Kentucky Headhunters Celebrate ‘Pickin’ On Nashville’ Anniversary With Rare Music City Show

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The Kentucky Headhunters are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of their debut album, Pickin’ on Nashville, with a rare live performance in Music City, dubbed “The Kentucky Headhunters: Pickin’ on Nashville and Beyond.”  The concert is set for Friday, June 28 at 8 p.m. at The Basement East, and budding southern rock group The Georgia Thunderbolts will open the show.

Following its original release on Oct. 17, 1989 on Mercury Records, Pickin’ on Nashville went on to sell over two million copies, earning the band multi-platinum status. The album won a Grammy, three CMA awards, an American Music Award, and an ACM Award. It spawned four consecutive Top 40 country hits: “Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine,” “Dumas Walker,” “Oh Lonesome Me,” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Angel.” The band has released 15 albums over the course of their career and sold over 11 million records worldwide.

“The Heads have traveled the universe musically, starting as Itchy Brother in 1968, on the family farm in the infamous Practice House, then morphing into The Kentucky Headhunters in 1986,” says founding member Richard Young. “We have lived a blessed and charmed life with family, friends and music. Please come be with us at this event to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pickin’ on Nashville, the album that changed our lives many times over.”

Tickets are $24.00 in advance and $28.00 on the day of show, and can be purchased at thebasementnashville.com.

Universal Music Group Launches Nashville Career Jam Event

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Universal Music Group will launch the Nashville Career Jam, a networking event geared toward music industry members, on Thursday, June 20 at Marathon Music Works.

“The UMG Career Jam is a festival celebration of the expansive talent that encompasses the music industry. From digital marketing and streaming to copyright and royalties – there are so many facets that drive music to be what it is today.” the event program states.

The event will also spotlight performances from Capitol CMG artist Riley Clemmons, UMPG songwriter David Frank, and artist R.LUM.R.

Garth And Blake’s “Dive Bar” Lands At Radio Today

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Garth Brooks‘ new song featuring Blake Shelton, “Dive Bar,” is available exclusively at country radio today. Fans can check out the new tune on radio before it becomes available on Amazon Music as part of Amazon Prime Day. “Dive Bar” is taken from Brooks’ forthcoming studio album FUN, and marks Brooks’ first time collaborating with Shelton.

Brooks and Shelton are set to perform the song live for the first time in Boise, Idaho, on July 19 at a stop on the Brooks’ Stadium Tour. Since launching the tour, Brooks has broken attendance records in St. Louis at The Dome at America’s Center, in Glendale, Arizona at State Farm Stadium, in Gainesville, Florida at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, two sold-out nights at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium and in Denver at Mile High Stadium. Additional upcoming shows are already sold-out in Eugene, Oregon at Autzen Stadium on June 29 with Regina, SK’s Mosaic Stadium show on Aug. 10 and Boise, Idaho’s Albertsons Stadium show on July 20, both selling out in under an hour, averaging just over 75,000 tickets in each city.

Morgan Wallen Raises His Whiskey Glass To Three-Week No. 1 Hit

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(L-R) — Back Row: Joey Moi (Partner) Kevin “Chief” Zaruk (Partner), Morgan Wallen, Seth England (Partner), Clay Hunnicutt (President, Big Loud Records), Patch Culbertson (Vp Of A&R)  Front Row: Lloyd Norman (Vp Of Special Projects & Strategic Management, Big Loud), Stacy Blythe (Vp Of Promotion, Big Loud Records), Craig Wiseman (Partner), Troy “Tracker” Johnson (Manager), Candice Watkins (Vp Of Marketing, Big Loud Records)

Morgan Wallen is celebrating his first multi-week No. 1 at country radio this week with his smash “Whiskey Glasses.” Holding atop Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for the third week in a row, the catchy track was written by Ben Burgess and Kevin Kadish. The third single from his Joey Moi-produced debut album, If I Know Me, the song follows the Platinum-certified, No. 1 “Up Down” featuring Florida Georgia Line.

“The power of this song, my fans, and Country radio continues to just blow me away,” said Wallen. “I can’t even express how grateful I am to everybody who made this all possible. Thank you for my first multi-week #1!”

Wallen will continue on FGL’s Can’t Say I Ain’t Country Tour, then will finish the year as direct support on Luke Combs’ Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour, kicking off in October. He surprised fans last Friday (6/14) with the release of another album cut clip, dropping a live video for the feel-good drinking anthem “Happy Hour” which was filmed at his sold-out Marathon Music Works tour stop in January in Nashville. Coming next to country radio will be Wallen’s fourth single, the fan-favorite “Chasin’ You,” with its accompanying video that has already racked up six million views on Youtube.

Hardy Passes Gorley For No. 1 Spot On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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After Ashley Gorley‘s tenth week at No. 1, Michael Hardy has seized the top spot on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. With five titles supporting him, including: “Rednecker” (HARDY), “God’s Country” (Blake Shelton), “Talk You Out Of It” (Florida Georgia Line), “I Don’t Know About You” (Chris Lane), and “One Big Country Song” (LOCASH), Hardy earns his spot.

Morgan Wallen’s “Whiskey Glasses” boosts co-writers Ben Burgess and Kevin Kadish to No. 3 and No. 4 this week. Hillary Lindsey rounds out the top five this week with Luke Bryan’s “Knockin’ Boots,” Runaway June’s “Buy My Own Drinks” and Carly Pearce’s “Closer To You.”

Thomas Rhett leaps from No. 44 to No. 13 this week, with six songs from his recently released Center Point Road charting, including: “Center Point Road,” “Beer Can’t Fix,” “Remember You Young,” “Notice,” “Blessed,” and “Look What God Gave Her.”

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.

Weekly Register: Luke Combs Debuts Atop Country Albums Chart With ‘The Prequel’

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Luke Combs. Photo: David Bergman for Sony Records Nashville

Luke Combs‘ new EP The Prequel continues his sales surge, as it tops the Nielsen Soundscan country albums rankings this week, with 48K in total consumption (25 million streams). Combs’ debut album, This One’s For You, is at No. 2 with 27K (28 million streams).

Following last week’s debut atop both Nielsen Soundscan’s Top 200 rankings and the country albums rankings, Thomas Rhett‘s Center Point Road falls to No. 3 this week, with 25.5K in total consumption (and 19.5 million streams).

Rounding out the Top 5 country albums this week are Dan + Shay‘s self titled album (18K total consumption/18 million streams) at No. 4, and Morgan Wallen‘s If I Know Me at No. 5 with 14.5K in total consumption.

Morgan Wallen takes over the top spot on the country on-demand streaming songs chart this week with “Whiskey Glasses.” The song earned 11 million streams this week, with an RTD total of 175 million.

Combs’ current single, “Beer Never Broke My Heart” has 10.5 million streams this week, with 94 million RTD total streams to land at No. 2. Blake Shelton‘s “God’s Country” is at No. 3 with 10.5 million streams this week (94 million RTD). Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy” is at No. 4 with 10 million streams (430 million RTD). Meanwhile, Blanco Brown‘s “The Git Up,” which currently sits atop the Spotify Viral 50 Chart, is at No. 5, with 8.8 million streams.

Breaking: Kent Earls Exits UMPG Nashville

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MusicRow has confirmed that UMPG Exec. VP/GM Kent Earls is exiting UMPG Nashville, following the appointment of Troy Tomlinson as Chairman/CEO of the division.

“The past 21+ years at UMPG Nashville have been truly incredible. I’m very proud of our many accomplishments while at the helm. We had multiple Grammy wins, Writer and Song of the Year accolades, countless No. 1 singles but the true joy was either signing, developing and furthering the careers of incredibly talented songwriters like Luke Laird, Rivers Rutherford, Chase McGill, Lori Mckenna, Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, Andrew Dorff and songwriter-artists like Sam Hunt, Keith Urban, Kane Brown, Chris Young, Maren Morris, and so many more. I am also so proud of the staff we assembled in my time there—they are second to none and are the reason we achieved so many highs. I love the Nashville music industry and community and excited to see what the future holds,” Earls says.

Earls joined UMPG in 1997 and rose through the ranks. In 2012, he was promoted to lead the company’s Nashville operations.

Chase Rice To Kick Off AM/PM Tour This Fall

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Chase Rice has announced his AM/PM Tour, titled from a line in his latest single,“Lonely If You Are,” the followup to his two-week No. 1 “Eyes On You.” The Fall headlining tour will kick off Aug. 1 and run through Dec. 14, hitting markets across the country including Charlotte, Chicago, Boston, Las Vegas and more, including a Nashville stop at Marathon Music Works on Sept. 27.  Cale Dodds, Chris DeStefano, Devin Dawson and Jon Nite will each serve as support on select dates.

Rice’s current Eyes On You Tour continues throughout the summer before he kicks off the AM/PM Tour in East Providence, R.I. He’ll also head overseas on his recently-announced headlining The Pint of Anything Tour in Europe in January.

AM/PM Tour Dates:
Thursday, Aug. 1 – Bold Point Park, East Providence, RI #
Friday, Aug 2. – The Papermill, Baldwinsville, N.Y. #
Sunday, Aug. 4 – Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, Ind.
Thursday, Aug. 8 – Boots & Hearts Festival, Oro Medonte, Ont.
Wednesday, Aug. 14 – The Wiltern, Los Angeles, Calif. >>
Friday, Aug. 16 – Del Mar Race Track, Del Mar, Calif.
Saturday, Aug. 17 – Boots in the Park, Fresno, Calif.
Tuesday, Aug. 20 – Central States Fairground, Rapid City, S.D.
Saturday, Aug. 24 – Gympie Music Muster, Queensland, AUS.
Friday, Aug. 30 – Romare Bearden Park, Charlotte, N.C.
Saturday, Aug. 31 – Farm Jam Festival, Colville, Wash.
Sunday, Sept. 1 – Enumclaw Expo Center, Enumclaw, Wash.
Saturday, Sept. 7 – Touchdown and Tunes Tailgate Party, Paducah, Ky.
Thursday, Sept. 26 – The Clyde Theatre, Fort Wayne, Ind. >>
Friday, Sept. 27 – Marathon Music Works, Nashville, Tenn.  >>
Saturday, Sept. 28 – The Vic Theatre, Chicago Ill. >>
Thursday, Oct. 10 – Stage AE, Pittsburgh Pa. °+
Friday, Oct. 11 – Playstation Theater, New York, N.Y. °+
Saturday, Oct. 12 – House of Blues, Boston, Mass. °+
Thursday, Oct. 17 – White Oak Event Space, Greensboro, N.C. >>
Saturday, Oct. 19 – Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre, Wilmington, N.C. >>
Friday, Oct. 25 – Red Rock Casino Resort Spa, Las Vegas, Nev. >>
Saturday, Oct. 26 – House of Blues, Anaheim, Calif. >>
Monday, Nov. 4 – Norwegian Pearl Ship Sixthman Cruise, Miami, Fla.
Saturday, Nov. 16 – House of Blues, Orlando, Fla. >>
Thursday, Nov. 21 – The Sylvee, Madison, Wis. >>
Friday, Nov. 22 – The Masonic Temple, Cleveland, Ohio >>
Saturday, Nov. 23 – 20 Monroe Live, Grand Rapids, Mich. >>
Thursday, Dec. 5 – Gillioz Theater, Springfield, Mo. >>
Friday, Dec. 6 – The Bourbon Theatre, Lincoln, Neb. >>
Saturday, Dec. 7 – The Granada Theater, Lawrence, Kan. >>
Thursday, Dec. 12 – The Fillmore Silver Spring, Silver Spring, Md. >>
Friday, Dec. 13 – The Fillmore, Philadelphia, Pa. °+
Saturday, Dec. 14 – The Fillmore, Philadelphia, Pa. °+
>> Cale Dodds
° Chris DeStefano
# Devin Dawson
+ Jon Nite

Shania Twain Launches Las Vegas Residency Beginning In December

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Shania Twain is setting up shop in Vegas for a residency on the Vegas Strip at the Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino beginning December 6. Shania Twain “Let’s Go!” The Las Vegas Residency will combine highlights from her three-decade long career with inspiration from her iconic videos and elements from her 2018 sold-out global NOW tour.

Twain will serve as creative director for the new show, which will take fans on a journey of nostalgia featuring outside-the-box concepts and visual spectacles. Twain, Live Nation Las Vegas and Caesars Entertainment have announced that $1 of every ticket purchased will be donated to Shania Kids Can, which was established in 2010 by Twain. Shania Kids Can (SKC) provides services that promote positive change in children’s lives in time of crises and economic hardship, including one-on-one consultations, academic support, group activities as well as nutritious snacks and meal programs where needed, all in the safe, confidence-building environment that is the Shania Kids Can Clubhouse.

Residency tickets go on sale to the public starting Friday, June 21 at 10 a.m. PT. American Express Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public beginning Tuesday, June 18 at 10 a.m. PT through Thursday, June 20 10 p.m. PT. Caesars Rewards members, Caesars Entertainment’s loyalty program, and Live Nation and Ticketmaster customers will have access to a pre-sale on Thursday, June 20 from 10 a.m. PT through 10 p.m. PT.

Shania Twain “Let’s Go!” The Las Vegas Residency Dates:
Dec. 2019: 6, 7, 11, 13, 14, 18
March 2020: 13, 14, 18, 20, 21, 25, 27, 28
May 2020: 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, 30
June 2020: 3, 5, 6

Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit Sets Another Headlining Ryman Run

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Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit will return to the Ryman Auditorium for a seven-night headlining run this fall, marking the longest stand the group has had at the venue to date. The shows will take place October 18-20, 22-23, and 25-26.

The band has sold out 20 consecutive shows at the venue between 2014 and 2018. Last year, they also released a live project, Live From The Ryman, from those shows.  The  Ryman run has become an annual residency featuring different sets nightly and themed opening acts each year. 2018 featured all Nashville-based openers, while 2017 featured all female support. The opening slots for the 2019 shows have yet to be revealed.

This fall, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit will also reissue two earlier projects, including 2009’s self-titled album, and 2011’s Here We Rest. Both projects have been remixed and remastered by producer Dave Cobb.

Tickets for the Ryman shows will go on sale Friday, June 21 at 10 a.m. CST.