Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 33rd MusicRow Awards, we take a look at the MusicRow Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year category. The Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year is voted by MusicRow’s subscribed members to honor a Nashville songwriter who wrote or co-wrote a Top 10 song for the first time during the eligibility period of June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021.
The MusicRow Awards will be announced virtually among multiple MusicRow platforms on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. Presenting Sponsor of the 2021 MusicRow Awards is City National Bank.
Click here to see the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.
Winners are determined solely by MusicRow Magazine subscribed members. Voting is now open and closes on July 23 at 5 p.m.
To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, become a MusicRow member here.
Matt Alderman has a recent hit as a co-writer and coproducer of “Nobody” recorded by Dylan Scott. Perfect for summer, he’s also a writer on the sunny new single from Dustin Lynch and Chris Lane, “Tequila On A Boat.” This follows previous cuts by Clare Dunn, Matt Stell, Brett Young and Jake Owen.
Benjy Davis and fellow Breakthrough Songwriter nominees Joey Hyde and Neil Medley teamed up to write the hit song “Made For You,” recorded by Jake Owen. Davis has a track record of cuts by Dan + Shay, Eli Young Band, Josh Abbott Band, Rascal Flatts, and Chris Young.
Nicolette Hayford had her first hit as a co-writer of the award-winning song “One Night Standards,” recorded by Ashley McBryde. Hayford’s other McBryde credits include “Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega,” “Shut Up Sheila,” “Voodoo Doll” and “Sparrow.” Additionally Hayford has recent cuts by Chrissy Metz and Kylie Morgan.
Joey Hyde scored his first hit with “Made For You,” cowritten with fellow nominees Benjy Davis and Neil Medley, and recorded by Jake Owen. Hyde’s credits include the new single by Walker Montgomery and recordings by Luke Dick, Sam Grow, Lindsay Ell, and Ryan Hurd.
Dan Isbell earned his first hit as a co-writer of “Better Together” recorded by Luke Combs. He wrote the song with Combs, who is nominated for MusicRow Artist of the Year, and Randy Montana, who is nominated for Male Songwriter of the Year. Isbell also has new cuts by Flatland Cavalry, Kameron Marlowe, Laine Hardy, Matt Stell, Tucker Beathard and Scotty McCreery.
Greylan James was honored when his first hit single “Happy Does” was recorded by one of his heroes, Kenny Chesney. James is a Knoxville native with other cuts by Chris Young, Chris Janson, Drake White, and Alexander Ludwig.
Alex Kline is part of the first all-female team to write, perform and produce a No. 1 country radio single, with Tenille Arts’ “Somebody Like That.” Accordingly, Kline is also nominated for Female Songwriter of the Year. She has previous cuts by Ronnie Dunn, Reba McEntire, Mitchell Tenpenny, Gary Allan, Terri Clark, and Cassadee Pope, as well as numerous production credits. Kline wrote the song with Arts, who is nominated for two MusicRow Awards, and Allison Veltz Cruz, who is also nominated for Female Songwriter of the Year.
Chris La Corte scored his first hit with “Breaking Up Was Easy in the ‘90s” recorded by Sam Hunt, from the album Southside. La Corte is the first writer signed to Hang Your Hat Music, Hillary Lindsey’s partnership with Concord. He also has a new cut by Andrew Jannakos.
Emily Landis charted her first hit as a co-writer of ”The Good Ones” recorded by Gabby Barrett. Landis is a graduate of Belmont University where she studied songwriting and has other cuts by Smithfield, Carolyn Miller, Eric Paslay and Kassi Ashton.
Michael Lotten earned his first hit with “Momma’s House” recorded by Dustin Lynch. This follows cuts by Mitchell Tenpenny (“Alcohol You Later”), Jon Langston (“All Eyes On Us”), Dylan Schneider, Chuck Wicks, Willie Jones, and Sam Grow.
James McNair has had several Luke Combs cuts and scored a hit with Combs’ recording of “Lovin’ On You.” Other artists who have recorded McNair’s songs include Kylie Morgan, Chase Rice, RaeLynn, The Cadillac Three, Chris Janson, Scotty McCreery, Morgan Wallen and Craig Campbell.
Neil Medley teamed with Benjy Davis and Joey Hyde to write “Made For You,” a hit for Jake Owen. He has had previous singles by Lindsay Ell (“I Don’t Love You”) and Josh Abbott Band (“Wasn’t That Drunk”). Medley also has cuts by Hailey Whitters, Tiera, CJ Solar, Cody Johnson, Luke Bryan, Kid Rock, and Brent Cobb.
Jordan Minton is a co-writer of Niko Moon’s hit “Good Time,” along with fellow Breakthrough Songwriter nominees Anna Moon, Joshua Murty, and Mark Trussell. He has cuts on Keith Urban’s Graffiti U record, as well as by Dan + Shay, Trent Harmon, Abby Anderson and Mitchell Tenpenny’s track “Telling All My Secrets.”
Jake Mitchell is the only nominee in this category with two qualifying songs: “Some Girls” recorded by Jameson Rodgers, and “One Beer” recorded by Hardy ft. Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson. He co-wrote the title track to Luke Bryan’s current album Born Here Live Here Die Here, and has other cuts by Dawson, Rodgers, Ashley McBryde, Ashley Monroe, Matt Stell, Chrissy Metz, Florida Georgia Line and CJ Solar.
Anna Moon co-wrote “Good Time” with fellow Breakthrough Songwriter nominees Joshua Murty and Mark Trussell, and Breakthrough Artist nominee Niko Moon. Anna Moon contributed multiple songs to her husband’s debut project.
Joshua Murty teamed with Anna Moon, Niko Moon, Jordan Minton, and Mark Trussell to write Niko’s hit “Good Time.” They collaborated on much of the EP, with Murty co-producing. Murty’s career includes time as a touring guitarist with Maren Morris.
Mitch Oglesby scored his first hit with Chris Janson’s recording of “Done.” The song was co-written with Janson, Jamie Paulin and fellow Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Matt Roy. Oglesby has multiple cuts by Janson, as well as artists Cody Johnson, Tyler Booth, and Styles Haury.
Matt Roy earned his first hit with Chris Janson’s “Done,” cowritten with Janson, Jamie Paulin and fellow Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Mitch Oglesby. Roy also has cuts by Chris Young, Alexander Ludwig, and Kane Brown.
Mark Trussell is a co-writer of the Niko Moon hit “Good Time,” which he penned with Niko, Anna Moon, Jordan Minton, and Joshua Murty. Trussell also has recordings by Chris Lane (“Fill Them Boots”), Keith Urban (“Polaroid”), Devin Dawson (“Range Rover”), Billy Currington (“Details”), Maren Morris (“RSVP”) and many others.
Dallas Wilson, Matt Alderman, and Dylan Scott penned Scott’s hit single “Nobody,” which earned Breakthrough Songwriter nominations for Wilson and Alderman. Among Wilson’s other co-writes are cuts by Mitchell Tenpenny, Lainey Wilson, Jimmie Allen, Dylan Scott and Karl Michael. He is the son of studio musician and songwriter Lonnie Wilson.
Chris Stapleton, Dan Wilson To Be Featured In Next Round Of ASCAP Experience
/by Lydia FarthingASCAP Experience, ASCAP’s signature event created to inspire, educate, and connect aspiring songwriters and composers, has announced the upcoming schedule of virtual expert sessions slated for July and August.
Leading the lineup is a conversation between Grammy winners Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson to take place on July 28 where the pair will discuss the art of writing music together, and share tips to ensure your collaborators are as thrilled with the results as you are. Additionally, on Aug. 11, top film and TV composers take the stage for a trio of educational sessions with insider tips on navigating a music career, the process of scoring a scene, film/TV scoring business essentials and more.
The virtual sessions are free to attend and take place twice monthly on Wednesdays via YouTube, Instagram, and on the ASCAP Experience website. For more information and to RSVP to upcoming events, click here.
A full description of the upcoming ASCAP Experience events can be found below:
July 28
“The Art of Collaboration with Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson” — Grammy-winning songwriters Chris Stapleton and Dan Wilson will talk about how they’ve worked together and with other artists to create some of the 21st century’s biggest hits. Stapleton has co-penned huge songs with Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan and Justin Timberlake, in addition to his chart-topping career as a solo artist; Wilson’s resume includes top 10 hits and Grammy winners for Halsey, Dierks Bentley, Adele, The Chicks, his band Semisonic and more.
August 11
“What Every Film/TV Composer Needs to Know About the Business” — A distinguished lineup of composers will offer tips on the business know-how that every professional film/TV composer needs to sustain a long-term career, and explain their own journeys of breaking through and finding success. Featuring composers Siddhartha Khosla (This Is Us), John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon), Pinar Toprak (Captain Marvel) and Joel Beckerman, the founder of Your Music, Your Future.
August 25
“Songwriting for the Voice” — Vocal coach Matt Ramsey with songwriter/producer/vocalist Autumn Rowe and Grammy-winning arranger-composer Vince Mendoza will explain how to craft songs that take advantage of the voice’s natural abilities and limitations. They’ll discuss what makes a melody or lyric singable, pitching your song to fit different vocalists, how to leave room for vocals in your arrangements and mixes, and much more.
Chart Action: Eric Church’s Fire Add Week
/by Alex ParryEric Church. Photo: Joe Pugliese.
Eric Church‘s latest single, “Heart On Fire,” claims most added this week on the Mediabase and MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart earning a total of 71 new station adds. The single is the lead track on his Heart & Soul trilogy and was written solely by Church.
Robert K. Oermann extolled the single saying, “Oh yeah! A little Bruce, a little Elvis, a little Skynyrd, a little Seger and a whole lotta rump shakin’ goodness. This rollicking rocker is one more example why the Chief stands head and shoulders above just about everyone else in this format. Turn it up and lose yourself in its soulfulness.”
Church returns to the road this fall for The Gather Again Tour playing arenas across the country with the stage at the center of each floor.
For more chart data, view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.
Kolby Cooper To Release Label Debut, ‘Boy From Anderson County’
/by Lydia FarthingKolby Cooper. Photo Gabriel Muniz
Singer-songwriter Kolby Cooper will release his six-track EP, Boy From Anderson County, on Friday, Aug. 6. This will mark his debut project with BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records in partnership with Combustion Music since signing with them in June.
All six songs on the upcoming project were produced by Phillip Mosley. The title track kicks off the project with Cooper’s heavy southern drawl delivering a heartfelt love song, reminiscing on the impact his wife has had on his life and recognizing it was her who made him a man. Co-written by Cooper, Jameson Rodgers, and Brent Anderson, Cooper’s vocals are at the forefront in “Good For You,” as he pines after the girl who didn’t let him hold her back, while “Way To Go” is self-deprecation at its finest but leaves Cooper enlightened by the mistakes of his past.
The up-beat, “This Song Don’t Make No Sense” finds Cooper dumbfounded by his former affirmation for his departed ex while “Her Favorite Songs,” a tongue-in-cheek song flaunting all of Cooper’s success to a formidable antagonist, wraps up the EP.
Boy From Anderson County Track List:
1. Boy From Anderson County (Kolby Cooper, Jordan Walker)
2. Good For You (Kolby Cooper, Jameson Rodgers, Brent Anderson)
3. Excuses (Kolby Cooper, Brett Tyler, Jordan Walker)
4. Way To Go (Kolby Cooper, Mike Walker, Josh Jenkins)
5. This Song Don’t Make No Sense (Kolby Cooper, Jordan Walker, Matt McKinney)
6. Her Favorite Songs (Kolby Cooper, Jordan Walker, Jacob Davis)
Pandora Expands ‘Billionaires’ Artist Program With Launch Of New Stations
/by Lorie HollabaughThe country Billionaires station will spotlight music from Jason Aldean, Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Florida Georgia Line, and more. In 2018, Pandora kicked off its “Billionaires” program by presenting artists with a commemorative plaque, and artists honored over the past three years include Taylor Swift, Lil Wayne, Mariah Carey, Bad Bunny, Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, and many more.
“Pandora’s Billionaires stations are cool to be a part of because they’re the biggest songs. So, to be the most streamed country artist is huge to me,” said Aldean, the top country artist on Pandora with over 11 billion streams to date.
Sam Williams Reveals Upcoming Project For August, New Track With Keith Urban
/by Lorie HollabaughSam Williams
Sam Williams will release his Mercury Nashville debut, Glasshouse Children, on August 20. Ahead of the release, he shared a new track from the project, “Kids (Feat. Keith Urban),” out now.
Williams recorded Glasshouse Children primarily in Nashville with Jaren Johnston (The Cadillac Three, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw), Paul Moak (Joy Williams, Ashley Monroe), Sean McConnell, Bobby Holland, and more. The album includes co-writes with Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), Sean McConnell (Little Big Town, Christina Aguilera, Rascal Flatts), Justin Parker (Lana Del Ray, Dua Lipa) and Johnston. It also features collaborations with country icon Dolly Parton on “Happy All the Time,” in addition to the new track featuring Urban.
Glasshouse Children Track Listing:
1. Glasshouse Children
2. Happy All The Time (Feat. Dolly Parton)
3. Can’t Fool Your Own Blood
4. Bulleit Blues
5. 10-4
6. Wild Girl
7. Kids (Feat. Keith Urban)
8. SHUTEYE
9. Hopeless Romanticism
10. The World: Alone
Dan + Shay Have ‘Good Things’ In Store For August
/by Lorie HollabaughDan + Shay
Warner Music Nashville’s Dan + Shay have announced that they will drop their brand new album, Good Things, on Aug. 13. Ahead of its release, the duo have shared the title track with fans, available everywhere now.
Three years after their self-titled album that catapulted the duo into new career heights, the highly anticipated LP features 12 tracks with production helmed by the duo’s Dan Smyers. The recently released title track, “Good Things,” provides a glimpse into what fans can expect from the upcoming collection of music. The pair have also released the track’s accompanying music video, directed by frequent collaborator Patrick Tracy.
Good Things is already showing some impressive success with the album’s first single, the multi-week No.1 “10,000 Hours” featuring Justin Bieber, already being certified 4x Platinum. The track had the biggest first-week streaming total in country history, and was the fastest country song to reach one million U.S. track equivalents in 2019. The worldwide smash spent 21 weeks at No.1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and landed the duo their third Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. The success has continued with the Platinum-certified “I Should Probably Go To Bed,” which became their fifth consecutive and eighth career No.1. Their current single, “Glad You Exist,” recently became RIAA Gold-certified and has accumulated 800,000 track equivalents so far.
The pair’s first headlining arena run, Dan + Shay The (Arena) Tour, will resume this fall with new 2021 dates. The tour includes a night at the famed Madison Square Garden in NY, NY and will feature Atlantic Records’ The Band Camino and labelmate Ingrid Andress.
Good Things Track List:
1. Good Things (Dan Smyers, Ross Copperman, Jason Evigan, Ashley Gorley)^
2. Steal My Love (Dan Smyers, Andy Albert, Ashley Gorley, Jordan Reynolds)
3. You (Dan Smyers, Dave Barnes, Jordan Reynolds)*
4. Body Language (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes, Jordan Reynolds)*
5. Give In To You (Dan Smyers, Julia Michaels, Jordan Reynolds)+
6. Irresponsible (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Julia Michaels, Jordan Reynolds)*
7. Lying (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Andy Albert, Jordan Reynolds, Bill Withers)
8. One Direction (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Andy Albert, Jordan Reynolds)
9. Let Me Get Over Her (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Andy Albert, Kyle Fishman, Jordan Schmidt, Brad Tursi)*
10. Glad You Exist (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Ryan Lewis, Tayla Parx, Jordan Reynolds)
11. 10,000 Hours (with Justin Bieber) (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Jessie Jo Dillon, Jordan Reynolds, Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd)
12. I Should Probably Go To Bed (Dan Smyers, Shay Mooney, Sean Douglas, Jason Evigan)
All tracks produced by Dan Smyers
*Co-produced with Scott Hendricks
^Co-produced with Jason Evigan
+Co-produced with Jordan Reynolds
2021 MusicRow Awards Category Profile: Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
/by Sarah SkatesThe MusicRow Awards will be announced virtually among multiple MusicRow platforms on Thursday, Aug. 19, 2021. Presenting Sponsor of the 2021 MusicRow Awards is City National Bank.
Click here to see the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.
Winners are determined solely by MusicRow Magazine subscribed members. Voting is now open and closes on July 23 at 5 p.m.
To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, become a MusicRow member here.
Matt Alderman has a recent hit as a co-writer and coproducer of “Nobody” recorded by Dylan Scott. Perfect for summer, he’s also a writer on the sunny new single from Dustin Lynch and Chris Lane, “Tequila On A Boat.” This follows previous cuts by Clare Dunn, Matt Stell, Brett Young and Jake Owen.
Benjy Davis and fellow Breakthrough Songwriter nominees Joey Hyde and Neil Medley teamed up to write the hit song “Made For You,” recorded by Jake Owen. Davis has a track record of cuts by Dan + Shay, Eli Young Band, Josh Abbott Band, Rascal Flatts, and Chris Young.
Nicolette Hayford had her first hit as a co-writer of the award-winning song “One Night Standards,” recorded by Ashley McBryde. Hayford’s other McBryde credits include “Little Dive Bar In Dahlonega,” “Shut Up Sheila,” “Voodoo Doll” and “Sparrow.” Additionally Hayford has recent cuts by Chrissy Metz and Kylie Morgan.
Joey Hyde scored his first hit with “Made For You,” cowritten with fellow nominees Benjy Davis and Neil Medley, and recorded by Jake Owen. Hyde’s credits include the new single by Walker Montgomery and recordings by Luke Dick, Sam Grow, Lindsay Ell, and Ryan Hurd.
Dan Isbell earned his first hit as a co-writer of “Better Together” recorded by Luke Combs. He wrote the song with Combs, who is nominated for MusicRow Artist of the Year, and Randy Montana, who is nominated for Male Songwriter of the Year. Isbell also has new cuts by Flatland Cavalry, Kameron Marlowe, Laine Hardy, Matt Stell, Tucker Beathard and Scotty McCreery.
Greylan James was honored when his first hit single “Happy Does” was recorded by one of his heroes, Kenny Chesney. James is a Knoxville native with other cuts by Chris Young, Chris Janson, Drake White, and Alexander Ludwig.
Alex Kline is part of the first all-female team to write, perform and produce a No. 1 country radio single, with Tenille Arts’ “Somebody Like That.” Accordingly, Kline is also nominated for Female Songwriter of the Year. She has previous cuts by Ronnie Dunn, Reba McEntire, Mitchell Tenpenny, Gary Allan, Terri Clark, and Cassadee Pope, as well as numerous production credits. Kline wrote the song with Arts, who is nominated for two MusicRow Awards, and Allison Veltz Cruz, who is also nominated for Female Songwriter of the Year.
Chris La Corte scored his first hit with “Breaking Up Was Easy in the ‘90s” recorded by Sam Hunt, from the album Southside. La Corte is the first writer signed to Hang Your Hat Music, Hillary Lindsey’s partnership with Concord. He also has a new cut by Andrew Jannakos.
Emily Landis charted her first hit as a co-writer of ”The Good Ones” recorded by Gabby Barrett. Landis is a graduate of Belmont University where she studied songwriting and has other cuts by Smithfield, Carolyn Miller, Eric Paslay and Kassi Ashton.
Michael Lotten earned his first hit with “Momma’s House” recorded by Dustin Lynch. This follows cuts by Mitchell Tenpenny (“Alcohol You Later”), Jon Langston (“All Eyes On Us”), Dylan Schneider, Chuck Wicks, Willie Jones, and Sam Grow.
James McNair has had several Luke Combs cuts and scored a hit with Combs’ recording of “Lovin’ On You.” Other artists who have recorded McNair’s songs include Kylie Morgan, Chase Rice, RaeLynn, The Cadillac Three, Chris Janson, Scotty McCreery, Morgan Wallen and Craig Campbell.
Neil Medley teamed with Benjy Davis and Joey Hyde to write “Made For You,” a hit for Jake Owen. He has had previous singles by Lindsay Ell (“I Don’t Love You”) and Josh Abbott Band (“Wasn’t That Drunk”). Medley also has cuts by Hailey Whitters, Tiera, CJ Solar, Cody Johnson, Luke Bryan, Kid Rock, and Brent Cobb.
Jordan Minton is a co-writer of Niko Moon’s hit “Good Time,” along with fellow Breakthrough Songwriter nominees Anna Moon, Joshua Murty, and Mark Trussell. He has cuts on Keith Urban’s Graffiti U record, as well as by Dan + Shay, Trent Harmon, Abby Anderson and Mitchell Tenpenny’s track “Telling All My Secrets.”
Jake Mitchell is the only nominee in this category with two qualifying songs: “Some Girls” recorded by Jameson Rodgers, and “One Beer” recorded by Hardy ft. Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson. He co-wrote the title track to Luke Bryan’s current album Born Here Live Here Die Here, and has other cuts by Dawson, Rodgers, Ashley McBryde, Ashley Monroe, Matt Stell, Chrissy Metz, Florida Georgia Line and CJ Solar.
Anna Moon co-wrote “Good Time” with fellow Breakthrough Songwriter nominees Joshua Murty and Mark Trussell, and Breakthrough Artist nominee Niko Moon. Anna Moon contributed multiple songs to her husband’s debut project.
Joshua Murty teamed with Anna Moon, Niko Moon, Jordan Minton, and Mark Trussell to write Niko’s hit “Good Time.” They collaborated on much of the EP, with Murty co-producing. Murty’s career includes time as a touring guitarist with Maren Morris.
Mitch Oglesby scored his first hit with Chris Janson’s recording of “Done.” The song was co-written with Janson, Jamie Paulin and fellow Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Matt Roy. Oglesby has multiple cuts by Janson, as well as artists Cody Johnson, Tyler Booth, and Styles Haury.
Matt Roy earned his first hit with Chris Janson’s “Done,” cowritten with Janson, Jamie Paulin and fellow Breakthrough Songwriter nominee Mitch Oglesby. Roy also has cuts by Chris Young, Alexander Ludwig, and Kane Brown.
Mark Trussell is a co-writer of the Niko Moon hit “Good Time,” which he penned with Niko, Anna Moon, Jordan Minton, and Joshua Murty. Trussell also has recordings by Chris Lane (“Fill Them Boots”), Keith Urban (“Polaroid”), Devin Dawson (“Range Rover”), Billy Currington (“Details”), Maren Morris (“RSVP”) and many others.
Dallas Wilson, Matt Alderman, and Dylan Scott penned Scott’s hit single “Nobody,” which earned Breakthrough Songwriter nominations for Wilson and Alderman. Among Wilson’s other co-writes are cuts by Mitchell Tenpenny, Lainey Wilson, Jimmie Allen, Dylan Scott and Karl Michael. He is the son of studio musician and songwriter Lonnie Wilson.
CMT Giants To Honor The Legendary Charley Pride In New TV Special
/by Lydia FarthingCharley Pride. Photo: Ben De Rienzo
CMT will host CMT Giants: Charley Pride, an all-new special celebrating the life and legacy of trailblazing country music artist Charley Pride. The star-studded, 90-minute event premieres Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m. CST on CMT.
CMT Giants: Charley Pride will bring together some of the biggest names in music today, including Alan Jackson, Darius Rucker, son Dion Pride, Garth Brooks, George Strait, Gladys Knight, Jimmie Allen, Lee Ann Womack, Luke Combs, Robert Randolph, Reyna Roberts, Mickey Guyton, and Wynonna. Special guests, such as Neal McCoy, Nolan Ryan, Reba, Ronnie Milsap, and Charley’s wife Rozene Pride, will also make an appearance to share their personal memories and reflect on Pride’s lasting legacy. Also on display will be a collection of rare archival photos, interviews, and performances, with clips and commentary from Pride himself.
“It’s an incredibly great honor to celebrate Charley Pride’s career from the perspective of those who knew him best – his friends, family, and peers,” says Margaret Comeaux, executive producer, CMT. “As a true ‘giant’ in country music, Charley serves as an inspiration for present and future artists, and his legendary career transcends barriers with music that stands the test of time.”
“I am delighted to have so many giants in the business celebrate the legacy of Pride. He would have been so happy to see the artists give so generously of their time and talent honoring him. This truly is a testament to the impact that he had on the country music community for so many years,” shares Rozene.
Charley Pride celebrated more than 50 years as a recording artist, enjoying one of the most successful careers in the history of country music, and is credited with helping to break color barriers by becoming the first black superstar within the genre. Selling tens of millions of records worldwide with his large repertoire of hits, Pride is a three-time Grammy award and Recording Academy “Lifetime Achievement Award” winner, and garnered no less than 36 chart-topping country hits, including “Kiss An Angel Good Morning.” On December 12, 2020, Pride died at the age of 86 from complications due to COVID-19. His memory and storied legacy will live on through his vast library of stories and songs, with forthcoming plans for a final album release, public celebration of life ceremony, tribute concert, and biopic film.
Launched in 2006, the CMT Giants franchise celebrates the careers of country music’s most legendary artists, including Reba McEntire (2006), Hank Williams, Jr. (2007), Alan Jackson (2008), and Kenny Rogers (2020).
Chase Rice Bolts To No. 1 On MusicRow Radio Chart
/by Alex ParryChase Rice. Photo: Jason Myers
Chase Rice rises three spots to No. 1 this week on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart. “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.” features duo Florida Georgia Line and was written by Rice, Hunter Phelps, Cale Dodds, and Corey Crowder.
Rice sat down with MusicRow to discuss his three-part project, The Album, and returning to live music after the pandemic. “I played ‘Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.’ at the Ryman a couple of weeks ago and it was mind blowing! Everybody stood up and came to the front–I don’t know if that was allowed or not– but we didn’t care. It was a special moment and I haven’t seen a reaction like that since ‘Ready Set Roll,’ to be honest. Even ‘Eyes On You’ didn’t get a reaction like that live. I feel like I finally have a party song that’s going to become a hit for the first time since ‘Ready Set Roll,’ which I think is going to be one of the coolest moments during shows.” Click here to read the full interview.
Click here to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
Anthem Entertainment Adds Courtney Crist, Ups Alex Tamashunas
/by Lydia FarthingAnthem Entertainment has announced the hiring of Courtney Crist as Sr. Director of Creative of Anthem Music Publishing. Anthem has also promoted Alex Tamashunas to Manager of Creative.
Courtney Crist & Alex Tamashunas
Crist attended Middle Tennessee State University, studying in their Recording Industry program. Throughout her college and post-graduation career, Crist worked for Lee Ann Womack and eventually did road management and A&R for the Grammy Award-winning country singer-songwriter. Since then, she has worked for Bob DiPiero, Frank Rogers Productions, HoriPro Entertainment and now, Anthem Entertainment. She is a co-chair of The Hometown Pub Takeover and The Music Row Ambassadors for St. Jude. She is a recipient of the 2017 Song Champion of The Year at the AIMP Awards, a member of the Nashville AIMP board, and on the committee that hosts the AIMP Awards.
Tamashunas is an NYU graduate who started at Exploration Group as a public relations manager, and is now embarking on a new position at Anthem Entertainment Nashville in their creative department. Prior career stops for Tamashunas include time at ASCAP, Grammy U, and YouTube.
“Courtney brings an experienced skill set, great ears, and an unsurpassed passion for songwriters to Anthem, as is evidenced by her being honored by her peers as the AIMP Song Champion. She is the perfect complement to our creative staff,” says President of Anthem Music Publishing in Nashville, Tim Wipperman. “Alex has proven herself as an indispensable part of our team and she epitomizes this generation of young music publishers in all the best ways. Congratulations to her on this well deserved promotion.”