BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill participated in an industry workshop this week organized by Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, US Department of Justice, to discuss consent decree reform.
In a recent open letter, O’Neill and ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews highlighted the four key protections that BMI and ASCAP put forth to facilitate an orderly transition to a free market, including a path to ultimate termination of the decrees. He also highlighted the need to avoid Congressional regulation of performing rights.
O’Neill also provided the following caution to the industry:
“We have to be vigilant. As we’ve seen, some organizations are using this moment to their advantage. Unregulated parties and licensees are using this review of our consent decree to try to increase regulations on BMI and ASCAP, not for the benefit of songwriters and composers, but we believe for their own benefit. Frankly, this is just amazing to me and completely contradictory to what the DOJ is trying to do overall with consent decrees. Issues like 100% licensing, length of songwriter contracts and similarly situated licenses are coming into play. Issues that are more about regulating the marketplace through our consent decrees than the actual consent decrees themselves.”
Mike Steinberg, BMI’s Executive Vice President of Creative & Licensing, took part in a subsequent panel on alternative licensing options. Steinberg made the case that the free markets, and not the consent decrees, spark innovation, competition and the ability to even further meet the diverse needs of our songwriters, composers, publishers and licensees.
Stuart Rosen, BMI’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel, also took part in a panel on Licensing to Music Users highlighting how BMI and ASCAP’s proposed changes to their decrees will provide pro-competitive benefits for the entire marketplace.
Luke Bryan, Darius Rucker To Play Opry Aug. 15
/by Lorie HollabaughBryan just celebrated the 25th No. 1 single of his career, “One Margarita,” from his upcoming seventh studio album Born Here Live Here Die Here, due out Aug. 7.
Rucker is also releasing new music on Aug. 7 with his single “Beers and Sunshine,” a feel-good summer tune relishing slowing down to enjoy the simple things in life when the world feels out of control. Tonight Rucker will hosts his 11th annual “Darius & Friends” concert benefiting St. Jude Children’s Hospital at 7 p.m. CT. Pay-per-view tickets are on sale now at LivexLive.com/Darius.
This Saturday (Aug. 1), award-winning songwriter/multi-Grammy winner Rodney Crowell, Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill, and Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame member and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner Emmylou Harris will step onto the Grand Ole Opry stage at 7 p.m. CT.
GoFundMe Set Up For Music Industry Veteran Duane Hobson, Son Gary Following Tragic Loss
/by Lorie HollabaughDuane Hobson, a longtime Sony Music employee (1998-2016) and industry veteran, tragically lost his wife, Julie Hardy Hobson, on July 14, following a valiant fight with cancer. She was 35 years old.
The Hobsons were a loving couple and parents to an adorable three-year-old son, Gary, and Duane is now faced with the daunting task of raising Gary as a single parent.
“Duane worked with me in A&R for the majority of his time at Sony,” recalls Renee Bell, former Executive VP of A&R at Sony Music. “He was the glue for our department. He was my right hand “go-to” man. Am heartbroken Gary and he are having to go through this tragic loss.”
A GoFundMe campaign has been started by Bell and Whitney Daane to help Duane be able to take the time needed to grieve and also help his little boy, Gary, transition to their “new normal” without his mother. $5,665 of the $20,000 goal had been raised as of Wednesday evening (July 29).
Former Sony Music Chairman & CEO Joe Galante adds, “Duane has always been hard-working, creative, fun; and, he has a great heart. He will need all the help his friends and family can provide, having lost Julie: his partner, friend, wife and the mother of his son. It’s up to all of us to provide whatever help we can.”
To donate, visit gofundme.com.
Lauren Alaina Details Upcoming EP, ‘Getting Over Him’
/by Lorie HollabaughLauren Alaina is releasing a new song “Run,” from her upcoming new EP, Getting Over Him, on Friday (July 31). The track was co-written by Alaina, Ben Johnson and Kennedi.
“We are all running. Constantly. Non-Stop,” said Alaina. “Even in this quarantine, we are all still the busiest we’ve ever been. Life just keeps going and going and going in unbelievable paces as we try to race ourselves to the next thing. My idea with the song was to refer to examples of all things that run because no matter what your walk of life is we are all racing to the next thing. We are all trying to get where we are going. We all get our hearts broken. We all have these childhood dreams. We ‘run’ to make it all happen.”
Due out Sept. 4, Getting Over Him features two duets, including the title track duet with her labelmate/friend Jon Pardi. The Georgia native also enlisted international pop star Lukas Graham to duet with her on the vulnerable and heartbreaking “What Do You Think Of?”
“Lukas Graham’s vocal on this is ridiculous,” Alaina said. “I am the most nervous about releasing this one because I was so vulnerable when I wrote it. Most of my songs come from more of a sassy and empowered place and this song comes from a really broken place. But I think it’s important because it is a part of who I am. It’s a part of what I went through. And if I am going to be honest in my music I have to share songs like that too.
“Music is my lifeline,” said Alaina. “Music literally pulls me out of everything I ever go through [career, heartbreak, family, self-worth, love] and I feel really empowered with this music. I feel like this music shows my personal growth and my emotional growth. This EP of songs is all about loving myself through other people not loving me and not staying with me. It’s about me being able to get back to that same confident girl I wrote about on Road Less Travelled and to hold on to that confidence. I get to celebrate that with this music and I am so excited. I can’t wait for the fans to hear it.”
1. Run (Lauren Alaina/Ben Johnson/Kennedi)
2. If I Was A Beer (Lauren Alaina/David Garcia/Hardy)
3. Bar Back (Lauren Alaina/David Garcia/Hilary Lindsay)
4. Getting Over Him (duet with Jon Pardi) (Lauren Alaina/Paul DiGiovanni/Emily Weisband)
5. See You In Your Hometown (Lauren Alaina/Ben Johnson/ Kennedi)
6. What Do You Think Of? (duet with Lukas Graham) (Lauren Alaina/Johan Carlsson/Asia Whiteacre)
The Foxies Members Julia Bullock, Jake Ohlbaum Sign With Round Hill Music Nashville
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured: Bullock, Ohlbaum
Julia Bullock and Jake Ohlbaum of the Nashville-based alternative pop band The Foxies have signed co-publishing deals with Round Hill Music Nashville. The signings follow on the heels of the release of their recent EP, Growing Up Is Dead.
The Foxies are a power trio built on thrashing punk energy and the hypnotic pageantry of electronic pop. Their new EP features tracks that capture that energy as well as the strength and unpredictability of the band’s live shows. Preaching empowerment and individuality, tracks like the lead single “Anti Socialite” stake a claim for the castaways of a world gone social-media mad. The band garnered attention with previous singles “Be Afraid Boy,” and “Chewing Gum” and has played everywhere from the Sundance Film Festival to Bonnaroo, SXSW and Lightning 100’s Live On The Green.
“What a treat to get to work with writers like Julia and Jake,” said Round Hill’s Mark Brown. “Their music is so fresh, and their approach is so free. I think they are special, and I am really looking forward to working with them.”
“I’ve been a personal fan of The Foxies for years and am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Julia and Jake,” added Round Hill’s Bob Squance. “Their abilities as artists and songwriters are incredible and I can’t wait for the world to hear what they’ve been working on.”
“From day one, we have always told ourselves that the key to achieving longevity as a band is to find our champions, and we have found them in Round Hill,” Bullock said. “They take the time to know us as artists and as people and because of that, we have the type of relationship that many songwriters work their whole lives to find.”
“To find a team like Round Hill that supports me as a songwriter, producer and artist is truly more than I could have predicted for this year,” added Ohlbaum. “Mark and Bob are such incredible creative resources and we are excited to have them in our corner.”
Dennis Quaid Signs With UTA
/by Jessica NicholsonDennis Quaid has signed with UTA for representation in all areas, including music and touring.
Quaid recently co-founded the podcast content studio, network and production company Audio Up (which he runs alongside CEO Jared Gutstadt) and launched the podcast The Dennissance on the platform. Quaid also co-hosts The Pet Show with Jimmy Jellinek; Uncle Drank: The Totally Hammered Podcast alongside Gary Busey, which will debut in October with Warner Records set to release the soundtrack; and Make It Up As We Go, which he is executive producing and is due to release this fall.
As a musician and songwriter, Quaid released his debut album, Out of the Box, in 2018. He is currently developing The Charley Pride Story, which he will produce with Ben Howard’s Third Coast Content production company. He is also set to star in the Ronald Reagan biopic Reagan.
As an actor, Quaid is known for his roles in The Rookie, The Day After Tomorrow, Traffic, Vantage Point, Frequency, The Parent Trap, Soul Surfer, The Right Stuff, and Breaking Away. More recently, his latest big-screen credits include starring roles in Sony’s thriller The Intruder, Universal’s A Dog’s Journey and A Dog’s Purpose, and Roadside Attractions’ I Can Only Imagine, among others.
Quaid is managed by George Freeman and represented by attorney Stewart Brookman at Hansen Jacobsen and Adkins Publicity’s Scott Adkins.
BMI President/CEO Mike O’Neill Champions Consent Decree Reform
/by Lorie HollabaughIn a recent open letter, O’Neill and ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews highlighted the four key protections that BMI and ASCAP put forth to facilitate an orderly transition to a free market, including a path to ultimate termination of the decrees. He also highlighted the need to avoid Congressional regulation of performing rights.
O’Neill also provided the following caution to the industry:
“We have to be vigilant. As we’ve seen, some organizations are using this moment to their advantage. Unregulated parties and licensees are using this review of our consent decree to try to increase regulations on BMI and ASCAP, not for the benefit of songwriters and composers, but we believe for their own benefit. Frankly, this is just amazing to me and completely contradictory to what the DOJ is trying to do overall with consent decrees. Issues like 100% licensing, length of songwriter contracts and similarly situated licenses are coming into play. Issues that are more about regulating the marketplace through our consent decrees than the actual consent decrees themselves.”
Mike Steinberg, BMI’s Executive Vice President of Creative & Licensing, took part in a subsequent panel on alternative licensing options. Steinberg made the case that the free markets, and not the consent decrees, spark innovation, competition and the ability to even further meet the diverse needs of our songwriters, composers, publishers and licensees.
Stuart Rosen, BMI’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel, also took part in a panel on Licensing to Music Users highlighting how BMI and ASCAP’s proposed changes to their decrees will provide pro-competitive benefits for the entire marketplace.
Kenny Chesney To Release Vinyl Version Of ‘Here And Now’
/by Jessica NicholsonKenny Chesney will release a vinyl project on Aug. 21, with the release of his Here and Now vinyl LP.
“Music is medicine,” Chesney says. “And No Shoes Nation is people who work hard, rock hard, play hard. They’re always in their truck or their car, headed somewhere, so I like the idea they take these songs along with them.
“But with so many of us staying home, having the time to really dive into the music and listen—and based on the passion for this project, it seemed like now is the time to do vinyl. I had a friend give me a stack of albums from the ’70s and ’80s a few years ago, and there really is something different about settling in and listening. It’s warmer. It has a bit more presence sonically. It’s a whole other way to listen, and right now, that feels like a good thing,” says Chesney.
Here and Now will be pressed on clear vinyl and will be available exclusively through Walmart and via kennychesney.com.
“One of the most difficult things for people seems to be actually getting their hands on physical recordings,” he explains. “It used to be so easy to drop into Tower Records and get lost for a while. Today people have so much they have to do, plus they really don’t want to go out right now, so this seems like the easiest and best way to get the vinyl Here And Now into the fans’ hands.”
His latest single “Happy Does” was most-added at country radio in its first week.
“There were a couple other songs we were talking about,” Chesney says of his current single, “but it felt like right now, remembering to see the glass as half full, to find the best possible reality in any given moment is so important. ‘Happy Does’ is filled with people doing just that, and it’s why in the end, we decided that would be the song we’d send out there for summer.”
Terri Clark’s Upcoming Holiday Album To Feature Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, And More
/by Lorie HollabaughTerri Clark will release a new holiday album It’s Christmas…Cheers! on Sept. 25. The album marks Clark’s first new project to be released on Mercury Nashville in 15 years.
Produced by Clark herself, the album features special guests Dierks Bentley, Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, The Oak Ridge Boys, Pam Tillis, and Suzy Bogguss, while the Time Jumpers play on all 10 tracks. Each album will include a Christmas postcard and the LP will also feature holly green vinyl.
“I resisted making and releasing a Christmas album for many years even though I’m a big Christmas person and love the music of the season. It’s been done by the best in so many amazing ways and I wanted to wait until I felt I could make it special, be excited about it, and do it justice in my own way. Having The Time Jumpers to collaborate with and the wonderful guest artists featured – it did just that. I am eager for everyone to hear the record that was almost 2 years in the making but took 25 years to get around to.”
Clark took to the airwaves in 2016 in a whole new way with her internationally syndicated radio show Country Gold with Terri Clark. The show can be heard on over 170 stations across the U.S. and Canada and has garnered her CMA and ACM nominations. Throughout her career she’s sold over five million albums, and garnered hit singles “Better Things To Do,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” “Girls Lie Too,” “Northern Girl,” and “I Just Wanna Be Mad.”
It’s Christmas… Cheers! Track Listing:
1)- Winter Wonderland
2)- Jingle Bells
3)- The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
4)- I’ll Be Home For Christmas
5)- Cowboy Christmas (featuring Ricky Skaggs)
6)- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (with Dierks Bentley)
7)- Silent Night (featuring Vince Gill)
8)- Up On The Housetop
9)- Silver Bells (featuring The Oak Ridge Boys)
10)- Away In A Manager (with Pam Tillis & Suzy Bogguss)
Sony Music Nashville Promotes Lauren Thomas
/by Jessica NicholsonLauren Thomas
Sony Music Nashville radio promotion exec Lauren Thomas has been promoted to the role of Vice President, National Promotion. She will work with Exec. VP of Promotion and Artist Development Steve Hodges and others leading the helm of the Arista, Columbia and RCA Nashville promotion teams to focus on national strategies to achieve the label group’s airplay and artist development goals.
“Watching someone’s hard work and dedication to their craft rise to fruition is an absolute joy,” Hodges says. “To be able to award LT her VP stripes is an honor. She embodies the true spirit of innovation in challenging times. I could not be more proud of her accomplishments.”
Thomas joined Sony Music Nashville in October 2009 as National Promotion Coordinator for Arista Nashville. Within a year, she was promoted to Regional Promotion Manager for the imprint, and, in 2016, named Director of Promotion for Sony Music Nashville.
Randy Travis Returns With New Single "Fool’s Love Affair"
/by Jessica NicholsonToday, the vocalist and songwriter that helped bring country music back to its traditionalist roots in the 1980s returns with a never-before-heard song, as Randy Travis releases “Fool’s Love Affair.”
The song marks Travis’ first single release to country radio since his near-fatal stroke in 2013. Travis originally recorded “Fool’s Love Affair” prior to the release of his 1986 debut project Storms of Life, the album that would issue radio hits including “On The Other Hand,” “1982,” “Diggin’ Up Bones” and “No Place Like Home,” and go on to be certified 3x multi-Platinum by the RIAA.
Randy Travis and Charlie Monk.
“Fool’s Love Affair” was recorded as a demo tape and was tucked away in storage before songwriter, publisher and radio personality Charlie Monk (who co-wrote the track with Keith Stegall and Milton Brown) came across the demo and brought it to Travis’ longtime producer Kyle Lehning, who updated the recording to modern standards.
Today also marks the 35th anniversary of Travis’ first major label radio single, “On The Other Hand,” written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz. The track had previously been included on Keith Whitley’s album L.A. To Miami. In its initial release, Travis’ rendition of “On The Other Hand” peaked at No. 67 on the country radio chart. After “1982” reached the Top 10, Travis’ team re-released “On The Other Hand,” bringing his very first No. 1 hit, the first of 22 chart-toppers Travis has earned during his career.
Travis became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1986; three decades later, he became a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2016.