Mac Wiseman. Photo: Stacie Hukeba
HALL OF FAME GREAT MAC WISEMAN PASSES
By Robert K. Oermann
Mac Wiseman, a member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, has passed away at age 93. He died Sunday, Feb. 24.
Known as “The Voice With a Heart,” Wiseman was a hit recording artist, a record-label executive, a radio host and a music-festival impresario. He was one of the founders of the Country Music Association.
His hits included “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” “Jimmy Brown the Newsboy” and “Your Best Friend and Me.” He is also associated with such enduring favorites as “Tis Sweet to Be Remembered,” “Love Letters in the Sand,” “I Wonder How the Old Folks Are at Home,” “I’ll Still Write Your Name in the Sand” and “Shackles and Chains.”
During his long career he recorded with such diverse talents as Flatt & Scruggs, John Hartford, Merle Haggard, Bill Monroe, Woody Herman, Charlie Daniels, The Osborne Brothers, Johnny Cash and John Prine. He recorded for Dot, Capitol, MGM, RCA, CMH, Music Mill, Hilltop, Churchill, Starday and many other labels.
Born Malcolm B. Wiseman in 1925, he was raised in rural Virginia. He survived polio as an infant, and this affected his mobility later in life. Wiseman began playing guitar at age 12. His fluid work on the instrument and his clear, expressive tenor singing were the hallmarks of his performing style.
He started his career as a Virginia radio disc jockey in 1944. He joined Molly O’Day’s band two years later and played bass on her big hit “Tramp on the Street.”
In 1947, he was the host of WCYB radio’s Farm and Fun Time in Bristol, Virginia. He shared airtime there with country-music patriarch A.P. Carter of The Carter Family.
Wiseman then became a member of Flatt & Scruggs’ Foggy Mountain Boys. Bill Monroe hired him in 1949, and Wiseman sang lead on the star’s bluegrass standards “Travelin’ Down This Lonesome Road” and “Can’t You Hear Me Calling.”
Mac Wiseman next joined the Louisiana Hayride on KWKH in Shreveport. While there, he toured with the legendary Hank Williams. He then moved on to the Old Dominion Barn Dance in Richmond, Virginia in 1953.
Jo Walker-Meador inducts Mac Wiseman into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2014. Photo: Donn Jones
By this time, he was leading his own band. He had signed with Dot Records in 1951 and had a top-10 hit in 1955 with “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” the theme song of a Disney TV show. He served as Dot’s A&R executive in 1956-63, moving to Los Angeles and overseeing a roster that included such stars as Jimmy C. Newman, Reno & Smiley, Bonnie Guitar, Pat Boone and Leroy Van Dyke. While on the West Coast, Wiseman became a regular on TV’s Town Hall Party and starred at The Mint in Las Vegas with The Stonemans as his backing band.
In 1958, Wiseman became one of the creators of the Country Music Association and was elected as the CMA’s first secretary. He was the youngest of the association’s organizers, and at the time of his death was the last living CMA founder.
Mac Wiseman’s Dot Records success as an artist continued with 1959’s “Jimmy Brown the Newsboy.” His next country hit came on Capitol Records in 1963. This was with the Hank Cochran song “Your Best Friend and Me.”
During the 1960s, Wiseman became popular on the collegiate folk-music circuit. He performed at The Newport Folk Festival, Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl and other prestigious venues.
In 1965, Mac Wiseman was hired as the manager of the WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia. He moved to Nashville in 1968 and signed with RCA Records. The following year, he tasted chart success with the novelty tune “Johnny’s Cash and Charley’s Pride,” produced by Jack Clement. This became Wiseman’s last top-40 country hit.
He subsequently re-emphasized his bluegrass roots. Mac Wiseman ran his own bluegrass festival at Renfro Valley, Kentucky in 1970-83 and recorded most of his 50+ albums with bluegrass instrumentation.
Ronnie Milsap and Mac Wiseman celebrate their induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Photo: Alan Poizner / CMA
But in 1979, he returned to the country charts with a version of the pop oldie “My Blue Heaven,” recorded with jazz great Woody Herman. During the 1980s, Wiseman made albums with collaborators including Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Del McCoury and Brother Oswald.
In 1986, Wiseman was one of the founding members of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). He was the narrator of the 1992 film documentary High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music. He was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame the following year.
He was elected the president of R.O.P.E. (the Reunion of Professional Entertainers) in 1990 and remained so for the next four years. This organization’s goal is to build a retirement home for country entertainers in Music City. Beginning in 1997, Wiseman was also a four-term secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Musicians Local 257 on Music Row.
He was saluted with a career-overview, six-CD, boxed set in 2003. A second, four-CD set appeared in 2006. Both were issued by Germany’s Bear Family label.
Mac Wiseman and folk star John Prine joined forces for the acclaimed 2007 album Standard Songs for Average People. In 2008, Wiseman was given a National Heritage Fellowship award from the National Endowment for the Arts. His election to the Country Music Hall of Fame came in 2014.
This was the same year that he re-ignited his solo recording career with the homespun CD Songs From My Mother’s Hand. At age 90, he collaborated with writer Walt Trott on his 2015 autobiography All My Memories Fit to Print. His collaborations with Americana artists Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz resulted in the 2017 album of newly composed material, I Sang the Songs.
Wiseman has five children, including Randy, Sheila, Christine, Maxine, and Scott.
The public memorial service was held Wednesday (Feb. 27) at the Spring Hill Funeral Home in Madison, Tennessee.
Weekly Register: Luke Combs, FGL Top Country Sales Charts
/by Jessica NicholsonLuke Combs tops this week’s Country Streaming Songs chart, with 10 million streams of his latest single, “Beautiful Crazy,” according to Nielsen Soundscan. The track also holds the No. 1 position this week on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, and Country Digital Sales charts.
On the Country Streaming Songs chart, Dan + Shay take the No. 2 and No. 3 slots, with “Speechless” (7.7 million streams) and “Tequila” (7.4 million streams). Chris Stapleton‘s “Tennessee Whiskey” is at No. 4 with 7.3 million streams, followed by Kane Brown‘s “Heaven” with 7 million.
As previously reported, Florida Georgia Line topped this week’s Country Albums chart with their latest project, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, which moved 50K in total consumption in its debut week. Comb’s This One’s For You is at No. 2 with 25K in total consumption.
Kacey Musgraves‘ Golden Hour, which topped the country albums chart last week following her multiple Grammy wins, is at No. 3 this week, with 20K. Fellow Grammy winners Dan + Shay see their self-titled project at No. 4 with 15K. Stapleton’s Traveller is at No. 5 with 12K.
Other top country debuts include the Elvis Presley 68 Comeback Special 50th Anniversary, which debuted at No. 9 with 9K, Ryan Bingham‘s American Love Song at No. 12 (7.5K) and Hayes Carll‘s What It Is at No. 26 with 5.2K.
Jon Pardi Celebrates Platinum Album
/by Jessica NicholsonJon Pardi celebrates a platinum album. Photo: Brian Vaughn
Capitol Records Nashville’s Jon Pardi celebrated a Platinum RIAA certification for his album California Sunrise last week (Feb. 19) at the San Antonio Rodeo where he headlined the sold-out show with a crowd of over 16,500 attendees.
Produced by Pardi and Bart Butler, California Sunrise reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart when it debuted back in 2016. The album produced the 2x Platinum-selling hits “Head Over Boots” and “Dirt On My Boots,” as well as the Platinum-selling No. 1, “Heartache On the Dance Floor.”
Pardi is currently out on the road for the 2019 Burning Man Tour with Dierks Bentley. He also has an upcoming five dates in Australia kicking off in April.
Pictured (L-R): Maggie Hunt (Red Light Management), Mike Harris (UMGN COO), Mike Dungan (UMGN Chairman & CEO), Jon Pardi, Melanie Wetherbee (Red Light Management), Kylen Sharpe (CAA), Brian Wright (UMGN EVP A&R). Photo: Brian Vaughn
The Grammy Effect On The MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by LB CantrellSome songwriters on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart found themselves benefitting from the Grammy effect this week, including Best Country Song co-writer Shane McAnally, who advanced two spots to No. 1 this week. McAnally is supported by seven songs this week: Midland’s “Burn Out,” Old Dominion’s “Make It Sweet,” Jake Owen’s “Down To The Honky Tonk,” Eli Young Band’s “Love Ain’t,” Brothers Osborne’s” I Don’t Remember Me (Before You),” and Kacey Musgraves’ “Space Cowboy” and “Rainbow.”
Kacey Musgraves finds herself at No. 19 after many months of not appearing in the top 60 on the Top Songwriter Chart. Luke Laird also made a huge leap from No. 23 to No. 9 with the help of some Grammy-induced listening, co-writing Musgraves’ “Space Cowboy” and “Butterflies” with Natalie Hemby (No. 45), along with Owen’s “Down To The Honky Tonk.”
Ashley Gorley moves down to No. 2 this week, and Kevin Welch follows him at No. 3. Brett James and Luke Combs stay in place at No. 4 and 5, respectively.
The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity according to 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.
Bonnaroo Adds Updates To Plaza Areas For 2019
/by Lorie HollabaughThe 2019 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival will see a variety of unprecedented experiences throughout the Plazas, including live performances and light-based art installations unlike anything previously seen in the festival’s long, creative history.
Plaza 2 will be transformed into “Roo’s Sanctuary Of Self Love,” curated By Hayley Williams of Paramore. Bonnaroovians visiting the BougieRoo area will have the opportunity to get festival ready with hair styling by Good Dye Young, mini spa treatments, glitter stations and flower crowns. In addition, Services In The Sanctuary will offer feature everything from and nightly themed dance parties to alternative therapies and panels on mental health and self-love. Fans will also get a chance to win a makeover with Brian O’Connor of Good Dye Young and meet Williams herself.
Among the new Plazas will be “Where In The Woods,” located on the Eastern woods of Bonnaroo’s campground, near both VIP camping and Plaza 2. “Where In The Woods” will transform the forest into an unforgettable magical landscape for late-night fun and daytime escape from reality. The Where Stage will feature DJs and surprise sets late into the night with an otherworldly dance floor.
Plaza 9 will be dubbed “Bayou Libre,” curated by the New Orleans entertainment collective FREEWATER. An interactive experience inspired by the landscape and the spirits of the swamp, Bayou Libre will be a place where Bonnaroovians can relax in the shade during the day and experience parties late into the night. FREEWATER will bring musical acts as well as some secret performances from New Orleans-based artists featured on the main Bonnaroo lineup.
Plaza 7 will feature “Whiskey Jam At The Ville,” curated by the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and local maker-space Fort Houston. Located right next to The Grove, “Whiskey Jam At The Ville” will give festival attendees a chance to sample the best in Nashville’s live music, food, art, and more. Whiskey Jam, a local Nashville favorite for weekly live music events, will host a Wednesday night kick-off part and present surprise musical acts throughout the weekend.
Brooklyn’s House of Yes and Little Cinema return to Plaza 3 in 2019, once again offering up thrilling performance spectacles and one-of-a-kind dance party madness. Dirty Circus will feature jaw-dropping circus acts, drag queens with fantastic feats of skill, while Little Cinema and Cinema Club will present interactive immersive screenings. The new Day Lounge and Night Owl Cinema series will also provide shade and late night entertainment. Bonnaroovians are also all invited to Plaza 3’s opening night and closing night parties, as well as what will be a certain highlight of this year’s event – the first-ever Bonnaroo pride parade. The festival has always provided a place of inclusiveness and innovation, though Bonnaroovians will now see the spirit manifest into a trail of radical expression and celebration.
The Grove at Plaza 7 is back again in 2019 with plenty of shade along with art installations, hammocks, and much more. At night, Nashville’s Fort Houston will transform the beautiful tree-filled space into something even more special with the promise of more lights and experiences than ever before, including the return of “Tonalism,” an all-night ambient music experience by DUBLAB. The “Tonalism” events will feature live performances and DJ sets in an environment transformed by light projections, art installations, and other various multimedia elements. Visitors will be encouraged to lie down and listen for a transformative and contemplative experience.
The Boogaloo Of Wonder at Plaza 6 will be Bonnaroovians’ go-to spot for comedy performances, artistic exploration, and entertainment of all sorts. Lineup details and more will be unveiled soon.
The Tower at Plaza 4 offers attendees a convenient stop to or from their camp to grab food, crafts, coffee, and more. Located right near the entrance to Centeroo, The Tower will also host festival favorites like the Bonnaroo Census as well as inspiring art, and more.
The newly revamped VIP Campground Plaza will feature air-conditioning, private bars, complimentary Wi-Fi, daily yoga classes, games, live video feeds of the festival performances, and some special surprises. Located close to Plazas 2 and 3, the VIP Campground Plaza is available exclusively to VIP patrons.
Tickets, including General Admission (four-day), VIP (4 Day), Platinum (4 Day) and more, are on sale now. Tier 4 tickets are nearly sold out but fans can lock in GA tickets for just $47 via ticket layaway plans.
Wide Open Music Inks Worldwide Publishing Agreement With Sony/ATV
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Matt Stell; Josh Van Valkenburg, SVP, Sony/ATV; Paul Sikes; Victoria Goodvin, Wide Open Music; Ash Bowers; Jimmie Allen; Troy Tomlinson, President/CEO, Sony/ATV; Tom Luteran, VP, Sony/ATV
Wide Open Music has entered into a worldwide publishing agreement with Sony/ATV Nashville. The principals of the indie publishing company are songwriter/producer Ash Bowers and business partner Steve Williams.
The Wide Open Music writer roster includes Jimmie Allen, Ash Bowers, Matt Stell and Paul Sikes.
“Steve and I are very proud of our songwriters and want the best opportunities and the best team surrounding them, which is why we are excited to partner with Sony/ATV,” said Bowers.
“We admire what Ash and Steve have built in a relatively short period of time and feel fortunate to be able to come alongside them in building for the future,” said Sony/ATV Nashville’s President/CEO Troy Tomlinson.
Chicago-Based Company Acquires Fontanel Property
/by Jessica NicholsonChicago-based BlueRoad Ventures has acquired the 167-acre Fontanel property, located at 4133 Whites Creek Pike, for $14.5 million, according to the Nashville Post.
The property includes the Carl Black Chevy Woods Amphitheater, as well as The Inn at Fontanel, and was sold by owners and music industry veterans Dale Morris and Marc Oswald. The property has been on the market for approximately one year.
The site, which was originally built in 1988 for country artist Barbara Mandrell, also includes Natchez Hills Winery and Tasting Room, Adventure Works Ziplines, Cafe Fontanella, and Prichard’s Distillery, among others.
BlueRoad Ventures had not responded to requests for comment at press time.
Tayler Bock Named Chief Business Officer At Tempo
/by Lorie HollabaughTayler Bock has been appointed Chief Business Officer for Nashville-based music business software company Tempo. Bock will oversee Tempo’s day-to-day business operations and all future projects for the company.
Prior to his role at Tempo, Bock was most recently an agent at Buddy Lee Attractions. He also previously worked as an agent at ArtistLive, and has worked in many aspects of the industry including tour management, venue hospitality, artist management, booking, talent buying, merchandising, and royalty collection. He has worked with artists including Wheeler Walker Jr, Ty Herndon, Terry McBride, Jon McLaughlin, Joe Denim, David Adam Byrnes, Evan Bartels, and more.
“Right now as the music industry moves further and further into a digital age, I could not be more excited to be a part of the Tempo team,” said Bock. “Bringing new aged technology to aspects of the music business that are becoming more dominant than they were years ago is a very exciting, yet challenging future!”
The company celebrated its eight-year anniversary in 2018, and offers software product lines for booking, publishing, touring and talent buying. With over 3,000 users, Tempo provides support for all aspects of the industry. Tempo staffers include founder Brittany Wegusen, Vice President of Client Relations Gwen Gude, and Alex Dolezal in client relations.
Tempo’s client roster includes Rob Thomas, Luke Bryan, Rascal Flatts, Lee Brice, Cole Swindell, Jon Langston, Red 11 Music, Conway Entertainment, Cara Lewis Group, Romeo Entertainment, and Kinkead Entertainment.
Major Bob Music Signs Andy Sheridan
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (Back row, L-R):: BMI’s Leslie Roberts; Landon Dirickson of Dirickson Law; Bob Doyle, President Major Bob Music. (Front row, L-R): Major Bob’s Chandler Thurston; Andy Sheridan; Tina Crawford, VP/Major Bob Music.
Major Bob Music has signed writer/producer Andy Sheridan to a worldwide publishing agreement. Sheridan is also a multi-instrumentalist and has served as Music Director on the road for artists including Hunter Hayes, Phil Vassar, and Ben Rector.
busbee Celebrates Altadena Launch With Nashville Bash
/by Lorie Hollabaugh(L-R): Alison Junker; Bethany Mako; Daniel Lee; busbee; BJ Hill; Katie Jelen; Noreen Prunier
Producer and songwriter busbee celebrated the launch of his new company, Altadena, Sunday night (Feb. 24) at The Cordelle in Nashville with a crowd of music industry friends, including top brass from partner companies Warner Music Nashville, Warner/Chappell Publishing, and Red Light Management.
A growing force in the launching and development of careers of artists, producers, and songwriters in a variety of genres, Altadena has offices in Los Angeles and Nashville. The company’s staff includes GM and VP of Creative Daniel Lee, Nashville Creative Director Noreen Prunier, and LA Creative Director Kelly Benini.
The opening included catered barbeque from Nashville’s Peg Leg Porker and a performance from attendees of Nashville’s W.O. Smith Music School, one of three local non-profits highlighted by busbee during the evening’s festivities. In addition to the W.O. Smith school, special attention was given to Porter’s Call, a Nashville organization that provides gratis counseling services to members of the arts industry, as well as Corner to Corner, a local organization that invests directly in underestimated entrepreneurs in an effort to foster the creation and growth of small businesses in Nashville’s most economically-challenged communities.
Pictured (L-R): busbee, Warner Music Nashville CEO John Esposito
Hall Of Fame Great Mac Wiseman Passes
/by Robert K OermannMac Wiseman. Photo: Stacie Hukeba
HALL OF FAME GREAT MAC WISEMAN PASSES
By Robert K. Oermann
Mac Wiseman, a member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, has passed away at age 93. He died Sunday, Feb. 24.
Known as “The Voice With a Heart,” Wiseman was a hit recording artist, a record-label executive, a radio host and a music-festival impresario. He was one of the founders of the Country Music Association.
His hits included “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” “Jimmy Brown the Newsboy” and “Your Best Friend and Me.” He is also associated with such enduring favorites as “Tis Sweet to Be Remembered,” “Love Letters in the Sand,” “I Wonder How the Old Folks Are at Home,” “I’ll Still Write Your Name in the Sand” and “Shackles and Chains.”
During his long career he recorded with such diverse talents as Flatt & Scruggs, John Hartford, Merle Haggard, Bill Monroe, Woody Herman, Charlie Daniels, The Osborne Brothers, Johnny Cash and John Prine. He recorded for Dot, Capitol, MGM, RCA, CMH, Music Mill, Hilltop, Churchill, Starday and many other labels.
Born Malcolm B. Wiseman in 1925, he was raised in rural Virginia. He survived polio as an infant, and this affected his mobility later in life. Wiseman began playing guitar at age 12. His fluid work on the instrument and his clear, expressive tenor singing were the hallmarks of his performing style.
He started his career as a Virginia radio disc jockey in 1944. He joined Molly O’Day’s band two years later and played bass on her big hit “Tramp on the Street.”
In 1947, he was the host of WCYB radio’s Farm and Fun Time in Bristol, Virginia. He shared airtime there with country-music patriarch A.P. Carter of The Carter Family.
Wiseman then became a member of Flatt & Scruggs’ Foggy Mountain Boys. Bill Monroe hired him in 1949, and Wiseman sang lead on the star’s bluegrass standards “Travelin’ Down This Lonesome Road” and “Can’t You Hear Me Calling.”
Mac Wiseman next joined the Louisiana Hayride on KWKH in Shreveport. While there, he toured with the legendary Hank Williams. He then moved on to the Old Dominion Barn Dance in Richmond, Virginia in 1953.
Jo Walker-Meador inducts Mac Wiseman into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2014. Photo: Donn Jones
By this time, he was leading his own band. He had signed with Dot Records in 1951 and had a top-10 hit in 1955 with “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” the theme song of a Disney TV show. He served as Dot’s A&R executive in 1956-63, moving to Los Angeles and overseeing a roster that included such stars as Jimmy C. Newman, Reno & Smiley, Bonnie Guitar, Pat Boone and Leroy Van Dyke. While on the West Coast, Wiseman became a regular on TV’s Town Hall Party and starred at The Mint in Las Vegas with The Stonemans as his backing band.
In 1958, Wiseman became one of the creators of the Country Music Association and was elected as the CMA’s first secretary. He was the youngest of the association’s organizers, and at the time of his death was the last living CMA founder.
Mac Wiseman’s Dot Records success as an artist continued with 1959’s “Jimmy Brown the Newsboy.” His next country hit came on Capitol Records in 1963. This was with the Hank Cochran song “Your Best Friend and Me.”
During the 1960s, Wiseman became popular on the collegiate folk-music circuit. He performed at The Newport Folk Festival, Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl and other prestigious venues.
In 1965, Mac Wiseman was hired as the manager of the WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia. He moved to Nashville in 1968 and signed with RCA Records. The following year, he tasted chart success with the novelty tune “Johnny’s Cash and Charley’s Pride,” produced by Jack Clement. This became Wiseman’s last top-40 country hit.
He subsequently re-emphasized his bluegrass roots. Mac Wiseman ran his own bluegrass festival at Renfro Valley, Kentucky in 1970-83 and recorded most of his 50+ albums with bluegrass instrumentation.
Ronnie Milsap and Mac Wiseman celebrate their induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Photo: Alan Poizner / CMA
But in 1979, he returned to the country charts with a version of the pop oldie “My Blue Heaven,” recorded with jazz great Woody Herman. During the 1980s, Wiseman made albums with collaborators including Merle Travis, Doc Watson, Del McCoury and Brother Oswald.
In 1986, Wiseman was one of the founding members of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). He was the narrator of the 1992 film documentary High Lonesome: The Story of Bluegrass Music. He was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame the following year.
He was elected the president of R.O.P.E. (the Reunion of Professional Entertainers) in 1990 and remained so for the next four years. This organization’s goal is to build a retirement home for country entertainers in Music City. Beginning in 1997, Wiseman was also a four-term secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Musicians Local 257 on Music Row.
He was saluted with a career-overview, six-CD, boxed set in 2003. A second, four-CD set appeared in 2006. Both were issued by Germany’s Bear Family label.
Mac Wiseman and folk star John Prine joined forces for the acclaimed 2007 album Standard Songs for Average People. In 2008, Wiseman was given a National Heritage Fellowship award from the National Endowment for the Arts. His election to the Country Music Hall of Fame came in 2014.
This was the same year that he re-ignited his solo recording career with the homespun CD Songs From My Mother’s Hand. At age 90, he collaborated with writer Walt Trott on his 2015 autobiography All My Memories Fit to Print. His collaborations with Americana artists Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz resulted in the 2017 album of newly composed material, I Sang the Songs.
Wiseman has five children, including Randy, Sheila, Christine, Maxine, and Scott.
The public memorial service was held Wednesday (Feb. 27) at the Spring Hill Funeral Home in Madison, Tennessee.