Dierks Bentley Teases Winter Leg Of Burning Man Tour ‘On Ice’

Dierks Bentley will launch the winter leg of his 2019 Burning Man Tour next week in Canada.

Ahead of the run, he and tourmates Jon Pardi and Tenille Townes had some fun and converged at the ice skating rink to prepare some “choreography” for the tour in a wonderful parody of sorts.

Olympic medalist and Good Morning America correspondent Adam Rippon offered his thoughts via Twitter, commenting, “I am obsessed with skating’s newest star: @DierksBentley. You are such a beauty my friend.”

 

YouTube video

 

2019 Burning Man Tour Dates:
1/17/19 Hamilton, ON – FirstOntario Centre
1/18//19 Ottawa, ON – Richcraft Live at the Canadian Tire Centre
1/19/19 Oshawa, ON – Tribute Communities Centre
1/22/19 Winnipeg, MB – Bell MTS Place
1/23/19 Saskatoon, SK – SaskTel Centre
1/24/19 Edmonton, AB – Rogers Place
1/26/19 Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
1/28/19 Kelowna, BC – Prospera Place
1/29/19 Vancouver, BC – Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
1/31/19 Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena
2/1/19 Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
2/2/19 Eugene, OR – Matthew Knight Arena
2/14/19 Ontario, CA – Citizens Business Bank Arena
2/15/19 Fresno, CA – Save Mart Center
2/16/19 Reno, NV – Reno Events Center
2/21/19 Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
2/22/19 Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
2/23/19 Columbia, MO – Mizzou Arena
2/28/19 Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
3/01/19 Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena
3/02/19 Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center Omaha
3/07/19 Moline, IL – TaxSlayer Center
3/08/19 Duluth, MN – AMSOIL Arena
3/09/19 Grand Forks, ND – Alerus Center
3/28/19 Toledo, OH – Huntington Center
3/29/19 Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
3/30/19 Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena

BMI Foundation Adds To Board Of Trustees, Artistic Advisory Panel

Pictured: Top Row (L-R): Pamela Williams, Vice President of Legal & Business Affairs and Corporate Secretary for Broadcast Music, Inc; Dr. Jennifer Undercofler, Director of the Conservatory of Music at Purchase University. Bottom Row: Nina Young, composer and Assistant Professor of Music Composition at University of Texas at Austin; Nari Matsuura, Partner at Massarsky Consulting.

The BMI Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the creation, performance and study of music, elected Pamela Williams, Vice President of Legal & Business Affairs and Corporate Secretary for Broadcast Music, Inc., to its Board of Trustees during a recent meeting at the Foundation’s New York office. In addition, Dr. Jennifer Undercofler, Associate Professor of Practice in Music and Director of the Conservatory at Purchase College (SUNY), along with Nina Young, composer and Assistant Professor of Music Composition at the University of Texas at Austin, and Nari Matsuura, Partner at Massarsky Consulting, were announced as the newest advisors on the BMI Foundation Artistic Advisory Panel.

“We are pleased to welcome these talented women to our Board and to the artistic leadership of our organization,” said BMI Foundation President Deirdre Chadwick. “They bring a collective wealth of knowledge, experience and passion that will be instrumental in furthering the exciting and transformative work we are privileged to do in support of music education and emerging artists and songwriters nationwide.”

Williams is Vice President, Legal & Business Affairs and Corporate Secretary for Broadcast Music, Inc. In her capacity as Vice President, Legal & Business Affairs, Williams oversees a wide variety of legal work for BMI. She manages infringement and arbitration processes; supports licensing efforts by negotiating and drafting individual and industry-wide licenses with media licensees, including cable networks and systems, satellite, pay-per-view and VOD, as well as BMI’s “general” licenses for individual license markets and venues, including restaurants, hotels, fitness centers, background music services, symphony orchestras, major league sports teams, and concert promoters; and manages the Company’s state legislative matters. In addition, she also serves as Corporate Secretary for the BMI Board of Directors.

Williams joined BMI in October 2000 as Director in the Business Affairs division of the Licensing department. She was promoted to Senior Director in 2004, to Executive Director in 2008, and to Assistant Vice President in 2009. Williams was appointed Corporate Secretary in 2011, and was promoted to Vice President in 2014. In 2017, Williams transferred from BMI’s Licensing department to the Legal department to further support the legal functions of the Company. Prior to joining BMI, Williams worked as an attorney in the Litigation practice of the Legal Department at Time Warner Inc. where she handled a variety of litigation matters for Time Warner, the Warner Music Group, and the Six Flags theme parks. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Mount Holyoke College, and her Juris Doctor from Albany Law School of Union University.

Undercofler is Director of the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College. She joined the Purchase faculty as Associate Professor of the Practice of Music in 2016. From 2004 until 2016, Dr. Undercofler served as the Music Director of the Special Music School (PS 859), spearheading the development and opening of its high school division. During the same period. she also founded and conducted Face the Music, a teen new music ensemble. Under her artistic and administrative leadership, Face the Music collaborated with professional groups including the JACK Quartet, Gutbucket, and the Kronos Quartet, performed at venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, and the Bang On A Can Marathon, and received feature coverage in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. Dr. Undercofler has served on the faculties of Juilliard Pre-College, Queens College, the Mannes Preparatory Division, and Third Street Music School Settlement. She holds two degrees in piano performance from the Juilliard School and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music.

New York-based composer Young has had several works presented by institutions such as Carnegie Hall, the National Gallery, the Whitney, LA Phil’s Next on Grand and Noon to Midnight, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s Liquid Music Series. A graduate of McGill and MIT, Young completed her DMA at Columbia University where she was an active participant at the Columbia Computer Music Center. She is an Assistant Professor of Composition and Director of Electronic Music at the Butler School of Music (UT Austin), and a Visiting Composer at the Peabody Institute. Young also serves as Co-Artistic Director of NY-based new music sinfonietta Ensemble Échappé and a visiting artist at Arts Letters & Numbers. Peermusic Classical publishes her compositions.

Matsuura is Partner at Massarsky Consulting where she leads the valuation practice of the firm, and has conducted music asset valuations of music publishers, record companies, artist and songwriter catalogs, including Andreas Carlsson, Benny Blanco, Big Loud Shirt, Boosey & Hawkes, Bush, Carlin Music, CeeLo Green, Downtown Records, Downtown Music Publishing, Eddie Holland, Glenn Gould, Linda Perry, Marvin Hamlisch, peermusic, Primary Wave, Reservoir Media Management, Rogers and Hammerstein, Round Hill Music, Rush, Ryan Tedder, Smokey Robinson, SONGS, Spirit Music Group, The Offspring, and many more. In addition, since joining the firm in 2001 she has been a consultant to a number of music companies including Universal Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, the RIAA, among many others.

 

Singing-Cowboy Promoter Packy Smith Passes

Packy Smith

Nashville’s Packy Smith, renowned as an expert on western music and movies, has died at age 77.

Smith co-produced the Happy Trails Theatre TNN TV series about Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. He authored books about Gene Autry and Hopalong Cassidy. He was the co-founder of the Western Film Festival.

He was an expert on Autry, Rogers, Tex Ritter, The Sons of the Pioneers, Rex Allen, Foy Willing and other singing-cowboy stars. He founded Riverwood Press to publish the works of other western-film enthusiasts.

Born Morton Packard Smith in 1941, he was raised in Nashville’s Inglewood neighborhood. He developed a love for cowboy movies at an early age. This evolved into a lifelong career collecting, selling and analyzing western movies and music. In addition to his books, he authored numerous articles about the topic.

For the past three decades, he has been screening rare cowboy films at the Western Film Festival in Arizona and the Lone Pine Film Festival in California. He also booked vintage Hollywood cowboy stars for these gatherings.

He served on the board of the Museum of Western Film History in Lone Pine, north of Bakersfield, CA. He had a nationally recognized, encyclopedic knowledge of this genre.

Packy Smith is survived by wife Cathleen, sons Tony and Jeff, daughters Cathy and Izora, stepchildren Kim and John, siblings Blanton and Judy and 10 grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life was held Jan. 12  in The Pavilion at Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens (9090 Highway 100). In lieu of flowers, the family requested donations to Alive Hospice, the Museum of Western Film History, the Democratic Party or a favorite charity.

MusicRow’s Top 100 Songwriters Of 2018

Josh Osborne. Photo: Moments By Moser

2018 was a milestone year for songwriters. After years of campaigning for updated legislature regarding streaming royalties, the Music Modernization Act was passed in October. This important piece of legislature is crucial to the survival of the modern songwriter, and will create a landscape for songwriters to thrive in years to come.

This past year also proved to be a prosperous year for these 100 songwriters who saw the most chart success on the weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Using algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams, these 100 songwriters were on top in 2018.

SMACKSongs and Sony/ATV’s Josh Osborne takes the No. 1 slot aggregating chart data from each weekly MusicRow Top Songwriters Chart in 2018. The songs that solidified his top spot in 2018 included LANCO’s “Born To Love You,” Sam Hunt’s “Body Like A Backroad,” Midland’s “Burn Out,” Old Dominion’s “Hotel Key,” Blake Shelton’s “Turnin’ Me On,” and more.

It looks as if 2019 will be a strong year for Osborne, as well. He announced this week his worldwide publishing deal with Sony/ATV.

Ross Copperman

Rezonant Music Publishing’s Ross Copperman takes the No. 2 slot on the 2018 Top Songwriter Chart. The BMI writer was propelled by songs like LANCO’s “Born To Love You,” Dierks Bentley’s “Woman, Amen,” Blake Shelton’s “I Lived It” and Kenny Chesney’s “Get Along.”

 

Shane McAnally

SMACKSongs’ Shane McAnally follows Copperman at No. 3 with Jake Owen’s “Down To The Honky Tonk,” Midland’s “Burn Out,” Old Dominion’s “Written In The Sand,” and many more.

Ashley Gorley. Photo: Ed Rode

Round Hill Music’s Ashley Gorley falls at the No. 4 position in the top 100. Gorley won ASCAP’s Country Songwriter of the Year for the sixth consecutive time in 2018. Tunes like Luke Bryan’s “What Makes You Country,” Carly Pearce’s “Hide The Wine,” Blake Shelton’s “I Lived It,” and Thomas Rhett’s “Life Changes” and “Marry Me” solidified his position.

Tyler Hubbard. Photo: Delaney Royer

Big Loud Publishing’s Tyler Hubbard takes the No. 5 slot, with writing credits on songs like Jason Aldean’s “You Make It Easy,” as well as Florida Georgia Line’s “Simple” and the 50-week Billboard No. 1, “Meant To Be.”

MusicRow’s Top 100 Songwriters of 2018:

1. Josh Osborne
2. Ross Copperman
3. Shane McAnally
4. Ashley Gorley
5. Tyler Hubbard
6. Nicolle Galyon
7. Chase McGill
8. Hillary Lindsey
9. Lindsay Rimes
10. David Garcia
11. Luke Combs
12. Jon Nite
13. Rhett Akins
14. Josh Miller
15. Jesse Frasure
16. Jordan M. Schmidt
17. Jessie Jo Dillon
18. Morgan Evans
19. Brett Young
20. Trevor Rosen
21. Michael Hardy
22. Scooter Carusoe
23. Kevin Welch
24. Shay Mooney
25. Josh Kear
26. Dan Smyers
27. Jordan Reynolds
28. Matthew McGinn
29. Shy Carter
30. Thomas Rhett
31. Laura Veltz
32. D. L. Murphy
33. Matthew Ramsey
34. Robert Williford
35. Brian Kelley
36. Justin Ebach
37. Sean McConnell
38. Ben Hayslip
39. Chris Stevens
40. Bobby Pinson
41. Eric Church
42. Chris DeStefano
43. Russell Dickerson
44. Casey Brown
45. Parker Welling
46. Taylor Swift
47. Kane Brown
48. P.T. Monahan
49. Bebe Rexha
50. Josh Hoge
51. Chris Young
52. Luke Dick
53. Jordan Davis
54. Ray Wylie Hubbard
55. Brett Eldredge
56. Zach Crowell
57. Justin Wilson
58. Seth Ennis
59. Luke Laird
60. Chris Janson
61. Tom Douglas
62. Josh Thompson
63. Corey Crowder
64. Maren Morris
65. Will Weatherly
66. Brad Clawson
67. CJ Solar
68. Matt Rogers
69. Scotty McCreery
70. Chris Stapleton
71. Mike Henderson
72. Brandon Lancaster
73. Pavel Dovgalyuk
74. Abe Stoklasa
75. D. Frasier
76. E.M. Hill
77. Jimmie Allen
78. JP Williams
79. Liz Rose
80. Rob Snyder
81. Channing Wilson
82. Mitchell Tenpenny
83. Sammy Mitchel
84. Steven Andre Battey
85. J. Yeary
86. Dierks Bentley
87. R. Hurd
88. Brandon Kinney
89. Jeff Middleton
90. Ben Stennis
91. Carrie Underwood
92. Kelsea Ballerini
93. Derek George
94. Darius Rucker
95. Josh London
96. Dustin Lynch
97. Andy Albert
98. Mark Holman
99. Devin Dawson
100. Jacob Durrett

Jameson Rodgers Signs With River House/Columbia Nashville As They Announce Long-Term Joint Venture

Pictured (L-R): Front – Sony Music Nashville SVP Legal & Business Affairs Angie Magill and Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman; Jameson Rodgers; and River House Artists Founder & Owner Lynn Oliver-Cline; Back –SMN COO & EVP Ken Robold; and Combustion Music President Chris Farren

Jameson Rodgers has signed a recording deal with River House Artists/Columbia Nashville. In conjunction with the signing, Sony Music Nashville and River House Artists have officially announced an exclusive, long-term joint-venture agreement, effective immediately. The first collaboration between the two actually began in 2016, when multi-Platinum artist Luke Combs inked a deal with the River House Artists and Columbia Nashville imprints.

A Mississippi native, Rodgers moved to Nashville in 2010 to pursue his music career and signed with Combustion Music in 2014. He has since had cuts including Florida Georgia Line’s “Wish You Were On It” and their latest single “Talk You Out of It,” as well as Chris Lane’s new single “I Don’t Know About You.” He has independently released two EPs, the latest featuring streaming hits, “Some Girls” and “Missing One,” which have been featured on Spotify’s New Boots and Wild Country Playlists along with SiriusXM’s On The Horizon. A new single is expected later this year from Rodgers, who is slated to open Luke Combs’ Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour beginning Jan. 31 and is also one of three artists chosen for the CMA Kixstart Artist Scholarship inaugural class.

“The entire Sony Music Nashville team is thrilled to be furthering our partnership with River House Artists. Lynn Oliver-Cline’s A&R instincts and passion to nurture and develop artists make her an incredible partner,” said Ken Robold, SMN COO and EVP. “We are very excited to have Jameson Rodgers as our first signing. His combination of incredible songs, work ethic and desire to be on the road growing his audience is inspiring. We can’t wait to embark on what will be an amazing partnership together.”

“I am ecstatic to be extending my River House partnership with Sony Music Nashville. We work really well together and I have never felt anything less than 100% support and commitment to my vision and the artists we develop together,” added River House Artists Founder/Owner Oliver-Cline. “Jameson is the perfect fit for our next launch together. Everything about him is genuine, and his passion for writing great songs and playing great shows is highly contagious. His record is going to be very special and there is no better team to bring it to the masses. I can’t thank Randy, Ken and the SMN team enough for being the best partners to me and RHA.”

“Today is a dream come true finally getting to sign this record deal. It’s been such a journey getting to this point. Since I moved to Nashville I’ve dreamed of not only signing a record deal but specifically with a Sony label,” said Rodgers. “It’s an honor to get to work with River House and Sony together. I look forward to seeing what the rest of this year and beyond brings!”

Rodgers is managed by Red Light Management’s Shawn McSpadden and JP Durant, and booked by Darin Murphy and Sam Forbert at CAA.

Tracy Byrd To Embark On North American Tour

Tracy Byrd

After years of taking time off from touring, Tracy Byrd is hitting the road for a North American tour. Byrd’s fellow Beaumont, Texas native Mark Chesnutt will also make an appearance on the tour for shows billed as The Beaumont Boys.

With hits like “Holdin’ Heaven,” “Watermelon Crawl,” “I’m From The Country,” “Ten Rounds of Jose Cuervo,” “Drinkin’ Bone,” and “The Keeper of the Stars,” Byrd is celebrating 25 years as a recording artist.

“I am really enjoying getting back out on the road,” says Byrd. “I loved spending time off watching the kids grow, but I have missed seeing the legion of fans that we had gained over the years. I look forward to reconnecting with them on the road!”

Tracy Byrd On Tour:
Feb 02 – Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace / Bakersfield, Calif.
Feb 04 – The Saddle Rack / Fremont, Calif.
Feb 05 – Harris Center For The Arts / Folsom, Calif.
Feb 06 – Gallo Center For The Arts / Modesto, Calif.
Feb 07 – Dell E. Webb Center For The Arts / Wickenburg, Ariz.
Feb 08 – Dell E. Webb Center For The Arts / Wickenburg, Ariz.
Feb 09 – The Liberty / Roswell, N.M.
Feb 15 – Private / Vidor, Texas
Feb 16 – Dosey Doe / The Woodlands, Texas
Feb 17 – Diamond Jacks Casino And Hotel / Bossier City, La.
Feb 21 – Liberty Hal / Tyler, Texas
Feb 22 – Hippodrome / Waco, Texas
Feb 23 – Arlington Music Hall / Arlington, Texas (Daytime Show)
Feb 23 – Matagorda Country Fair / Bay City, Texas (Nighttime Show)
Mar 01 – Marshfest / Winnie, Texas
Mar 02 – Private / Austin, Texas
Mar 22 – Redneck Country Club / Stafford, Texas
Mar 23 – Ford Of Boerne Ribbon Cutting / Boerne, Texas (Daytime Show)
Mar 23 – Twisted J Live / Stephenville, Texas (Nighttime Show)
Mar 28 – Imogene Theater / Milton, Fla.
Mar 29 – The Stockyard / Holiday, Fla.
Mar 30 – The Ranch / Fort Meyers, Fla.
Mar 31 – Orange Blossom Opry / Weisdale, Fla.
Apr 05 – Coyote Joe’s / Charlotte, N.C. – (Beaumont Boys Show)
Apr 06 – Red Barn Convention Center / Winchester, Ohio
Apr 12 – Choctaw Casino / Pocola, Okla.
Apr 13 – Delta Downs / Vinton, La.
Apr 25 – Cahoots / Lebanon, Tenn.
Apr 26 – Saddle Up Saloon / Indianapolis, Ind.
Apr 27 – Arcada Theater / St. Charles, Ill.
May 18 – Lee County Fair / Giddings, Texas
Jun 01 – Billy Bob’s Texas / Fort Worth, Texas
Jun 12 – Merryman Performing Arts Center / Kearney, Neb.
Jun 14 – Kickin’ Country Festival / Karlstad, Minn.
Jun 28 – Big Texas / Spring, Texas
Jun 29 – Johnny’s Steaks & Bbq / Saldo, Texas
Jul 24 – Cowlitz County Fair / Longview, Wash.
Jul 26 – Canyon Country Fair / Caldwell, Idaho
Jul 29 – Montana State Fair / Great Falls, Mont.
Aug 03 – Deerasic Classic / Cambridge, Ohio
Aug 06 – Umatilla County Fair / Hermiston, Ore.
Aug 07 – Tillamook County Fair / Tillamook , Ore.
Aug 08 – Riverfront Amphitheater / Albany, Ore.
Aug 23 – Cotton Eyed Joe / Knoxville, Tenn.
Aug 24 – Garden City Bicentennial / Garden City, Ga.
Oct 25 – Bluegate Theater / Shipshewana, Ind.
Dec 14 – Redneck Country Club / Stafford, Texas
Dec 21 – Jefferson Theater / Beaumont, Texas

On The Row: The Band Steele

The Band Steele. Photo: Haley Crow

About an hour south of Muscle Shoals, Bo Steele and Ben Rubino grew up in a town with one red light called Double Springs, Alabama. After Rubino heard Steele cover a Seether song at the high school talent show, he and his brother asked Steele to join their band. They called it The Band Steele. Not long after, a viral video of Steele covering “Victory In Jesus” in a hospital waiting room caught the attention of a record label in New York.

The southern rock band stopped by the MusicRow office on Tuesday (Jan. 8) to share an acoustic sampling of their 2017 album, Moon In A Mason Jar.

“In high school we grew up listening to a lot of rock and roll, like Audioslave,” Rubino said. “And we started out writing a lot of rock songs but eventually Alabama got a hold of us and the older we got, the more country our songs were getting.”

“The more relaxed we got,” Steele added with a laugh. “Less angry and rebellious.”

With a sound comparable to the likes of both Scott Stapp (Creed) and Darius Rucker, Steele commands a huge voice with an Eddie Vedder tone. His powerful delivery paired with Rubino’s texturizing harmonies create a fresh sincerity in songs like “Swimmin’ In The Sipsey,” a tune that tells the story of the band’s upbringing around the swampy Sipsey river.

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow’s Lorie Hollabaugh, Alex Kobrick, The Band Steele’s Ben Rubino, Bo Steele, MusicRow‘s LB Rogers, Jessica Nicholson, Haley Crow, Grassroots Promotion’s Renee McClure

Their antsy “Red Moon River” was inspired by a family story about running moonshine.

“My Grandpa used to tell me about running moonshine, and I didn’t believe them but they said they used to drive the backroads in town with the headlights off at night,” said Steele. “And then one day they turned the headlights off and I thought I was going to die.”

The Band Steele’s current single, “Sit Awhile,” shows off the band’s songwriting as it reflects on finding solace in the trouble of life. “Sit Awhile” was inspired by Steele’s step-father’s death, and not long after they wrote the song, Rubino’s mother passed away. They, along with their fans, have found the track healing. Rubino recalled the comments listeners have left on their video that have made them realize the impact of the song.

“That one means a lot to us,” Rubino said. “The response to it is really what has been so incredible.” After military members gravitated toward “Sit Awhile,” the band dedicated the music video to those who have served.

YouTube video

Nashville Industry Celebrates Jason Aldean’s 21st Chart-Topper “Drowns The Whiskey”

Pictured (L-R): Josh Thompson (BMI/Big Machine), Michael Knox (producer), Jason Aldean, Brandon Kinney (BMI/Tom Leis Music-Sony/ATV), Jeff Middleton (BMI/Liz Rose Music). Photo: Steve Lowry

Jason Aldean says he has Tyler Farr to thank for his 21st No. 1 single, “Drowns The Whiskey,” featuring Miranda Lambert.

“I was recording a few songs on Tyler for his album and I found ‘Drowns The Whiskey’ and played it for him,” Aldean told a crowd of industry well-wishers as they gathered Tuesday (Jan. 8) at Nashville’s Cambria Hotel to celebrate the chart-topper.

“Tyler said, ‘Man, all my songs are about drinking and I don’t think I need any more.’ I said, ‘If you don’t cut this thing, I’m going to.’ It is just an amazing song.”

The track was penned by Josh Thompson (Big Machine Music), Brandon Kinney (Tom Leis Music-Sony/ATV) and Jeff Middleton (Liz Rose Music). Aldean’s vocal cohort on the song, Lambert, was not in attendance.

BMI’s David Preston and Leslie Roberts were on hand to celebrate the artists and writers on the song, as was Pinnacle Bank. Pinnacle made a donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Others heralding the song’s success included BBR Music Group’s Jon Loba, Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar, BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Sony/ATV’s Troy Tomlinson, Broken Bow’s Carson James, and CMA’s Brandi Simms.

Molinar noted the song marks Thompson’s third No. 1 hit in 18 months, with two of those tracks being songs Aldean recorded (the other Aldean hit being “Any Ol’ Barstool”).

“I think everyone recognizes that ‘Drowns The Whiskey’ is going to be one of those songs that lasts, and not just as a radio recurrent or in Jason’s arena tours, but wherever there is a bar and a jukebox and a guy or girl with a broken heart, they are probably going to play this song. This is real country music that is moving real people.”

Liz Rose Music’s Liz Rose said, “I started out as a publisher and a song plugger, so this is awesome. Why I’m in this business is to sign songwriters like Jeff Middleton and see their dreams come true.”

Leslie DiPiero, who is General Manager at Tree Vibez Music, but is still involved in Tom-Leis Music, praised Kinney, who was celebrating his very first No. 1 song. “I’m supposed to be a silent partner at Tom-Leis now, but anyone who knows me knows that’s not going to be the case. I’ve worked with Brandon for about a decade and every day I’ve watched him show up and give his best.”

Thompson thanked the artists and his co-writers, using his signature wit. “This song has been a hell of a ride from the time we wrote it til the time it actually got cut. Knox, Jason you crushed the song and Miranda just sprinkled the magic on it,” Thompson said. “Brandon and Jeff, thanks for being in the room while I wrote the song,” he quipped.

“This is a story about when someone sticks to something,” Middleton offered. “Jason [Aldean] stuck with this song for a long time and Liz has stuck with me as a writer for a long time. I’ve stuck around this town for a long time. The day this song was cut, I took a job in accounting, so I do a lot of math these days,” says Middleton, who also works for Waitr & Associates. “So it’s been a weird road and I’m grateful to be here with a No. 1. Josh, Brandon, thank you for you know drinking the whiskey while I wrote the song,” he joked. “But seriously, thank you to everyone for coming.”

“Yes, we drank a lot of whiskey when we wrote this song. If that’s all we did, we did our part, I guarantee you,” Kinney said. “First I want to thank my family for always standing beside me—my mom and dad. The DiPieros and Sony and Knox, thanks for believing in me enough tot sign me. Aldean, you killed it. I’ve been trying to get a cut on you for a long time. I almost had a No. 1 one time and you kicked me out of that,” he quipped. “We had Randy Houser’s ‘Boots On’ at No. 2 and I said, ‘I think we’re going for No. 1 this week,’ and what does ‘Big Green Tractor’ do? Plows right over our asses. But I didn’t not know the same [person] was going to give me my first No. 1.

“I love country music y’all. Ever since I was little, I dreamed of it. And here I am with my friends and family,” Kinney concluded.

Knox said that the song is intensely personal. “I got to be part of Josh Thompson’s first record, Brandon writes for me and Sony doesn’t hold a grudge on me, that’s awesome. Me and Jason forever, Broken Bow is a family to me, and Jeff works for the company that watches my money, so trying to weigh out which one’s more important—I think Jeff wins that,” he quipped.

“Thanks to radio for playing a song that has a little bit of a traditional feel to it,” Aldean summed. “I feel like songs like this don’t come on the radio a lot, so thanks for still playing something that’s actually country, a little bit. Miranda is not here, but I thought this was a good song but once she got on it, it became a phenomenal song. It was one of the biggest songs of the year, and that was because it was well-written, well-produced, and I tried to sing it as best as I could.”

Warner/Chappell, Cornman Music Sign Will Bundy

Pictured (L-R) Back row: T.D. Ruth (Serling Rooks), Ben Vaughn (Warner/Chappell), Jessi Vaughn (Warner/Chappell). Front row: Brett James (Cornman Music), Will Bundy, Nate Lowery (Cornman Music)

Songwriter Will Bundy has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Warner/Chappell Nashville and Cornman Music.

A ninth-generation cattle farmer turned songwriter, Bundy was born and raised in Southwest Virginia. He learned to play guitar at a young age, and in 2016 moved to Nashville to pursue music. In addition to songwriting, Bundy records and produces music.

“We are so stoked to have Will Bundy join the Cornman family,” said Cornman Music’s Brett James. “He’s an incredible talent and a great guy and we can’t wait to see all of the success that his future holds.”

Marty Brown Inks Deal With Plowboy Records

Pictured: Plowboy Records General Manager Ben Ewing, Marty Brown and Plowboy Records President Shannon Pollard

Marty Brown has joined the Plowboy Records roster.

Brown is currently putting the finishing touches on his latest album, which is due out this Spring. The initial radio single is set for release in February. Publicity for the new project is being handled by Martha Moore of so much MOORE media.

To date, Brown has recorded four studio albums, including three for MCA: High and Dry (1991), Wild Kentucky Skies (1993) and Cryin’, Lovin’, Leavin’ (1994). He released Here’s To The Honkytonks (1996) via HighTone. Brown also co-wrote Tracy Byrd’s hit “I’m From The Country,” and Trace Adkins’ “When I Stop Loving You,” among others. Brown also appeared on season eight of America’s Got Talent and was previously signed to Keith Stegall’s Dreamlined Entertainment.