Industry Pics: Country LakeShake Celebrates Five Years

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Pictured: Pistol Annies’s Ashley Monroe & Angaleena Presley, Lindsay Ell, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, Cassadee Pope, Lauren Alaina. Photo: Marc Nader

The fifth-annual Country LakeShake “Cheers-ed to Five Years” this weekend on the shores of Lake Michigan at Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island, offering fans a three-day, music-filled event, and earning a record high for attendance numbers in the process.

The festival welcomed an all-female performer lineup on Friday night (June 21), as artists including Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, Angaleena Presley, Lindsay Ell, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, Cassadee Pope, and Lauren Alaina performed.

Others on the bill included Luke Bryan, Brett Young, Keith Urban, Midland, Morgan Evans, Ryan Hurd, Jon Langston, Mitchell Tenpenny, Clint Black and Granger Smith featuring Earl Dibbles Jr.

The DISH Presents Next From Nashville Stage offered performances from newcomers including Caylee Hammack, Rachel Wammack, Rita Wilson, Seaforth and Travis Denning.

Travis Denning. Photo: Marc Nader

Rita Wilson. Photo: Marc Nader

Blackhawks Player Adam Burish, Brett Young, Live Nation’s Brian O’Connell. Photo: Marc Nader

Luke Bryan. Photo: Marc Nader

Miranda Lambert. Photo: Marc Nader

Combs Soars To No. 2 On The MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Chart-wrangler Luke Combs flies from No. 34 to No. 2 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week, with all five tunes from his new EP The Prequel propelling him, including “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” “Even Though I’m Leaving,” “Lovin’ On You,” “Moon Over Mexico” and “Refrigerator Door.” Combs’ co-writers Jonathan Singleton (No. 13), Randy Montana (No. 31), and Ray Fulcher (No. 32) fall in line beneath him.

Michael Hardy stays on top at No. 1 this week for the second week, and Ashley Gorley takes the No. 3 slot. Blanco Brown leaps to the No. 12 slot fueled by his charting single, “The Git Up.”

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity garnered from 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.

Morris Higham Management Inks Publishing Joint Venture, Signs Chase Wright

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Pictured (L-R): Evyn Mustoe-ASCAP, Clint Higham-Morris Higham Management/Toby and Molly Music, Jeff Biederman-Manatt, Chase Wright, Robert Filhart-Morris Higham Management/Toby and Molly Music, TD Ruth-Serling Rooks Hunter McKoy Worob & Averill LLP, Jesse Willoughby-Kobalt. Photo: Basak Kizilisik

Morris Higham Management is adding publishing to its list of client services, which already include music management, booking and production. Through a joint venture among MHM President Clint Higham, Kobalt Music and recent addition to MHM, publishing industry veteran and manager Robert Filhart, newly established Toby and Molly Music, LLC creates unique opportunities for writer/artist-friendly deals. The venture’s first signee is 22-year-old songwriter Chase Wright.

“It’s challenging for new artists to focus on their art when the stress of commerce and business occupies their days,” Higham says. “Logically it was the next step in the full-service model we offer our clients, intended so they have the freedom to focus on the music. We all benefit when that happens.”

Filhart first introduced Wright to MHM for management following months of development during his previous tenure at ASCAP.

“Chase’s voice paired with his work ethic and drive for entertaining really stuck out to me when we were first introduced to him over a year ago. This new publishing venture further enhances the artist/management experience while providing added value to their creative services needs.” Filhart says. “The names ‘Toby and Molly’ are to honor my father’s legacy as they were the first team of draft horses we had on our farm in Michigan. It represents a work ethic we should all strive to achieve in life.”

Known for creating unique models to further develop and benefit their roster, MHM’s Dale Morris and Higham recently partnered with Paradigm Talent Agency to expand the services previously included under their sister company, Dale Morris & Associates. For decades, MHM has guided the careers of iconic artists including trailblazers Alabama and eight-time Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney, to recent successes of clients ranging from reigning ACM/CMA Group of the Year Old Dominion, as well as Michael Ray, Brantley Gilbert, Carly Pearce, and more.

Los Angeles-based attorney Jeff Biederman of Manatt’s law firm brought Kobalt into the partnership and oversees legal for Toby and Molly Music, LLC. Kobalt will oversee all administration services for the publishing company.

Skillet, Alter Bridge Announce Co-Headlining Tour

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Alter Bridge and Skillet have announced that they will embark on a co-headlining tour this fall. The Victorious Sky Tour begins on Sept. 22 in Baltimore and runs through Oct. 25 in Orlando. Dirty Honey will also appear.

Multi-platinum and twice Grammy-nominated supergroup Skillet were recently welcomed into Pandora’s Billionaires club, earning over 2 billion streams. They will release their tenth album, Victorious, on Atlantic Records on Aug. 2.

Pre-sale tickets are available now through June 27, while regular tickets go on sale on Friday, June 28. For a full list of tour dates, visit alterbridge.com.

Leadership Music Celebrates 30 Years At Anniversary Bash

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Leadership Music 30th anniversary celebration. Photo: Moments by Moser Photography

Leadership Music celebrated its 30th birthday in a big way last Thursday night (June 20) with more than 500 music industry execs and their guests from around the country gathering at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium to celebrate the occasion.

Leadership Music alumni from the past 30 years attended the event, which began with acknowledgments of the organization’s Founding Council, past presidents and executive directors, and a video montage of highlights of the past three decades set to a special rewrite of Phil Vassar’s song “My Next 30 Years,” performed by Vassar.

The evening’s keynote featured SiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer interviewed by Billboard magazine’s Melinda Newman. Meyer fielded questions about the future of digital music and the ever-changing landscape of issues affecting royalties paid to artists and songwriters. Afterward, War Memorial was transformed into a Vegas-style casino with poker and craps tables and roulette wheels, and attendees gambled with play money for a chance to win prizes.

“Last night hundreds of Leadership Music alumni from three decades celebrated, reminisced, and revisited all that is extraordinary about our first 30 years,” Executive Director Debbie Linn said. “A total of 920 days of meetings, phone calls and sweat equity from an amazing committee, led by co-chairs Linda Bloss-Baum and Neal Spielberg, went into planning an event worthy of a landmark anniversary. Members of our Founding Council were in attendance to be applauded and honored, as were the past presidents, facilitators and executive directors. Alumni from Montana to California to New York representing the very first class of 1990 and beyond partied alongside the incoming Class of 2020. We couldn’t be more pleased, humbled and gratified with the amazing turnout. It was definitely a one-of-a-kind moment. We can’t wait to see what’s up ahead as we begin our next 30 years.”

Founded in 1989 by 12 of the music industry’s top executives, Nashville-based Leadership Music is a non-profit educational organization providing programs designed to further communications and understanding among facets of the entertainment industry and to assist established leaders in their roles as decision makers. Leadership Music is designed to promote teamwork, camaraderie and dialogue among industry leaders, expand the talent pool of leadership in the community, and expose class participants to varying points of view and philosophies.

Leadership Music 30th anniversary party. Photo: Moments by Moser Photography

Leadership Music 30th anniversary celebration. Photo: Ed Rode

Leadership Music 30th anniversary party. Photo: Moments by Moser Photography

Leadership Music 30th anniversary party. Photo: Moments by Moser Photography

Leadership Music 30th anniversary celebration, class of 2003. Photo: Ed Rode

Leadership Music 30th anniversary celebration. Photo: Ed Rode

Leadership Music 30th anniversary celebration. Photo: Moments by Moser Photography

Leadership Music Class of 2016. Photo: Ed Rode

Leadership Music Class of 2009. Photo: Ed Rode

 

RCA Inspiration Highlights Classic Performances With New Digital Series

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RCA Inspiration has introduced a new digital series, Verity Presents V.H.S. (Video Heritage Series). As RCA Inspiration’s heritage imprint, Verity houses an extensive catalog within the gospel and inspirational music genres.

The Video Heritage Series, available on RCA Inspiration’s YouTube channel, highlights classic gospel and inspirational performances. Verity Presents V.H.S. commenced with the full-length concert from 14-time Grammy winner Kirk Franklin’s 1993 debut album, Kirk Franklin & The Family. More classic performances will be uploaded regularly.

Damon Williams, RCAI & Verity’s Vice President of Marketing says, “As we continue to celebrate Black Music Month, RCA Inspiration is excited to launch this video series featuring classic performance concert footage from our current and catalog roster of artists. We are digging deep in the crates and have resurrected iconic, vintage video content from Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, Yolanda Adams, Richard Smallwood, Donnie McClurkin, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, John P. Kee, and many others. The debut recording from Kirk Franklin is a perfectly nostalgic way to start things off, yet is only a sample of what’s to come!”

Country Music Hall Of Fame Receives Grant To Create Music Row Experience Project App

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has received a $288,000 grant from the National Archives’ National Historical Publications and Records Commission to create an interactive, game-based mobile application designed to increase access to and spur engagement with the museum’s collections. The museum was one of only six institutions to receive funding from the National Archives Major Initiatives program this year.

This initiative, called the Music Row Experience Project, focuses on digitizing the museum’s Music Row-related archival materials and making the materials accessible through an app and web-based experience. The app will allow users to interact with the museum’s ever-growing digital archive through a gaming interface, while also exploring places of interest and important eras related to Nashville’s Music Row. The museum selected Music Row—which the National Trust for Historic Preservation designated a national treasure in 2015 and named one of its most endangered historic places in 2019—as the subject of this project because of the district’s cultural and historical significance as the center of country music recording, production and creativity since the mid-1950s.

Through the project, the museum will create a free, publicly accessible, interactive experience that will encourage users to explore the people, music and stories associated with Music Row. In addition, this project provides broad digital access to the museum’s collection and reduces geographic and economic barriers for audiences all over the world to access the museum’s collection.

Project work began June 1 and will be completed in May 2021. At the end of the project, an additional 4,850 items in the museum’s collection, including 600 audio recordings, 250 films and videos and 4,000 photographs, will be digitized and catalogued.

“The goal of our digitization efforts is to connect people with country music’s rich history,” said museum CEO Kyle Young. “At the culmination of the Music Row Experience Project, not only will more people understand the role Music Row has played in the country music story, but other educational institutions will be able to use this application as a model to create their own innovative access and interactive strategies for their own digital collections.”

John Prine Celebrated With NYC Event

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Pictured: Keith Sykes, Bonnie Raitt and John Prine. Photo: Kevin Scanlon.

Last week, Downtown Music Publishing celebrated the musical legacy of John Prine with a showcase at PUBLIC Arts benefiting 826NYC, the New York chapter of the largest non-profit youth writing network in the country. Held on the eve of Prine’s induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the night featured an all-star lineup of performers including Antibalas, Sara Bareilles, Stephen Colbert, John Dickerson, Norah Jones, Natalie Merchant, Nathaniel Rateliff, and The War and Treaty, each doing a special acoustic interpretation of their favorite John Prine song.

The man of the hour capped off the night with his own performance of his classic song “Paradise,” with longtime friends and collaborators Bonnie Raitt and Keith Sykes joining him on stage.

The War and Treaty Perform. Photo: Kevin Scanlon.

John Prine performs. Photo: Kevin Scanlon.

Eric Paslay, Callista Clark Help Launch BMI’s Publisher Takeover Series

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Pictured: Big Machine’s Alex Heddle, BMI’s Branden Bosler, Eric Paslay, PNC Bank’s Chelsea Peterson, BMI’s MaryAnn Keen, PNC Bank’s Mike Johnson and Big Machine’s Mike Molinar. Photo: Steve Lowry

BMI and PNC Bank have joined forces to present a new publisher-focused writer series. The first of installment of four Publisher Takeovers scheduled for the summer, Big Machine Music Publishing brought along Eric Paslay and Callista Clark to the recently updated BMI Creative Patio on Wednesday (June 19).

Paslay has earned five career No. 1 hits and two Grammy nominations, while 15-year-old Clark has been co-writing alongside songwriters including Chris DeStefano, Laura Veltz, and Jonathan Singleton.
The new series is aimed at providing BMI’s publishing affiliates with opportunities to showcase writers, offering publishers an opportunity to host a writer showcase, while BMI handles all logistics for the event.
The BMI Publisher Takeovers will continue on the BMI Creative Patio July 18, Aug. 15 and Sept. 19. 

Pictured: BMI’s Leslie Roberts, Callista Clark and Big Machine’s Allison Jones. Photo: Steve Lowry

Pictured: Eric Paslay, BMI’s Jody Williams and Big Machine’s Mike Molinar. Photo: Steve Lowry

Kane Brown, Marshmello Release “One Thing Right” Collaboration

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Photo Credit: Daniel Malikyar

Kane Brown has released his collaboration with producer Marshmello on their new single “One Thing Right.” The track was penned by Brown, Marshmello, Josh Hoge, Jesse Frasure and Matt McGinn and marks Marshmello’s first collaboration with a country artist. The two will perform the new collaboration on GMA’s Summer Concert Series on Aug. 30.

Brown and Marshmello first connected at the 2018 American Music Awards, where Brown picked up three awards, including Favorite Male Artist Country, Favorite Album-Country and Favorite Song-Country. Meanwhile Marshmello earned the Best Electronic Dance Artist honor.

“Marshmello had reached out to say congratulations while I was at the AMAs,” Brown said. “I sent him the song and he ended up being really passionate about it, and said he wanted to even make it a single, so we ended up working on it together. I am a huge Marshmello fan and think he is an incredible artist in his space, so I am thrilled to be able to get to collaborate with him on this. Its amazing seeing a song you wrote come to life like that,” added Brown.

Marshmello’s hit single “Happier” (with Bastille) has earned nearly one billion cumulative streams and has been certified double-platinum in the U.S. He is currently doing a two-year engagement at KAOS Dayclub and Nightclub at the Palms Casino Resort. Earlier this year he played “the first-ever in-game concert” inside of Fortnite.

Brown is the first artist to top all five Billboard Country charts and is one of onely five country acts with multiple 4x platinum hits (joining Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt and Taylor Swift).