Brenner McDonald
Entertainment and intellectual property attorney Brenner McDonald has become a member of the McGlinchey Stafford law firm. She is based in the company’s Nashville office.
With more than 30 years in the entertainment industry, McDonald brings a wide range of experience in entertainment, sports, corporate, business litigation, and transactional law and will expand the firm’s intellectual property practice. McDonald’s practice will focus on publicity and endorsement rights, trademarks, copyrights, domain names, and other areas of intellectual property law.
Prior to her legal career, McDonald spent nearly two decades in artist management, operating an entertainment management company that guided the careers of award-winning artists and songwriters where she negotiated recording contracts and managed music licensing, touring, television, film, video, internet, music, and book publishing deals for her clients. Brenner holds a law degree from University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky. She is admitted to practice in Tennessee.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brenner to the firm,” says Drew Patty, who leads the firm’s Intellectual Property group. “She brings a unique background to our practice and great value to our creative clients in Nashville and across the country. Musicians, writers, comedians, athletes, and other entertainers need to safeguard their works, brands, and reputations— just as inventors and businesses protect their intellectual property. Brenner helps clients in creative industries protect and monetize the rights to their valuable creations. Our firm’s platform, extending from California to New York, and New Orleans to Nashville, also presents a unique opportunity for her kind of practice.”
“We are excited to welcome Brenner to our office in Nashville,” says Shaun Ramey, Office Managing Member of McGlinchey’s Nashville office. “The entertainment industry is crucial to Music City’s economy, and Brenner’s capability and experience strengthen and deepen the services our firm provides to artists, managers, labels, entertainment companies, and to all of our clients.”
“I work with creatives to protect their work and strategize a plan to build their business,” said McDonald. “My years of experience in this industry give me a deep understanding of what our clients need, and I’ve built broad relationships within the industry that enable me to provide valuable legal solutions to creative clients.”
Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, More Set For Grammy ‘Salute To The Sounds Of Change’ Special
/by Lorie HollabaughChris Stapleton, Eric Church, Brad Paisley, LeAnn Rimes and more are among the lineup for a new two-hour TV special, A Grammy Salute To The Sounds Of Change, spotlighting the iconic songs that inspired social change and left an everlasting imprint on history. The show is set to air three days after the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on March 17 on CBS.
The special will be hosted by three-time Grammy winner Common and will also include appearances and performances by Yolanda Adams, Leon Bridges, D Smoke, Andra Day, Sheila E., Cynthia Erivo, Emily, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, John Fogerty, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Terrace Martin, and Billy Porter performing songs that have seen us through the darkest hours and greatest triumphs. Artists across genres will highlight the stories behind, and deliver personal interpretations of, the powerful music that inspired social justice and equality.
Presenters from the worlds of entertainment, art and activism will look back at some of the most iconic Grammy performances and moments in history as well during the inspiring special, which will also be available via livestream and on-demand on Paramount+, ViacomCBS’ newest global streaming service.
FirstBank Named As Title Sponsor Of New Nashville-Area Amphitheater
/by Steven BoeroFirstBank Amphitheater Rendering. Courtesy: FirstBank
Live Nation and Graystone Quarry announced that FirstBank will be the first name-in-title sponsor of a brand new amphitheater located in Thompson’s Station at the southern border of Franklin, Tennessee.
The nearly completed FirstBank Amphitheater, is in a completely authentic open-air Tennessee environment nestled on a 138-acre site convenient to Nashville and the surrounding cities. Located within a beautiful wooded, natural stone and park-like setting, it’s planned to open later this year for memorable music experiences whenever fans and artists can gather for concerts again.
“We are thankful for this opportunity,” says Chris Holmes, president and CEO of FirstBank. “It was evident from the very beginning that our partners share many of the same values as FirstBank, especially our dedication to the local community and our commitment to excellence. We know this top-of-the-line entertainment venue will provide memorable experiences for the community for years to come.”
The venue will have room for up to 7,500 concert attendees and a spacious 1.5-acre plaza area for gathering, dining and merchandise. The facility will feature state-of-the-art sound, event lighting and large screen image amplification.
FirstBank Amphitheater Rendering. Courtesy: FirstBank
“FirstBank has exactly the qualities we wanted in a naming sponsor—friendly people, strong presence in the local community and a history of delivering amazing financial services in the South,” says Rick McEachern, owner of Graystone Quarry. “We were looking for a naming sponsor who is as committed and invested in Tennessee as we are.”
The base of the new FirstBank Amphitheater is situated on a limestone rock quarry surrounded by cliffs up to 100 feet tall, creating a dramatic outdoor location with ideal visual and acoustic space for music events. The reclaimed quarry was active 50 years ago, with the rock used in the construction of Interstate 65 through Williamson County.
“We are excited to have FirstBank on board as we bring this incredible venue to life in Tennessee,” says Bob Roux, president of Live Nation Concerts. “There is no doubt they will be incredible partners in the community, and we can’t wait until we are able to work together to bring shows back to the area and unite artists and fans together again.”
For more information about FirstBank Amphitheater, please visit FirstBankAmphitheater.com.
Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation, Tractor Supply Co. Donate $250,000 To Animal Shelters
/by Lorie HollabaughLambert with two of her rescues, Delta and Jessi. Photo: Courtesy Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation and Tractor Supply Company have teamed up to provide a quarter of a million dollars in grants through the organization’s Mutts Across America program.
Through the program, a surprise $5,000 donation will be made to one shelter or foster-based rescue in each state across the country. Organizations are carefully researched and vetted before honoring one outstanding nonprofit in each state. Friends of Williamson County in Tennessee was among the recipients of this year’s grants.
Since the initiative’s inception, MuttNation’s Mutts Across America has supported more than 350 shelters with over $1.25 million in grants. In addition to the donations, Tractor Supply is the exclusive retailer of MuttNation products, and a percentage of all sales goes to the MuttNation Foundation to further support the cause.
“This was our first signature program and it’s our cornerstone,” says Lambert. “It lets us reward the hard-working rescues and celebrate shelter pets everywhere. It hits all the high notes. We’re so honored to have Tractor Supply Company as our partner. We’re accomplishing so much together and, thanks to their incredibly generous support, this year’s gifts to the shelters will be the most impactful ever. Given the fundraising difficulties rescues have faced over the past year, we know it will make a huge difference to thousands of animals.”
“At Tractor Supply, we love our four-legged friends and appreciate this opportunity to demonstrate our ongoing support for animal shelters across the country,” says Nicole Logan, Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager at Tractor Supply Company. “Miranda’s passion and tremendous dedication dovetails with our mission at Tractor Supply to care for all pets and animals. We are excited to expand our partnership with Miranda and the MuttNation organization to make this the most impactful Mutts Across America yet.”
Lindsay Ell, Brett Kissel, Tenille Townes, More Nominated For 2021 Juno Awards
/by Steven BoeroPictured (L-R): Lindsay Ell, Brett Kissel, Tenille Townes
Country artists Lindsay Ell, Brett Kissel and Tenille Townes are among the nominees for the 2021 Juno Awards.
The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands, acknowledging their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music.
Kissel is nominated for the all-genre Single of the Year for his Canadian No. 1 hit, “Drink About Me.”
Both Ell and Townes are nominated for Country Album of the Year for their records heart theory and The Lemonade Stand, respectively. Mackenzie Porter is also nominated for Country Album of the Year for her Drinkin’ Songs: The Collection, as is Dallas Smith for his Timeless and Jade Eagleson for his self-titled effort.
Luke Combs is nominated for International Album of the Year for What You See Ain’t Always What You Get. Taylor Swift is also nominated in this category for folklore.
Both Kissel and Townes are no strangers to the Juno Awards both being nominated multiple times in past years. Kissel has two Juno Awards for for 2014 Breakthrough Artist of the Year and 2019 Country Album of the Year for We Were That Song. This is Townes’ third Juno nomination, following her nods for Breakthrough Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year in 2020.
The 2021 June Awards will be broadcast nationwide Sunday, May 16 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBC TV, CBC Gem, CBC Radio One, CBC Music and globally on CBCMusic.ca/junos.
See the full list of nominees here.
Entertainment Attorney Brenner McDonald Joins McGlinchey Stafford’s Nashville Office
/by Lorie HollabaughBrenner McDonald
Entertainment and intellectual property attorney Brenner McDonald has become a member of the McGlinchey Stafford law firm. She is based in the company’s Nashville office.
With more than 30 years in the entertainment industry, McDonald brings a wide range of experience in entertainment, sports, corporate, business litigation, and transactional law and will expand the firm’s intellectual property practice. McDonald’s practice will focus on publicity and endorsement rights, trademarks, copyrights, domain names, and other areas of intellectual property law.
Prior to her legal career, McDonald spent nearly two decades in artist management, operating an entertainment management company that guided the careers of award-winning artists and songwriters where she negotiated recording contracts and managed music licensing, touring, television, film, video, internet, music, and book publishing deals for her clients. Brenner holds a law degree from University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kentucky. She is admitted to practice in Tennessee.
“We are thrilled to welcome Brenner to the firm,” says Drew Patty, who leads the firm’s Intellectual Property group. “She brings a unique background to our practice and great value to our creative clients in Nashville and across the country. Musicians, writers, comedians, athletes, and other entertainers need to safeguard their works, brands, and reputations— just as inventors and businesses protect their intellectual property. Brenner helps clients in creative industries protect and monetize the rights to their valuable creations. Our firm’s platform, extending from California to New York, and New Orleans to Nashville, also presents a unique opportunity for her kind of practice.”
“We are excited to welcome Brenner to our office in Nashville,” says Shaun Ramey, Office Managing Member of McGlinchey’s Nashville office. “The entertainment industry is crucial to Music City’s economy, and Brenner’s capability and experience strengthen and deepen the services our firm provides to artists, managers, labels, entertainment companies, and to all of our clients.”
“I work with creatives to protect their work and strategize a plan to build their business,” said McDonald. “My years of experience in this industry give me a deep understanding of what our clients need, and I’ve built broad relationships within the industry that enable me to provide valuable legal solutions to creative clients.”
Mandy Barnett Shoots For The Stars With New Billie Holiday Tribute Album
/by Lorie HollabaughMandy Barnett gives a nod to one of her heroes, the great Billie Holiday, and explores her affection for the standards of the Great American songbook on her upcoming new album, Every Star Above, due out on May 7. An advance track from the album, “For All We Know,” is available now.
The project is a fitting tribute and interpretation of one of the most influential albums in history, Holiday’s Lady in Satin. Recorded with a 60-piece orchestra, Every Star Above delivers lush and sparkling selections from Holiday’s personally curated 1958 “Satin” track list, and Lady in Satin is given a song-for-song interpretation by Barnett, who puts a soulful country twist on the classic standards featured on the album.
Conceived by producer Fred Mollin (Johnny Mathis, Kris Kristofferson, Jimmy Webb) and arranged by the late jazz maestro Sammy Nestico (Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Michael Buble, Barbra Streisand) in what was his last work, the album features classics such as “For All We Know,” “The End of a Love Affair,” “I’m a Fool to Want You,” and “But Beautiful” reinvented with Barnett’s signature styling.
“Billie Holiday is among the artists I was introduced to as a young girl. And in my early twenties, Lady in Satin deeply affected me; it inspired me to become a torch singer,” says Barnett. “Holiday was a fearless trailblazer whose unique vocals and phrasing on the album drip with the weight of her experiences, like she’s lived the lyrics and felt the joys, the hardships, the love, and the loss—all of the ups-and-downs of life that great songs and great singers convey. Holiday revealed her heart and soul every time she sang, and she inspired me to do exactly that throughout my career.”
“Having the opportunity to make this album is a dream come true,” added Melody Place President, Mollin. “Mandy was the perfect singer to take this on. Sammy was the perfect arranger to make it beyond the dream.”
Every Star Above Track List:
But Beautiful
Glad To Be Unhappy
For Heaven’s Sake
I Get Along Without You Very Well
It’s Easy To Remember
The End Of A Love Affair
You Don’t Know What Love Is
I’m A Fool To Want You
You’ve Changed
For All We Know
Grammy-Winning Female Engineer Launches We Are Moving the Needle Foundation
/by Steven BoeroGrammy award-winning mastering engineer Emily Lazar has launched We Are Moving the Needle, a nonprofit organization that aims to close the vast gender gap in the technical fields of the recording industry.
We Are Moving the Needle will work to bring equity and inclusion to the present industry as well as guarantee growth and progress for generations to come by awarding scholarships and grants to music technology and recording programs at academies, colleges and universities around the world. The group also has plans for dedicated internships and entry level positions designated and reserved for women who are part of the program.
According to the fourth annual iteration of USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative study, Inclusion in the Recording Studio, only 2% of producers and engineers across popular music were women in 2020.
“While I know from firsthand experience that there are very few women behind the console, the Annenberg study details just how few of us there actually are. It begs the question I get asked about most ‘What can we do to change this?’” says Lazar. “It’s time to take action! We need to get more women behind the consoles in recording studios all over the world and that’s exactly what We Are Moving the Needle is going to do.”
Lazar also announced the initial members of the organization’s advisory SoundBoard, including Grammy award-winning artist/producer Brandi Carlile and Grammy-nominated artist/producers HAIM, Maggie Rogers, Liz Phair, Linda Perry, and Sara Quin (Tegan and Sara), among many more.
Lazar is nominated for three Album of the Year Grammy awards this year for her work on albums by Coldplay, HAIM and Jacob Collier.
Barrett Baber Signs With Sea Gayle Music
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, top row): Sea Gayle’s Chris DuBois, Marc Driskill, JD Groover; (L-R, bottom row): Sea Gayle’s Kim Wiggins, songwriter Barrett Baber, songwriter Bobby Pinson
Barrett Baber has signed a publishing deal with Sea Gayle Music.
Baber gained national recognition as a finalist on Season 9 of NBC’s The Voice, logging weekly top 10 iTunes performances and a No. 1 Billboard single with his reinvented cover of the country classic “I’d Love To Lay You Down.” He later released a full-length album A Room Full Of Fighters, which debuted in the top 10 on the iTunes Top 100 Album Charts.
Baber has also been writing with respected songwriters including Bobby Pinson, who immediately saw something special in Baber’s writing and knew something had to be done. “Barrett Baber lights up a room as a person and I’m excited to watch him do the same thing with his music for years to come,” Pinson said.
“Barrett’s writing ability along with his drive and passion made this a no brainer for us,” Sea Gayle Music’s Kim Wiggins adds. “We are beyond thrilled to be partnering with Bobby Pinson on this deal and look forward to sharing success together.”
“There are opportunities, and there are once in a lifetime opportunities,” said Baber. “It’s certainly not lost on me which one this is. I’m thrilled to have the chance to work closely with a legendary publishing company like Sea Gayle in partnership with an equally legendary songwriter in Bobby Pinson. I’m so excited and grateful for the chance to continue the development of my craft with the guidance of such a wonderful team of people, at a place that feels like home.”
Matt Stell, Jameson Rodgers, Ray Fulcher Set For Musicians On Call Livestream Benefit
/by Steven BoeroMusicians On Call is hosting a livestream benefit concert, “On Call at The Bluebird Cafe,” on March 21, presented by The National Music Publishers’ Association. The benefit concert will feature performances from hit artist-songwriters Ray Fulcher, Matt Stell and Jameson Rodgers.
The proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the expansion of MOC’s virtual programs that bring live and recorded music to the bedsides of hospital patients. In addition to tickets available to the public, the event will have healthcare workers from MOC’s hospital partners across the country tuning in as a special thank you for all they continue to do for their communities.
Audience members will be able to send applause, donations, requests and messages to the performers via StageIt’s live chat feature.
Tickets are on sale for $20 and but seating is limited.
ASCAP Overcomes Pandemic Challenges To Collect $1.327 Billion in 2020
/by Steven BoeroASCAP overcame the unprecedented hardships of the pandemic in 2020 to continue its record-breaking revenue streak, collecting more than $1.327 billion in revenues, a $53 million increase over 2019.
The PRO’s strategy to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 helped to offset uncontrollable declines in other sectors, including a 30% decline in revenues from businesses that were hit the hardest during the last three quarters of 2020, such as live concerts and events, music venues, bars, clubs, restaurants, retail stores, hotels and more.
“2020 challenged all of us unlike any other year in modern history. It also defined ASCAP’s dedication to our members,” says ASCAP Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Matthews. “That meant strengthening our commitment to our mission to serve our songwriters, composers and music publishers by taking every step necessary to secure their livelihoods and careers. Inspired by our members each and every day, the ASCAP team proved that innovation, efficiency and progress really can be escalated in a crisis.”
2020 marked the sixth year of ASCAP’s strategic plan to transform its business and grow revenues. During the execution of the strategic plan from 2015 through 2020, ASCAP exceeded performance goals and drove ASCAP revenues to a 6% compound annual growth rate and ASCAP distributions to a 7% compound annual growth rate.
“I am so impressed by ASCAP and its extraordinary efforts in 2020,” says ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams. “The team worked extremely hard and under incredibly difficult circumstances to make up for revenues lost due to the pandemic and to deliver the financial security and support that music creators need to survive the crisis of our lifetime. Their work will have an impact for years to come and as an ASCAP member, I am deeply grateful. Together, we have met the demands of this challenging time period and we look to 2021 with greater hope and strength as a community.”
During a world crisis that directly affected revenues for many companies that license music, ASCAP grew royalties for its songwriter, composer and publisher members by $29 million, or 2.5%, for a total of $1.213 billion available for distributions. Domestic distributions from ASCAP-licensed and administered performances hit $891 million, an increase of $22 million, and foreign distributions totaled $322 million.
Due to the demands and difficulties of 2020 the ASCAP team met and transcended these issues, shining a brighter spotlight on its members and providing them with more resources to help weather the challenges of the time: