Hugh X. Lewis
Singer-songwriter Hugh X. Lewis, who created country hits in the 1960s and starred on national TV, has passed away at age 90.
Lewis charted 15 titles on the country charts in 1964-79. He wrote successes for himself as well as for a dozen other Nashville stars. He was prominent as the host of a syndicated television series, had his own Nashville nightclub and was featured in several country music movies.
Born Hubert Bradley Lewis, he worked in Kentucky coal mines while beginning his country music career. During the late 1950s, he won a new-talent competition at WLW in Cincinnati, appeared on a local weekly TV show in Johnson City, Teneessee, and worked at the Saturday Night Jamboree radio show in Huntington, West Virginia on WSAZ.
By the early 1960s, he was appearing on the Tennessee Barn Dance in Knoxville and on Kentucky’s Renfro Valley Barn Dance. Hugh X. Lewis moved to Nashville in 1963 and was signed as a staff songwriter by Cedarwood Music.
In 1964, he hit pay dirt as the writer of the No. 1 Stonewall Jackson hit “B.J. the D.J.” Jackson subsequently recorded a half dozen more Lewis tunes, including “Angry Words” (No. 16, 1968) and “Ship in the Bottle” (No. 19, 1969).
Carl Smith took the songwriter’s “Take My Ring Off Your Finger” into the top-20 in 1964. Carl Butler & Pearl succeeded with the Lewis tune “Just Thought I’d Let You Know” the following year.
Kitty Wells, Ray Pillow, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy C. Newman, George Morgan, Charley Pride, Jimmy Dickens, Lynn Anderson and Jim Ed Brown also recorded songs written or co-written by Hugh X. Lewis. Del Reeves & Bobby Goldsboro sang a duet on his song “I Just Wasted the Rest.”
Success as a songwriter led to a recording contract with Kapp Records. Lewis never scored a top-20 hit as a singer, but his smooth baritone was notable on a string of country singles. He wrote or co-wrote nine of his 15 charted songs.
“What I Need Most” (1965), “Out Where the Ocean Meets the Sky” (Mel Tillis/Fred Burch, 1965), “I’d Better Call the Law on Me” (1966), “You’re So Cold (I’m Turning Blue)” (Harlan Howard/Tony Senn, 1967) and “Evolution and the Bible” (1968) were top-40 entries. “All Heaven Broke Loose” was a top-20 hit in Canada in 1969.
His major-label LPs were The Hugh X. Lewis Album (1965), Just Before Dawn (1965), My Kind of Country (1966), Just a Prayer Away (1967) and Country Fever (1968).
Beginning in 1968, he hosted Hugh X. Lewis Country Club, a syndicated weekly TV show. By 1971, it was being aired in 31 markets. He opened his own nightclub in Printer’s Alley in 1972 and produced the remaining episodes of the show from there.
Lewis was also featured in the country B-movies Forty Acre Feud (1966), Gold Guitar (1967) and Cotton Pickin’ Chicken Pickers (1967).
Hugh X. Lewis retired in 1984, but returned to the music business in 1998. He began emphasizing gospel music with the albums God, Home & Country and Stand Up and Be Counted. In 2005, he appeared in the Christian children’s film Summer of Courage. He also became a performing poet, reciting inspirational verse on various radio programs and in churches.
Since 2017 he has been hosting a weekly gospel radio show called The Christian Country Store on WSGS and WKIC in Hazard, Kentucky. He has also had daily features on the Gospel Radio Network.
Lewis is Kentucky Colonel, became a member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame and was honored in the Walkway of Stars at the original Country Music Hall of Fame. He passed away on Dec. 29, and his death was announced Sunday (Jan. 17).
Hugh X. Lewis is survived by Anna Mae Lewis, his wife of 69 years, by daughter Saundra Taylor (Harry), two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial celebration of his life will take place at a later time.
The Steel Woods Founder Jason ‘Rowdy’ Cope Passes Away
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured: Rowdy (far right) with The Steel Woods. Photo: Courtesy All Eyes Media
Jason Cope, affectionately known as ‘Rowdy‘ and founder of Southern rock band The Steel Woods, has passed away at 42.
Cope became familiar to fans performing onstage with Jamey Johnson for nearly a decade, and was an in-demand session guitarist, playing on albums by Lindi Ortega and the Secret Sisters, among others. The North Carolina native played on Johnson’s albums That Lonesome Song and The Guitar Song, co-wrote The Guitar Song track “Can’t Cash My Checks,” and worked with artists like Brent Cobb as well. Cope co-founded the Steel Woods with Wes Bayliss in 2016 and the group released their debut project, Straw in the Wind, in 2017, followed by 2019’s Old News.
The band announced Cope’s death on social media with the statement: “We are writing this still in a state of shock and kindly ask for your prayers for the family, friends and band at this time. We take comfort in knowing he is in a better place now and his passion for music and art will live forever in the work he has left behind. RIP Rowdy, you will be forever and greatly missed.”
Eric Church To Sing National Anthem At Super Bowl LV
/by LB CantrellEric Church performs during the Double Down Tour. Photo: Anthony D’Angio
Country music superstar Eric Church and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan will sing the National Anthem together at the Super Bowl LV, the NFL announced today (Jan. 19). Super Bowl LV is set to air live from Tampa, Florida’s Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 7 on CBS. The kick-off show will begin at 6:00 p.m. EST, with the game itself kicking off at 6:30 p.m. EST.
It will be the first time a country artist has taken part since Luke Bryan’s 2017 performance. Church and Sullivan will join a prestigious line up of Super Bowl National Anthem performers, including: Bryan, Demi Lovato, Gladys Knight, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Joel, P!NK, Jordin Sparks, Idina Menzel, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, and Neil Diamond.
The pregame will also include Grammy-award winning artist, H.E.R., who will sing her rendition of “America the Beautiful.”
The NFL previously announced that The Weeknd will headline the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show.
Weekly Register: Morgan Wallen Commands Charts With Newest Release
/by LB CantrellMorgan Wallen. Photo: John Shearer
The Top 5 country streaming songs this week are all from Morgan Wallen, according to Nielsen.
Wallen’s “Wasted on You” tops the songs chart with 17 million streams, “Somebody’s Problem” sits at No. 2 with 14 million, “7 Summers” is at No. 3 (12.5 million), “Sand In My Boots” is at No. 4 (12 million), and “Warning” rounds out the top five with 11 million streams.
His sophomore album, Dangerous: The Double Album, is the No. 1 album all-genre and country with 265K in total consumption (74K album only/232 million song streams). Wallen’s breakout album, If I Know Me, is at No. 5.
Luke Combs‘ What You See Is What You Get takes the No. 2 position on the albums chart, with 31K in total consumption.
Barry Gibb earns a global career-high chart debut, with his Greenfileds: The Gibb Brothers’ Songbook, Vol.1 project at No. 3, earning 25K. Chris Stapleton‘s Starting Over is at No. 4 (17K).
Lathan Warlick Signs With RECORDS Nashville/Columbia Records
/by Alex ParryPictured (L-R, top row): Brendan Rich, Wide Open Music; Ash Bowers, Wide Open Music/RECORDS Nashville; Lauren Hamrick, Wide Open Music; (L-R, bottom row): Lathan Warlick; Barry Weiss, Partner/Co-founder, RECORDS. Photo: Courtesy RECORDS Nashville
RECORDS Nashville, the Music City division of Barry Weiss‘ RECORDS, a joint venture with Sony Music Entertainment, has announced the signing of breakthrough artist Lathan Warlick in partnership with Columbia Records.
“When I ran across Lathan Warlick on social media I was instantly drawn to his talent and positive message,” says Ash Bowers, President, RECORDS Nashville. “Not only have I become a fan of his artistry, I am also inspired by who he is as a person. I am so excited to share both with the rest of the world.”
Lathan first gained attention through social media by creating videos of himself on his iPhone in his truck, adding his own rap verses to popular songs like “Holy” by Justin Bieber, “The Box” by Roddy Ricch, “Memories” by Maroon 5, “Hello” by Adele, and “You Say” by Lauren Daigle. His videos caught the attention of country singer Granger Smith, who asked Warlick to add a rap verse to his song, creating a powerful remix of “That’s What I Love About Dirt Roads.”
“I know that stepping out on faith and taking the leap with RECORDS/Colombia will be an amazing journey for sure,” says Lathan. “I’m still amazed at how God allowed me to find my purpose. Now it’s time for me to just walk in it. I’m super pumped about being part of this team!”
Lathan’s latest song, “Over Yonder” featuring Matt Stell, powerfully blends hip-hop patriotism with a call for unity. As teased on social media, Lathan is gearing up for a big year, having recently collaborated with Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line, Dustin Lynch, RaeLynn, and more.
Carrie Underwood Sets Release Date for Gospel Project, ‘My Savior’
/by Lorie HollabaughCarrie Underwood has revealed the cover art for My Savior, the upcoming companion gospel album to her recent Christmas album, My Gift. The album of gospel hymns will be released on CD and digitally March 26 just prior to the Easter holiday, and on vinyl April 30.
She co-produced the new project with longtime collaborator David Garcia, with whom she also co-produced her 2018 album Cry Pretty. With his early roots in Christian music, over the past decade Garcia has achieved chart-topping success across multiple genres with over 20 No. 1’s to his credit. He has twice been named ASCAP’s Christian Music Songwriter of the Year (2015 and 2019), has written three ASCAP Award winners for Christian Music Song of The Year, as well as won nine Dove Awards. Garcia and Underwood’s collaborations include co-writing tracks such as her No. 1 hit “Southbound” (with Josh Miller), “Drinking Alone” and “Love Wins (both with Brett James), all of which have been certified Gold by the RIAA, as well as the original tracks “Let There Be Peace” and “Sweet Baby Jesus” (both with Brett James) on My Gift, among others.
“It’s been such a blessing to make music like this, inspirational music that is near and dear to my heart,” says Underwood. “These two albums have been on my musical bucket list since the beginning of my career and were planned long before the events of the past year, but somehow it feels like the perfect time to share these beloved songs with the world.”
Country Entertainer Hugh X. Lewis Dies At Age 90
/by Robert K OermannHugh X. Lewis
Singer-songwriter Hugh X. Lewis, who created country hits in the 1960s and starred on national TV, has passed away at age 90.
Lewis charted 15 titles on the country charts in 1964-79. He wrote successes for himself as well as for a dozen other Nashville stars. He was prominent as the host of a syndicated television series, had his own Nashville nightclub and was featured in several country music movies.
Born Hubert Bradley Lewis, he worked in Kentucky coal mines while beginning his country music career. During the late 1950s, he won a new-talent competition at WLW in Cincinnati, appeared on a local weekly TV show in Johnson City, Teneessee, and worked at the Saturday Night Jamboree radio show in Huntington, West Virginia on WSAZ.
By the early 1960s, he was appearing on the Tennessee Barn Dance in Knoxville and on Kentucky’s Renfro Valley Barn Dance. Hugh X. Lewis moved to Nashville in 1963 and was signed as a staff songwriter by Cedarwood Music.
In 1964, he hit pay dirt as the writer of the No. 1 Stonewall Jackson hit “B.J. the D.J.” Jackson subsequently recorded a half dozen more Lewis tunes, including “Angry Words” (No. 16, 1968) and “Ship in the Bottle” (No. 19, 1969).
Carl Smith took the songwriter’s “Take My Ring Off Your Finger” into the top-20 in 1964. Carl Butler & Pearl succeeded with the Lewis tune “Just Thought I’d Let You Know” the following year.
Kitty Wells, Ray Pillow, Mac Wiseman, Jimmy C. Newman, George Morgan, Charley Pride, Jimmy Dickens, Lynn Anderson and Jim Ed Brown also recorded songs written or co-written by Hugh X. Lewis. Del Reeves & Bobby Goldsboro sang a duet on his song “I Just Wasted the Rest.”
Success as a songwriter led to a recording contract with Kapp Records. Lewis never scored a top-20 hit as a singer, but his smooth baritone was notable on a string of country singles. He wrote or co-wrote nine of his 15 charted songs.
“What I Need Most” (1965), “Out Where the Ocean Meets the Sky” (Mel Tillis/Fred Burch, 1965), “I’d Better Call the Law on Me” (1966), “You’re So Cold (I’m Turning Blue)” (Harlan Howard/Tony Senn, 1967) and “Evolution and the Bible” (1968) were top-40 entries. “All Heaven Broke Loose” was a top-20 hit in Canada in 1969.
His major-label LPs were The Hugh X. Lewis Album (1965), Just Before Dawn (1965), My Kind of Country (1966), Just a Prayer Away (1967) and Country Fever (1968).
Beginning in 1968, he hosted Hugh X. Lewis Country Club, a syndicated weekly TV show. By 1971, it was being aired in 31 markets. He opened his own nightclub in Printer’s Alley in 1972 and produced the remaining episodes of the show from there.
Lewis was also featured in the country B-movies Forty Acre Feud (1966), Gold Guitar (1967) and Cotton Pickin’ Chicken Pickers (1967).
Hugh X. Lewis retired in 1984, but returned to the music business in 1998. He began emphasizing gospel music with the albums God, Home & Country and Stand Up and Be Counted. In 2005, he appeared in the Christian children’s film Summer of Courage. He also became a performing poet, reciting inspirational verse on various radio programs and in churches.
Since 2017 he has been hosting a weekly gospel radio show called The Christian Country Store on WSGS and WKIC in Hazard, Kentucky. He has also had daily features on the Gospel Radio Network.
Lewis is Kentucky Colonel, became a member of the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame and was honored in the Walkway of Stars at the original Country Music Hall of Fame. He passed away on Dec. 29, and his death was announced Sunday (Jan. 17).
Hugh X. Lewis is survived by Anna Mae Lewis, his wife of 69 years, by daughter Saundra Taylor (Harry), two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial celebration of his life will take place at a later time.
Lydia Vaughan Signs With Cornman Music, Warner Chappell Nashville
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, top row): Ben Vaughn (WCM), Jessi Vaughn (WCM), Brett James (CM); (L-R, bottom row): Abigail Wate (CM), Nate Lowery (CM), Lydia Vaughan, Molly Shehan (Milom Law)
Lydia Vaughan has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Cornman Music and Warner Chappell Nashville.
Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Vaughan spent six years touring in an alternative rock band before moving to Nashville in 2015 to pursue her songwriting. She has already landed sync placements on MTV’s Teen Mom, CW’s Batwoman, and Netflix’s Dash & Lily.
“We are beyond thrilled to officially welcome Lydia into the Cornman family,” said Cornman Music’s Brett James. “Her talent is beyond description and she is as amazing a person as she is a songwriter.”
“Words cannot describe how excited we are that Lydia is joining the Cornman family,” adds Cornman Music’s Nate Lowery. “Her talent, work ethic and passion for music and songwriting is truly inspiring.”
Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Tyler Hubbard To Perform During Biden Inauguration Ceremonies
/by Lorie HollabaughGarth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Tyler Hubbard
Garth Brooks, Tyler Hubbard and Tim McGraw are among the artists slated to perform for inauguration festivities set for Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris as they are sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States.
Brooks will perform at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday night (Jan. 20) when Biden and Harris take the oath of office.
Brooks will be performing at the U.S. Capitol and joins Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez on the list of entertainers who will take part in the historic event. He has performed in some way for six of the last seven U.S. presidents (Ronald Reagan being the only exception), but has only participated in an inauguration once before – when he performed songs like “We Shall Be Free” on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial as part of events surrounding President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009. This year he will be at the Capitol, as part of the actual swearing-in ceremony.
For the superstar, taking part in the inauguration isn’t a statement of his politics but a chance to swell with pride at being an American and give back. “This is a great day in our household,” said Brooks. “This is not a political statement. This is a statement of unity. This is history! And it’s an honor to get to serve. This is kinda how I get to serve this country. Our father served as a United States Marine in the Korean War; we had brothers that served in the Air Force and the Army. This is my chance to get to serve.”
McGraw and Hubbard will be a part of Wednesday night’s primetime Celebrating America special, starting at at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, and hosted by Tom Hanks. They will be performing their new song “Undivided.” The two detailed their plans in an interview with Big Machine Label Group’s Becca Walls for Big Machine Radio.
“Yeah, we got a call just a few days ago and got invited to play the song at the inauguration, and I think Tim and I both were extremely excited and humbled. What a crazy cool opportunity – as simple as just to get to play music again, which is exciting in itself, but then to get to spread and share this message of hope and love and unity to the world. What better platform to get to do that on, so we’re both extremely excited,” Hubbard said.
“Very excited, and also, the background of what we’re gonna be shooting is gonna be Nashville. So, to showcase our city and all that it’s gone through in the last year is a big deal for us,” McGraw said.
Dan + Shay Score Eighth Chart-Topper With “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
/by Lorie HollabaughDan + Shay are kicking off 2021 in a great way with their latest single “I Should Probably Go To Bed” topping the Mediabase Country chart. This is the duo’s eighth career No. 1 and fifth consecutive chart-topper. “I Should Probably Go To Bed” has already surpassed one million track equivalents and racked up more than 200 million global streams since its release.
The track was produced by the duo’s Dan Smyers and co-written with bandmate Shay Mooney, as well as Sean Douglas and Jason Evigan. It reached No. 1 on the Country Digital Songs Sales chart upon release and made its TV debut on the 55th ACM Awards. The song’s video received the CMT Music Award for Duo Video of the Year.
To say they are on a roll would be an understatement at this point: in the seven years since they debuted on the scene, Dan + Shay have accumulated more than 6.8 billion career streams, 35 total RIAA certifications, eight No. 1 radio singles, and more than two dozen Grammy, ACM, American Music, Billboard Music, CMA, CMT Music and iHeart Award wins and nominations.
Jody Williams Songs And Warner Chappell Music Sign Peytan Porter
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Spencer Nohe, Warner Chappell Music Nashville A&R Directior; Nina Jenkins, Jody Williams Songs Creative Director; Peytan Porter; Jody Williams, Jody Williams Songs Founder; Ben Vaughn, Warner Chappell Music Nashville President/CEO. Photo: Nathan Zucker
Dawsonville, GA native Peytan Porter has signed her first publishing deal with Jody Williams Songs, in partnership with Warner Chappell Music.
The singer-songwriter moved to Nashville to attend Lipscomb University in 2016. Seeking out collaborators in co-writers outside the organized writing rooms of Music Row, Porter found further encouragement in fellow up-and-coming writers and began honing her style, particularly stories that paint pictures beyond her hometown’s 8.2 square mile radius.
“Peytan’s writing is so emotive and sophisticated structurally. The first time she performed for us in the office I was moved to tears, asking her to repeat a second verse just to take it in a bit longer. It’s exciting to have this opportunity to help someone with her natural talent realize her goals as a songwriter and artist,” says JWS founder Jody Williams. “She definitely has the gift!”
“So, as you can imagine, the opportunity to now work with Jody Williams Songs and the Warner Chappell family feels like a long-awaited exhale,” Porter says. “I knew from our first conversations that Jody and Nina are truly song-first people, and I feel fortunate to get to create in a space that advocates for excellent songwriting as it’s not just what I do, it’s who I am. I’ve always just written myself through things: my childhood, my first heartbreak, to this last year we’ve all survived. I’m glad I get to keep doing that and am honored to join a roster of writers and artists that I so greatly admire!”
“Peytan has an infectious spirit that undoubtedly translates into her songwriting,” says Nina Jenkins, JWS Creative Director. “We are fortunate to get to work with someone who has such a defined sense of self.”
In addition to Porter, Jody Williams Songs represents talents such as four-time GRAMMY nominee Ashley McBryde, Driver Williams, Nathan Chapman, Jeremy Spillman, Greg Bates and Jason Nix. The company also represents Pat McLaughlin in a writer management/publishing role. Through JWS’s partnership with Warner Chappell Music Nashville, Williams develops writers and writer-artists, secures covers, sources legacy catalogs and represents select WCM writer catalogs for exploitation.