When it was originally announced that many in country music’s ranks would celebrate Loretta Lynn’s upcoming 87th birthday with an all-star bash at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, the Coal Miner’s Daughter herself joked that she wished country star Keith Urban would jump out of a birthday cake for her.

No joke, that moment happened Monday evening (April 1) as the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year honored Lynn by climbing out of a blue cake onstage and wishing her a happy birthday.

“Miss Loretta—you asked me to jump out of a cake for you—and I would do it again every time!” Urban later shared on social media. “Thank you for a truly surreal and gorgeous night of music, heart, stories, magic, and LOVE!!!!!”

Musically, there were a number of highlights. Urban sat at a piano to perform Lynn’s “Blue Kentucky Girl.” Darius Rucker was game to take on Lynn’s controversial 1975 hit “The Pill,” while Cam sounded at once delicate and defiant on “Rated X.”

“Tonight, I want you to enjoy every standing ovation, because it’s all for you,” said Cam, who also hosted the event. “We’re all here to celebrate and thank this great lady for making a much better, much more beautiful and much more truthful place for the last 87 years, and we hope for many more to come.”

Lynn’s inspiration and influence on most of today’s female country artists was palpable, as Miranda Lambert performed Lynn’s first No. 1 single, 1966’s “Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind),” before joining her Pistol Annies sisters Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe for a rendition of “Fist City.”

Kacey Musgraves offered “You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man),” while the newly-formed group The Highwomen (including Maren Morris, Brandi Carlile, and Amanda Shires) welcomed Natalie Hemby for lush four-part harmonies on “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.”

Carlile’s soaring, supple voice was a pleasure as she offered a rendering of “She’s Got You,” recorded by Lynn’s late friend and singer Patsy Cline. Brandy Clark offered a sterling rendition of “You’re Looking At Country.”

Tanya Tucker brought out a bouquet of flowers after a performance of “While I’m Living” with Carlile.

Many of Lynn’s classics were collaborations with duet partners including Conway Twitty, and the evening’s tributes were filled with tasteful pairings. Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood performed “After The Fire Is Gone,” while Alan Jackson and Lee Ann Womack offered a rousing take on “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man.” Jackson brought Lynn a single yellow rose in a Jack Daniel’s whiskey bottle, calling the offering “a perfect example of country music.”

The applause in the arena was thunderous as George Strait took the stage, for his own “Amarillo By Morning.” Martina McBride opened the concert with Lynn’s debut single from 1960 “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl.” Together, Strait and McBride performed “Lead Me On” later in the show.

John Carter Cash and Ana Cristina Cash offered “Keep On The Sunny Side,” while Lynn’s half-sister Crystal Gayle collaborated with Peggy Sue on “Sparking Look of Love.” Gayle then presented her signature “Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.”

In 2005, Lynn earned her second Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Collaboration, for the track “Portland, Oregon,” with Jack White. White was on hand last night to perform the track with Margo Price, before he also offered the Lynn-penned “Have Mercy.” Price, who is eight months pregnant, said she was giving her daughter the middle name Lynn, also sang “One’s On the Way.”

The evening closed Lynn leading the way in a traditional “all-sing” on the living legend’s signature “Coal Miner’s Daughter.”

Lynn turns 87 on April 14.

A federal court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has ruled in favor of Global Music Rights (GMR) against the Radio Music License Committee (RMLC) in an antitrust suit brought by RMLC, ruling that “…this district is not a proper venue to adjudicate this matter.”

GMR has long held that the proper venue is the Central District of California where it is headquartered and does its work to collect royalties on behalf of its songwriters within the $18 billion commercial radio industry. GMR filed its own antitrust suit in California, alleging that the RMLC’s 10,000-member stations are improperly colluding to suppress payments to songwriters.

The ruling by United States District Court Judge C. Darnell Jones, II, largely affirms the sweeping 2017 report and recommendation of U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynne Sitarski that rejected every one of RMLC’s arguments for filing the antitrust suit in Pennsylvania – a state where neither organization has an office or any employees, where no represented songwriters or publishers live, and where no relevant meetings or business has ever taken place. The 2017 report concluded that the RMLC suit was filed in Pennsylvania solely for tactical advantage.

In ruling that the Central District Court of California is the appropriate venue for the case, Judge Jones also found that the RMLC improperly attempting to use the Interim License Agreement between the parties to justify jurisdiction in Pennsylvania.

“Global Music Rights is an innovator in music rights and a tireless defender of music creators. We are gratified with Judge Jones’ clear ruling that RMLC’s lawsuit was improperly filed in Pennsylvania,” said Daniel Petrocelli, GMR’s lead attorney. “That decision clears the path for Global Music Rights to prosecute its case in California against the RMLC for unlawful boycotting and pricing activity.”

“I am thrilled with today’s victory,” said GMR Founder Irving Azoff. “Now Global Music Rights gets to expose the radio cartel’s bullying tactics. It’s always worth the wait when artists win.”

Colleen Kelley, former Senior Director, Legal & Business Affairs for Broadcast Music, Inc. has joined Dickinson Wright, PLLC’s Music Row Office as an Associate.

Licensed in Tennessee and California, Kelley has extensive experience in music licensing and entertainment legal affairs. While working at BMI, Kelley managed the Legal Department’s Business Affairs team, handled infringement and arbitration matters, and worked with the Licensing department providing counsel on various matters. Before that, Kelley gained law firm litigation experience and worked in Licensing and Legal Affairs for ClearBox Rights, LLC in Brentwood, Tennessee.

“I’ve been impressed by Ms. Kelley’s career accomplishments and undeniable skills for some time. Since meeting years ago, we always knew we would eventually work together. She’s become an extremely well-rounded lawyer, and will add quick value for our growing record, film and music publishing practices,” said Derek Crownover, Dickinson Wright’s International Head of Entertainment, Sports and Media Practice Group.

Kelley received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Music Business from Belmont University and her Juris Doctor from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, California. In 2014 Dickinson Wright opened the Music Row Office with three lawyers and to-date, has 15 lawyers working virtually exclusively in the entertainment, sports and media areas.

Kelley can be reached at ckelley@dickinsonwright.com and (615) 577-9608.

Rock band The Raconteurs will release their third studio LP, and first new project in more than a decade, on Friday, June 21.

Help Us Stranger will released via Jack White‘s Third Man Records and includes White, Brendan Benson, Jack Lawrence, and Patrick Keeler.

White and Benson penned all the songs on the album, except for the cover song “Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness), which was written by Donovan. Recorded at Third Man Studio in Nashville, the album was produced by The Raconteurs and engineered by Joshua V. Smith. Longtime friends and musical collaborators helped make Help Us Stranger, including keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Dean Fertita (The Dead Weather, Queens of the Stone Age) and Lillie Mae Rische and her sister Scarlett Rische. The album was mixed by Vance Powell and The Raconteurs at Blackbird Studios in Nashville. The album follows the band’s 2006 debut Broken Boy Soldiers and 2008’s Consolers of the Lonely.

On Saturday, April 6, the band will return to the stage with a performance at Third Man Records’ 10-year anniversary in Nashville. The group also has a number of festival and headlining dates, including their first shows in Australia and New Zealand, a return to Japan, the UK and Europe, and US festivals including Woodstock 50 slated for 2019.

Bored and Razed
Help Me Stranger
Only Child
Don’t Bother Me
Shine The Light On Me
Somedays (I Don’t Feel Like Trying)
Hey Gyp (Dig The Slowness)
Sunday Driver
Now That You’re Gone
Live A Lie
What’s Yours Is Mine
Thoughts and Prayers

SoundCloud has rolled out an all-new profile experience for mobile Apple users and creators.

The new profile layout emphasizes SoundCloud’s core social features, and places a user’s identity, track uploads, likes and reposts front and center. And for creators, the updated profile comes with a brand new feature, ‘top tracks,’ providing more ways to showcase their work to fans.

SoundCloud offers a social streaming experience, and is the only music platform that enables authentic, real-time connections between creators and listeners. The profile is the epicenter of those connections, and today’s update offers a more direct way to connect, share, and discover.

April 2, 2019 Soundcloud Updates

1. A reconfigured layout placing a creator or listener’s profile photo, header image, biography and ‘Pinned to Spotlight’ at the top so users can showcase their brand, and fans can easily navigate to featured tracks.
2. A new dedicated ‘share profile’ button to make sharing a profile instantly with friends, fans, collaborators, and industry contacts easier than ever, anytime.
3. The introduction of top tracks, which highlights a creator’s most played tracks in the last 90 days, enables new fans to discover a creator’s most popular tracks, fast.