Matthew Morrisey Signs With Spirit Music Nashville

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Pictured (L-R, front row): Frank Rogers, CEO, Spirit Music Nashville; Kara Jackson, Creative Director, Spirit Music Nashville; Hannah Hall, Creative Director, Spirit Music Nashville; Matthew Morrisey; Mike Fiorentino, Director of A&R/Production, Spirit Music Nashville; Derek Wells, Senior Director A&R/Production, Spirit Music Nashville; Michelle Davey, Director of Administration/Office Manager, Spirit Music Nashville. (L-R, back row): David Crow, Milom Horsnell Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC; Matt Cottingham, Ritholz Levy Fields LLP; Matthew Beckett, Milom Horsnell Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC; Brian Bradford, VP of Administration and Operations, Spirit Music Nashville

Spirit Music Nashville has signed songwriter/producer Matthew Morrisey to a worldwide publishing deal.

Known for his work in country, pop and Christian genres, Morrisey gained notoriety for producing Lily Rose’s breakout single “Villain,” as well as penning and producing other works in her repertoire.

Morrisey was born and raised in North Carolina. He played in local rock bands in high school which introduced him to writing and producing songs. After completing his education studying music and working full-time in higher education, Morrisey made the move to Nashville.

“Signing with a publishing company like Spirit has been a dream of mine since I made the move to Nashville,” says Morrisey. “My road to this point in my career has been anything but ordinary, so I can’t wait to see where it leads next. This opportunity is such a blessing and I’m humbled to have a home with such an amazing team that champions me like Frank, Derek, Kara, Hannah and the rest of the Spirit family.”

“The first time we heard Matthew’s music, we were big fans. Then we met him and became even bigger fans,” says CEO, Spirit Music Nashville, Frank Rogers. “He is a truly gifted songwriter, producer and musician and a joy to be around. The sky is the limit for Matthew and his music. We are excited to partner with him and help bring his music to the world.”

Sony Music Publishing Nashville, Jimmie Allen Partner To Sign Tate Howell

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Pictured (L-R): Anna Weisband, Jimmie Allen, Tate Howell, Rusty Gaston

Sony Music Publishing Nashville and Jimmie Allen’s Bettie James Music Publishing have entered a partnership to sign rising songwriter Tate Howell. Howell is the first songwriter to sign with Allen’s newly launched publishing company.

Howell gained prominence as a songwriter and musician through his work as one of Allen’s co-writers and his bass player. He also worked with Allen on his critically acclaimed, star-studded EP Bettie James, including co-writing the powerful hit “Why Things Happen,” featuring the late Hall of Famer Charley Pride and award-winning hitmaker Darius Rucker.

“From the first time I met Tate, he showed me he was motivated and willing to work. Not only is he one of my best friends, but he is also one of the hardest working and kindest people I know,” says Allen. “I feel like when a person comes along as talented as Tate, it’s easy to want to build a business around him. I’m honored to have him as the first signing to Bettie James Music Publishing, and I look forward to watching his career grow as a songwriter.”

“It’s truly surreal to get to work with such a distinct and historic company like Sony Music Publishing! I am so grateful for Anna Weisband and my team over at Sony, my road boss Mr. Jimmie Allen, and my manager Melissa Spillman for working so hard to help me make music and live out my dreams! Here’s to making so much more together,” shares Howell.

Adds Weisband, Sony Music Publishing Nashville VP, Creative, “I have been impressed by Tate’s songwriting from the very first song Jimmie ever played for me. His work ethic, talent, and drive are unstoppable and inspiring! Couldn’t be more excited to welcome Tate to the Sony Music Publishing family.”

For King & Country, Zach Williams Win Two Each At 2021 K-LOVE Fan Awards

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Matthew West and Carly Pearce perform onstage during the 2021 K-LOVE Fan Awards on May 30, 2021 in Nashville, Tenn. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for K-LOVE Fan Awards

The eighth annual K-LOVE Fan Awards were held live Friday night (June 4) in Nashville, Tennessee at the historic Grand Ole Opry House. Hosted by Matthew West for his sixth time, the awards were also broadcasted on TBN.

for King & Country and Zach Williams both scored double wins last night. for King & Country won Artist of the Year and Group of the Year, while Williams was named Male Artist of the Year and received the Song of the Year award for his duet with Dolly Parton, “There Was Jesus.” Other winners included Michael W. Smith‘s first K-LOVE Fan Award nomination and win for Worship Song of the Year with his smash hit “Waymaker” and CAIN for Breakout Single of the Year with “Rise Up”.

for King & Country. Photo: Mitchell Schleper

“Seeing the K-LOVE Fan Awards return after a year’s hiatus and reuniting with so many familiar faces felt like the great first step back into the live collaborative music world. And I must say, the Grand Ole Opry House was electric,” shares Joel Smallbone, one half of for King & Country. “Our heartfelt appreciation to our music-listener-family for taking the time to vote. Being the 2021 recipients of the Artist of the Year and Group/Duo of the Year awards is a greater and deeper encouragement than ever before. We’re thrilled to be stepping into these better days together and look forward to sharing new music with you later this year.”

Tauren Wells and Gary LeVox perform “Until Grace” during K-LOVE Fan Awards. Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for K-LOVE Fan Awards

This year’s Fan Awards also featured an array of collaborative performances, including West with country recording artist Carly Pearce, Danny Gokey with Latin stars Evan Craft and Redimi2, Kari Jobe with Cody Carnes and Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Tauren Wells with Gary LeVox, and Williams with CAIN. Additional performers were Andrew Ripp, Casting Crowns, Cory Asbury, Crowder, Dante Bowe, Elevation Worship, MercyMe, Smith and We The Kingdom.

The full list of 2021 K-LOVE Fan Awards winners is below:

Male Artist of the Year​​​​​​​​​
Zach Williams

Female Artist of the Year
Lauren Daigle ​​​​​

Group of the Year​​​​​​​​​​
for King & Country

Breakout Single
CAIN “Rise Up”

Worship Song of the Year
Michael W. Smith “Waymaker”

Song of the Year
Zach Williams & Dolly Parton “There Was Jesus”

Artist of the Year
for King & Country

Film & Television Impact
The Chosen

Book Impact
John Cooper’s Awake & Alive To Truth

Sports Impact
Scott Drew, Head Coach Baylor Mens Basketball

Ray Fulcher Plans Opry Debut, New Music

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Friday, June 25 will be a big day for hit songwriter and rising artist Ray Fulcher, who is set to release three new songs that day and make his debut on the Grand Ole Opry.

“I grew up on old country and watching YouTube videos of the Opry dreaming of one day standing there in the circle,” said Fulcher. “To have it actually happening is both surreal and the highest honor. In my opinion, there’s not a more special place in all of music.”

Fulcher teased his new music on Instagram earlier this week. The songs “Girl In It,” “Way Out” and “Bucket List Beers” will be his first tracks as an artist on Black River and are available to pre-save. He tapped talented songwriter Jonathan Singleton to produce the tracks, resulting in a Memphis-meets-’90s country sound.

Fulcher has 30-plus million artist streams and three billion streams as a songwriter, including the Luke Combs’ No. 1s ”When It Rains It Pours,” “Even Though I’m Leaving,” “Lovin’ on You” and “Does to Me.”

This fall, Fulcher will join Combs’ What You See Is What You Get tour and also support Ashley McBryde on select dates.

On June 23, Fulcher, Singleton, Devin Dawson, and Faren Rachels will perform at the Listening Room in Nashville for a charity show benefitting the Pretty Good Ball Fund in partnership with the Music Health Alliance.

2021 Tour Dates
09/02/21 – St. Louis, MO – The Pageant
09/21/21 – Billings, MT – MetraPark Arena
09/22/21 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma
09/23/21 – Spokane, WA – Fox Theatre
09/25/21 – Seattle, WA – The Showbox
09/26/21 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater
09/28/21 – Eugene, OR – Matthew Knight Arena
09/29/21 – Sacramento, CA – Ace of Spades
10/01/21 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
10/02/21 – Bakersfield, CA – Rabobank Arena
10/13/21 – Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
11/04/21 – Chicago, IL – United Center
11/05/21 – Chicago, IL – United Center
11/06/21 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
11/16/21 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
11/18/21 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
11/19/21 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
11/20/21 – Memphis, TN – FedEx Forum
11/29/21 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
11/30/21 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
12/02/21 – Boston, MA – TD Garden Arena
12/03/21 – Boston, MA – TD Garden Arena
12/15/21 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
12/16/21 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena

Chart Action: Old Dominion, Dallas Remington

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Old Dominion continues to top the most added list this week for “I Was On A Boat That Day.” The single adds 66 new stations for a total of 314 adds across the Billboard, Mediabase, and the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart, in two weeks. Band members Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi, Whit Sellers, and Geoff Sprung co-wrote the single alongside Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.

In just two weeks since its release, “Princess” by Dallas Remington debuts at No. 79 on the MusicRow Chart. This is her sixth single to country radio following “Uncommon Man” which peaked at No. 24 on MusicRow.

“Everyone knows a girl who thinks she is a princess, even though she is not. This song is about a girl just like that, a girl who wants to be something she is not instead of embracing the life she already has. “If there is anything I’d want my fans to take away from it is to love who you are, where you come from, and know that no matter what someone loves you for YOU,” Remington says of the song she co-penned with Bridgette Tatum and Nancy Deckant.

For more chart data, read the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly.

Circle Network Announces New Series Showcasing Landmark Country Music Venues

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Lindsay Ell discusses the historic Ryman Auditorium on the new show Landmarks. Photo courtesy of Circle Network.

Circle Network will debut the series Landmarks: The Stages of Country Music on Wednesday, June 9 at 8 p.m. ET. The new primetime show celebrates some of the most famed country music stages in the U.S. and artists’ relationships with those venues. Each half-hour episode highlights a new location, and shares its unique story.

Fans will get an inside look at The Station Inn, Tootsie’s, The Tennessee Theatre, The Grand Ole Opry, The Ryman, Billy Bob’s, Stubb’s BBQ and Gruene Hall, and other renowned venues.

Country stars also share why these are some of their favorite places to play, with special guest appearances by Sara Evans, Brothers Osborne, Lindsay Ell, Charlie Worsham, Emmylou Harris, Carly Pearce, Robert Earl Keen, Jon Randall, and more.

Charlie Worsham enters The Station Inn. Photo courtesy of Circle Network.

Landmarks hopes to shed light on the thousands of hometown music venues across the country and highlight where bands get their start, players become artists, and patrons become lifelong fans. The series, produced by Z Media Ventures, will also draw attention to the Save Our Stages movement that aims to preserve and support the ecosystem of independent live music venues and promoters.

For more information on how to watch Circle, click here.

Dylan Scott Celebrates Second No. 1 ‘Nobody’

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Dylan Scott‘s single “Nobody” is making big waves this week, as the song achieves Gold status and reaches the top of the charts. “Nobody” is Scott’s second No. 1 at country radio.

The video for the song is also nominated for the 2021 CMT Music Awards Breakthrough Video Of The Year, and Scott will perform it on the show. This summer he will  join Luke Bryan on his 2021 Proud To Be Right Here tour.

“We are extremely excited and proud to have another number one record with Dylan Scott,” said Curb Records Chairman Mike Curb. “Dylan is an amazing artist with a great, identifiable voice that is positively impacting all aspects of the music industry.”

“It’s a crazy time right now,” said Scott. “I’m very thankful and blessed to have the number one song in the country, performing on my very first award show, and the icing on top is going out with Luke Bryan this summer on the ‘Proud To Be Right Here’ tour.”

Cameo Goes Country To Support ACM Lifting Lives

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ACM Lifting Lives is partnering with Cameo, the marketplace connecting fans with pop culture personalities through customized video messages, live video calls and direct messages for the “Cameo Goes Country” campaign to benefit the ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund and music therapy programs for health related issues.

The “Cameo Goes Country” charitable campaign is live now through June 30, and fans can view participating talent, book personalized messages, and purchase virtual meet-and-greet tickets in support of the initiative by visiting cameo.com/tags/acm-lifting-lives. Over 25 of country’s biggest names are kicking off the event with a variety of exclusive, first-come, first-served, and limited-time offers, and all artists are donating 100 percent of the proceeds to the cause.

“Cameo Goes Country” participants include Adam Hambrick, Boy Named Banjo, Brandon Lay, Carrie Underwood, Catie Offerman, Caylee Hammack, CB30, Chrissy Metz, Deana Carter, Dillon James, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kassi Ashton, Kip Moore, Kylie Morgan, Lauren Alaina, Levi Hummon, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Pebe Sebert, Priscilla Block, Runaway June, Trace Adkins, Travis Denning, Tyler Hubbard, and Walker Hayes.

The charitable campaign will continue adding exclusive offers from artists, celebrities and supporters throughout June to help raise more funds for ACM Lifting Lives.

Created in April 2020, the COVID-19 Response Fund has distributed over $3.5 million to assist individuals working in the industry who have suffered financial crisis as a result of the pandemic.

Barry Dean Earns Eight BMI Million-Air Awards

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Pictured (L-R): Rachel Burleson, Abby Holcomb, Emily Furman, Christina Wighton, Shaina Botwin, Luke Laird, Barry Dean, Jennifer Dean, Beth Laird, Leslie Roberts (BMI), Kelsey Granda. Photo: Steve Lowry

Creative Nation songwriter Barry Dean was recently honored by BMI for receiving eight coveted Million-Air awards, recognizing songs that accumulate over one million U.S. radio broadcast performances.

The songs awarded include “Think A Little Less” (Michael Ray), “Pontoon” (Little Big Town), “Day Drinking” (Little Big Town), “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools” (Tim McGraw), and “Heartache Medication” (Jon Pardi). The songs “Think A Little Less,” “Pontoon,” and “Day Drinking” all earned Dean two awards each, meaning these songs have garnered over two million broadcast performances since their release.

“It was such an honor to present one of the greatest storytellers of this generation with his BMI Million-Air certificates,” says BMI’s Leslie Roberts, AVP, Creative, Nashville. “Barry is a master craftsman, and also one of the greatest guys you will ever meet. He is so humble and always praising others, so it was incredible to take the time to celebrate Barry’s success!”

“We have been working with Barry Dean since the beginning of Creative Nation almost ten years ago. He is one of the most genuine and talented people I know and I couldn’t be happier to celebrate him and his success!” says Creative Nation CEO, Beth Laird.

Ray Wylie Hubbard Shakin’ The Rust Off On Summer Tour

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Photo credit: @barbaraFGphoto

Ray Wylie Hubbard is returning to the road for a 22-date headlining run that kicks off in his home state Friday (June 4) in Buda, Texas. The new tour runs through August 28 and will visit Lubbock, Salt Lake City, Tulsa, Chattanooga, Atlanta, and more, with 11 shows scheduled in the Lone Star state alone.

The Shakin’ The Rust Off Tour will feature the ‘70s cosmic-country legend performing some of the signature tracks and music from his latest album Co-Starring, which brought together the likes of Ringo Starr, Don Was, Joe Walsh, Chris Robinson, Aaron Lee Tasjan, The Cadillac Three, Paula Nelson, Elizabeth Cook, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, Ashley McBryde, Larkin Poe, Peter Rowan, Ronnie Dunn and Pam Tillis.

Hubbard said he is excited to be “Shaking off the rust, kickin’ up the dust, roarin’ down the road to be with you again and make some rock!”

Shakin’ The Rust Off Tour Dates:
6/4: Buda, TX | Buda Ampitheater
6/5: McKinney, TX | KHYI Texas Music Revolution
6/11: Crockett, TX | Lightnin’ Hopkins Summer Series
6/18: Roswell, TX | The Liberty
6/19: Lubbock, TX | Cactus Theater
6/24: Filer, ID | Gordy’s Hwy 30 Music Fest
6/25: Salt Lake City, UT | Soundwell
7/3: Red River, NM | The Motherlode
7/9: The Woodlands, TX | Dosey Doe
7/10: Waco, TX | The Backyard
7/16: Galveston, TX | The Old Quarter
7/17: Galveston, TX | The Old Quarter
7/24: Hawkins, TX | The Red Rooster Icehouse
7/25: Plano, TX | Love & War
8/12: Tulsa, OK | Cain’s Ballroom
8/13: Oklahoma City, OK | The Tower Theater
8/14: Durant, OK | Gilley’s Choctaw Casino
8/19: Chattanooga, TN | The Signal
8/20: Athens, GA | The Georgia Theater
8/21: Atlanta, GA | Variety Theater
8/27: Ft. Smith, AR | The Majestic
8/28: Fayetteville, AR | Fayetteville Roots Fest