Ingrid Andress Plans ‘Lady Like’ Release For March

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Ingrid Andress has set the release of her major label debut, Lady Like, for March 27. The project includes the title track she performed on Late Night with Seth Meyers shortly following its release, along with her current hit single “More Hearts Than Mine,” which made history as the only debut from a solo female to crack the Country Airplay Top 20 in 2019.

The Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records artist is gearing up for a busy 2020 with her nomination to the elite New Faces of Country Music Class of 2020, where she will perform during CRS in a few weeks, her performance at Keith Urban’s All for the Hall benefit in Nashville next Monday (Feb. 10) alongside Blake Shelton, Chris Stapleton and Tanya Tucker, and her upcoming dates this Spring on Dan + Shay’s North American arena tour. She will also help Thomas Rhett kick off his Center Point Road tour in May before heading out with Tim McGraw for his massive Here On Earth stadium tour this Summer.

CMT To Host Broadcast Premiere For Bluebird Cafe Documentary

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Craig Wiseman and special guest Taylor Swift perform onstage at Bluebird Cafe on March 31, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for 13 Management/Courtesy CMT

CMT is set to air the exclusive broadcast premiere of the feature film Bluebird, which documents the 35-year history of The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville. The documentary will make its CMT premiere Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. CT.

Bluebird tells the story of the modest, 90-seat strip-mall performance venue that became an iconic setting for songwriters. The documentary features interviews and performances from artists who got their start at The Bluebird Cafe, such as Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, and Faith Hill. Among those appearing in the documentary are Maren Morris, Steve Earle, Charles Esten (of the hit TV show Nashville), Vince Gill, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Pam Tillis and Trisha Yearwood.

The film is produced by Riverside Entertainment and directed by Brian A. Loschiavo, who also co-produced with The Bluebird Cafe’s President/GM Erika Wollman Nichols. CMT’s Shanna Strassberg also served as Talent Producer.

Luke Preston Signs With Anthem Entertainment

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(L-R): Tim Hunze, Noah Dewey, Lauren Lieu, Luke Preston, Alex Tamashunas, Tim Wipperman, Gilles Goddard

Luke Preston has signed a publishing deal with Anthem Entertainment.

Preston, a Florida native, picked up his first guitar at 7 years old. Learning to play by listening to The Beatles and Bruce Springsteen, he eventually started to gravitate towards country music through his mother’s love for Steve Earle, Guy Clark, Garth Brooks and Eric Church. He moved to Nashville in 2011, where he attended Belmont University. Graduating with a Music Business Degree in 2014, he quickly found his home on the road with the likes of Walker McGuire, Cale Dodds and Caroline Spence as their bass player.

“Luke’s lyrical and melodic sensibilities are wonderful, and he brings a great work ethic to boot,” said Tim Wipperman, President of Anthem Music Publishing Nashville. “He will be a top writer in Nashville and adds a unique flavor to our writing crew.”

“When I met the Anthem team, I knew I had found kindred spirits. I’m so grateful that Lauren Lieu and the Anthem team have given me the opportunity to write songs for a living,” said Preston. “I couldn’t have found a better team of champions and I’m so stoked for what the future holds.”

Industry Pics: Kane Brown, AIMP, YNOT Wednesdays Concert Series

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Kane Brown Celebrates 5x Platinum Certifications

Pictured (L-R): Sony’s Jim Catino and Randy Goodman, Kane Brown, Martha Earls. Photo: Alan Poizner

Kane Brown recently launched his first headlining international tour, The Worldwide Beautiful Tour, with a sold-out show Sunday night (Feb. 2) in Dublin, Ireland. Brown also celebrated his latest RIAA certifications, including 5x multi-Platinum certs for his “What Ifs” (ft. Lauren Alaina) and “Heaven.”

Kane Brown with members of management and the Sony Music Nashville team. Photo: Alan Poizner

 

AIMP Nashville Hosts Membership Drive

Pictured (L-R): Brad Peterson (Regions), John Ozier (Reservoir Media, AIMP Nashville President), Tim Hunze (Anthem Entertainment), Courtney Crist (Mojo Music & Media), Michael Martin (Endurance Music Group), Kari Barnhart (Regions), Dale Bobo (Big Deal Music Group, AIMP Nashville Treasurer), and Mike Molinar (Big Machine Music Publishing).

The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Nashville hosted a free event for indie songwriters, publishers, and various music industry players to meet with AIMP Nashville leaders and membership on Jan. 29. The event, held at Nashville’s Barcelona Wine Bar, offered information on AIMP and its various benefits.

 

YNOT Wednesdays Concert Series Celebrates Four Years

Pictured: Lainey Wilson, Jimmie Allen, Abby Anderson. Photo: Acacia Evans

YNOT Wednesdays celebrated a four-year anniversary with a concert at Live Oak on Wednesday (Jan. 29). The round, hosted by SiriusXM The Highway’s MC Callahan, featured performances from Jimmie Allen, Abby Anderson, Lainey Wilson, Ross Ellis, Mike Ryan, Kameron Marlowe, Teddy Robb, Tenille Arts, and Tyler Rich.

River House Artists Director of Creative/A&R Zebb Luster created the series, which has become a popular go-to spot. YNOT Wednesdays have included more than 150 shows and performances by songwriters with No. 1 hits including Ray Fulcher, Cole Taylor, Randy Montana and Adam Sanders. Artists/writers Luke Combs, Mitchell Tenpenny, Ashley McBryde and Jimmie Allen have also performed.

Laura Veltz Maintains Pinnacle Spot On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Laura Veltz spends her second week at No. 1 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week, with Ashley Gorley holding the No. 2 position. Veltz has a hand in three hits, including Maren Morris’ “The Bones,” Lady Antebellum’s “What If I Never Get Over You,” and Ryan Hurd’s “To A T.”

Ross Copperman moves up three slots to No. 3, with “What She Wants Tonight” (Luke Bryan), “Catch” (Brett Young) and “Nobody But You” (Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani) fueling his rise. Luke Combs (No. 4) and Jimmy Robbins (No. 5) round out the top five.

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.

Nomination Period For MusicRow’s Rising Women On The Row Ending Soon

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Nominations for MusicRow‘s 9th annual Rising Women on the Row will close on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 5 p.m. CT.

The breakfast event, slated for March 25, 2020 at the Omni Nashville Hotel, will honor a select group of deserving professionals who have become substantial contributors and visionary leaders in Nashville’s music industry.

Nominations for the 2020 class of Rising Women on the Row are now closed.

Past honorees include—2019: Janine Ebach, Kelly Janson, Meredith Jones, Lenore Kinder, Sandi Spika Borchetta, Jennifer Turnbow; 2018: Faithe Dillman, Leslie DiPiero, Becky Gardenhire, Lynn Oliver-Cline, Annie Ortmeier, Janet Weir; 2017: Tatum Allsep, Virginia Davis, Kerri Edwards, Kella Farris, Laura Hutfless, Juli Newton-Griffith; 2016: Abbey Adams, Amanda Cates, Cris Lacy, Leslie Roberts, Risha Rodgers; 2015: Kele Currier, Tiffany Dunn, Dawn Gates, Jensen Sussman, Lou Taylor; 2014: Julie Boos, Caryl Healey, Ebie McFarland, Alicia Pruitt, Kelly Rich; 2013: Cyndi Forman, Cindy Hunt, Beth Laird, Cindy Mabe, Brandi Simms; 2012: Shannan Hatch, Mary Hilliard Harrington, Heather McBee, Denise Stevens, Carla Wallace.

Tickets to Rising Women on the Row are available for purchase here.

Kelsea Ballerini To Headline Amazon’s ‘Country Heat At CRS’ Showcase

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Kelsea Ballerini, Niko Moon, Gabby Barrett, Jon Langston, and The Cadillac Three have been announced as the performers on the upcoming third annual “Amazon Music Presents: Country Heat at CRS” on Feb. 19.

“Country music continues to be one of the top-performing genres on our service,” said Kelly Rich, Country Lead for Amazon Music in Nashville. “Country Heat represents the biggest and best in country music right now, and we’re thrilled to bring one of our most popular playlists to life for the third year in a row. We’re ecstatic to bring such a dynamic group of today’s established and rising stars, who are defining modern country music, on stage during CRS.”

The showcase will take place from 6-8 p.m. in Omni Nashville Hotel’s Broadway Ballroom and will close out the first day of Country Radio Seminar 2020.

Nominees For Radio Awards Categories Revealed For The 55th ACM Awards

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The Academy of Country Music announced the Radio Awards nominees for the 55th ACM Awards today (Feb. 3), including triple nominations for KUZZ-AM/FM in Bakersfield, California; and double nominations for WIL-FM in St. Louis, Missouri; WNSH-FM in New York, New York; CKRY-FM in Calgary, Alberta, Canada; WUBE-FM in Cincinnati, Ohio; KXKT-FM in Omaha, Nebraska and WUSY-FM in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The Radio Awards are given out during the annual Radio Winners Reception which will be held on Saturday, April 4 in Las Vegas, Nevada, the day prior to the ACM Awards live telecast on Sunday, April 5 at 8 p.m. ET/delayed PT on CBS. The full list of 55th ACM Awards nominations will be announced in the coming weeks.

The following stations on MusicRow‘s CountryBreakout Radio Chart panel earned nominations: WCOW-FM – Sparta, Wisconsin’s Ben & Arnie – Ben Butler, Arnie Andrews for On-Air Personality Of The Year – Small Market; WGGC-FM – Bowling Green, Kentucky’s Big Rick In The Morning – “Big” Rick Daniels for On-Air Personality Of The Year – Small Market; and KTHK-FM – Idaho Falls, Idaho for Radio Station Of The Year – Small Market.

55th ACM Radio Awards nominees are:
NATIONAL ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR
Blair Garner, “Off Eric” Garner – The Blair Garner Show
Bobby Bones, Amy, Lunchbox, Eddie, Morgan, Ray – The Bobby Bones Show
Charlie Chase, Lorianne Crook – The Crook & Chase Countdown
Buzz Brainard – The Music Row Happy Hour
Storme Warren, Mary Carlisle Callahan, Thomas Massad – The Storme Warren Show

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
Bud and Broadway  WIL-FM – St. Louis, MO
Kelly Ford in the Morning – Kelly Ford  WNSH-FM – New York, NY
Mason & Remy  WIL-FM – St. Louis, MO
The Morning Wolfpack with Matt McAllister  – Matt McAllister, Emily Raines, Slow Joe Wallace KKWF-FM – Seattle, WA
The Rob and Holly Show – Rob Stone, Holly Hutton  WYCD-FM – Detroit, MI

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
Lexi and Banks KUBL-FM – Salt Lake City, UT
Marty McFly WSM-FM – Nashville, TN
Q Morning Crew with Mike and Janie WQDR-FM – Raleigh, NC
Robyn & Roger in the Morning CKRY-FM – Calgary, AB
The Big Dave Show – Big Dave, Chelsie, Statt, Ashley WUBE-FM – Cincinnati, OH

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
Brent Michaels KUZZ-AM/FM – Bakersfield, CA
Clay & Company  WYRK-FM – Buffalo, NY
Kenn McCloud KUZZ-AM/FM – Bakersfield, CA
Steve & Gina in the Morning  – Steve Lundy, Gina Melton  KXKT-FM – Omaha, NE
The Cowboy Kyle Show – Cowboy Kyle WUSY-FM – Chattanooga, TN

ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
Adam & Jen in the Morning  KIOK-FM – Kennewick, WA
Ben & Arnie – Ben Butler, Arnie Andrews WCOW-FM – Sparta, WI
Big Rick In The Morning – “Big” Rick Daniels WGGC-FM – Bowling Green, KY
Scotty & Catryna in the Morning – Scotty Cox, Catryna Craw KCLR-FM – Columbia, MO
Steve & Jessica – Steve Waters, Jessica Cash WFLS-FM – Washington, DC

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
KAJA-FM San Antonio, TX
KFRG-FM San Bernardino, CA
KILT-FM Houston, TX
WNSH-FM New York, NY
WSOC-FM Charlotte, NC

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
CKRY-FM Calgary, AB
WDSY-FM Pittsburgh, PA
WIRK-FM West Palm Beach, FL
WMIL-FM Milwaukee, WI
WUBE-FM Cincinnati, OH

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
KATM-FM Stockton, CA
KUZZ-AM/FM Bakersfield, CA
KXKT-FM Omaha, NE
WQMX-FM Akron, OH
WUSY-FM Chattanooga, TN

RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
KKNU-FM Eugene, OR
KTHK-FM Idaho Falls, ID
WBYT-FM South Bend, IN
WPAP-FM Panama City, FL
WYCT-FM Pensacola, FL

Jon Pardi Earns Fourth No. 1 At Country Radio

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Jon Pardi. Photo: Jim Wright

Jon Pardi keeps riding his neo-traditional brand of country music to the top of the radio charts. He just earned his fourth No. 1 single, with his Gold-certified hit “Heartache Medication” topping both the Billboard and Country Aircheck/Mediabase airplay charts.

“Heartache Medication” is the title track to his most recent album, and follows his previous chart-toppers “Dirt On My Boots,” “Head Over Boots,” and “Heartache On The Dance Floor.” Pardi also counts a Top 5 single with “Night Shift.”

Pardi is currently featured on Thomas Rhett’s Top 25 single “Beer Can’t Fix,” and is set for appearances at the Nashville Lifestyles Music In The City event in Nashville on Feb. 5 and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo on Feb. 9, as well as the Houston Rodeo on March 14. Pardi recently hosted the CMA Touring Awards in Nashville.

Nashville Songwriter Eddie Setser Passes

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Eddie Setser, one of Music City’s top songwriters of the 1980s, died last week in Kentucky at age 77.

Setser is perhaps best known for co-writing the Willie Nelson/Ray Charles duet hit “Seven Spanish Angels.” This 1985 No. 1 smash has also been recorded by rocker Bryan Adams, country’s George Canyon and Stoney LaRue, the bluegrass band Dry Branch Fire Squad, Tex-Mex artist Stephanie Urbina Jones and The Voice contestant Adam Wakefield among many others.

The song’s renown spread overseas. It has been recorded by Dutch, Czechoslovakian, Norwegian, Estonian, French, Yugoslavian, Australian, Finnish, Jamaican and Swedish artists.

Eddie Setser was born in Kentucky, but his family moved to Cincinnati when he was 10 years old. He picked up the guitar at age 12 and started playing in Ohio nightclubs when he was 18.

Soul star James Brown discovered him and arranged for Setser’s band, The Dapps, to record for King Records in Cincinnati. The group eventually played the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem and appeared on the national Merv Griffin TV show.

Singer-songwriter Troy Seals took Setser under his wing, urged him to move to Nashville in 1974 and tutored him as a songwriter. Setser’s first notable success on Music Row was the 1978 Con Hunley hit “Weekend Friend.”

But his career really took off in the following decade with the 1982 Gary Morris hit “Don’t Look Back.” Setser also co-wrote Morris’s hits “Why Lady Why” (1984) and “Anything Goes” (1986).

The songwriter’s other big country hits included The Bellamy Brothers’ “Forget About Me” (1984), Reba McEntire’s “Let the Music Lift You Up” (1987), The Oak Ridge Boys’ “Beyond Those Years” (1989) and John Schneider’s “Country Girls” (1985) and “Love You Ain’t Seen the Last of Me” (1987).

His reputation extended beyond country music. Setser co-wrote Eric Clapton’s 1983 pop hit “I’ve Got a Rock & Roll Heart.” His songs were also sung by Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Greg Guidry, Etta James, The 4 Tops, Rita Coolidge, Isaac Hayes and Delbert McClinton.

Among the other top country stars who sang his songs were Charley Pride (“Down on the Farm,” 1985), Mark Gray (“It Ain’t Real,” 1982), John Anderson (“Country ‘Til I Die,” 1994), John Berry (“If I Had Any Pride Left At All,” 1995) and Faith Hill (“But I Will,” 1994).

His works were recorded by such Country Music Hall of Fame members as Don Williams, George Jones, Conway Twitty, Brenda Lee, Merle Haggard, Glen Campbell, Randy Travis, Waylon Jennings, Alabama and Johnny Cash.

Eddie Setser was a native of Corbin, Kentucky. After he retired in 1996, he returned to Corbin, where he passed away on Monday, Jan. 27. His graveside funeral service was held in Lily, Kentucky on Jan. 29.