Longtime independent country recording artist and veteran Nashville songwriter Ramsey Kearney died on Saturday (March 14) at age 86.
He is best known for collaborating with Mel Tillis in co-writing Brenda Lee’s 1961 international pop smash “Emotions.” The song has also been recorded by Juice Newton (1994), Pam Tillis (2002) and Little Rachel (2009), among others.
Kearney’s other notable copyrights include “Nine Little Teardrops” for Sue Thompson (1961), “Lonely People” for Eddy Arnold (1964) and “Big Flicking Baby” for Moe Bandy (1978).
William Ramsey Kearney was born Oct. 30, 1933 in Bolivar, Tennessee. He began his career with his own radio show on WDXI in Jackson, 1948-52. He served in the Army in 1953-55.
After stints in Memphis and Knoxville, he headed to Nashville. He first gained notoriety in Music City as a staff writer for Cedarwood Publishing.
He next signed with Acuff-Rose, which employed him as a songplugger as well as a writer. As a vocalist, Kearney recorded for the publisher’s affiliated Hickory label in the 1960s, He reportedly staged his Opry debut singing Fred Rose’s “I Never Let You Cross My Mind.”
When he signed with Tree International, Ramsey Kearney became one of the few songwriters to have been affiliated with all three of Music Row’s founding song publishers. While at Tree, he began recording for NRS Records. The label released his self-penned “Love Me Strong,” “Bud’s Wiser Now” and “Driving Me to Drinking” during the 1970s.
This marked the start of his long career as an independent country recording artist. He issued more than 20 singles on Safari Records and made the charts with “King of Oak Street” (1985) and “One Time Thing” (1988). He also recorded for Silver Dollar, Nashco, SunJay, Stomper Time and other indie labels.
His 25+ albums included I Write the Words (1981), I Dream a Rainbow (1982), My Happy Day (1983), Behind a Song (1985, marketed on TNN), Montego Bay (1987) Country Fever (1988) and Golden Dreams of Hawaii (1990), plus an Eddy Arnold tribute LP, a Christmas album, a rockabilly collection and a blues album.
Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, services for Ramsey Kearney will not be public. To ensure the safety and health of the community, a private visitation and service will be held on Thursday, March 19 at Hendersonville Funeral Home. Burial will take place at Hendersonville Memorial Gardens.
Cole Swindell Reschedules Remaining Down To Earth Tour Dates
/by Lorie HollabaughCole Swindell has postponed the remaining dates of his headlining Down To Earth Tour and rescheduled them until Fall. The tour will kick back off Oct. 1 in his home state for a show in Macon, Georgia at the Macon Centreplex Auditorium. Joining Swindell on the tour will be special guests HARDY and Trea Landon, with Jon Langston now joining for the final three shows.
“We were so disappointed to have to pause the Down To Earth Tour but it was the absolute right thing to do for the safety of our fans, our band, crew, families and public in general,” said Swindell. “I am happy to say we have been working hard over the past few days to get these dates rescheduled and get this Down To Earth Tour back out in front of the fans. Me, HARDY, Trea and Jon have a lot of exciting things still in store.”
Tickets purchased for the original tour will be honored for the rescheduled dates. Any further ticket inquiries can be addressed at point of purchase.
Heidi Newfield Readies New Collection Featuring Delbert McClinton, Chris Stapleton, More
/by Lorie HollabaughHeidi Newfield is releasing a new album The Barfly Sessions on June 5. The collection was co-produced by Newfield with Jim “Moose” Brown, who, in addition to being a hit songwriter and producer, is known for playing Hammond B3, guitar and is the band leader of Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band.
“It’s inspiring to see an artist who’s had the kind of success she’s had be so determined to push new musical boundaries and get outside of her comfort zone,” Brown says. “Heidi and I have been friends for many years and I’ve always been a fan of her music, but I really had no clue as to the depth of her musicianship, songwriting, and general bad-assery until now. She is a deep mix of old school country, Texas twang, blues and straight-up soul, and she absolutely delivers the goods on this record.”
The album, which has 12 songs co-penned by Newfield herself, features a notable collection of collaborators and co-writers including Al Anderson, Randy Houser, Jim Lauderdale, Delbert McClinton, Jon Randall, Mickey Raphael, Rivers Rutherford, Leslie Satcher, Chris Stapleton, Matt King and Kenny Vaughan.
One track she didn’t write, “Blues Is My Business,” is a standout, especially to its writer, Kevin Bowe, who says, “I’ve heard many, many versions … from Etta James to the old bar-band down the street … but no one owns this song like Heidi Newfield. Her combination of big-hearted soul and an even bigger middle finger gave this song exactly what it wanted. Having the legendary Delbert McClinton join Heidi was better than having the cherry on top — more like the spicy BBQ sauce, the perfect combination and flavor.”
Big Machine Music Signs Ryan Hurd
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R, back row): Red Light Management’s Dallas McVey, BelleSouth Business Management’s Anna Marsh, Red Light Management’s Janet Weir, Big Machine Music’s Alex Heddle, Big Machine Label Group’s Malcolm Mimms; (L-R, front row): Ritholz Levy Fields’ Chip Petree, Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta, Ryan Hurd, Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar. Photo: Seth Hellman for Big Machine Music
Big Machine Music, the music publishing arm of Big Machine Label Group, has signed Ryan Hurd to an exclusive songwriting agreement, and has acquired his Lake Allegan Pub Club (ASCAP) and Hurdjamz (BMI) music publishing catalogs. The catalogs include songs recorded by Lady Antebellum (“What If I Never Get Over You,” “You Look Good”), Luke Bryan (“Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset”), Diplo (“Heartless” ft. Julia Michaels and Morgan Wallen) and wife Maren Morris (“I Wish I Was,” “All My Favorite People”), and more.
As an artist, Hurd is currently signed with Sony Music Nashville, and has released singles including “We Do Us,” “Love in a Bar,” and the Gold-certified, Top 20 hit “To A T.”
BMM General Manager Mike Molinar said, “Ryan is a dynamic artist and songwriter with a high trajectory and boundless future. The power of his music translates through both his voice and his writing, across genres, through audiences and up the charts. Big Machine Music is proud to become the steward of his catalog and advocate for his songwriting career.”
“I love being a songwriter in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the last few years, I have gotten to know Mike Molinar and Alex Heddle on a personal and professional level. They treat songs and songwriters with amazing care and excitement, and I’m so happy to begin a new chapter with the entire publishing team at Big Machine Music,” shared Hurd.
Big Machine Music’s roster also includes Brett Young, Brandy Clark, Laura Veltz, Jessie Jo Dillon, Eric Paslay and more.
Third Man Records To Host Daily Live-Streamed Performances, Starting Today
/by LB CantrellThird Man Records has announced Third Man Public Access, a series of daily live-streamed performances to take place every day at 12 p.m. CT from their famed Blue Room in their Nashville headquarters. Starting today at 12 p.m. CT will be a performance from new age pedal steel player Luke Schneider.
The live-streamed performance can be viewed at Third Man Records’ Youtube channel today and every day for the foreseeable future. Check Third Man’s Instagram, Twitter and Facebook pages for daily performance information. A full schedule of performances will be announced soon.
Please be assured that they will have fewer than 10 people in the Blue Room—and at the Third Man Records headquarters in general—and everyone will be staying more than 6 feet apart. Third Man will be including Venmo and Paypal handles for you to tip your entertainers.
BREAKING NEWS: Confirmed U.S. Cases Of Coronavirus Now Exceeds 10,000
/by Sherod RobertsonDespite efforts to delay spread, the confirmed cases of Coronavirus COVID-19 in the United States has now exceeded the benchmark of 10,000 cases as of Mar. 19, 2020 with 10,755 confirmed U.S. cases according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at John Hopkins University (JHU) and is expected to continue rising. The report shows there have been 154 deaths and 106 recovered in the U.S. so far.
Although there have been continued promises by the federal administration of adequate testing abilities, those have been slow to come to fruition; therefore, this number is widely expected to increase as more tests actually become available and more cases can be tested and confirmed.
According to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at John Hopkins University (JHU), total cases currently confirmed globally are 229,289 with total deaths of 9,324 and 84,557 recovered.
Their report shows the state of Tennessee has a total of 100 confirmed cases with no deaths and none recovered.
According to the Tennessee Department of Health, the most recent report (updated at 2:00 p.m. CST yesterday on Mar. 18) indicates total confirmed cases in the state is 98 (74 of which were done outside of the State Public Health Laboratory in other commercial and private laboratories). Most of the confirmed cases come from two Tennessee counties: Davidson County with 58 and Williamson county with 24.
Discrepancies occur between CSSE at JHU and TDH due to timing differences of reports.
Presley & Taylor Sign With PLA Media
/by Lorie HollabaughPresley & Taylor
Presley & Taylor have signed with PLA Media for publicity representation.
Their newest single, “End of the World,” is available now on all streaming platforms, and the siblings have already enjoyed success with original material like their single “Heart Over Mind” featuring Pam Tillis, and “Tall, Dark and Lonesome,” penned by Country Music Hall of Famer Bill Anderson.
“I am a sucker for familial harmonies and these sisters have it going on,” PLA Media President and CEO Pam Lewis said. “They have already won over James Stroud, Keith Burns, and Pam Tillis. We at PLA are the newest members of their team; however, we quickly realized that their stage presence, beauty and work ethic is sure to be a winning combo. The only way Presley & Taylor are going is up!”
“So happy to work with the great folks at PLA,” said Presley & Taylor. “We are looking forward to good things to come as we continue to release new music in 2020.”
Michael August Elevated To GM At Demolition Music
/by Lorie HollabaughMichael August, Jamie Dryburgh
Michael August has been promoted to General Manager at Demolition Music and Jamie Dryburgh has been promoted from Creative Manager to Creative Director at the company.
As GM, August will oversee the company’s day-to-day operations including creative and strategic partnerships, synch licensing, and artist development. August joined Demolition in 2014 as a staff songwriter, and moved into the position of Creative Manager in June of 2017. Along with this promotion, August also has a worldwide exclusive publishing agreement with Demolition as a staff songwriter.
In conjunction with August’s promotion, Demolition Music has promoted Jamie Dryburgh from Creative Manager to Creative Director. As Creative Director, Dryburgh will oversee the calendars of Demolition’s writers, assist with song plugging, act as a songwriter liaison, and continue to seek out creative opportunities for the company. Dryburgh is also the co-owner of two Nashville-based lifestyle brands, Young Music City and RNBW. She joined the Demolition team in August of 2018 and prior to that spent two years at Wrensong Entertainment in songwriter relations.
“Michael and Jamie have given Demolition that powerful one-two punch that has built our brand, added depth and diversity to our team and catalogue, and put us in position for some big things to happen in the very near future,” said Demolition President Jon D’Agostino.
JUST IN: ACM To Hold Two-Hour "At Home" Concert Special April 5
/by Jessica NicholsonACM Presents: Our Country will feature conversations and at-home acoustic performances with top country artists, along with clips from their favorite moments from the Academy of Country Music’s 55-year history. Participating artists will be announced in coming weeks.
Artists will appear from their homes via video chat to share some heartfelt thoughts and perform acoustic versions of country hits. Additionally, video clips from previous ACM Award® broadcasts will allow viewers to reminisce with them about their favorite ACM moments. It will be a night filled with entertainment, hope and reflection, bringing the healing power of music to Americans at a time when they need it most.
“Although the highly anticipated 55th ACM Awards show is unable to take place on April 5 due to the health crisis, we still wanted to deliver fans an entertaining ACM Country Music special as planned,” said Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music. “We are thrilled to announce ACM Presents: Our Country, an all-new special that allows fans to connect with their favorite country artists and to relive some of the greatest moments of the ACM Awards, all from the comfort and safety of their own homes.”
“Music has always served as a powerful form of hope and solidarity during challenging times,” said Amy Thurlow, President, dick clark productions. “It’s our privilege to offer audiences an uplifting message through music as well as a look back at some of the best moments in ACM Awards history.”
“Broadcast television and music have always been mediums that bring people together,” said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music and Live Events, CBS Entertainment. “From their living rooms to yours, CBS is pleased to partner with the ACM and dick clark productions to have some of today’s biggest country artists connect with and entertain fans in an intimate way while allowing everyone to stay safe.”
The Academy of Country Music Awards have been rescheduled for September, with a specific date, time and venue yet to be announced.
Zac Brown Band Lets Go Of 90% Of Touring Crew, Calls For Change As Coronavirus Spreads
/by Jessica NicholsonZac Brown Band frontman Zac Brown revealed last night (March 18) that he has had to let go of 90% of his longtime band and crew members, after the band’s The Owl Tour was halted as the COVID-19 coronavirus continues to spread. The Owl Tour is one of numerous tours, festivals, and other large-scale music events that had to be put on pause in recent weeks.
Brown shared the news on Instagram last night:
“It was a hard day today for the last 15 years, my crew and who I carried with me out on the road to play my shows and do what we do, I’ve had to let go of about 90% of my family, the people that I traveled with and grew my business with, the people I high five on the way out to the stage the people that have done their jobs and done them well. I hate having to make this call but I can’t generate out there and I can’t tour because of the coronavirus. And everyone’s safety,” Brown said in the video.
He urged Americans to take the virus more seriously.
“I got this message that I want to say to the people that aren’t taking this seriously and who are out partying and the people that are out sitting on beaches and the people that don’t care if they get this virus and bring it home to their grandparents and maybe kill their grandparents or complicate their lives. The longer that America doesn’t take this seriously and doesn’t stay in and try to contain this, the longer everyone’s going to be out of jobs, the longer that we will be pushed into this recession that we’re all about to enter into. The sickness has just begun here, it’s just started to rear its head, so you need to wake up. You need to stay indoors and try to socially distance yourself and stay inside. America can heal from this, America can come together, we can celebrate with music, we can celebrate with song, we can celebrate on video chat, but the sooner that we take action on this and we don’t wait on our government to tell us that this was a serious issue and that should be, you know, we are late to the game.”
He also shared his extreme disappointment in America’s leadership in dealing with the virus.
“I’m pretty ashamed of the way that our leadership handled all of this, I’m pretty ashamed of a lot of things. We can’t rely on our government to tell our people what they need to do. You can read between the lines, you can read all of the articles that are happening everywhere around the world and we are less protected than a lot of those countries, because no one can tell us what to do. We have to decide for ourselves as Americans and we have to look out for the future of all of our jobs and for the economy and for each other, so I love to spread music and spread love in song and share music with the world. I’m going to do my best to do that from closed doors but if we’re going to heal from this and we we’re going to get back to doing what were doing before this hit, then everyone’s got to take this seriously.”
Singer-Songwriter Ramsey Kearney Passes
/by Robert K OermannLongtime independent country recording artist and veteran Nashville songwriter Ramsey Kearney died on Saturday (March 14) at age 86.
He is best known for collaborating with Mel Tillis in co-writing Brenda Lee’s 1961 international pop smash “Emotions.” The song has also been recorded by Juice Newton (1994), Pam Tillis (2002) and Little Rachel (2009), among others.
Kearney’s other notable copyrights include “Nine Little Teardrops” for Sue Thompson (1961), “Lonely People” for Eddy Arnold (1964) and “Big Flicking Baby” for Moe Bandy (1978).
William Ramsey Kearney was born Oct. 30, 1933 in Bolivar, Tennessee. He began his career with his own radio show on WDXI in Jackson, 1948-52. He served in the Army in 1953-55.
After stints in Memphis and Knoxville, he headed to Nashville. He first gained notoriety in Music City as a staff writer for Cedarwood Publishing.
He next signed with Acuff-Rose, which employed him as a songplugger as well as a writer. As a vocalist, Kearney recorded for the publisher’s affiliated Hickory label in the 1960s, He reportedly staged his Opry debut singing Fred Rose’s “I Never Let You Cross My Mind.”
When he signed with Tree International, Ramsey Kearney became one of the few songwriters to have been affiliated with all three of Music Row’s founding song publishers. While at Tree, he began recording for NRS Records. The label released his self-penned “Love Me Strong,” “Bud’s Wiser Now” and “Driving Me to Drinking” during the 1970s.
This marked the start of his long career as an independent country recording artist. He issued more than 20 singles on Safari Records and made the charts with “King of Oak Street” (1985) and “One Time Thing” (1988). He also recorded for Silver Dollar, Nashco, SunJay, Stomper Time and other indie labels.
His 25+ albums included I Write the Words (1981), I Dream a Rainbow (1982), My Happy Day (1983), Behind a Song (1985, marketed on TNN), Montego Bay (1987) Country Fever (1988) and Golden Dreams of Hawaii (1990), plus an Eddy Arnold tribute LP, a Christmas album, a rockabilly collection and a blues album.
Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, services for Ramsey Kearney will not be public. To ensure the safety and health of the community, a private visitation and service will be held on Thursday, March 19 at Hendersonville Funeral Home. Burial will take place at Hendersonville Memorial Gardens.