At age 85, Willie Nelson just added to his Grammy collection, earning his ninth honor during Sunday’s (Feb. 10) Grammys Premiere ceremony. Nelson earned Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for My Way. The album marks Nelson’s 68th studio project and includes covers of numerous Frank Sinatra classics including “Fly Me To The Moon” and the classic title track.

Matt Rollings, a co-producer on the album alongside Buddy Cannon, accepted on Nelson’s behalf.

Nelson was also nominated this year for Best American Roots Performance, for “Last Man Standing.” The honor ultimately went to Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke.”

Nelson won his first Grammy in 1975 for Best Male Country Vocal Performance for “Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain.”

Brandi Carlile dominated the American Roots categories during the Grammys Premiere Ceremony on Sunday (Feb. 10).

Carlile, a leading nominee with six total nods going into the Grammy awards, earned her first-ever Grammy award win for Best American Roots Performance (“The Joke”). Carlile was previously nominated for a Grammy in 2015 for Best Americana Album (The Firewatcher’s Daughter).

“It’s our first Grammy!” she said in accepting her honor. “This means so much to me and Dave Cobb who brought the best out of us in this song. I never saw us standing here, but it means so much to be standing here for this song.”

She would pick up two additional honors during the Premiere ceremony.

Best Americana Album went to Carlile’s By The Way I Forgive You, which was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A. The album was produced by Shooter Jennings (who also produced King of the Road: A Tribute To Roger Miller) and by Dave Cobb (who has won multiple Grammy honors for his work with Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell).

Carlile thanked Cobb and Jennings, whom she called her “spirit animals.”

“I’m just so proud to go into the studio with such a talent and be part of this.” Cobb added.

“The Joke” also earned Best American Roots Song (the track was penned by Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth.

Carlile summed her early evening wins by thanking the Americana music community at large.

“Americana music is the island of the misfit toys. I’m such a misfit,” said Carlile. “It is this music that has shaped who I am. I came out of the closet at 15 years old and I can assure you I was never invited to any parties. To be embraced by this endearing and loving community…thank you for being my island.”

Carlile is also nominated for three general field category honors at the 61st annual Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year (“The Joke”), Album of the Year (By The Way I Forgive You), and Song of the Year (“The Joke”).

At 87, William Shatner is still exploring new frontiers.

Shatner will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Friday, Feb. 15 when he joins Alabama’s Jeff Cook to perform music from Why Not Me?, Shatner’s first country project which released on Heartland Records in 2018. Shatner is also set to emcee the evening.

Shatner, of course, is known for his love of country music, having made appearances in Brad Paisley’s videos for 2003’s “Celebrity” and 2007’s “Online.” Shatner also appeared at the 2015 CMA Awards for a segment with Paisley and co-host Carrie Underwood.

He’s also no stranger to a recording studio. Though Shatner is best known as a thespian, particularly for his signature role as Captain Kirk in Star Trek, as well as his portrayal of lawyer Denny Crane on The Practice and Boston Legal, Shatner also has 10 albums to his credit. His first, The Transformed Man, came in 1968 via Decca Records.

Shatner credits Heartland’s Brian Curl, a co-producer on the project, with suggesting that Shatner and Cook collaborate.

Shatner recorded the album at Cook’s home, which Shatner describes as a “castle,” in Fort Payne, Alabama.

“I had been performing in England and I arrived late on a Sunday or Monday night to Nashville airport and Brian drove me to Jeff’s house. It had a surreal feel to it,” Shatner told MusicRow. “I remember, arriving in the middle of the night, sleeping as best I could in a strange room, and then going into his studio the next day to lay down the tracks.”

Ever the professional, Shatner thoroughly rehearsed before heading into the studio. The pre-planning paid off when Shatner’s portion of each of the album’s 12 tracks was recorded on the first day.

“We gave ourselves a week to do the album, so it left so much time to work on the nuances and begin the orchestration,” he said.

For the upcoming Opry performance, Shatner and Cook will perform the album’s title track, which was penned by Corey Lee Barker and Shawn Sackman. The album version of the song also features Neal McCoy and vocal group Home Free.

“There are so many people in the world that need help and everybody says, ‘Let somebody else do it.’” Shatner says. “But the song challenges that. It’s that concept of feeling the responsibility and the conscience to help.”

Shatner was particularly moved by the universality of one track on the album, “What Some People Throw Away.”

“I approached it as an actor, so this character is filled with regret of a dissolved relationship and getting rid of the debris. He’s looking at this picture and wishing things had been different. The last line is about things people throw away, which is not only pencils and magazines, but relationships and love.”

The album is also peppered with humorous tracks “Too Old To Be Vegan” and “I Hate To Waste Good Beer,” and “Beam Me Up,” a lyrical ode to the signature Star Trek catchphrase.

Shatner still has plenty of creative avenues he’s eager to explore.

“They’ve asked me to do a blues album, so I’ve begun work on that,” he says. “I want to make a documentary, as well as an album. I’ve talked to Joe Louis Walker, Paul Nelson, B.B.’s daughter Shirley King and Arthur Adams. They will all be in the documentary, and maybe even on the album. It’s me diving into another musical subject I’ve loved all my life. But how to perform it? That’s another thing.”

William Michael Morgan Exits Warner

William Michael Morgan.

William Michael Morgan and Warner Music Nashville have parted ways, MusicRow has confirmed.

“WMN will continue to be fans and champions of William Michael for many years to come,” the label said via a statement.

In 2015, Morgan’s single “I Met A Girl,” reached No. 1 and was certified gold; his debut album Vinyl reached the Top 5 on the country sales chart. In November 2018, he premiered “Gone Enough.”

Wortman Works Adds Account Executive

Conner McKiever

Wortman Works Media & Marketing has hired Conner McKiever as an account executive. McKiever can be reached by emailing cmckiever@wortmanworks.com or by phone at 812.736.6080.

The company, led by Jules Wortman, includes clients Natalie Grant, The SteelDrivers, the Gospel Music Association, and more.

John Schneider Visits MusicRow Magazine

John Schneider. Photo: Haley Crow

John Schneider recently visited the MusicRow Magazine offices, to discuss his recent project Odyssey. Schneider is best-known for portraying Bo Duke in Dukes Of Hazzard and Jonathan Kent in Smallville. He also notched several Top 10 singles on the country charts in the 1980s, as well as the No. 1 hits “Country Girls” and “You’re The Last Thing I Needed Tonight.”

On Odyssey, Schneider collected 52 sterling songs from writers including, Chuck Cannon, Bobby Tomberlin, Bill Anderson and Paul Overstreet. He has released one song each week.

“My thing has always been telling stories in a unique way. Conway Twitty said, ‘You can find a lot of exceptional songs. You can only write a few.’” he told MusicRow. “It’s all about the words, the lyrics.”

He also discussed the effect streaming has had on songwriting.

“There is no room for album cuts anymore, with streaming,” he said. “If the Eagles put out new music, everything would have to be ‘Life In the Fast Lane,’ or you’re done. How scary is that? But it’s a great time if you can tell the difference between a great song and an exceptional song.”

John Schneider with MusicRow Magazine owner/publisher Sherod Robertson.