, Pam Tillis and Garth Brooks.

Brooks will serve as the special guest for the premiere episode, airing on Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. CT from Allentown Studios, where Brooks recorded all of his albums.

“I grew up with people who were bigger than life characters and extraordinary storytellers,” Cody says. “In this series I have the chance to take my time talking openly and honestly  to my longtime friends  in their most familiar settings. It’s Nashville’s greatest and most accomplished musical storytellers sharing their very personal journeys to stardom.”

Circle will also debut season one of Circle Presents: Country Sessions, a series featuring the stories behind songs from country’s biggest artists, writers and producers. Lee Brice will kick off season one on Feb. 17 at 8 p.m. CT as he reveals the stories behind his hit songs “I Drive Your Truck” and “Hard To Love.” Circle Presents: Country Sessions will include 10 30-minute episodes airing weekly, and will feature additional artists, including Maddie & Tae, Josh Turner, The Gatlin Brothers, and more.

Circle Presents: Country Sessions was filmed on location at Belmont University’s Gallery of Iconic Guitars (the GIG) and Ocean Way Nashville Studios, on its campus in Nashville.

“We’re so excited to partner with country radio legend Bill Cody to bring some of his favorite classic country artists into people’s homes on Circle TV,” Evan Haiman, SVP of Content  at Circle Network, shares. “Our very own Country Sessions is also an exciting opportunity to show off some amazing performances and allow fans to get to know their favorite artists even better.”

For more scheduling and program information, click here.

Kellie Picker. Photo: Robby Klein

Singer, songwriter and actress Kelly Pickler is joining SiriusXM’s The Highway beginning Monday, Feb. 14. Pickler will host middays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. CT Mondays-Fridays on The Highway via satellite (Ch. 56) and on the SXM App.

“I am so excited to join the SiriusXM family as a host on The Highway,” shares Pickler. “This is such a fun and amazing opportunity to really connect with country music fans across North America. I’m looking forward to sharing some of my current favorite songs and artists, along with chatting with some very special guests!”

Pickler is known for her Gold-certified debut album, Small Town Girl; her Platinum single “Best Days of Your Life;” and five Emmy nominations for her talkshow Pickler & Ben. In 2018, she made her Hallmark Channel debut with Christmas at Graceland, their highest-rated movie in history, and followed that up with the June 2019 sequel, Wedding at Graceland. For the films, Pickler recorded and performed  “Silent Night,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” “Joy To The World,” and Elvis Presley hits “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “Hound Dog.” In between touring, she also filmed her third Hallmark movie, The Mistletoe Secret, which premiered in November 2019.

Last year, Pickler was announced as one of the USO’s Global Ambassadors, supporting the organization’s Give More Than Thanks initiative–a campaign encouraging all Americans to find actionable ways to express their gratitude for the service and sacrifice of our troops and their families.

Former longtime Viacom Vice President Stacey Dansky has been named Executive Director of the Artist Rights Alliance.

Dansky joins the artist-run, non-profit organization after a decade serving as VP, Government Relations at Viacom, Inc. in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, she served as Chief Copyright Counsel on the House Judiciary Committee, drafting legislation to establish a public performance right in sound recordings and identifying copyright issues to bring before the committee.

“Stacey is an incredibly talented person, with a wealth of knowledge about law, policy, and politics; a love for music; and a demonstrated passion for artist rights. The Artist Rights Alliance is unquestionably in good hands, and along with its exceptional Board leadership, by artists and for artists, the organization could not be better positioned to tackle the challenges ahead,” shares outgoing Executive Director Ted Kalo, who will continue to support the organization in an advisory role.

“I look forward to Stacey’s creative guidance through the next phase of growth for the Artist Rights Alliance,” board member Rosanne Cash says. “It’s a critical time for setting the future for young musicians, and we want to leave a legacy of protection and stewardship. Stacey is enthusiastic, curious, and brings her wide experience and expertise to a leadership role in our mission.”

“ARA’s greatest strengths are its artist-led Board and its hard-earned reputation as a trusted and effective voice for the music industry’s songwriters and performers,” adds Dansky. “In recent years, the organization has proved its ability to organize broad coalitions by elevating the voices of working artists. I am excited to carry on that tradition and to expand our work into vital areas including arts education and COVID-19 relief. The issues on which the ARA is focused have never been more urgent. Along with our partners and peers in the creative community, we have much to do.”

The ARA works to ensure artists are at the table when decisions are made on policies that affect their lives and livelihoods, and empowers artists to advocate directly for themselves through classes, events, and presentations.