Rosanne Cash. Photo: ICM Partners
Rosanne Cash has been named the recipient of the 61st Edward MacDowell Medal, which honors an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to American culture. Among those who have previously received the honor are Georgia O’Keefee, Toni Morrison, Leonard Bernstein, John Updike, Joan Didion and more.
Cash will receive the honor on Aug. 8, 2021 during a free, public ceremony, which typically brings in more than 1,200 visitors from around the country to MacDowell’s 450-acre campus. The Edward MacDowell Medal has been presented since 1960.
The selection committee included music journalist, author and critic Greil Marcus, as well as music critic and arts administrator John Rockwell, alongside musicologist, author and professor Mary E. Davis and Yale University professor and cultural critic Daphne Brooks and MacDowell Board member and WQXR radio host Terrance McKnight.
“From the shockingly intimate timbre of Seven Year Ache in 1981 to the reflective darkness of She Remembers Everything 37 years later, as a composer, singer, and someone who can, in a sense, summon ambiance, Rosanne Cash has distinguished herself from her contemporaries as she has escaped the weight of her celebrated forebears,” Marcus said.
Cash, who will turn 65 later this month, is best known for albums including Seven Year Ache, King’s Record Shop, Rhythm & Romance, and The River and the Thread. She has earned four Grammy Awards and two Americana Honors & Awards, and notched 21 Top 40 hits, as well as 11 No. 1 singles. She’s authored four books, including Composed: A Memoir, Bodies of Water, Penelope Jane: A Fairy’s Tale, and Songs Without Rhyme: Prose By Celebrated Songwriters.
Cash was honored with the SAG/AFTRA Lifetime Achievement award for Sound Recordings in 2012 and received the 2014 Smithsonian Ingenuity Award for the Performing Arts.
Brandi Carlile, Caylee Hammack, Caleb Lee Hutchinson Added To Georgia On My Mind Benefit
/by Lorie HollabaughBrandi Carlile, Caylee Hammack, Caleb Lee Hutchinson, Kevn Kinney, and Michelle Malone have been added to the lineup of artists on the upcoming seventh annual “Gretsch Presents Georgia On My Mind” online concert benefiting the Georgia Music Foundation on May 26.
The streaming fundraiser will be hosted by Georgia-born musicians Brent Cobb and Amy Ray (Indigo Girls) and will also feature performances by Caroline Aiken, Tony Arata, John Berry, Kristian Bush’s band Dark Water, Amy Grant, Rutha Harris, John Driskell Hopkins, Indigo Girls, Kalen & Aslyn, Chuck Leavell, Kim Michael Polote, Katie Pruitt, The War & Treaty, Jontavious Willis, Channing Wilson, and Adam Wright.
“Gretsch Presents Georgia On My Mind” will be streamed on facebook.com/georgiamusic and georgiamusic.org. The fundraiser will be a musical and visual love letter to the Peach State, the Georgia Music Foundation, and the programs that are beneficiaries of the funds throughout the state. The show is usually held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The city is a home-away-from-home for numerous Georgia-born singers and songwriters including former hosts The Peach Pickers (Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, and Ben Hayslip), who turned the reins over to Cobb and Ray this year. Concerns for public safety and COVID-19 prompted organizers to reimagine the event this year as an online concert.
Gretsch Executive Vice President/CFO Dinah Gretsch, who is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Georgia Music Foundation explained, “The proceeds fund the Foundation’s annual grants for music programs at schools and non-profit organizations all over the state. My husband, Fred, and I believe that the music industry and non-profit organizations like this one will need our support now more than ever, and we’re proud to make it possible to take this concert online and share it with even more people.”
Kameron Marlowe Signs Publishing Deal With Sony/ATV
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured, Front row (L-R): Rusty Gaston, Kameron Marlowe, Tom Luteran, Kaitlin Madewell. Back row (L-R): Dane Schmidt, Katie Kerkhover, Becky Harris, Joe Lee, Rob Beckham, Anna Weisband, Mya Hansen, Josh Van Valkenburg
Singer-songwriter and former The Voice contestant Kameron Marlowe keeps adding to his team. The North Carolina native has signed an exclusive global publishing deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville.
“It’s obvious from the first listen that Kameron Marlowe’s voice was made for country radio,” said Rusty Gaston, CEO, Sony/ATV Nashville. “His ability to translate emotion with his real-life inspired songwriting is second to none. Our team is excited to welcome him to our family, and we look forward to being champions for his rising career.”
“Having some of Nashville’s best songwriters embrace a new artist like myself has been a huge blessing,” Marlowe said. “I love to write songs, and once I found out people actually make a living writing, I knew this is what I was meant to do. Having Rusty and the Sony/ATV team by my side, I couldn’t have asked for a better fit.”
Marlowe recently signed with The Artist Management Group (the AMG). He’s released the debut track “Giving You Up,” which has earned 25 million streams to date.
Chris Stapleton Postpones All-American Road Show Dates Until 2021
/by Lorie HollabaughChris Stapleton‘s All-American Road Show dates for the remainder of the year have been rescheduled for 2021 due to concerns about COVID-19. His Aug. 29 show at Wrigley Field and the Nov. 21 Globe Life show in Arlington, Texas with Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson, and Yola are both being rescheduled for 2021.
Stapleton said via Twitter, “We’ve made this decision with the health and safety of our fans, touring family, and the communities we travel through as our number one priority.”
All previously purchased tickets will be honored for the rescheduled dates, and those unable to attend the new dates will have 30 days to obtain a refund that will be made available at the point of purchase.
Reba Moves Arena Tour To 2021
/by Lorie HollabaughThe newly-rescheduled dates launch July 8, 2021 in Evansville, Indiana and run through Aug. 14 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Previously purchased tickets will be honored for all dates, and fans unable to attend the new dates will receive an email explaining how to request a refund.
“I can’t wait to see everybody when we know it’s safe to gather again,” said Reba. “We’ve worked so hard on this new show and I’ll be ready to go as soon as we get the green light!”
McEntire recently released an updated music video for her timeless song “What If,” as an encouraging message of hope and positivity during these uncertain times. Written by Diane Warren, the tune was originally released in 1997.
NEW DATES: Reba Live In Concert 2021 Tour
July 8: Evansville, IN-Ford Center
July 9: Huntsville, AL-Von Braun Center
July 10: Biloxi, MS-Mississippi Coast Coliseum
July 15: Green Bay, WI-Resch Center
July 16: St. Paul, MN-Xcel Energy Center
July 17: Sioux Falls, SD-Denny Sanford Premier Center
July 22: Duluth, GA-Infinite Energy Center
July 30: Bethlehem, PA-Wind Creek Event Center
Aug. 6: Pittsburgh, PA-PPG Paints Arena
Aug. 7: Toledo, OH-Huntington Center
Aug. 12: Peoria, IL-Peoria Civic Center
Aug. 13: Rosemont, IL-Allstate Arena
Aug. 14: Grand Rapids, MI-Van Andel Arena
Kenny Chesney Signs Global Publishing Agreement With UMPG
/by Jessica NicholsonKenny Chesney. Photo: Ross Copperman
Kenny Chesney has inked an exclusive global publishing agreement with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). The move reunites Chesney with Troy Tomlinson, who left Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville last year to lead UMPG’s Nashville division.
Chesney—who recently made his ninth debut at No. 1 on Billboard‘s all-genre Top 200 albums chart with his latest project Here and Now—has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide. Chesney has won four consecutive Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year Awards and Male Vocalist of the Year and nine Country Music Association Awards, including four Entertainer of the Year Awards and Album of The Year for When The Sun Goes Down. He was also the recipient of BMI’s President’s Award in 2016.
Chesney said, “Troy Tomlinson has been part of my creative life since I was a young dreamer hoping to capture some life in songs. To be reunited with him, as well as to work with Jody Gerson and the entire team at Universal Music Publishing inspires me to keep reaching for those same dreams, seeking truly special songs as a writer and an artist blessed to bring other people’s songs to the world, too.”
Tomlinson, Chairman and CEO of UMPG Nashville, added, “I met Kenny when he was 24 years old. He played me 4 or 5 songs in my office on his guitar. I remember the vivid lyrics. I can still recite them today. We have enjoyed lots of success together and lots of fun times and lifelong memories. I am grateful to continue to represent him and his music and look forward to delivering outstanding opportunities through UMPG.”
Rosanne Cash To Receive Edward MacDowell Medal
/by Jessica NicholsonRosanne Cash. Photo: ICM Partners
Rosanne Cash has been named the recipient of the 61st Edward MacDowell Medal, which honors an artist who has made an outstanding contribution to American culture. Among those who have previously received the honor are Georgia O’Keefee, Toni Morrison, Leonard Bernstein, John Updike, Joan Didion and more.
Cash will receive the honor on Aug. 8, 2021 during a free, public ceremony, which typically brings in more than 1,200 visitors from around the country to MacDowell’s 450-acre campus. The Edward MacDowell Medal has been presented since 1960.
The selection committee included music journalist, author and critic Greil Marcus, as well as music critic and arts administrator John Rockwell, alongside musicologist, author and professor Mary E. Davis and Yale University professor and cultural critic Daphne Brooks and MacDowell Board member and WQXR radio host Terrance McKnight.
“From the shockingly intimate timbre of Seven Year Ache in 1981 to the reflective darkness of She Remembers Everything 37 years later, as a composer, singer, and someone who can, in a sense, summon ambiance, Rosanne Cash has distinguished herself from her contemporaries as she has escaped the weight of her celebrated forebears,” Marcus said.
Cash, who will turn 65 later this month, is best known for albums including Seven Year Ache, King’s Record Shop, Rhythm & Romance, and The River and the Thread. She has earned four Grammy Awards and two Americana Honors & Awards, and notched 21 Top 40 hits, as well as 11 No. 1 singles. She’s authored four books, including Composed: A Memoir, Bodies of Water, Penelope Jane: A Fairy’s Tale, and Songs Without Rhyme: Prose By Celebrated Songwriters.
Cash was honored with the SAG/AFTRA Lifetime Achievement award for Sound Recordings in 2012 and received the 2014 Smithsonian Ingenuity Award for the Performing Arts.
Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival Cancels For 2020
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival has canceled its 2020 event, which had been slated for Sept. 26-27 at Franklin, Tennessee’s The Park at Harlinsdale Farms.
“With pieces in place, we were fully ready to accelerate preparations to host the festival this year. However, it became clear that the assurance for public safety would be difficult at best, and we needed to postpone until 2021,” said Brandt Wood, one of the festival’s co- producers. “We had sincerely hoped that Pilgrimage would serve its annual role to bring the community out to celebrate music and, particularly this year, to celebrate coming back together. Alas, the circumstances require us to look to next year for this.
“We couldn’t be more appreciative of the support provided by the City of Franklin staff and officials, as well as Friends of Franklin Parks over the years, and particularly over the past few weeks as we’ve worked closely together to assess the situation,” he added.
The cancellation is the latest music festival to cancel due to COVID-19 concerns, following the high-profile cancellations of CMA Music Festival, SXSW, and more. The festival’s organizers are already planning for the 2021 event.
“Our goal of becoming an annual cultural institution has been achieved and our desire to continue to evolve the Pilgrimage experience is undiminished,” added Wood. ‘There is simply no substitute for live music and the healing power it can provide. We know people will be more than ready to rejoice in this experience again when the climate improves.”
Those who purchased early bird tickets will have the option to transfer their tickets to the 2021 event or receiving a full refund, including all processing fees.
The show’s 2019 lineup had included Keith Urban, Foo Fighters, The Killers, Lauren Daigle, Better Than Ezra, Leon Bridges and more.
Weekly Register: Luke Combs Returns To No. 1
/by Jessica NicholsonLuke Combs. Photo: Jim Wright
Luke Combs‘ What You See Is What You Get returns to the top of the country albums chart, with 27K in total consumption this week, according to Nielsen Soundscan. Combs also lands at No. 2 with This One’s For You earning 21K in total consumption.
Morgan Wallen‘s If I Know Me moves up one spot in the rankings, landing at No. 3 with 20K, while Sam Hunt‘s Southside also moves up one spot to No. 4 from last week, with 16K.
Kenny Chesney‘s latest project Here and Now falls from a No. 1 debut last week to No. 5 this week, with 15K. The album moved 233K in total consumption during its debut week.
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit earns this week’s top country album debut with Reunions, which enters at No. 17 on the country albums chart with 7.1K.
Gabby Barrett continues to top the on-demand country streaming songs chart this week with “I Hope” earning 10 million streams this week. Wallen’s “Chasin’ You” is at No. 2 with 8 million streams, while Wallen is also featured at No. 3 as part of Diplo & Julia Michaels’ “Heartless,” which earned 7.8 million streams. Maren Morris‘ “The Bones” is at No. 4 with 7.6 million streams, while Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani round out this week’s Top 5 with 6.3 million streams with “Nobody But You.”
The top country debut this week is Tim McGraw‘s “I Called Mama,” which enters at No. 85 with 1.8 million streams.
Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Reefs Continues Efforts, Adds Partners
/by Lorie HollabaughKenny Chesney
Kenny Chesney‘s No Shoes Reefs efforts have been paying off in a big way, and 2020 looks to be another successful year for the ocean conservation organization created by the superstar. An ongoing grassroots effort dedicated to the health of the ocean, No Shoes Reefs targets local waters, focusing on single reefs at the community level.
Through a partnership established in 2015, Chesney teamed with the Building Conservation Trust to create artificial reefs in places where degradation undermined healthy reefs, which provide a habitat for many kinds of sea life. Working at a grassroots level with the Coastal Conservation Association, 18 months after submerging their first two structures, Chesney and CCA President Pat Murray were able to see proof the efforts were working as they heard the fish finders and depth censors go crazy as they floated over the locations on the St. John River.
“The fish were back,” Chesney said. “The reefs were healthy, and the water was becoming what it was originally meant to be. I realized: small things can yield major results, especially within defined communities.”
As part of NSR’s initiative, Chesney continues his affiliation with the Coastal Conservation Association and is also aligning with Deep, SiliPint and the Reef Ball Foundation, also dedicated to preventing erosion and creating/preserving oceanic ecosystems, for 2020.
“All of our partners are committed to raising awareness of the importance of protecting our oceans, especially the reefs,” Chesney aaid. “It is critical that we maintain the reefs we have, try to establish awareness of how to protect the ocean, educate people about how to make a difference and, when needed, try to help – as the Reef Ball Foundation does – create more opportunities for healthy saltwater life.
Chesney recently announced his Chillaxification Tour has been postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With his latest album Here and Now, Chesney made his ninth album debut atop Billboard‘s all-genre Top 200 albums chart.
Luke Combs Moves Up To No. 2 Spot On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by LB CantrellLuke Combs moves up three slots to the No. 2 position on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week off momentum from his new, quarantine-inspired tune “Six Feet Apart,” as well as his co-writer credit on his own “Does To Me” and Carly Pearce and Lee Brice’s “I Hope You’re Happy Now.”
Craig Wiseman remains at No. 1 this week, and Shane McAnally moves down one slot to No. 3. Jonathan Singleton takes No. 4 on the chart with credits on “Die From A Broken Heart” (Maddie & Tae), “I Hope You’re Happy Now” (Carly Pearce and Lee Brice), and “In Between” (Scotty McCreery). Morgan Wallen rounds out the top five with co-writer credit on his own “Chasin’ You,” “This Bar,” and “More Than My Hometown.”
The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.
Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.