Wasserman Music Acquires Paradigm’s Live Music Roster

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Wasserman Music has launched following the completion of the acquisition of Paradigm Talent Agency’s North American live music representation business. The announcement was made by Casey Wasserman, chairman and CEO of Wasserman.

Wasserman Music and its marquee roster of artists joins the Wasserman team. The intersection of sports, entertainment, lifestyle marketing, culture, and music comprises the foundation of Wasserman’s business and has fueled its success for close to 20 years. Some of the artists on Wasserman Music’s roster include Kenny Chesney, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Imagine Dragons, The Lumineers, Dave Matthews Band, Janelle Monáe, Kacey Musgraves, Old Dominion, Phish, Ed Sheeran, Lorde, Sturgill Simpson, Black Pumas, Brandi Carlile, Tyler Childers, Kaytranada, Normani, Run the Jewels, Tash Sultana, Diplo, DJ Snake, Flume, Jack Harlow, ODESZA, and Skrillex.

Structurally, Wasserman Music will be operated as a unit of the larger Wasserman organization and will be led by Casey Wasserman, his existing executive management team, and a seasoned group of executive agents. Marty Diamond, Jonathan Levine, Jackie Nalpant, Sam Hunt, Corrie Martin, Lee Anderson, and Matt Rodriguez will focus on executive oversight of the business on a day-to-day basis. Tom Windish, Joe Rosenberg, and Lori Feldman will round out the team to provide business development, operational, and marketing support, as well as expertise and connectivity in operating and integrating all branded entertainment. The business will open with a strong balance sheet, more than 130 employees, and plans to expand assertively as the live entertainment business rebounds in 2021 and 2022.

Casey Wasserman. Photo: Rainer Hosch

“I have worked side-by-side with this remarkable group of people to build a blueprint for success and I am continually impressed with their tenacity and care for both their clients and the business. But most important is our shared commitment to cultivating a culture of forward progress so this new business appropriately reflects the artists and fans we serve,” says Wasserman. “This is a dynamic opportunity to create new collaborations between the family of brands and talent that Wasserman currently represents in a meaningful and impactful way, and I am excited to get started.”

Wasserman Music has made a commitment to build a more inclusive business and as a starting point, has forged a partnership with the national advocacy organization Color Of Change. The agency is one of the inaugural industry leaders who signed onto the organization’s #ChangeMusic Roadmap, an initiative that challenges leaders in music to move the industry beyond conversation and intention and towards actionable racial justice. Additionally, Wasserman Music will have broad access to the tools, solutions, and social change strategies advocated by Wasserman’s Inclusion Council and its women-focused unit, The Collective, as they work to embody a more inclusive business.

Gilda’s Club Sets Third Annual Songwriter’s Night

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Pictured (clockwise): Dave Brainard, Jenny Tolman, Leslie Satcher, Tony Arata

Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee is hosting its 3rd Annual Songwriters Night on Sunday, May 2 at The Reserve at Fat Bottom Brewery to champion the Gilda’s Club cause. Participating writers include Tony Arata, Leslie Satcher, Jenny Tolman, and Dave Brainard.

Cancer patients throughout Middle Tennessee and worldwide have experienced the strain, uncertainty and isolation brought on by the global pandemic like few others. Because of COVID-19, these individuals have needed—and will continue to need—additional emotional and social support, making the work being done at Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee more essential than ever.

“The adults, teens, children and families we serve don’t have the luxury of putting cancer on hold. Cancer doesn’t quit—even in the face of COVID,” says Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee President and CEO, Harriet Schiftan, MSW, MAJCS. “In fact, in the first four months of the pandemic, we received a typical year’s worth of requests for resources and support—more than 1,500. Over the course of 2020, we served close to 8,500 individuals, both in-person and virtually. Gilda’s Club is increasingly a lifeline for your friends, families and neighbors being impacted by cancer.”

“We are thrilled to have the support of these four talented and generous songwriters, all of whom answered our call for support with a quick and resounding ‘yes.’ We are also excited to be able to offer two ways for guests to experience this event: virtually via Zoom or in-person at the beautiful, indoor-outdoor space at Fat Bottom Brewing, which we chose specifically because it allows us to create a COVID-smart event,” Schiftan says.

Sponsors of Gilda’s Club Middle Tennessee’s 3rd Annual Songwriters event include Tennessee Oncology, American Paper and Twine, Studio 8 Design, Denise Alper, and Helen and Steve Lane.

Tickets are available here.

Andrew Jannakos Signs With Spirit Music Nashville

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Pictured (L-R, back row): Kara Jackson, Spirit Music Nashville; Matt Cottingham, Ritholz Levy Fields LLP; Frank Rogers, SMN; Mike Fiorentino, SMN; Derek Wells, SMN; Andrew Cohen, Cohencidence Projects; Anthony Stone, Cohencidence Projects; (front row): Andrew Jannakos

Andrew Jannakos has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Spirit Music Nashville.

The Sony Music Nashville artist first made waves with the release of his breakout single “Gone Too Soon” in September. Upon its release, he debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artist Chart, and the track debuted at No. 12 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and within the Hot 100. “Gone Too Soon” is currently impacting country radio nationwide and has amassed over 50 million on-demand streams to date.

The song was originally teased in July 2020 on Jannakos’ TikTok, when his girlfriend (now wife) posted a clip of him singing to the track while cooking dinner, and by the following morning, the post had racked up 250k likes. In four months time, he amassed 40 million TikTok views and 6 million likes with nearly 1 million followers across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook. Many of Jannakos’ followers know him from his run on season 16 of NBC’s The Voice.

“We are beyond excited to welcome Andrew to the Spirit Music family,” says Chief Executive Officer, Spirit Music Nashville, Frank Rogers. “We were fans from the very first note. He is a world class singer, songwriter and cook….according to him (I’m still waiting for that dinner invite, AJ). We are thrilled to partner with Andrew, his management team and Sony Music to bring his music to the world!”

“AJ has felt like family from the start… and we are thrilled to now make that official!” says Sr. Director A&R, Spirit Music Nashville, Derek Wells. “His voice as an artist and a writer speaks for itself and he’s just such a great human being. He is so representative of what we believe in signing here at Spirit Music Nashville and we’re excited to partner with him and his team for this ride. Fired up about this guy!” 

“You know, it’s pretty amazing that my job is to make music now,” says Jannakos. “I never thought I would have got this opportunity before, but here we are. And I can’t ever express my gratitude and thankfulness for my family over at Spirit Music Group—they have believed in me since the moment they heard my music and to me that’s everything. They have pushed me already to be the best songwriter I can be, and continue to every day. I’m so excited to be a part of the Spirit family and I can’t wait for y’all to hear the music we write!”

Hard 8 // Working Group Celebrates Tate McRae’s Top 40 Chart-Topper

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Nashville-based management firm Hard 8//Working Group is celebrating its 2nd anniversary of signing Tate McRae with a No. 1 single at Top 40 radio.

A year after the rising star released the hit single “You Broke Me First,” the song has reached the No. 1 spot. This breaks the record for the longest climb to No. 1 by a female solo artist at 28 weeks. The track has also surpassed over 1 billion streams worldwide, and has been on the Hot 100 (peaking at No. 17; currently No. 21) longer than any other song released by a female in 2020 with 33 weeks.

Dirk Hemsath, Co-Founder and CEO recalls, “By the middle of April we were on board managing Tate with the team including myself, David Conway (a partner) and Matt Feldman. By that point she had only released one song via RCA called “Kids are Alright” and we laid out a plan for new recordings, videos and photo shoots. We decided to release songs along with videos on a steady schedule, one every 6-8 weeks and debuted with “Tear Myself Apart,” then “All My Friends are Fake” and then “Stupid.” “Stupid” became the first song to go to the next level. This was all in the first six months of us working together and her turning 16.”

When the video shoot for “You Broke Me First” was cancelled, Tate shot the video for the song with a phone taped to a car that drove while she followed it, and the subsequent video has garnered 100 million views. The track has continued to grow, racking up a billion streams, becoming a Top 5 hit in UK, Australia, Germany and many more, and achieving Platinum and multi-Platinum status in over a dozen countries.

Hard 8//Working Group was formed by Hemsath and Rich Egan as a full service music management company based in Nashville, and represent artists, producers, and songwriters including Tate, All Time Low, Daughtry, Hobo Johnson, and Jawbreaker, among others.

NMAAM To Honor Musical Pioneers With 2021 Rhapsody & Rhythm Awards

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The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) has announced that they will be presenting Rhapsody & Rhythm Awards to musical pioneers Quincy Jones, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, and the Fisk Jubilee Singers during the museum’s seventh annual Celebration of Legends Benefit Concert on Thursday, June 17.

“NMAAM showcases Black music excellence every day, but this year’s Black Music Month will be a special one as we celebrate the museum’s opening with phenomenal music icons and Black music fans across the world,” says NMAAM President and CEO Henry Beecher Hicks III. “We can’t wait to open our doors and share in the joy of Juneteenth weekend with our supporters, fans and a few musical legends, as well.”

As part of the Nashville-based museum’s fundraising efforts, the benefit concert will kick off a weekend-long Black Music Month celebration hosted by NMAAM and Amazon. Additionally, this year’s benefit concert will include a mix of in-person and virtual experiences to celebrate the recipients with limited in-person seating.

“One of Amazon’s core values is to think big. We know that we can only do that when we all work together to recognize, elevate and celebrate all voices,” says Courtney Ross, Amazon Nashville’s senior manager of External Affairs. “We are excited to be NMAAM’s partner and the presenting sponsor for this year’s Black Music Month celebration. The work the museum is doing is essential to helping our wider community expand the way it thinks, and it’s an honor to be a part of it all.”

Since 2014, NMAAM has celebrated music legends with the Rhapsody & Rhythm Award as part of their annual Celebration of Legends Benefit Concert. Past honorees include Black music icons CeCe Winans, Nile Rodgers, Gloria Gaynor, George Clinton, Jody Watley, Keb’ Mo’ and many more.

A schedule of events, performers, and more information on this year’s Black Music Month festivities will be shared in the coming weeks.

Read the biographies of the 2021 honorees below:

Quincy Jones has encompassed the roles of composer, record producer, artist, film producer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, TV producer, record company executive, television station owner, magazine founder, multimedia entrepreneur and humanitarian. Among the multitude of awards that he has received for his contributions are an Emmy Award, seven Academy Award nominations and 28 Grammy Awards.

Lionel Richie has a discography of albums and singles that are second to none. He has more than 125 million albums sold worldwide, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, six Grammy Awards, and the distinctions of Music Cares Person of the Year in 2016 and Kennedy Center Honoree in 2017. In 2018, Richie put his handprints and footprints in cement at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX in Hollywood, one of the oldest awards in Hollywood. The Tuskegee, Alabama, native is a true musical icon.

Once pronounced by Bob Dylan as America’s “greatest living poet,” acclaimed singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson has a career spanning over four decades of hits. He has received numerous awards including the Grammy Living Legend Award, NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award, Honorary Doctorate (Howard University), Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts Award from President George W. Bush. He has also been inducted into the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters’ Hall of Fame.

The Fisk Jubilee Singers are vocal artists and students at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, who sing and travel worldwide. The ensemble was selected as a recipient of the 2008 National Medal of Arts, the nation’s highest honor for artists and patrons of the arts. The award was presented by President George W. Bush and first lady Laura Bush, during a ceremony at the White House. Additional awards received by the Fisk Jubilee Singers include a Dove Award, the Recording Academy Honors, Synergy Award and 2021 Grammy Award. The ensemble has been inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame, the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the American Classical Music Hall of Fame.

On The Row: Raleigh Keegan Uses Rich Musicianship To Tell Unconventional Story

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Raleigh Keegan. Photo: David McClister

Raleigh Keegan was born in the Columbus State Penitentiary while his birth mother was serving for drug charges. She gave him up for adoption, so Keegan was able to grow up in a loving household.

“She made the incredibly brave decision to give me up for adoption. I was adopted a couple of days after I was born and grew up about 15 minutes north of the river in Cincinnati. I have amazing parents. They got me and my brother involved in everything,” Keegan said in a recent virtual visit with MusicRow.

His passion for music was encouraged as a child, and he now plays five instruments—but piano is his weapon of choice.

“When I was in kindergarten I would [play] my kindergarten teacher’s piano. He told my parents that I was playing things that a kindergartener shouldn’t know how to play. So my parents, being the parents they are, found a free piano in Michigan. So we drove seven and a half hours to Michigan and brought an upright piano back in a minivan,” Keegan said. “It was out of tune when we first got it and it could never be tuned, so I learned how to play on an out-of-tune piano and it’s really funny because on all my records, there are out of tune pianos because I like the sound of them.”

Keegan also excelled in jazz trombone in his high school band, but quit in college to play football. “I decided to play football so the girls would like me,” he quipped.

After college Keegan became a personal trainer. While in that job, he heard his first impactful taste of country music, which altered the course of his life.

“I listened to a Zac Brown Band record, they did it for me,” Keegan said. “I grew up on James Taylor, Billy Joel, and the Eagles; people like that. Country music wasn’t in my life until I heard Zac Brown Band. They got me obsessed with country music. On my lunch breaks, I would write songs.”

Keegan kept writing and started releasing his songs to a growing social media following. “I really caught the bug then, I was smitten. I had to do this thing, to the point where my wife and I, we sold our house to pay for my first record in Nashville. That was a crazy experience because I had to figure out how to pay our bills with only music.”

Keegan started booking gigs for himself until he and his wife could move to Nashville. He eventually met Grammy award-winning producer Ryan Gore (Old Dominion, Jon Pardi), and has since released “Way Back,” “Another Good Day,” and “Long Line of Lovers,” which have contributed to the 7 million streams across his catalog.

Keegan’s “Long Line of Lovers” is inspired by stories about his ancestry, which he learned from his biological mother when he reconnected with her.

“She told me the story about why she was in prison. She told me about her family and that it runs in the family a little bit because her dad was a bank robber,” Keegan said. “He was part of America’s top 10 most wanted people. So I understood for the first time why I so loved to break the rules, not like robbing banks, but in general. I’m a risk taker or rule breaker.

“Part of my story is I don’t completely fall in line with them, because of my wife. She’s just a big part of my story and how I didn’t end up another person on a long line of lovers who love the wrong thing.”

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Freddy Powers’ Life And Music Celebrated With New Memoir

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The life and music of late country songwriter, producer and musician Freddy Powers, who is credited for bringing Dixieland Jazz into the Nashville mainstream, will be honored with a new memoir out May 15. An accompanying digital soundtrack and two new live albums will also be available April 23.

The Spree of 83: The Life And Times Of Freddy Powers was co-written with by Freddy with his wife, Catherine Powers, and biographer Jake Brown. The memoir recounts first-hand the story behind Powers’ decades-long career in the music business, including his battle with Parkinson’s disease in the years leading to his death in 2016.

The Texas Country Music Hall of Fame inductee has been to the top of the charts as both a producer (Willie Nelson’s Grammy-winning Over the Rainbow LP) and songwriter, penning many No. 1 hits with Merle Haggard, who adds commentary to the book.

“Freddy’s strongest suit, I always thought, was his rhythm guitar playing. He was a great rhythm guitar player, and he wrote some great songs with and for Merle,” says country music icon Willie Nelson of Powers.

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Joining Nelson and Haggard, who both contribute extensive exclusive commentary, are players and peers from all six decades of Powers’ star-studded career, including Sonny Throckmorton, Paul Buskirk, Floyd Tillman, Tanya Tucker, Big & Rich, Larry Gatlin, producer Frank Liddell, Mary Sarah, and more.

In addition to the book, fans can stream a dynamic collection of new music available on all digital platforms featuring musical duets and collaborations with many of the aforementioned music stars.

For upcoming special announcements on free bonus content including never-before-seen music, live performances, and fan giveaways visit www.TheSpreeof83Book.com.

BMLG And CreatiVets Announce Partnership To Help Veterans

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Big Machine Label Group and CreatiVets have announced a special campaign that involves new music releases on the 20th of every month to pay tribute to the 20 veterans that commit suicide every day.

Intending to shed light on that troubling statistic—shared in a study by the Department of Veterans Affairs—all partners are aligning to drive attention to the issue, while magnifying real-life stories told through music intended to help combat veterans.

CreatiVets empowers wounded veterans to heal through the arts and music. Through songwriting sessions, they are providing veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress and brain injuries the opportunity to use art, music, and creative writing to share their experiences and enabling them with tools they can use the rest of their lives. Each song is written to tell the veteran’s personal story and to provide a new strategy to help cope with anxiety and depression. Many veterans continue to write songs on their own, which only furthers the healing process.

“We’ve seen time and time again the healing power of music not only help our program participants, but also those American heroes who have access to listen to these songs,” says CreatiVets Co-Founder & Executive Director Richard Casper. “Our mission with this music series is perhaps counterintuitive to the music industry’s normal strategies. We aim to reach the right audience, not necessarily the largest audience, and I love the fact that our friends at Big Machine are okay with that fact. I know first-hand how isolating it can feel, sitting at home, not feeling like anyone can understand what you’ve gone through. With [Amazon’s] Alexa now in homes across this country, if we can save one life in this process by making these musical stories readily available, our efforts will be worth it.”

This month’s release, “They Call Me Doc” featuring Vince Gill, Aaron Lewis and Dan Tyminksi follows the release of “Rise Above” featuring Craig Campbell, “Until It Feels Like Home” featuring Blackjack Billy, and “Workin’ In The Dirt” featuring Chris Ferrara. Future tracks to be released in the upcoming months will feature noteworthy country names including Justin Moore, Craig Morgan, Heath Sanders and more.

The money raised from the streams of these songs goes directly towards helping veterans.

MTSU Inducts Two Into College Of Media And Entertainment Wall Of Fame

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Pictured (L-R): Big Machine Music GM Mike Molinar, MTSU Department of Recording Industry Chair John Merchant. Photo: Courtesy of MTSU College of Media and Entertainment

Big Machine Music GM Mike Molinar has been inducted into MTSU’s College of Media and Entertainment Wall of Fame.

The ceremony was held on April 14 in the new Chris Young Café where Molinar was joined by his wife and their two sons, as well as dear friend and fellow MTSU Wall of Fame member Martha Earls.

Molinar has overseen Big Machine Music since its launch in 2012. Under Molinar, BMM has scored more than 38 No. 1 hits, including the back-to-back CMA Song of the Year for 2019 and 2020, among many other honors. Molinar was previously named a member of the 2012-2013 MTSU Class of of Distinguished Alumni.

“I am thrilled that Mike Molinar received our College’s highest honor,” says Beverly Keel, dean of the college. “Mike is such a trusted and respected member of the music industry and is proof that nice guys can finish first. I remain in awe of his commitment to songwriters and his dedication to remaining aware of the changes in industry, policies and trends. He is a wonderful ambassador to MTSU and a wonderful role model for our students.”

Also inducted into the College of Media and Entertainment’s Wall of Fame was Electric Lady Manager and Partner, Lee Foster, who wasn’t able to attend the induction ceremony.

Foster secured a summer internship at Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village through MTSU when he was a student, and when he finished his internship, returned to MTSU to complete his degree. After graduation, he returned to Electric Lady and helped reinvigorate the studio which in its heyday, hosted some of the biggest artists on the planet like Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Chic, the Clash and many others. Through Lee’s efforts as Manager and Partner, Electric Lady thrived and experienced a rebirth, once again hosting the biggest names in music, from Kanye West to Taylor Swift. Electric Lady now includes a record label, new production suites, and a management division for audio engineers and producers.

Micah Wilshire Signs With Peermusic Nashville

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Peermusic’s Matt Michiels, Kendell Lettow, Michael Knox, Micah Wilshire. Photo: Annelise Loughead

Micah Wilshire has signed an exclusive global publishing deal with Peermusic Nashville. Through the deal, Peermusic will represent Wilshire’s publishing and master recordings for future works as well as select back catalog masters.

Most recently, Wilshire has co-written multiple songs on Tim Montana’s new album Long Shots (Music Knox Records/BBR Music Group), including the lead single “Get Em Up,” “River Kids,” “Do It Fast,” “Don’t Wait Up On Me,” “Doing Everything Right,” “Be A Cowboy,” “Long Shots,” and “Bar Band.” Wilshire has also written extensively for TV and movies, and his music has been featured on Riverdale, Legacies, Grey’s Anatomy, The Black List, Yellowstone (under his band Mississippi Twilight), Million Little Things, Vampire Diaries, Sons of Anarchy, Dexter, American Idol, the Olympics and many more. Movies and trailers that have featured Wilshire’s music include Google Stadia, MAX, Keeping up with the Joneses, Bad Moms, Ubisoft games, Xbox Video, For Honor, The Crew 2 and Apple.

As a performer, Wilshire has appeared alongside Dierks Bentley, Jake Owen, Brett Eldridge, Darius Rucker, Michael Bolton, Amy Grant, Faith Hill, Michael W. Smith, Steve Winwood, and David Nail. He’s also recorded music used in commercials for Nissan, Ford, The Oscars and many more. Wilshire also mixed Brett Eldredge’s No. 1 single “Drunk on Your Love.”

“I’ve been a big fan of Micah’s for some time, it’s going to be exciting to work with him and watch his songwriting and production talents shoot to the next level,” says Senior Vice President, Peermusic Nashville Michael Knox.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join the peermusic camp. It’s inspiring to be in the company of such great writers, and I’m really looking forward to building something awesome with Kathy [Spanberger], Knox and the entire team,” says Wilshire.