Harvey Mason Jr.

Interim Recording Academy President/CEO Harvey Mason Jr. released a letter to Recording Academy members on Monday (Jan. 20) offering details regarding Deborah Dugan’s recent placement on administrative leave, which was announced just 10 days before the upcoming Grammy Awards on Jan. 26 at the Los Angeles Staples Center.

In the memo, Mason, a music producer who has worked with Jennifer Hudson, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Chris Brown and more, states that in November 2019, the Recording Academy’s Executive Committee “became aware of abusive work environment complaints alleged against Ms. Dugan.” The memo further states that in December 2019, “a letter was sent from an attorney representing a staff member that included additional detailed and serious allegations of a ‘toxic and intolerable’ and ‘abusive and bullying’ environment created by Ms. Dugan.”

The memo goes on to say, “After we received the employee complaints against Ms. Dugan, she then (for the first time) made allegations against the Academy. In response, we started a separate investigation into Ms. Dugan’s allegations. Ms. Dugan’s attorney then informed the Executive Committee that if Ms. Dugan was paid millions of dollars, she would “withdraw” her allegations and resign from her role as CEO. Following that communication from Ms. Dugan’s attorney, Ms. Dugan was placed on administrative leave as we complete both of these ongoing investigations.”

The memo is one of the latest in the saga, following the statement released on Friday from Dugan’s attorney Bryan Freedman to the Associated Press, which stated, “What has been reported is not nearly the story that needs to be told. When our ability to speak is not restrained by a 28-page contract and legal threats, we will expose what happens when you ‘step up’ at the Recording Academy, a public nonprofit.”

Read Mason’s statement in full below:

As a proud member of our music community and the Recording Academy’s interim President and CEO, I thought it important that I reach out to you all directly about Deborah Dugan. In her brief time with the Academy, Ms. Dugan and I were in sync about taking a fresh look at everything and making any and all changes necessary to improve the Academy as well as making it more current and relevant to the creative community we serve. I remain committed to that goal.

In November of 2019, the Executive Committee became aware of abusive work environment complaints alleged against Ms. Dugan and in December 2019, a letter was sent from an attorney representing a staff member that included additional detailed and serious allegations of a “toxic and intolerable” and “abusive and bullying” environment created by Ms. Dugan towards the staff. Given these concerning reports, the Executive Committee launched an immediate and independent investigation into the alleged misconduct of Ms. Dugan.

After we received the employee complaints against Ms. Dugan, she then (for the first time) made allegations against the Academy. In response, we started a separate investigation into Ms. Dugan’s allegations. Ms. Dugan’s attorney then informed the Executive Committee that if Ms. Dugan was paid millions of dollars, she would “withdraw” her allegations and resign from her role as CEO. Following that communication from Ms. Dugan’s attorney, Ms. Dugan was placed on administrative leave as we complete both of these ongoing investigations.

I’m deeply disturbed and saddened by the “leaks” and misinformation, which are fueling a press campaign designed to create leverage against the Academy for personal gain. As GRAMMY week is upon us, I truly hope we can focus our attention on the artists who’ve received nominations and deserve to be celebrated at this time of the year, and not give credence to unsubstantiated attacks on the Academy. To do otherwise is just not right.

As you know the Recording Academy’s Board of Trustees is composed of creative and technical artists and music makers from all genres, who’ve devoted their lives to making music and volunteering their time dedicated to the mission of the Recording Academy. These Trustees as well as the Governors in our 12 chapters give their time freely and passionately. Many are entrepreneurs who run small businesses devoted to their art, and generously donate their time not only to recognize their peers, but to fight for the rights of music makers, foster music education, and provide support to those in need all year long. Furthermore our hardworking and knowledgeable staff could not be more dedicated to supporting and furthering our mission. The current attacks on the Academy are attacks on these people, which are unwarranted, uninformed and unconscionable.

I encourage anyone who is truly interested to go beyond the sensational sound bites and teaser headlines and look at what the Academy actually does and how it functions. Don’t buy into headlines generated for personal gain but seek the truth as I am doing. As I mentioned we have initiated two independent investigations to explore all claims and present objective findings. My pledge to you is that I will address the findings of these investigations fairly and honestly and work to make needed repairs and changes while ensuring we have an Academy that honors diversity, inclusion and a safe work environment for all concerned.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and your support of our Recording Academy.

Harvey Mason, Jr.

Dugan took the helm of the Recording Academy on Aug. 1, following an outcry that erupted in 2018 when then-CEO/President of the Academy Neil Portnow made comments backstage at that year’s Grammy Awards. After male artists dominated the 2018 Grammy Awards, Portnow suggested that women “step up” if they wanted to receive equal recognition. Members of the larger music community were outraged, and Portnow later announced he would not extend his contract, which ended in July 2019.

In December 2019, the Recording Academy Diversity & Inclusion Task Force, led by Tina Tchen, released a detailed report, offering several strategies and action points to bring about greater equality on many fronts to the Recording Academy’s membership, leadership, and selection committees.

Ronnie Dunn. Photo: Steven Martine

Last year, Brooks & Dunn welcomed fellow country artists including Luke Combs and Kacey Musgraves to offer their spin on several Brooks & Dunn classics for their album Reboot—their collaboration with Combs has even scored a Grammy nomination at the upcoming awards show on Jan. 26.

Now, Ronnie Dunn has turned his soul-baring voice to two dozen of his favorite songs made famous by other artists.

With his third solo album, Re-Dunn (released Jan. 10), he delved into rock songs made famous by Van Morrison (“Brown Eyed Girl”), Tom Petty (“I Won’t Back Down”), Pure Prairie League (“Amie”), Eric Clapton (“Running On Faith,” “Wonderful Tonight”), 10cc (“I’m Not In Love”) and Ace (“How Long”).

The 24-track album also includes plenty of the country songs that proved indelible influences on Dunn, such as Johnny Rodriguez’s 1973 country chart-topper “Ridin’ My Thumb To Mexico,” the Rodney Crowell-penned “Ashes By Now,” and more.

“The fun part was not having to play by any rules, just playing whatever songs I love to do. It’s my personal playlist,” Dunn says.

The project’s genesis came when Big Machine Label Group execs challenged Dunn to record a few classic rock songs as part of a streaming project.

Ronnie Dunn. Photo: Steven Martine

“The first day we did six or seven songs, then we went back the second day—hell, looking back, the label didn’t send a rep over, so we just kept recording until we had 13 or 14 classic rock songs cut,” Dunn says. They kept adding songs to the list, blending in several of Dunn’s country favorites.

Dunn surrounded himself with A-list musicians, and with so many top-shelf session players in a room, there were bound to be some musical connections to the songs.

“We were recording ‘I’m Not In Love,’ and my steel guitar player Gary Morse said, ‘My uncle was one of the two engineers that mixed that record.’” Dunn marvels. “That’s a classic process he had to go through to make that record happen. Those kinds of stories popped up on nearly every song we did.”

“The chemistry and excitement in the studio was unreal,” Dunn recalls of the recording process. “You don’t always get that. They would all come into the control room and be like, ‘I love that drum sound,’ and things like that. We all knew these songs and would each pick favorites. When you are in a room with seasoned pros like that and you are getting that feedback, it’s fun. These players, they are artists just as much as I am or anyone else.”

While Dunn and his fellow musicians had a blast in the studio, he says he shocked the label by turning in a massive 24-song project.

“I took it in to the label, played it and you could see them glaze over, like ‘What are we going to do with this?’ They said they were into it, but it’s harder to promote something like this.”

So instead of the typical album promotion, Dunn and his team have let fans in on the massive new project slowly, releasing a few tracks at a time over the past several months.

Dunn devotes ample time on Re-Dunn to covering songs that George Strait made into radio hits, including “Cowboy Rides Away,” and “A Showman’s Life.“ He also includes a cover of “Amarillo By Morning,” which songwriter Terry Stafford made into a regional Texas hit a decade before it became one of George Strait’s signature radio hits in 1983.

“When I was in college in Abilene, we covered that song when I would play in weekend pickup bands at VFW halls,” Dunn recalls. “But it was a hit even then, so when George cut it, it made sense. It’s a great cowboy song.”

He says several of the tracks bring to mind high school and college memories.

“I went to 13 schools in 12 years, so I was always moving,” he says. “The one constant that will trigger a memory of one of those places is a song, like dating someone my junior year in high school and ‘How Long’ was a hit. Every song on the record is like a memory. With [The Eagles’] ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling,’ I remember hearing it in college. We drove on Spring Break from Abilene to Casper, Wyoming and I swear we listened to that song a thousand times, over and over, just singing at the top of our lungs.”

At 66, Dunn’s voice is still one of country music’s most wondrous instruments—warm, engaging, soulful. But his awareness that time is also passing was one of reasons he was so keen to make the album.

Dunn has performed thousands of concerts over the course of his 30-year career as part of the duo Brooks & Dunn—and will add a few dozen more of those later this year, as the duo kicks up their first headlining tour in a decade.

“I haven’t gotten to the point where I’m having to drop songs down a step or a half step in the shows. I’m still able to push it, knock on wood,” he says.

“Singers are athletes and you have to keep it in shape,” he continues. “I remember sitting with Jon Bon Jovi one night at a dinner at this long table and Richie Sambora was down there at the other end with Kix [Brooks] and they were smoking cigars and sipping wine. Jon just shakes his head. I looked at him and said, ‘Man I wish I could do that. I can’t do that, I have to sing the next day.’ Jon laughed and said, ‘I have a saying. I should have a T-shirt that says, ‘…And The Singer Went Home.’

“I’m not a spring chicken anymore. There’s a shelf life to what I’ll be able to do. If I don’t get some of these songs sung, that could be a challenge vocally in a few years—sooner than later, I’m afraid. I might not have the opportunity to do it.”

Which is why he’s putting out Re-Dunn now, with plans to incorporate some of those cover songs into the set list during Brooks & Dunn’s upcoming outing.

“It’s a passion project,” he says. “There are some songs that, as a singer, make you go, ‘I really want to drive that car on that track. Selfishly, just turn me loose on the track.’”

Photo: Daniel Vorlet

Broken Bow Records artist Dustin Lynch brought his new album Tullahoma to a Nashville crowd Friday night (Jan. 17) at Marathon Music Works. Fans, family and industry members in attendance enjoyed an energetic show featuring fresh music from his new album, as well as Lynch’s hits.

He raised a toast to the crowd, saying, “You could be anywhere in the world tonight but you decided to come celebrate what me and these guys have been working on for the last two years. We will never forget this show in our lives,” he said before turning up some Tullahoma-made George Dickel Whisky.

Dustin Lynch. Photo: Daniel Vorlet

Some new music that Lynch sampled included songs called “Thinking ‘Bout You,” “Country Star,” and “The World Ain’t Yours And Mine.” Fans really reacted to “Momma’s House,” where Lynch sings, “I’d burn this whole town down if it wasn’t for my momma’s house.”

Lynch also rocked out to his hits, “Where It’s At,” “Seein’ Red,” “Mind Reader” and “Good Girl.”

BBR’s Jon Loba made an appearance on stage to surprise Lynch with a plaque commemorating seven No. 1 singles and all of his career success to date.

“I’m so grateful,” Lynch said. “I clearly didn’t know this was going to happen, but I’m so thankful to you all, to have you along for this ride. We started this journey when we released ‘Cowboys and Angels’ eight years and one day ago—eight years and one day later, this is a pretty cool way to celebrate.”

Pictured (L-R): Dustin Lynch, Broken Bow Records EVP Jon Loba. Photo: Daniel Vorlet

Appropriately, Lynch closed the show celebrating his album (which takes its name from Lynch’s small Tennessee hometown) by performing his fifth No. 1 song, “Small Town Boy.”

Lynch begins his Stay Country Tour in Detroit on Jan. 30, before joining Old Dominion on their We Are Old Dominion Tour.