Jordan Davis Launches Limited-Edition Boot and Apparel Collection With Wolverine

Jordan Davis and Wolverine have partnered to launch a limited-edition collection of boots and apparel. Available at Boot Barn and Work World, the collection features four boots and several apparel items including t-shirts, hoodies, a shirt jacket, hats and more.

“It was important to me to include clothes and boots in the line that were versatile,” shares Davis. “I wanted to have pieces that looked and felt good no matter where I was. The Bronc wedges are one of my favorite pieces in the collection – I can wear them on stage, working at the farm or dropping off my kids at school.”

“This partnership is so authentic to who we are and to who Jordan is, and the resulting product reflects our consumer and their lifestyle,” adds Lauren King, Senior Marketing Director for Wolverine. “We’re proud of the collection’s versatility and the blend of style and performance – something our consumer is constantly seeking. The design process with Jordan was both enjoyable and rewarding knowing his upbringing and lifestyle is so close to theirs.”

SESAC Celebrates Shawn Stockman & Billy Mann

Pictured (L-R): SESAC President & COO Scott Jungmichel, Billy Mann, Shawn Stockman, and Diana Akin Scarfo, SESAC VP, Creative Services & Operations

Tuesday night (Sept. 9), industry friends and family gathered on SESAC’s rooftop to celebrate SESAC affiliates Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men and songwriter/producer Billy Mann and their latest collaboration, Chosen Family. They treated guests to an acoustic performance with songs from their recent album, Generation Us.

Shenandoah Visits White House

Shenandoah.

In celebration of Shenandoah’s 40th anniversary, lead singer Marty Raybon and drummer Mike McGuire were invited to Washington D.C. for a special visit to the White House, as well as a tour of the U.S. Capitol. Raybon and McGuire were joined by fellow country stars Darryl Worley and Jesse Keith Whitley for a day of bowling at the White House’s Truman Bowling Alley, a private tour of the West Wing and a private midnight tour of the U.S. Capitol.

“We had a total blast in Washington D.C. bowling at the White House, touring the West Wing, and also getting a guided tour through the Capitol,” says Raybon. “It was a complete honor, and we are thankful to live in the greatest country on earth.”

“The opportunity to do the things that we did in Washington D.C. was a complete blessing,” adds McGuire. “We are so grateful we had the chance to visit the People’s House and the iconic places that make this country great. God Bless America!”

PLA Media Adds Lily Clayton Hansen As Public Relations Specialist

PlA Media has added Lily Clayton Hansen as a public relations specialist.

“Lily’s insight, strategic approach, and verve intrigued me,” says founder and CEO Pamela Lewis. “I am delighted to have her join our team and to learn from her broad and diverse experience.”

“Through the thousands of bios, magazine articles, and memoir projects I have worked on in my career, I have learned how to quickly analyze a subject’s story, trust my instincts, and summarize what I see into words,” explains Hansen. “For PLA Media, I hope to use this talent gleaned from working with corporations, celebrities, and extraordinary but everyday people, to take clients’ narratives to a whole new level.”

GrassRoots Promotion Launches New International Management Division

Grassroots Promotion Strategies has launched GPS Artist Management. The division represents a roster including Hailey Benedict, Aaron Goodvin, Tim and the Glory Boys, The Abrams and Due West. GPS Artist Management will be led by Tera Lee Flaman. Joining her is Jenna Robson and Nancy Tunick.

“This integration creates a single, world-class platform for our artists,” said Tunick. “Under Tera Lee Flaman’s leadership, and with Jenna Robson strengthening our management team, GPS Artist Management combines creative vision with international implementation.”

The Kentucky Headhunters Return to Grand Ole Opry for ‘Opry 100 Honors Bill Monroe’

The Kentucky Headhunters will return to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry next week for “Opry 100 Honors Bill Monroe.” The Headhunters are set to perform live next Tuesday, Sept. 16 as the Opry salutes the late Bill Monroe, as part of the next “Opry 100 Honors” shows.

“Without a doubt, The Kentucky Headhunters’ version of the bluegrass song ‘Walk Softly on This Heart of Mine,’ written by Bill Monroe and Jake Landers and recorded for our indie album, Pickin’ on Nashville, had a huge bearing on Mercury Records president Harold Shedd signing us to the label after seeing us perform the song and several originals at Douglas Corner,” shares Richard Young, one of the band’s founding members.

In addition to The Kentucky Headhunters, next week’s “Opry 100 Honors Bill Monroe” includes performances by Ricky Skaggs, the Del McCoury Band, Carly Pearce, Rhonda Vincent, Riders in the Sky, Wyatt Ellis and The Brothers Comatose.

Bandit Lites Adds Mark Butler as Project Manager

Bandit Lites has added Mark Butler as Project Manager.

“I’m grateful to use my experience to make life on the road easier for the crew,” shares Butler. “What stands out most to me is Bandit’s professionalism and can-do attitude. My mission is simple: make the crew’s job easier and the client’s experience unforgettable.”

Bandit Lites Chair & Founder Michael T. Strickland adds, “Mark’s extensive background in both the technical and leadership aspects of entertainment production makes him an invaluable addition to our team. His experience, combined with his dedication to crew and client success, will strengthen Bandit’s ability to deliver the world-class service our clients expect.”

A long lost album from Charley Pride, Endlessly: A Tribute To Brook Benton, is set for release Sept. 19. The album’s first single “Thank You Pretty Baby” is out now on all digital platforms.

In 2017, a couple of forgotten reels were found buried deep in a storage room in Pride’s production office in Dallas. After his death, it was confirmed that the multi-track reels contained the long-lost Brook Benton tribute recordings Pride recorded in the ’80s but never released. In 2021 the tapes were carefully transferred to multi-track digital audio files, and will now be released on Music City Records.

Brimming with vintage country, R&B and pop, the retro-sonic homage to singer/songwriter Benton was originally recorded in Dallas during a brief mid-1980s interlude between Pride’s RCA Records and 16th Avenue Records recording contracts. Endlessly features songs from Brook’s initial 1959-1961 flurry of hits including “It’s Just a Matter of Time,” “Endlessly,” “Thank You Pretty Baby,” “So Close,” “So Many Ways” and “Kiddio.”

The new project marks the 94th birthday of Benton, who exploded on the pop music scene in 1959 with “It’s Just a Matter of Time” and notched a string of 30 Top-40 R&B hits, including several major pop crossovers and Top 10 pop duets with Dinah Washington. 

Roy Orbison. Photo: Courtesy of Sandbox Succession/Roy Orbison Estate

Sandbox Succession, the legacy division of Sandbox Entertainment, has signed the Roy Orbison Estate for exclusive management. Led by the President of Sandbox Succession, Josh Matas, the team will manage the estate with Orbison’s sons Wesley, Alex and Roy Orbison, Jr.

“Roy Orbison is an American icon whose music and reflections of love and life are woven into the fabric of pop culture,” says Matas. “It is an honor to further that legacy for generations to come.”

“We the sons of Roy Orbison are very excited to work with Sandbox on continuing the legacy of our father. Sandbox, under the leadership of Jason Owen and Josh Matas, has developed into the world’s premiere management agency and a company that we trust. We feel Roy Orbison’s timeless body of work and Sandbox’s modern capabilities are a perfect match. We can’t wait to see ‘The Big O’ grow even bigger!” share Wesley, Alex and Roy Orbison, Jr.

Sandbox Succession will be responsible for handling all aspects of music, publishing, NIL licensing, hospitality and film & TV projects. A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Musicians Hall of Fame Orbison’s influence spans across four decades. The five-time Grammy winner was recognized by the Recording Academy with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.

Orbison’s estate joins the estates of legendary musicians, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline, as well as racing icon Richard Petty, in the care of Sandbox Succession.