Bernie Herms
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville has signed Grammy award-winning composer, producer, and songwriter Bernie Herms to a worldwide publishing deal.
Originally from Canada and currently residing in Nashville, Herms is known for his songwriting and production work with artists such as Barbra Streisand, Josh Groban, David Foster, Idina Menzel, Kelly Clarkson, Andrea Bocelli, Selena Gomez, Casting Crowns, Brad Paisley, Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant, Jeremy Camp, Matt Redman, and many more.
Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston said, “Bernie is one of smartest, most genuine and open-hearted songwriters I have ever met. Simply put, his music makes the world a better place. We are thrilled to welcome Bernie to the Sony/ATV family and I’m confident we will earn great success together as a team.”
Herms said, “I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with so many iconic artists and songwriters throughout my career. Joining the Sony/ATV family becomes a pinnacle highlight for me, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with Rusty and the rest of his world-class creative team.”
Herms has crafted 30 No. 1 hits in the U.S. and a string of No. 1s internationally, including Dove award Song of the Year “East to West,” recorded by Casting Crowns. Additionally, he has won eight Dove awards, including Producer of the Year in 2009 and 2016, and won a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Thy Will,” the 14-week No. 1 single by Hillary Scott.
Recently, he lent his skill to Josh Groban’s new album Bridges, which follows the success of Groban’s album Stages, which Herms also produced. Additionally, he worked on Streisand’s Grammy-nominated album Partners, which debuted at No. 1, and Danny Gokey’s No. 1 album entitled Rise.
Bobby Bare And Shel Silverstein’s Friendship Chronicled On New Eight-CD Set
/by Lorie HollabaughBobby Bare Sings Shel Silverstein Plus, a new eight-CD, LP-sized boxed set chronicling the longtime relationship between Bare and songwriter/humorist Silverstein, is set for release on Bear Family Records on Oct. 2.
The giant collection contains 137 songs, representing six full albums and a total of 25 previously-unreleased tracks, along with a handful of songs penned by other songwriters. Bare recorded more than 100 Silverstein songs from 1972-1983, and the set celebrates their long working history and friendship.
Six of the albums are intact or amended in the new set: Lullabys, Legends and Lies was Bare’s 1973 artistic breakthrough; Silverstein conceived the downbeat Hard Time Hungrys (presented here with six additional songs) while America was gripped in a lengthy financial recession; Singin’ in the Kitchen features Bare’s family; Great American Saturday Night, originally withheld from release and unheard for more than 40 years appears here with three additional tracks; and Down & Dirty and Drunk & Crazy are benchmark albums from the early 1980s.
The new set also features a special accompanying 128-page hardcover book with a new interview with Bare by Hank Davis, an overview of Silverstein’s life and work by Dave Samuelson, plus the lyrics to the songs in the collection and a detailed discography and treasure trove of pictures and album covers.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville Signs Bernie Herms
/by Jessica NicholsonBernie Herms
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville has signed Grammy award-winning composer, producer, and songwriter Bernie Herms to a worldwide publishing deal.
Originally from Canada and currently residing in Nashville, Herms is known for his songwriting and production work with artists such as Barbra Streisand, Josh Groban, David Foster, Idina Menzel, Kelly Clarkson, Andrea Bocelli, Selena Gomez, Casting Crowns, Brad Paisley, Steven Curtis Chapman, Amy Grant, Jeremy Camp, Matt Redman, and many more.
Sony/ATV Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston said, “Bernie is one of smartest, most genuine and open-hearted songwriters I have ever met. Simply put, his music makes the world a better place. We are thrilled to welcome Bernie to the Sony/ATV family and I’m confident we will earn great success together as a team.”
Herms said, “I feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with so many iconic artists and songwriters throughout my career. Joining the Sony/ATV family becomes a pinnacle highlight for me, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with Rusty and the rest of his world-class creative team.”
Herms has crafted 30 No. 1 hits in the U.S. and a string of No. 1s internationally, including Dove award Song of the Year “East to West,” recorded by Casting Crowns. Additionally, he has won eight Dove awards, including Producer of the Year in 2009 and 2016, and won a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song for “Thy Will,” the 14-week No. 1 single by Hillary Scott.
Recently, he lent his skill to Josh Groban’s new album Bridges, which follows the success of Groban’s album Stages, which Herms also produced. Additionally, he worked on Streisand’s Grammy-nominated album Partners, which debuted at No. 1, and Danny Gokey’s No. 1 album entitled Rise.
Naomi And Wynonna Judd Are First Subjects Of New Fox Series ‘Icon’
/by Lorie HollabaughNaomi and Wynonna Judd will be the subject of the first installment of a new drama series Icon that has been greenlighted by Fox from producer Gail Berman and artist manager Jason Owen (Kacey Musgraves, Little Big Town), reports deadline.com.
Icon will spotlight the drama, dynamics and at times challenging relationship between the legendary mother and daughter duo, telling their story through the music and songs that shaped their career and country music. Season 1 celebrates the trailblazing duo, who dominated the country charts for decades, winning numerous awards and selling over 20 million albums. Though the Judds stopped performing together in 1991 after Naomi was diagnosed with Hepatitis C and Wynonna embarked on a successful solo career, the two have reunited for special tours, most recently in 2010.
The Judds’ Icon story will be executive produced by Naomi and Wynonna. Their managers, Les Borsai, Greg Hill, Cactus Moser and Larry Strickland, will produce.
Wynonna also just announced her upcoming Recollections EP, set for release in October.
Scotty McCreery Shifts UK/Ireland Tour To 2021
/by Jessica NicholsonScotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery has postponed his UK/Ireland tour again, due to the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. The tour dates have been postponed from October 2020 to May 2021.
“I am so disappointed that we have to postpone our UK and Ireland tour yet again, but the safety of my fans, the venue workers, and my band and crew remains my first priority,” McCreery said in a statement. “I cannot wait until May 2021 to get there! We had so much fun in England on the last trip, and I cannot wait to visit Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland for the first time. Until then, I send much love to all of you there and hope everyone stays safe.”
Customers are advised to keep hold of their tickets as they will be valid for the new rescheduled dates with limited tickets still available for shows in Manchester, London, Glasgow, and Dublin; (Belfast date sold out). Tickets for the UK shows are available via Gigs and Tours; tickets for Dublin via Ticketmaster.
New Tour Dates:
05/04/21-Manchester, England, O2 Ritz
05/05/21-Glasgow, Scotland, Old Fruitmarket
05/07/21-London, England, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
05/09/21-Dublin, Ireland, Academy Dublin
05/11/21-Belfast, Northern Ireland, The Limelight (Sold Out)
In January, McCreery earned his third consecutive No. 1 country radio single with “In Between.” He will headline a concert at the Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 4 as part of the Live From The Ryman livestream series.
ACM Awards Announce First Round Of Performers
/by Jessica NicholsonThe first round of performers has been announced for the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards on Sept. 16.
Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw, Maren Morris, Old Dominion and Thomas Rhett featuring Jon Pardi are among the first performers revealed for the upcoming awards show, which will be held in Nashville for the first time, with performances being aired from three iconic Nashville music venues including the Ryman Auditorium, the Bluebird Cafe, and the Grand Ole Opry House.
Hosted by reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year and 15-time ACM Award winner Keith Urban, the 55th ACM Awards® will be broadcast on Wednesday, Sept. 16 (live 8:00-11:00 PM ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network, and will be available to stream on demand on CBS All Access.
Artists at the Ryman include Kelsea Ballerini performing “Hole In The Bottle,” Gabby Barrett performing her No. 1 hit “I Hope,” Maren Morris, this year’s most-nominated female artist with five nominations, performing “To Hell & Back,” Old Dominion, this year’s most-nominated group (with a collective six nominations), performing a special medley of their No. 1 hits, and Thomas Rhett, this year’s most nominated male artist with five nominations, featuring Jon Pardi, performing their No. 1 hit “Beer Can’t Fix.”
Artists at The Bluebird Cafe include Jimmie Allen performing his No.1 hit “Make Me Want To,” Luke Combs performing “Better Together,” Miranda Lambert featuring songwriters Natalie Hemby and Luke Dick performing the smash hit “Bluebird,” and Tim McGraw performing his recently released single “I Called Mama.”
Additional acts and presenters, including artists performing from the Grand Ole Opry House, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre To Launch ‘Red Rocks Unpaused’ Shows With Sam Hunt, Brett Young
/by Jessica NicholsonSam Hunt
The Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado has long been a favorite outdoor performance venue for artists of all genres. Though in-person concerts are still halted due to the spread of COVID-19, Red Rocks will launch a virtual concert series next month, from Sept. 1-3.
“Red Rocks Unpaused” is set for three evenings with Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, along with special guest Phoebe Bridgers, set for Sept. 1. Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Baby will co-headline on Sept. 2, while Sam Hunt and Brett Young will perform on the final evening of the series on Sept. 3.
Each evening’s concert will begin at 7 p.m. PT and the events are free.
The shows will also involve several interactive features. Fans can access different camera angles during the shows, allowing them to “pick their seats.” The audience’s chat messages will also be displayed on the face of the Red Rocks for artists to see during the concert. The audience can also help “set off pyrotechnics,” and can vote to choose the final encore song each night. There will also be technology to allow viewers’ voices to affect the show’s lighting and color schemes.
Fans can watch the concerts at visiblexredrocks.com.
Industry Ink: Midland, Mark Thomas, Country Sway Summer Streamathon
/by Lorie HollabaughMidland’s Live At The Palomino Vinyl Celebrates Record Store Day Reboot
Pictured (L-R): Jess Carson, Mark Wystrach and Cameron Duddy of Midland perform onstage during Midland LIVE at the Palomino on October 15, 2019 in North Hollywood, California. (Photo by Timothy Norris/Getty Images for Big Machine Records)
The music and magic of Midland’s LIVE at the Palomino show becomes available on vinyl this Saturday, August 29 as part of the first RSD Drops dates, a re-working of Record Store Day, celebrating the people who make up the world of the record stores. Midland’s LIVE at the Palomino LP, whose cover art features an original illustration of the North Hollywood haunt, will be available at select stores across the country. The special vinyl features 17 live tracks that are an unapologetic hybrid of Midland’s classic country embrace of grown-up themes of drinking, cheating and seduction. On the night before the limited edition vinyl’s release, Record Store Day will premiere the Midland LIVE at the Palomino concert special on its Facebook page at 8 p.m. ET on Friday (Aug. 28).
Mark Thomas Joins AVVAY Nashville Office
Mark Thomas. Photo: Lauren Hanson
Mark Thomas has joined AVVAY as Project Manager for the Nashville market. AVVAY assists creatives in booking locations for photo and film shoots and other creative projects and currently serves the Nashville, Portland, Chicago, Dallas and Houston markets with additional market expansion plans on the horizon.
Thomas was most recently Producer, Brand Creative and Promotions at CMT where he managed on-the-ground production and post production of assets for promotion of CMT shows, events and initiatives. Before CMT, he was a part of Calvin Klein’s marketing and production team in New York, New York.
“We’re thrilled to be adding Mark to our team. He brings an impressive range of production experience to the table that’s going to enable us to serve our rapidly growing client-base better than ever,” says Jon Howard, AVVAY’s co-founder and CEO.
Kristian Bush, Matt Stell, Temecula Road, More Set For Country Sway Summer Streamathon
The four-day Country Sway Summer Sway Streamathon is set for Aug. 27-30 featuring over 40 different artist performances. The online concert event, featuring Chris Bandi, Kristian Bush, Brett Kissel, Matt Stell, Temecula Road, Jeremy McComb, Josh Mirenda, Jamie O’Neal, and more, will benefit Music Health Alliance as the non-profit continues to provide immediate critical assistance to members of the U.S. music community who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wynonna Covers John Prine, Nina Simone On Upcoming EP
/by Jessica NicholsonWynonna and Cactus Moser. Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson
On her upcoming EP Recollections (out Oct. 30 via ANTI- Records), Wynonna will lend her soulful voice to a handful of her favorite classic tunes. Wynonna recorded music of the album while quarantining on her Tennessee farm in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project includes the blues song “King Bee,” which Wynonna and husband Michael Scott “Cactus” Moser have been performing together in concert for years. Recollections also features performances of “I Hear You Knocking” by Fats Domino, “Angel From Montgomery” by John Prine, “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone and “Ramble On Rose” by the Grateful Dead.
Wynonna first entered the national spotlight in the 1980s as half of the country duo The Judds, alongside her mother Naomi. The duo became known for hits including “Love Can Build A Bridge,” “Grandpa,” and “Girls Night Out.” They earned five Grammy awards, 14 No. 1 singles and sold more than 20 million records. In 1992, Wynonna struck out on her own with a solo career. Her debut album was certified 5x Platinum.
“I’ve learned a lot being at home these last few months,” Wynonna reflects. “When there’s no touring, no concerts, no band, no lights, no action, all that’s left is you and the song. All that’s left is your gift.
“This EP was a labor of love without the labor,” she laughs. “As a songwriter, you can get bogged down in your own craft sometimes, but there’s something so liberating about letting go of all that and just inhabiting someone else’s writing.”
Recollections Track Listing:
1. I Hear You Knocking (Fats Domino)
2. King Bee (Slim Harpo)
3. Feeling Good (Nina Simone)
4. Angel From Montgomery (John Prine)
5. Ramble On Rose (Grateful Dead)
Mike Curb Music Signs Matthews Ntlele
/by Jessica NicholsonMatthews Ntlele
Mike Curb Music has signed singer-songwriter Matthews Ntlele, a co-writer behind some of Elevation Worship’s biggest hits, including “Here As In Heaven,” “Echo,” and more.
Born in South Africa in the midst of Apartheid, Ntlele’s childhood was riddled with poverty and instability. Church became an anchor amid constant uncertainty, and it also became the place where he first fell in love with music, regularly showing up simply to watch choir rehearsals. Despite the family’s dire financial constraints, his mom scraped together enough money to buy her son his first guitar at age 12.
Ntlele began to develop his craft as a worship leader and songwriter during an internship with Reuben Morgan at Hillsong International Leadership College in Sydney, Australia. Following his time at Hillsong, Ntlele moved to the United States, where he joined and began writing songs with a team of songwriters and musicians at Elevation Worship in Charlotte, North Carolina.
In addition to signing an exclusive songwriting deal with Mike Curb Music, Ntlele has released the new track, “Not The End.” Released July 10, “Not The End” was mixed by Ainslie Grosser (for KING & COUNTRY), produced by We The Kingdom’s Andrew Bergthold, and written by Ntlele, Stefan Green and Paul Ooi.
Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum Reopens To The Public Sept. 10
/by Jessica NicholsonOnce the Country Music Hall of Fame reopens in September, tours of Hatch Show Print and Historic RCA Studio B will also resume in a limited capacity, while The Taylor Swift Education Center will remain closed to the public. All in-person programming remains on hiatus.
“We closed March 13, and since that day we have been anticipating and preparing for the museum’s reopening,” said Kyle Young, museum CEO. “The museum places its highest premium on health and safety. Because there has been steady improvement in the number of COVID-19 cases and a significant decline in transmission rates locally plus a decrease in new cases nationally over the past four weeks, we have decided to reopen. The museum experience will be slightly different—visitors will wear masks, practice social distancing, tour in smaller groups and enter the museum according to a pre-arranged, staggered schedule, and there will be no in-person programming. But our commitment to sharing the country music story has not changed.”
The museum will reopen in alignment with Nashville Mayor John Cooper’s Roadmap for Reopening Nashville. Policies and procedures are in place to help ensure a safe and healthy environment for guests, staff and volunteers, including: