Mignon Is Texas Songwriter U’s Winning Writer
Pictured (L-R): Texas Songwriter U mentor Jessie Jo Dillon; winner Mignon; host Jack Ingram; mentor Jon Randall. Photo: Ted Parker, Jr.
Nashville songwriter Mignon has been named the Texas Songwriter U’s 2019 songwriting program winner. TxSU hosted its annual songwriter discovery and development program Dec. 11-13 at Hotel Ella in Austin. Eight selected songwriters showcased performances at both Yeti Flagship and The Saxon Pub and received extensive song feedback, access to industry professionals, a one-year membership to Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), and professional performance and workshop photography.
Mignon was awarded a co-write with host Jack Ingram, an opening for Ingram at a landmark Texas venue, a performance at the 2020 Mack, Jack & McConaughey After-Party, a recording studio demo session at Austin’s famed Arlyn Studios, an Epiphone Masterbilt Century Olympic acoustic-electric guitar, a three-night stay and two performances at the 2020 Key West Songwriters Festival, and a one-week Key West residency at The Smokin’ Tuna Saloon.
Carolina Blue Joins Billy Blue Records Roster
Pictured (L-R, seated): Ed Leonard (Billy Blue Records), Bobby Powell, Timmy Jones; (L-R, standing) Reese Combs, Jerry Salley (Billy Blue Records), Aynsley Porchak, James McDowell
North Carolina-based band Carolina Blue has signed with Nashville’s Billy Blue Records. Carolina Blue, comprised of Bobby Powell (guitar and vocals), Timmy Jones (mandolin and vocals), James McDowell (banjo and vocals), Reese Combs (upright bass and vocals) and Aynsley Porchak (fiddle, recipient of the 2018 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist Award), is recording new music for 2020.
“We are very excited and honored to be given the chance to work with them,” said Jerry Salley, Creative and A&R Director of Billy Blue. “They are a wonderful fit for Billy Blue Records and we look forward to partnering with them to help them grow their unique brand of bluegrass music.”
Koryn Hawthorne Celebrates Her Golden Moment
Koryn Hawthorne received a Gold plaque commemorating her No. 1 smash “Won’t He Do It” by her label, RCA Inspiration. The chart-dominating single placed No. 2 on Billboard’s Decade-End Hot Gospel Songs chart, and No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart for 41 weeks, the Gospel Airplay chart for 19 weeks, and the Gospel Digital Songs Sales chart for 22 weeks. Hawthorne set a new record with “Won’t He Do It” earlier in 2019, becoming the female Gospel artist with the longest reign at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart upon the song’s 26th week in the top spot. RCAI presented Hawthorne with the Gold plaque at their office in Franklin, Tenn..
Amy Grant Celebrates 1 Billion Global Streams
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Peter York, CCMG Chairman and CEO; Jennifer Cooke, Manager; Amy Grant; Brad O’Donnell, CCMG Co-President. Photo Credit: Capitol Christian Music Group
Over the past four decades, Amy Grant has earned three multi-platinum albums, six platinum albums and four gold albums, with total album sales exceeding 30 million–all before music streaming dominated. On Monday (Dec. 16), Grant’s label Capitol Christian Music Group celebrated Grant’s streaming music successes, surprising the six-time Grammy winner with a plaque commemorating 1 billion global streams.
CCMG’s Chairman and CEO Peter York said, “We are so grateful to Amy for her heart and the music she’s gifted to the world over the years. Her music continues to have significant impact with listeners and we’re thrilled to see it reach new fans every year. We are honored to celebrate these 1 billion streams and thank all our streaming partners, which will continue to keep her music vibrant into the next decade and beyond.”
Grant and husband Vince Gill are currently performing their 12-date run of holiday shows at the Ryman Auditorium. This fall, Grant released her timeless Christmas albums in a vinyl box set, which includes the 3x multi-platinum Home For Christmas, as well as A Christmas Album and A Christmas to Remember. The box set also includes a cover of “Merry Christmas Darling” and “Let The Season Take Wing,” exclusively available as part of the set.
Dylan Scott Joins KP Entertainment
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R, back row): Waylon Weatherholt (Day to Day Manager), Ethan Helms (Tour/Digital Content Coordinator), Dustin Eichten (VP of KPE). (L-R, front row): Leighanna Smith (Day to Day Manager), Kerri Edwards, Dylan Scott, Jacoby Plyler (Digital Marketing Manager), Cait Murphy (Executive Assistant to Kerri Edwards)
Dylan Scott has joined KP Entertainment for management, led by Kerri Edwards. KP Entertainment is home to artists including Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell, Jon Langston, CB30 and DJ Rock.
“Dylan has built such a strong base across country radio, streaming and touring,” Edwards said. “This opportunity to partner with him was one I couldn’t pass up. My team and I are excited to jump in!”
“I’m ready to start this next chapter of my career,” Dylan added. “When looking for who to do that with, I knew Kerri Edwards was the person! I’m excited to be a part of the KPE team!”
Additionally, Leighanna Smith recently joined KP Entertainment as day-to-day manager for Swindell and CB30. Her past stops include UMG Nashville and Q Prime South.
‘Songland’ Writer IRO Signs With SMACKSongs
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): SMACKSongs’ Shane McAnally; IRO; SMACKSongs’ Robin Palmer and Robert Carlton. Photo: Kaiser Cunningham
Songwriter and Songland winner IRO has signed an exclusive publishing agreement with SMACKSongs.
Discovered in a New York City subway station by one of Brazil’s most prominent DJs, IRO’s distinct talent as a songwriter has continuously led him to work with prestigious collaborators. He is best known for his collaboration with Macklemore, “Shadow,” which was featured on NBC’s Songland.
Through his participation on Songland, IRO found himself performing alongside Macklemore in front of 40,000 people at Lollapalooza Brazil in Sao Paulo. In 2019, he has performed in front of 400,000 fans while touring with Alok and Macklemore, accumulated over 4 million monthly streams and garnered 150 million lifetime streams.
“Meeting Shane completely threw me off guard. I had no idea my heart was headed to Nashville. The SMACK team is filled with talent and really feels like a family,” said IRO. “I’m beyond excited to see and hear all of the things that will come out of this melting pot!”
SMACKSongs Co-Owner and CEO, Shane McAnally, said, “IRO is truly like a walking song. He can’t help but turn every situation and moment into music, and we are so lucky to get to be a part of the soundtrack of his life. I love seeing the world through his eyes and collaborating with him, and I can never wait to see where he goes next. I feel blessed and honored to have him in the SMACK family.”
Brooklyn Bowl Nashville To Open March 2020
/by Haley CrowBrooklyn Bowl Nashville’s initial 40-show lineup will feature a broad range of acts including Angel Olsen, The Revivalists, PJ Morton, Royal Blood, Larkin Poe, St. Paul and The Broken Bones, The String Cheese Incident and more.
“Nashville is a place that evokes the spirit of what was happening in Brooklyn when we opened there almost 11 years ago, and there’s so much great music,” says Brooklyn Bowl co-founder Peter Shapiro. “We’re really excited to bring our own vibe and energy to a place with so much history.”
“Combining what Nashville is famous for with the diverse and eclectic musical genres that we’ve become known for showcasing, we’re looking forward to being a new home for rock and roll in Music City,” adds co-founder Charley Ryan. “It’s a town with such amazing venues, and we’re excited and honored to be a part of the community.”
Colin Keegan from Brooklyn Bowl New York will serve as the Nashville location’s Head of Talent, working closely with Kirk Peterson, Director of Talent for Dayglo Ventures.
Brooklyn Bowl Nashville is a partnership between between Brooklyn Bowl and Live Nation. Tickets for the initial 2020 shows go on sale this Friday (Dec. 20) at 12 p.m. CT. Due to the demand of the initial run of shows, a pre-sale will take place Thursday (Dec. 19) from 10 a.m. CT – 10 p.m. CT. Get your unique code here.
Charlie Daniels Announces 2020 Volunteer Jam
/by LB CantrellArtwork by Erick Anderson
Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie Daniels has announced the return of his legendary Volunteer Jam live concert. Headlined by The Charlie Daniels Band, the multi-artist event is set to take place on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, with participating artists to be announced in February.
“We play over one hundred cities every year and they’re all special in their own way, but when you get a chance to bring it all back home, especially when so many of your friends are joining you, it don’t get much better than that,” says Daniels. “Jammin’ in the Guitar Town, second to none!”
“The jam is unique in so many ways,” says Daniels’ manager David Corlew. “Multi-act shows are common these days, but none offer the opportunity to interact with the other acts, literally by jamming with a plethora of artists and musicians. It’s Charlie Daniels at his best!”
Tickets go on sale via Ticketmaster this Friday, Dec. 20 at 10 a.m. central time. The event is produced by Outback Presents in association with David Corlew and Associates.
The Charlie Daniels Band performed the first Volunteer Jam on Oct. 4, 1974, at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, marking the beginning of a tradition. Over the Jam’s four-decade history, Daniels and his band have played alongside superstar guests including Ted Nugent, The Allman Brothers Band, The Marshall Tucker Band, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, Billy Ray Cyrus, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tammy Wynette, Roy Acuff, Carl Perkins, ALABAMA, Don Henley, Barefoot Jerry and more.
Blake Shelton Surprised With Plaque For “God’s Country” On ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show’
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Scott Hendricks (WMN, EVP A&R/Creative Advisor); Blake Shelton; Narvel Blackstock (Starstruck Entertainment); Brandon Blackstock (Starstruck Entertainment)
Warner Music Nashville’s Blake Shelton was surprised by fellow The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson today (Dec. 17) on The Kelly Clarkson Show with a double-Platinum plaque for his hit song “God’s Country.”
The multi-week No. 1 is the title track off his new album Fully Loaded: God’s Country. Among the fastest country songs to reach one million U.S. equivalents this year, the track took home a CMA Award for Single of the Year last month and is currently nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance.
Industry Ink: Texas Songwriter U, Carolina Blue, Koryn Hawthorne
/by Lorie HollabaughMignon Is Texas Songwriter U’s Winning Writer
Pictured (L-R): Texas Songwriter U mentor Jessie Jo Dillon; winner Mignon; host Jack Ingram; mentor Jon Randall. Photo: Ted Parker, Jr.
Nashville songwriter Mignon has been named the Texas Songwriter U’s 2019 songwriting program winner. TxSU hosted its annual songwriter discovery and development program Dec. 11-13 at Hotel Ella in Austin. Eight selected songwriters showcased performances at both Yeti Flagship and The Saxon Pub and received extensive song feedback, access to industry professionals, a one-year membership to Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), and professional performance and workshop photography.
Mignon was awarded a co-write with host Jack Ingram, an opening for Ingram at a landmark Texas venue, a performance at the 2020 Mack, Jack & McConaughey After-Party, a recording studio demo session at Austin’s famed Arlyn Studios, an Epiphone Masterbilt Century Olympic acoustic-electric guitar, a three-night stay and two performances at the 2020 Key West Songwriters Festival, and a one-week Key West residency at The Smokin’ Tuna Saloon.
Carolina Blue Joins Billy Blue Records Roster
Pictured (L-R, seated): Ed Leonard (Billy Blue Records), Bobby Powell, Timmy Jones; (L-R, standing) Reese Combs, Jerry Salley (Billy Blue Records), Aynsley Porchak, James McDowell
North Carolina-based band Carolina Blue has signed with Nashville’s Billy Blue Records. Carolina Blue, comprised of Bobby Powell (guitar and vocals), Timmy Jones (mandolin and vocals), James McDowell (banjo and vocals), Reese Combs (upright bass and vocals) and Aynsley Porchak (fiddle, recipient of the 2018 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist Award), is recording new music for 2020.
“We are very excited and honored to be given the chance to work with them,” said Jerry Salley, Creative and A&R Director of Billy Blue. “They are a wonderful fit for Billy Blue Records and we look forward to partnering with them to help them grow their unique brand of bluegrass music.”
Koryn Hawthorne Celebrates Her Golden Moment
Koryn Hawthorne received a Gold plaque commemorating her No. 1 smash “Won’t He Do It” by her label, RCA Inspiration. The chart-dominating single placed No. 2 on Billboard’s Decade-End Hot Gospel Songs chart, and No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart for 41 weeks, the Gospel Airplay chart for 19 weeks, and the Gospel Digital Songs Sales chart for 22 weeks. Hawthorne set a new record with “Won’t He Do It” earlier in 2019, becoming the female Gospel artist with the longest reign at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart upon the song’s 26th week in the top spot. RCAI presented Hawthorne with the Gold plaque at their office in Franklin, Tenn..
Sugarland Signs With Big Machine Records
/by LB CantrellSugarland. Photo: Shervin Lainez
Award-winning country duo Sugarland officially announced today (Dec. 17) that they have signed with Big Machine Records. Previously signed as a joint venture with Big Machine/Universal Music Nashville for their critically acclaimed album Bigger, Big Machine Records becomes their exclusive label home as Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush embark on their next chapter.
“I am so proud to continue my association with Scott Borchetta and Big Machine Records,” said Nettles. “Scott has been there for Sugarland since our very first release, ‘Baby Girl,’ and continues to be our biggest champion when it comes to our records. We are so excited about all that’s ahead!”
“Sugarland has always been a band with a mission to spread our message as far as we can into every corner of the world and I can imagine no better partner or bigger machine than Scott Borchetta and BMLG,” said Bush.
“The music that Jennifer and Kristian make and perform together is nothing short of magical and I’m honored that they now call Big Machine Records their exclusive home,” said Borchetta.
Since the band’s inception in 2002, Sugarland has sold nearly 10 million albums domestically, have earned seven No. 1 singles to date and amassed nearly 400 million on-demand streams. Their albums The Incredible Machine is Platinum-certified, Love On The Inside is 2x multi-Platinum and Twice The Speed Of Life as well as Enjoy The Ride are 3x multi-Platinum.
James McNair Tees It Back Up With Sony/ATV
/by Lorie Hollabaugh(L-R:) Tom Luteran, Sony/ATV VP A&R; Josh Van Valkenburg, Sony/ATV SVP A&R; James McNair; Katie Kerkhover, Sony/ATV Mgr. A&R; Dane Schmidt, Sony/ATV Dir. A&R
James McNair has re-upped with Sony/ATV in an extension of his exclusive worldwide publishing deal.
Since signing with the company in 2015, McNair has landed over 45 major label cuts with artists like Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Scotty McCreery, Chris Janson, Morgan Wallen, Florida Georgia Line, Chase Rice, HARDY, The Cadillac Three, Tyler Farr, Chris Lane, and more.
“From day one, McNair has gone above and beyond to outwork his peers,” said Dane Schmidt, Director of Creative at Sony/ATV. “His perseverance & positive attitude inspire me every single day, and I look forward to watching him reap the benefits of the hard work he’s put into his craft.”
“I’m pumped to continue my career with my Sony/ATV family! I’d like to thank Dane, Big Tom, Josh and Katie for continuing to believe in me,” said McNair. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far and I’m excited for the future!”
Music Row Businessman And Songwriter Robert “Bob” James Mather Passes
/by LB CantrellRobert “Bob” James Mather
Music Row songwriter and businessman Robert “Bob” James Mather, passed away at his home in Franklin, Tenn. on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019. He was 68.
Bob enjoyed a 35-year career with EMI Publishing, where he retired as Vice President of Administration. He was a member of the CMA, the Recording Academy, and the Copyright Society of the South. The Springfield, Mo. native was a BMI award-winning songwriter, having co-written the Gold-certified hit “Sexy Eyes,” recorded by Dr. Hook.
Bob was also involved in the early years with the Country Radio Seminar, assisting in the production of the New Faces Show, and was one of the first program directors with WMOT Campus Radio at Middle Tennessee State University.
An avid gardener, Bob served as President of the Davidson County Master Gardeners and was on the Board of Directors of the Nashville City Cemetery Association.
Memorials in memory of Bob can be made to the Master Gardener’s of Davidson County or to the Nashville City Cemetery Association.
Visitation will be Friday, Dec. 20 at Woodfin Memorial Chapel from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with a Graveside Service at Roselawn Cemetery at 1:00 p.m..