Andrew “Drew” Alexander
Andrew “Drew” Alexander, a veteran music publisher and the son of former U.S. Senator and Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander and Leslee “Honey” Alexander, died Friday (Dec. 31) after a short illness. He was 52.
Alexander was born in Washington, D.C. in 1969 and soon moved with his family to Nashville, where his father practiced law and established his political career.
He attended Ensworth School and graduated from the University School of Nashville before attending Kenyon College in Ohio where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music.
In 1994 he joined Nashville’s Curb Records as a receptionist, eventually rising to lead the company’s publishing department where he oversaw the division’s employees and songwriters. Alexander also directed creative and administrative aspects of the company by setting budgets, signing songwriters, negotiating contracts, placing songs, and acquiring catalogs. He became Vice President of Publishing in 2010.
During his tenure, Curb Music Publishing earned 87 ASCAP, BMI and SESAC performance awards, and set records for the fastest rising country single and the longest charting country single in Billboard Country chart history at the time.
In 2017, after 23 years with the company, Alexander stepped down from his role at Curb Music Publishing but continued working with the Mike Curb Foundation. He founded his own company, Blair Branch Music, and became an active community volunteer working with numerous Nashville agencies, including Second Harvest Food Bank, Nashville Rescue Mission, Music Health Alliance, and Room at the Inn.
Alexander served on the boards of The Recording Academy, Belmont School of Music, Family and Children’s Service, the Community Resource Center, Leadership Music as Treasurer, and the Tennessee Residence Foundation as Secretary. He was a member of the Country Music Association, the Gospel Music Association, Academy of Country Music, and the Downtown Nashville Rotary Club.
Over the years Alexander also hosted small groups of songwriters and artists, including Lee Brice, Bill Anderson, Kyle Jacobs, Billy Montana, Kelsea Ballerini and many others, at writing retreats at his family’s home at Blackberry Farm, at Evins Mill in Middle Tennessee, and at Bending Lake in Canada. From these dozens of sessions, more than 1,000 songs were produced including many hits.
Alexander is survived by two daughters, Lauren Blair Alexander and Helen Victoria Alexander; his parents, Honey and Lamar Alexander; two sisters, Leslee Alexander and Kathryn Alexander; his brother, Will Alexander; and, seven nieces and nephews.
There will be a private graveside service for family members at the family cemetery at Hesse Creek Chapel in Walland, Tennessee. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. A Celebration of Life in Nashville will be held at a later date.
DelFest To Return In May 2022, First Wave Of Performers Announced
/by Lorie HollabaughDelFest is returning to Cumberland, Maryland on May 26-29 after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.
The lineup for this year’s festival is set to include hosts The Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys, along with performances from Railroad Earth, Bela Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart, Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, Watchhouse, California Honeydrops, Sierra Hull, Anders Osborne & Jackie Green, Cabinet, The Lil Smokies, and more.
Additional performers will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for the genre-spanning festival are on sale now.
In addition to traditional stage sets by world-class artists, attendees can expect one-of-a-kind collaborations, special guest sit-ins, various tributes to McCoury and his musical legacy, and intimate appearances from artists on the lineup.
Big Daddy Weave’s Jay Weaver Passes Away Due To COVID-19 Complications
/by Lydia FarthingJay Weaver. Photo: Matt Le
Jay Weaver, bass player and vocalist for the Curb Records Christian band Big Daddy Weave, has died from complications due to COVID-19. He was 42.
Jay was hospitalized in late December due to complications from COVID, according to an Instagram post from Big Daddy Weave. However, his health issues first arose in 2016 when both of his feet were amputated in an effort to save his life from an infection. In August 2020, he also shared that he was undergoing dialysis to help with kidney function.
“Our Big Daddy Weave brother Jay Weaver went to be with the Lord on Sunday afternoon, Jan. 2, after a battle with COVID-19,” the band shares. “We are devastated by this loss and are trusting the Lord to guide us through this difficult time. All of your thoughts, prayers, and support have been and continue to be deeply appreciated.”
Jay’s brother, Mike Weaver, frontman of the band, announced the news on Sunday (Jan. 2) through social media, saying: “My brother Jay went to be with Jesus just a couple hours ago.” He continued, “You’ve seen him walk the uphill battle and you guys helped carry him through so much. The Lord used him in such a mighty way out on the road for so many years. Anybody who’s come in contact with him knows how real his faith in Jesus was. Even though COVID took his last breath, Jesus was right there to catch him.”
According to The Tennessean, Jay Weaver is survived by his wife, Emily Weaver, and three children, Makenzie, Madison and Nathan Weaver. No memorial arrangements have been announced at this time.
Formed in 1998, Big Daddy Weave has achieved multiple No. 1 singles, including “I Know,” “Alive,” “Love Come To Life,” “Redeemed,” “The Only Name (Yours Will Be),” “Overwhelmed” and “My Story.” The Platinum-certified “Redeemed” spent 11 weeks at No. 1, was dubbed Song of the Year at the first annual K-LOVE Fan Awards, and earned Dove Award and Billboard Music Award nominations. The band’s catalog has over 471 million career on-demand streams.
Weekly Register: Taylor Swift Extends Reign On Country Charts
/by Lydia FarthingTaylor Swift. Photo: Beth Garrabrant
Taylor Swift maintains both the No. 1 song and album on the country charts for the week ending on Dec. 23, 2021. “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” adds 8.6 million streams, contributing to a cumulative 113 million RTD. The single comes from the week’s No. 1 album, Red (Taylor’s Version), which earned 76,000 in total consumption (46,000 album only/36 million song streams).
Morgan Wallen‘s Dangerous: The Double Album takes the second spot on the top country albums, gaining 48,000 in total consumption (4,000 album only/54 million song streams). Burl Ives‘ Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer comes in third with 35,000 streams, Brenda Lee‘s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree takes fourth with 31,000 streams, and Carrie Underwood‘s My Gift seals the top five with 29,000 streams.
Walker Hayes‘ “Fancy Like” keeps its place at No. 2 on the country songs chart with 7 million streams, and Jordan Davis and Luke Bryan stay at No. 3 as “Buy Dirt” earns 5.2 million streams. Dustin Lynch and Mackenzie Porter move up one to fourth with “Thinking ‘Bout You” adding 5.1 million streams, knocking Wallen down to No. 5 as “Wasted On You” gains 4.4 million streams.
Industry Veteran Judi Turner Announces Retirement
/by Sherod RobertsonJudi Turner
Leadership Music’s Communications and Events Manager Judi Turner has announced her retirement.
“Every fun and festive Leadership Music gathering has Judi’s fingerprints all over it,” shares the organization. “Leadership Music shines through every day in her bright smile, warm hugs and fond remembrances. To say she’ll be missed is a titanic understatement.”
Turner says, “In a dream career, I have been especially blessed to work with four industry icons: Jo Walker-Meador, Irving Waugh, Bill Gaither and Bill Carter, as well as such legendary and enduring performers as Rodney Crowell, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Shenandoah, among others. It has been an incredible 40 year journey, and it truly is the people, especially 25 years of Leadership Music alumni, who have made it so memorable. I plan to stay involved with Leadership Music, Second Harvest Food Bank and the Teacher’s Pet project at JE Moss Elementary School.”
Pictured (L-R, back row): 2019 SOURCE Awards honorees Grace Reinbold, Beverly Keel, Erika Wollam-Nichols, Sarah Brosmer; (L-R, front row): Gayle Hill, Judi Turner, Trisha Walker-Cunningham. Photo: Moser Photography
A native of Gainesville, Georgia, Turner received her bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. She began her career in Atlanta working in the re-election campaign for former Georgia Governor Carl Sanders. Turner subsequently entered the music industry as Jo Walker-Meador’s administrative assistant at CMA before being upped to Director of Public Information.
Turner then became an account executive at Network Ink Public Relations where she worked on the Marlboro Music and Benson & Hedges World Beat tours and served as lead publicist for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol II, as well as for Mary Chapin Carpenter, Ricky Skaggs, Rodney Crowell and Mike Reid, among others.
She then formed her own PR company, Turner & Company, in 1992, working with Rodney Crowell, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Shenandoah, Lonestar, Lisa Stewart, Collin Raye, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, The CMA Awards, and RCA Records. She joined the staff of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as a writer from 2006-2011. She also edited the magazines Celebrate Nashville (the official publication of the Mayor’s bi-centennial city celebration) and Sports and Entertainment Nashville’s debut issue.
She co-wrote Bill Carter’s autobiography, Get Carter: Backstage in History from JFK’s Assassination to the Rolling Stones, published in 2006.
Turner is a 1996 graduate of Leadership Music and joined the staff in 2012 as Manager of Communications and Events.
She was inducted into SOURCE’s Hall of Fame for Women Behind the Music Business in 2019.
Turner can be reached by email at juditurner22@att.net.
‘Nashville’s Big Bash’ Draws Massive Downtown Crowd To Ring In 2022
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Nashville skyline during Nashville’s Big Bash on Dec. 31, 2021. Photo: Alan Poizner/Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp
Nashville’s Big Bash New Year’s Eve event lived up to its name over the weekend, with approximately 200,000 people attending the star-studded, five-hour show downtown.
This year’s event was a primetime New Year’s Eve concert special on CBS, which featured heavy hitters Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and more.
The Bash was anchored at Nashville’s annual free concert and music note drop at Bicentennial Mall, but also moved around to some of Music City’s famed honky-tonks and a rooftop stage setting for the night’s many performances.
Co-host Bobby Bones dubbed the show a “once-in-a-lifetime New Year’s Eve bar crawl,” which featured some of Nashville’s biggest names taking the stage at their own bars, including Lambert from her Casa Rosa Cantina; Bryan from 32 Bridge; and Shelton from Ole Red.
All attendees age 11 and up were required to either submit a negative COVID test or could volunteer proof of vaccination to gain entry. The production, backstage crew and artists underwent stringent testing protocols in the days leading up to the event.
Gary Allan, Amy Grant, Rob Thomas, More Set For ‘The Song’ Season Three
/by Lorie HollabaughThe nationally syndicated TV show, The Song, is gearing up for the premiere of its third season on Jan. 8 with a lineup of guests that includes Collective Soul, Melissa Etheridge, Styx, Rob Thomas, Amy Grant, Sarah McLachlan, Brian McKnight, Kenny Loggins and Gary Allan.
Season three is hosted by Krista Marie, and includes a combination of episodes produced at various locations in Music City and on the road. The crew traveled to a private estate in Sherman, Connecticut to film two episodes with Thomas, while Loggins and McLachlan were both lensed in California at The Alcazar Theatre in Carpinteria and the Hotel del Coronado, respectively. Collective Soul’s episode was shot at Atlanta’s Buckhead Theatre, and McKnight’s episode was captured at Atlanta’s Terminal West.
Allan and Grant’s episodes were shot at Nashville’s Analog at Hutton Hotel and Blackbird Studio, respectively, and Etheridge performed at the show’s home base, TGL Farms. Styx shot their episode following the band’s performance at the Hard Rock Casino in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“We’ve been amazed week after week how viewers are connecting with these artists and their songs in this unique presentation,” says the show’s creator and Executive Producer Marc Oswald. “This new season is incredibly diverse and we can’t wait to kick off the new year with these legendary artists performing truly remarkable songs.”
Recorded live at TGL Farms near Nashville, the show launched in January 2020 and has reached over 80 million households on 150 stations. The show is presented by Ally in partnership with Harley-Davidson, Hard Rock Hotels and Casinos, and powered by Kicker Performance Audio.
Earlier this year, The Song announced an exclusive partnership with Time Life to release live performances recorded exclusively for the show, with many songs from its first season available via Time Life on all major streaming platforms. The two companies are also working closely to develop enhanced content for The Song’s YouTube channel, including previously unreleased footage.
Nashville Music Publishing Veteran, Drew Alexander, Dies At 52
/by Lydia FarthingAndrew “Drew” Alexander
Andrew “Drew” Alexander, a veteran music publisher and the son of former U.S. Senator and Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander and Leslee “Honey” Alexander, died Friday (Dec. 31) after a short illness. He was 52.
Alexander was born in Washington, D.C. in 1969 and soon moved with his family to Nashville, where his father practiced law and established his political career.
He attended Ensworth School and graduated from the University School of Nashville before attending Kenyon College in Ohio where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music.
In 1994 he joined Nashville’s Curb Records as a receptionist, eventually rising to lead the company’s publishing department where he oversaw the division’s employees and songwriters. Alexander also directed creative and administrative aspects of the company by setting budgets, signing songwriters, negotiating contracts, placing songs, and acquiring catalogs. He became Vice President of Publishing in 2010.
During his tenure, Curb Music Publishing earned 87 ASCAP, BMI and SESAC performance awards, and set records for the fastest rising country single and the longest charting country single in Billboard Country chart history at the time.
In 2017, after 23 years with the company, Alexander stepped down from his role at Curb Music Publishing but continued working with the Mike Curb Foundation. He founded his own company, Blair Branch Music, and became an active community volunteer working with numerous Nashville agencies, including Second Harvest Food Bank, Nashville Rescue Mission, Music Health Alliance, and Room at the Inn.
Alexander served on the boards of The Recording Academy, Belmont School of Music, Family and Children’s Service, the Community Resource Center, Leadership Music as Treasurer, and the Tennessee Residence Foundation as Secretary. He was a member of the Country Music Association, the Gospel Music Association, Academy of Country Music, and the Downtown Nashville Rotary Club.
Over the years Alexander also hosted small groups of songwriters and artists, including Lee Brice, Bill Anderson, Kyle Jacobs, Billy Montana, Kelsea Ballerini and many others, at writing retreats at his family’s home at Blackberry Farm, at Evins Mill in Middle Tennessee, and at Bending Lake in Canada. From these dozens of sessions, more than 1,000 songs were produced including many hits.
Alexander is survived by two daughters, Lauren Blair Alexander and Helen Victoria Alexander; his parents, Honey and Lamar Alexander; two sisters, Leslee Alexander and Kathryn Alexander; his brother, Will Alexander; and, seven nieces and nephews.
There will be a private graveside service for family members at the family cemetery at Hesse Creek Chapel in Walland, Tennessee. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. A Celebration of Life in Nashville will be held at a later date.
Bexar To Aid Bowling Green Tornado Relief With BG Strong Benefit Concert
/by Lorie HollabaughChris Ryan and Logan Turner. Photo: Robby Klein
Rising country duo Bexar will perform on Jan. 14 at Skypac in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as part of the BG Strong benefit concert to help raise funds following the destruction from recent tornados that ripped through southern Kentucky.
Other artists on the bill for the benefit include Mills, Twang And Round, Mojo Thunder, Kiss Kiss Bang, and special guest Big V of Nappy Roots.
Tickets for the event are on sale now with 100% of the proceeds going towards the Tornado Relief Fund in Warren County, Kentucky.
For more information on the event and how to help, click here.
Penny Jackson Ragsdale, Wife Of Ray Stevens, Passes Away At 78
/by Lydia FarthingPictured (L-R): Penny Jackson Ragsdale, Ray Stevens. Photo: Jason Kempin
Penny Jackson Ragsdale, wife of Country Music Hall of Fame member Ray Stevens, has passed away following a prolonged battle with cancer. Ragsdale died at her Nashville home on Dec. 31 the age of 78.
Ragsdale is survived by Stevens, her husband of more than 60 years; two daughters, Timi and Suzi; four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Ragsdale’s memorial service will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 11 at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home (9090 Hwy 100, Nashville, 37221). A visitation will take place at 1:30 p.m. with a service to follow at 2:30 p.m.
12x nominated and two-time Grammy award winner Ray Stevens has produced 60 years of comedic musical content, including his multi-million selling hit “The Streak” and pop standard “Everything Is Beautiful.” Throughout his career, Stevens has sold more than 40 million albums, and opened his own Nashville entertainment venue, the CabaRay Showroom, in 2018. He is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, has a star on the Music City Walk of Fame.
Industry Veteran Mark Brown Exits Round Hill
/by LB CantrellMark Brown
Long-time Music Row executive Mark Brown has stepped down from his position as Sr. VP and General Manager of Round Hill’s Nashville operation. He was with the company for eight years.
During his tenure at Round Hill, the publishing company experienced rapid growth and success, including over 60 No. 1 songs, 70 BMI and ASCAP awards, 20 CMA Triple Play Awards, CMA and ACM Song of the Year honors, and two BMI Pop Song of the Year awards.
“It’s been a great run and I’m very proud of all that we’ve accomplished,” says Brown. “It has been an honor to work with so many of the best songwriters of our time, and the great RHM team, both in Nashville and around the world. This is the right time to step away as Round Hill enters its next phase.
“I’d like to thank Josh Gruss for the great opportunity he gave me. I’d also like to thank Richard Rowe and Neil Gillis for their guidance and support,” he adds.
Prior to joining Round Hill, Brown spent time in A&R positions at Capitol and Sony/BMG, as well as publishing positions at Universal, Warner Chappell, Lorimar, and Silverline Goldline Music.
Although he is unsure what he will do next, he will take the next few months working on miscellaneous projects.
Brown can be reached at moletmusic@comcast.net.