Vocal coach Renee Grant-Williams passed away on Friday (Nov. 12) at Southern Hills hospital in Nashville after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Grant-Williams has worked with many country greats including, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, The Chicks, and Garth Brooks, as well as rock and pop artists such as Miley Cyrus, Scott Stapp (Creed), Christina Aguilera, Linda Ronstadt, Ben Folds, Huey Lewis, Bob Weir (Grateful Dead) and Dave Mustaine (Metallica/Megadeth).
In addition to her training offerings in Nashville, she’s conducted international seminars in countries including South America, Europe, and Australia. For 10 years Grant-Williams conducted an annual Vocal Master Class, an intense all-day seminar that attracted attendees from all over the world. In 2009 she introduced the Mini Clinic, a more intimate format that allowed each singer to receive one-on-one training.
In 2002 AMACOM Books NY published her book, Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention.
As a professional speaker herself, Grant-Williams also provided coaching to business leaders, attorneys, public speakers, and politicians. A 10-year member of the National Speakers Association, she presented communication skill training programs to associations and business organizations throughout the United States.
Grant-William’s formal education took place at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she also taught. She served as the Director of the Division of Vocal Music at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as a Musical Director at the Actors Studio in Manhattan before eventually establishing permanent residence in Nashville.
She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1993 after a routine visit with her doctor.
Her determination to live life to its fullest while battling the debilitating disease served as an inspiration to everyone who knew her. She shared details of her battle in 2019 admitting, “Everything from putting on my shoes to ordering a cheeseburger is an effort beyond anything others can imagine. Like a boa constrictor, Parkinson’s Disease wraps itself around your body and mind strangling your will to accomplish. You must motivate yourself 100% of the time to do even the little everyday things, let alone try to live a full and rich life.” Her motivation to keep fighting the best way she knew how set a great example for others on how to live boldly against the odds and face them head on.
In addition to her work, Grant-Williams was known for her sense of adventure, determination, and wit.
She is survived by her sisters Judie Fisher, Susan Rodiek, and Billie Custer; her nieces and nephews Lisa McAllister Nickels & Lon McAllister, Kelley Custer Whealton, Heidi Shotwell, and Casey Custer; cousins Russell Blowers, Karen Witter, and Christina Connell; and longtime companions Steve Goldinger, and Elsie the studio Cat.
In lieu of her annual birthday bash, a Celebration of Life fundraiser to benefit Parkinson’s Research is being planned for Grant-Williams on Jan. 8, 2022. More details are being finalized.
Carrie Underwood, Lady A, More To Ring In The Holidays On ‘CMA Country Christmas’
/by Lorie HollabaughCarrie Underwood, Brett Eldredge, Lady A, Jimmie Allen with Louis York & The Shindellas, Breland, Pistol Annies, and Lainey Wilson will help usher in the holiday season on Nov. 29 on the upcoming CMA Country Christmas special on ABC.
Gabby Barrett and Carly Pearce will serve as first-time hosts for the intimate evening of holiday classics, now in its 12th year.
CMA Country Christmas will feature two student musicians, supporting CMA’s longstanding commitment to support equity in music education. Truman Eltringham, a 17-year-old student at Nashville School of the Arts, and Carter Hammonds, an 8-year-old student at FH Jenkins Preparatory School, will join hosts Barrett and Pearce for a can’t miss performance during the special.
The special rings in the holiday season annually with a show full of festive classics and one-of-a-kind musical performances. The event is filmed in Nashville and airs each holiday season on ABC.
Niko Moon, Lee Brice Win At SESAC 2021 Nashville Music Awards
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): SESAC’s Lydia Schultz, Lee Brice, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch
SESAC has revealed the winners for the 2021 Nashville Music Awards, which took place in a digital format. The winners were celebrated on SESAC’s website and social platforms.
Niko Moon was named SESAC’s Songwriter of the Year for the first time. Moon’s career includes several hit songs recorded by Zac Brown Band, including “Homegrown,” “Beautiful Drug,” “Keep Me in Mind,” and “Loving You Easy,” as well as the Rascal Flatts hit “Back To Life.” This year he earned his first No. 1 hit as an artist with “Good Time,” and also co-wrote the chart-topper “Gone,” recorded by Dierks Bentley.
SESAC writer Lee Brice‘s seventh career No. 1, “One Of Them Girls,” was named Song of the Year. The tune swept the Nashville PRO awards this year, winning Song of the Year honors at the SESAC, BMI and ASCAP Nashville awards. “One of Them Girls” was certified double-Platinum by the RIAA in August of this year. It spent three weeks at the No. 1 position on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and has remained in the Top 10 each recurrent week. Additionally, the song has over 390 million on-demand streams to date.
Warner Chappell Music took home the Publisher of the Year accolade, after most recently winning the award in 2019. The publishing company also won the BMI Publisher of the Year honor this year, in a tie with Sony Music Publishing.
Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Shannan Hatch and Scott Jungmichel, 2021 Songwriter of the Year Niko Moon, SESAC’s ET Brown and Lydia Schultz
Additionally, Walker Hayes’ 16-week No. 1, viral hit “Fancy Like,” written by affiliate Josh Jenkins and published by SMACK Songs and Kobalt, was awarded a new honor, Sync Song of the Year.
“Songwriting and music publishing are at the very core of the music business, and we at SESAC love that we get to honor those contributions,” says Scott Jungmichel, President and COO, SESAC PRO. “We are happy to celebrate our top performed songs over the past year.”
“We are very proud of the songs we awarded this year,” adds Shannan Hatch, Vice President of Creative Services. “Our Nashville creative team worked hard to come up with creative, cozy, and safe gatherings to celebrate the successes of our SESAC songwriter and publisher family who won awards. We all look forward to the future when we can safely celebrate with everyone in person.”
For a complete list of SESAC 2021 Nashville Music Award winners and to see special messages from SESAC Country and Americana honorees, click here.
Ashley Gorley Takes Sixth Week At No. 1 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by LB CantrellAshley Gorley. Photo: Josh Ulmer
Ashley Gorley remains at No. 1 this week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart for his sixth consecutive week. He is a co-writer on the currently charting songs: “New Truck” (Dylan Scott), “You Should Probably Leave” (Chris Stapleton), “Sand In My Boots” (Morgan Wallen), “Give Heaven Some Hell” (Hardy), “Beers On Me” (Dierks Bentley, Hardy & Breland), “Steal My Love” (Dan + Shay), “Take My Name” (Parmalee), “What He Didn’t Do” (Carly Pearce), and “Slow Down Summer” (Thomas Rhett).
Newly crowned BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, Jesse Frasure, keeps his place at No. 2 this week. He is a co-writer on “If I Was A Cowboy” (Miranda Lambert), “Whiskey And Rain” (Michael Ray), “One Mississippi” (Kane Brown) and “Slow Down Summer” (Thomas Rhett).
Michael Hardy (No. 3), Rhett Akins (No. 4), and Eric Church (No. 5) round out the top five on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.
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.
Chris Janson Announces 2022 ‘Halfway To Crazy’ Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughWarner Music Nashville’s Chris Janson is launching his headlining “Halfway to Crazy” Tour on Feb. 10 and will run through April.
The tour finds Janson playing auditoriums, theaters and arenas across the nation, and includes a Nashville date at the Ryman Auditorium on March 10. Joining him along the way are Ray Fulcher and Shane Profitt.
Fan club members can purchase tickets beginning Nov. 17. The general public on-sale will start on Friday, Nov. 19. More dates are expected to be announced over the coming weeks.
“I’m super excited to hit the road in early 2022,” comments Janson. “It’s been incredible to be back in front of an audience again this year, with crowds more hungry and grateful for live music than ever before. Whether you’re a fan or an artist, there’s nothing like a seeing a live show. I can’t wait to see everyone on the ‘Halfway to Crazy’ Tour and to maybe play y’all some new music that I’ve got coming real soon.”
In honor of Veteran’s Day and Military Family Appreciation Month, Janson recently teamed with Bass Pro Shops for a round-up at the register campaign to help fund scholarships for the spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members.
Evan Cline Signs With UMPG Nashville [Exclusive]
/by Lydia FarthingPictured (L-R): Roxy King (UMPG Nashville), Evan Cline, LeAnn Phelan (LP Creative Management). Photo: Annelise Loughead
Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville has signed Evan Cline to an exclusive, global publishing agreement.
Cline has collaborated with some of the top artists and songwriters across pop, country and sync in Nashville and beyond. The songwriter, producer and artist co-wrote and produced Teddy Swims’ latest single, “Please Turn Green,” and co-wrote and produced the “Liar” by Karl Michael ft. Teddy Swims.
Roxy King, A&R Director, UMPG Nashville, says: “As a talent and as a person, Evan is one-of-a-kind. His ability to bring out the best in everyone he works with is truly remarkable. UMPG is thrilled to be working with him and I can’t wait for the rest of Nashville, and the music industry at-large, to experience it for themselves.”
“Signing with UMPG is everything I could ask for,” Cline adds. “It was very important to have a company that could expose me to a wide variety of opportunities and genres-both within Nashville and across the globe. Roxy King made this decision extremely easy with her previous success, motivation, and vision for me going forward. I can’t wait to get started!”
Nate Miles Signs With SMACKSongs
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Lee Krabel, Nate Miles, Jeremy Groves. Photo: Molly Bouchon
Producer and songwriter Nate Miles has signed a worldwide publishing deal with SMACKSongs.
Raised in Chicago, Miles moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University. After working with artists like Nightly, Alexander Stewart, and Francisco Martin while still in college, he graduated and has quickly been signed by the publishing house.
“Nate’s work ethic, talent and versatility as a producer and writer immediately caught our interest,” says Jeremy Groves, creative director of SMACKSongs.“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Nate to the SMACK family, and can’t wait to watch his career take off.”
“I am beyond grateful for everyone who has been in my corner these last couple years and helped opportunities like this one come about,” adds Miles. “SMACK is an amazing family of writers and creatives and I’m thankful they believe in what I’m doing. Big thank you to Jeremy Groves for taking the leap on me. Can’t wait to make some fun stuff happen in Nashville.”
Darius Rucker Partners With Fanatics, NFL To Launch Apparel Line
/by Steven BoeroAward-winning country artist Darius Rucker has partnered with Fanatics and the NFL to launch NFL x Darius Rucker Collection by Fanatics, inspired by Rucker’s love of music, football and fashion.
“I’ve been a huge NFL fan my entire life, so it’s a dream come true to see my logo right next to the NFL logo on these items,” says Rucker. “It has been a blast working with two great partners, Fanatics and the NFL, to make this project a reality. I’m so proud of the products we’ve created, and I can’t wait to see fans enjoying this collection throughout the rest of the season and for years to come.”
The collection is on sale now and features premium items for all 32 NFL teams, including t-shirts, fleece, outerwear, sweats and more.
“Sports and entertainment have incredible crossover appeal, and this is a great example of incorporating the worlds of pop culture and music into our business,” says Vicky Picca, Fanatics SVP of Business Affairs. “Teaming up with multi-Platinum music icon Darius Rucker and our partners at the NFL has allowed us to do that through this unique, quality assortment of NFL fan gear for all 32 teams.”
The official launch of the line follows Rucker’s announcement of his 2022 tour, Darius Rucker Live, which will visit venues across the country starting early next year. He is also actively working on his next solo album, featuring current single “My Masterpiece” and recent No. 1 hit “Beers and Sunshine.”
Scott Clayton Joins UTA As Co-Head Of Global Music, Partner
/by Lydia FarthingScott Clayton
Agent Scott Clayton has joined the ranks at UTA as Co-Head of its Global Music Division and as a Partner. Alongside UTA Global Music Co-Heads Sam Kirby Yoh and David Zedeck, the trio will lead UTA’s New York, Los Angeles, and Nashville hubs to further solidify the agency’s reach across all genres. Clayton will continue to be based in Nashville.
Clayton joins UTA after his recent departure from WME where he was a Partner and Co-Head of the agency’s music division. He has guided the touring careers of successful acts, including John Mayer, Zac Brown Band, Kings of Leon, Dead & Company, Train, My Morning Jacket, Michael Franti, Rodrigo y Gabriela and many others. Prior to WME, Clayton previously worked at CAA for 17 years as a Co-Head of their Nashville office, served as the Co-Chair of the city’s Music City Music Council, and is a member of the Nashville Public Radio Board of Directors.
“Scott is the epitome of what we look for in a leader at UTA: he is a strong advocate for artists and has a long history of supporting and mentoring colleagues,” shares UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer. “Sam and David have done a great job building a world-class team and we are very excited for Scott to join us as we continue to grow our music practice.”
Kirby Yoh and Zedeck jointly add, “We are excited to have Scott join us as a Co-Head of the music group. He is a relentless champion for his clients, and we know that he will bring that same energy to UTA. He is a dedicated leader who has played a significant role in building so many people’s careers and we look forward to collaborating with him as we continue to build our team and do great work for our clients.”
“Over the past few years, I have witnessed the incredible job UTA has done to expand and elevate the music department,” states Clayton. “Sam, David, and the team have shown true innovation and leadership during this unprecedented time and have really delivered for their artists across all genres. I am very excited to be joining a company that has built a culture that is grounded in transparency with colleagues and in service to clients.”
Clayton’s hire follows a series of moves that UTA’s Music Division has made over the last year, adding numerous executives and agents to its ranks across multiple offices. The new hires include agents Jeffrey Hasson, Brett Saliba, Matt Korn, and Emily Wright, who are based in Nashville. In June 2021, UTA opened its new Nashville headquarters at the historic downtown site of the former Carnegie Library in the heart of Music City.
Jesse Frasure, Dallas Davidson, Ben Johnson, More Among Top Winners At BMI Country Awards
/by LB CantrellJesse Frasure, Dallas Davidson, Ben Johnson
BMI has revealed its winners list for the 69th Annual BMI Country Awards. The winners were celebrated across all BMI digital and social channels.
Songwriter/producer Jesse Frasure was named Songwriter of the Year for the second time. He penned five of the year’s most-performed songs, including “Almost Maybes,” “Hole In The Bottle,” “One Big Country Song,” “One Thing Right,” and “What’s Your Country Song.”
“One of Them Girls,” co-written by BMI songwriters Dallas Davidson and Ben Johnson, won Song of the Year. The tune was also named Song of the Year at the ASCAP Country Music Awards last week. “One of Them Girls” was recorded by Lee Brice and certified double-Platinum by the RIAA in August of this year. It spent three weeks at the No. 1 position on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and has remained in the Top 10 each recurrent week. Additionally, the song has over 390 million on-demand streams to date. This honor marks the 30th BMI County Award for Davidson and the very first for Johnson.
For the first time in 33 years, the Publisher of the Year designation ended with a tie between Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music. Collectively, the publishing powerhouses represent a combined total of 36 of this year’s award-winning titles. Sony Music Publishing’s award-winning titles include “One Beer,” “Lovin’ on You,” “I Called Mama,” and “Beer Can’t Fix.” Warner Chappell Music’s titles include “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” “I Love My Country,” and “One Night Standards.”
BMI also celebrated the songwriters and publishers of the 50 most-performed country songs of the year. Among the songs honored are “Bluebird,” “Heartless,” “The Good Ones,” and “I Should Probably Go to Bed.” This year’s winners include 24 first-time BMI Country Award recipients, such as Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, and Taylor Kerr of Maddie & Tae. Additional winners include Miranda Lambert, Michael Hardy, Natalie Hemby, Shy Carter, Luke Combs, Kane Brown, and more.
“Songwriters and publishers are the lifeblood of our business and our Nashville community, and it is an honor to represent and award our members every year,” says Clay Bradley, VP, BMI Nashville. “We are thrilled to celebrate the phenomenal songwriters and publishers whose talent and hard work continue to propel our genre to new heights. We look forward to inviting you all back into our BMI home in 2022.”
For a complete list of 2021 BMI Country Award winners and to learn more about your favorite BMI songwriters, click here.
Beloved Vocal Coach To The Stars, Renee Grant-Williams, Passes
/by LB CantrellVocal coach Renee Grant-Williams passed away on Friday (Nov. 12) at Southern Hills hospital in Nashville after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Grant-Williams has worked with many country greats including, Jason Aldean, Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, The Chicks, and Garth Brooks, as well as rock and pop artists such as Miley Cyrus, Scott Stapp (Creed), Christina Aguilera, Linda Ronstadt, Ben Folds, Huey Lewis, Bob Weir (Grateful Dead) and Dave Mustaine (Metallica/Megadeth).
In addition to her training offerings in Nashville, she’s conducted international seminars in countries including South America, Europe, and Australia. For 10 years Grant-Williams conducted an annual Vocal Master Class, an intense all-day seminar that attracted attendees from all over the world. In 2009 she introduced the Mini Clinic, a more intimate format that allowed each singer to receive one-on-one training.
In 2002 AMACOM Books NY published her book, Voice Power: Using Your Voice to Captivate, Persuade, and Command Attention.
As a professional speaker herself, Grant-Williams also provided coaching to business leaders, attorneys, public speakers, and politicians. A 10-year member of the National Speakers Association, she presented communication skill training programs to associations and business organizations throughout the United States.
Grant-William’s formal education took place at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where she also taught. She served as the Director of the Division of Vocal Music at the University of California, Berkeley, and worked as a Musical Director at the Actors Studio in Manhattan before eventually establishing permanent residence in Nashville.
She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1993 after a routine visit with her doctor.
Her determination to live life to its fullest while battling the debilitating disease served as an inspiration to everyone who knew her. She shared details of her battle in 2019 admitting, “Everything from putting on my shoes to ordering a cheeseburger is an effort beyond anything others can imagine. Like a boa constrictor, Parkinson’s Disease wraps itself around your body and mind strangling your will to accomplish. You must motivate yourself 100% of the time to do even the little everyday things, let alone try to live a full and rich life.” Her motivation to keep fighting the best way she knew how set a great example for others on how to live boldly against the odds and face them head on.
In addition to her work, Grant-Williams was known for her sense of adventure, determination, and wit.
She is survived by her sisters Judie Fisher, Susan Rodiek, and Billie Custer; her nieces and nephews Lisa McAllister Nickels & Lon McAllister, Kelley Custer Whealton, Heidi Shotwell, and Casey Custer; cousins Russell Blowers, Karen Witter, and Christina Connell; and longtime companions Steve Goldinger, and Elsie the studio Cat.
In lieu of her annual birthday bash, a Celebration of Life fundraiser to benefit Parkinson’s Research is being planned for Grant-Williams on Jan. 8, 2022. More details are being finalized.