Hootie & The Blowfish Announce Inaugural HootieFest In Cancun

/by

Hootie & The Blowfish. Photo: Todd & Chris Owyoung

Hootie & the Blowfish have announced their inaugural destination concert vacation event, HootieFest: The Big Splash, in partnership with CID Presents & On Location.

Hosted Jan. 26 – 29, 2022 at Moon Palace Cancún, the four-day celebration will feature three headlining performances on the beach by the band, as well as appearances by Barenaked Ladies, Blues Traveler, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Better Than Ezra, Spin Doctors, Toadies, Sister Hazel, and Drivin N Cryin. Additional details, including pool party performances, will be announced in the coming months.

The destination event marks the first live performance by the Grammy Award winning band since their hugely successful Group Therapy Tour in 2019, which marked the 25th anniversary of their Diamond certified debut album, Cracked Rear View, and the band’s first tour in over a decade.

“We were blown away by the response from fans during our last tour,” notes front man Darius Rucker. “It was so special to be back on stage together and to know that people still love the music as much as we do. What better way to keep that celebration going than in Mexico!?”

HootieFest packages will go on sale to the public on Thursday, July 15 with all-inclusive resort accommodations, concert access, roundtrip airport transportation, and more. To browse package options and details, click here.

David Nail, Lee Roy Parnell, More To Play NAMM Kickoff Show Benefit

/by

David Nail, Lee Roy Parnell, Scooter Brown, JD Shelburne, and more are set to perform at 117 Entertainment’s Summer National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Kickoff Show to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation on Thursday, July 15 at 3rd and Lindsley.

At the age of two, 117 Entertainment Owner Zach Farnum had a benign brain tumor removed, making the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation’s cause one that hits close to home. Since 1991, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation has provided strategic leadership and funding to accelerate the number of targeted therapies for children battling brain tumors, while equipping families with the patient family education, financial relief, and emotional support they need to navigate their child’s journey.

Tickets are on sale now with 100% percent of the show’s proceeds going to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, including production expenses donated by 3rd and Lindsley owner Ron Brice.

Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament Announces New Date, Keith Urban As Presenting Sponsor

/by

Organizers for the Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament have announced a new date for the annual charity event, which will now take place on Monday, Sept. 13 at Old Natchez Country Club in Nashville. It was also announced that Keith Urban has signed on as the Presenting Sponsor of the Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament for his fifth consecutive year.

The 34th annual event will once again benefit United Cerebral Palsy of Middle Tennessee. Nashville-based boutique investment and development firm E3 Construction Services and Founder/CEO John Eldridge have signed on as host of the longstanding Music Row tradition.

The MRLGT raised over $70,000 in 2019 and has historically raised a grand total of more than $2.3 million for UCP of Middle Tennessee. The event is the single biggest annual fundraiser for UCP of Middle Tennessee and this year’s tournament is more important than ever since the 2020 MRLGT had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.

Keith Urban’s generous contribution to the MRLGT and UCP of Middle Tennessee is just one of numerous charities that the superstar has long supported. His “All For The Hall” benefit concerts for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum have raised over $3.4 million, and he is the first Ambassador of the CMA Foundation, an advisory board member at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and a longtime supporter of The Mr. Holland’s Opus Fund and The Grammy Foundation.

Registration for the tournament will open on July 26 at $135 per player and team space is limited. To register, sponsor, or for more information, please visit mrlgt.com.

Ash Bowers Exits Records Nashville To Focus Fully On Management

/by

Ash Bowers

Music executive, songwriter, and producer Ash Bowers has exited his position as President at Records Nashville.

Bowers was tapped in 2020 to start the Nashville office of Barry Weiss‘ New York City-based label, Records. Co-founded in 2015 by Weiss, Records began as a joint venture with Songs Music Publishing, and found early success with their first two signings, Platinum-selling singer Noah Cyrus and legendary hip-hop artist Nelly. In 2017, when Kobalt bought Songs, Sony Music partnered with Records and has since signed a roster that includes 24kGoldn and Lennon Stella. They are also home to 2019’s debut project, Labrinth, Sia & Diplo present…LSD.

Since opening in 2020, Records Nashville has developed a roster that includes Matt Stell, Chris Bandi, Jennifer Smestad, Dylan Brady, Chase Martin, Lathan Warlick and George Birge. Stell has earned more than 415 million cumulative streams across his catalog to date, with back-to-back No. 1 songs including the Platinum-certified track “ Prayed For You” and Gold-certified “Everywhere But On.” He is one of only eight debut country artists in the last six years to have their first two singles top the charts.

According to Bowers, he is stepping away from the company to shift his focus back fully to his management company Wide Open Music. Wide Open handles management for Platinum-selling recording artist and current ACM New Male Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen in addition to Records Nashville artists Stell, Warlick, Bandi, Martin, and Birge.

“I have a strong passion for managing and developing artists. Shifting all of my focus back to that is undoubtedly the right thing for us all,” Bowers tells MusicRow. “This is not the end of the road for Barry and me. We still have a lot of work to get done together. I am excited to see what’s ahead for us and the artists we’re both involved with.”

Records is looking to fill the position. Click here to apply on MusicRow‘s Job Listings board.

Monument Records Adds Luke Jensen As VP, Promotion

/by

Luke Jensen. Photo: Robert Chavers

Monument Records has announced the hiring of Luke Jensen as VP, Promotion. Jensen will lead the promotion staff, including three regionals and a coordinator, and report directly to General Manager Katie McCartney. This news comes shortly after it was announced that Drew Bland had exited the position.

Monument’s current roster includes Caitlyn Smith, Walker Hayes, Brandon Ratcliff, Teddy Robb, Tigirlily, Alex Hall, and The Shady Ladies of Music City podcast. Smith just played her single, “I Can’t (feat. Old Dominion),” for the first time live with the band in front of a 9,000-person crowd while on tour and announced her opening slot for George Strait and Eric Church at Mercedes-Benz Stadium later this year. Hayes’ new viral track “Fancy Like” has sat at the top of the iTunes Country Songs Chart for the last three weeks after peaking at No. 1 all genre. The song has been the top selling country song on the Billboard Country Digital Song Sales chart for three weeks and is top 5 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs Chart.

“We are thrilled to welcome Luke to the team at Monument,” says Co-President Jason Owen. “His experience, expertise, and excitement towards radio promotion is infectious. We can’t wait for him to get started on the hit Caitlyn Smith single ‘I Can’t (feat Old Dominion),’ and the monster coming to radio which is Walker Hayes’ ‘Fancy Like.’”

After spending time at radio stations across the country, including KVOO in Tulsa, WSOC in Charlotte, and KBEQ in Kansas City, Jensen has spent the last five years with Sony Music’s Arista Nashville and the previous four at Blaster Records. Throughout his career, he has worked with an array of artists including country superstars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, three-time ACM and CMA Vocal Group of the Year Old Dominion, as well as helped newcomers Matt Stell and Lanco achieve their first No. 1 radio singles.

“We’ve known Luke a long time and his passion for our artists and music is unmatched,” says Co-President Shane McAnally. “We couldn’t be more confident that Luke will carry that bright torch for us at country radio.”

“I’m so grateful to Jason, Shane, and Katie for this opportunity,” says Jensen. “I’ve come to know them as some of the brightest minds in this industry, and I couldn’t be more excited to work with them, the rest of the team at Monument, and this amazing roster of artists.”

CBS Announces 2022 Date For Its Inaugural Broadcast Of The ‘CMT Music Awards’

/by

CBS has announced its inaugural broadcast of the CMT Music Awards will air live from Nashville on Sunday, April 3, 2022. CMT will kick off the company’s first ever Country Music Week, including special programming all week and events capped by exclusive director’s cut airings of the CMT Music Awards later on CMT and various ViacomCBS platforms.

ViacomCBS recently announced that its signature country music award show would move to CBS from CMT after this year’s success. The 2021 CMT Music Awards saw more than a 10% increase in total viewers and was the No. 1 most social program across all of television for the night. Across the six ViacomCBS network simulcast, P18-34 ratings saw a 32% increase over last year’s event.

The CMT Music Awards, country music’s only entirely fan-voted award show, have aired live since 2005. The 2021 show, hosted by Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown, featured the most first-time collaborations and blended-genre pairings in the show’s history. Standout performances included H.E.R. & Chris Stapleton; Gladys Knight, Mickey Guyton, & Breland; and Needtobreathe & Carrie Underwood, who remains the most-awarded artist in CMT Awards history with 23 wins. For a full recap of this year’s CMT Music Awards, click here.

Additional information about the 2022 CMT Music Awards on CBS will be available in the coming months.

‘Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story’ To Hit Select Theaters In August

/by

COJO Music and Warner Music Nashville, in partnership with Trafalgar Releasing, are releasing a film that captures country music artist Cody Johnson‘s real-life journey from the dusty rodeo arenas of rural Texas to some of the biggest musical stages in America. Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story, produced by Johnson and Tacklebox Films, will be shown in limited screenings beginning Aug. 10.

Johnson’s hit song, “Dear Rodeo,” paints the picture of how the rodeo was his first love that got away. While a four minute song can’t tell the whole story, the brand-new cinematic feature-length documentary does. Directed by Shaun Silva, the film goes deeper than an autobiography, sharing more than just Johnson’s story. Rather it acts as a love letter to everyone who has had to abandon a dream in order to find true purpose.

“We find a little piece of ourselves in the Cody Johnson story,” says Kymberli Frueh, Trafalgar Releasing SVP of Content Acquisitions. “Sometimes the roads you originally walk down take a different turn. It reminds us all to be agile and have faith in what may come. An artist with Cody’s musical talent and inspiration make this such a pleasure to share with his fans on the big screen.”

With never-before-seen footage of Johnson’s first times on stage during high school Future Farmers of America talent shows, and videos from his countless bull rides, fans will see what it looked like behind the scenes as he was shifting gears. The film includes guest appearances by Reba McEntire, Navy Seal Chris Kyle’s widow Taya, Houston Ranch’s James Barton, along with Johnson’s wife Brandi, his producer Trent Willmon, his pastor Randy Weaver, and his high school teachers as Johnson opens up about how his years on the rodeo circuit prepared him for his life as an artist.

Dear Rodeo: The Cody Johnson Story will be screened in select movie theaters nationwide on Tuesday, Aug. 10. Public ticketing for the evocative and celebratory film begins on Wednesday, July 14. For ticketing and the most up-to-date information regarding participating theaters, click here.

George Strait, Eric Church, Metallica Among 2nd Annual ATLive Lineup

/by

AMB Sports and Entertainment (AMBSE) has announced the lineup for the second annual ATLive taking place Nov. 5-6 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Presented by Mercedes-EQ, the multi-day event will feature performances from iconic country and rock artists, including George Strait, Eric Church, and Caitlyn Smith on Friday night, and Metallica, Cage The Elephant, and Greta Van Fleet on Saturday night, with more to be announced soon.

ATLive also gives back through purpose-driven philanthropic initiatives that align with the organization’s core values. This year, AMBSE is partnering with Strait and his longstanding partners at the Military Warriors Support Foundation, as well as Metallica’s All Within My Hands nonprofit, to donate a portion of the proceeds from ATLive to providing housing for wounded veterans and feeding the hungry.

“We are thrilled to be bringing ATLive back with an incredible lineup of artists,” says Tim Zulawski, SVP and chief revenue officer, AMB Sports and Entertainment. “From the beginning, our goal was to create a concert series that will become the must-see event for Atlanta. In our first year, we delivered a world-class experience for fans from across the world and we are excited to create that same experience again while giving back to our communities and those in need.”

Tickets for each night will go on-sale Friday, July 16 at 9 a.m. CST. To learn more about the two-night event, click here.

Jon Pardi To Headline Saturday’s Big Machine Music City Grand Prix Concert

/by

Jon Pardi. Photo: Courtesy of Red Light Management

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix has announced that CMA and ACM-award winning recording artist Jon Pardi will headline Saturday night’s concert. Set for Aug. 7, the show will take place the night before the highly anticipated IndyCar race.

Pardi’s critically-acclaimed album Heartache Medication debuted atop the Billboard Country Albums chart and his hit song of the same name reached No. 1 on MusicRow‘s Country Breakout Charts in October 2020. The “Ain’t Always The Cowboy” singer is set to take the stage with his high energy show on the festival’s main stage at 8:30 p.m. CST with fireworks immediately following the show.

Pardi joins an already stacked lineup of artists including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Tyler Farr, Vince Neil, Danielle Bradbery, Justin Moore, Callista Clark, Riley Green, Jamey Johnson, and Tim Dugger with further additions to the lineup expected.

The Big Machine Music City Grand Prix is slated for Aug. 6-8. It will be staged on a temporary 2.17-mile grand prix circuit throughout Nashville and around the Nissan Stadium campus. The course will also cross the Cumberland River via the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge, making the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix the only current event in motorsports to cross over a major body of water. With a variety of three-day packages and single-day tickets now on sale, fans can choose to attend the Saturday show or the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix by clicking here.

Wade Bowen Signs With Warner Chappell Music Nashville

/by

Wade Bowen

Wade Bowen has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music Nashville.

The Texas-based singer/songwriter has landed three albums in the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Albums chart and has had four albums on the all-genre Billboard 200. Tapping both country and rock influences, Bowen has released a dozen albums throughout the course of his career, including six studio sets, two live collections, a gospel album, and an ongoing Hold My Beer series with fellow Texan, Randy Rogers.

A road warrior, throughout his career Bowen has played over 4,000 shows and continues to perform around 200 nationwide shows each year, including multiple appearances on the Grand Ole Opry.

Bowen is a BMI songwriter and is managed by Red Light Management and represented by WME.