Jon Singer

Spirit Music Group has announced a recapitalization and is now wholly-owned by the newly-formed Lyric Capital Group. COO Jon Singer will become Chairman of Spirit Music Group and Managing Partner of Lyric, while Ross Cameron will continue in an executive role at Spirit and become a Partner at Lyric. Key Nashville execs including Daniel Hill all remain in place.

Led by Singer, the indie publishing company secured over $350 million in the move which will help to recapitalize its catalog and future acquisitions.

“There is a powerful shift occurring within the music industry and this new dynamism means that Spirit, with our amazing songwriters, dedicated team and 75,000 songs, is especially well-positioned for growth,” said Singer. “We are privileged to have major institutional investors on board, providing us with additional capital to grow.  I am very excited to serve the incredible songwriters that make up the Spirit family during this exciting time.”

Spirit’s portfolio includes over 200 No. 1 Billboard hits and over 450 Top 10 songs from artists like Chicago, Eminem, Sam Hunt, Jay Z, Madonna, Tim McGraw, Elvis Presley, Ed Sheeran, Blake Shelton, Frank Sinatra, Taylor Swift, The Who and Whitney Houston.

Among its most notable songwriters and writer/artists are James Bay, John Barrett, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Big Data, Marc Bolan, T Bone Burnett, Zach Crowell, Henry Mancini, Johnny McDaid, The Marshall Tucker Band, Graham Nash, John Newman, Doc Pomus, Frank Rogers, Boz Scaggs, Billy Squier, Pete Townshend, and newer artists including Dagny and Tim Montana.

APA Celebrates David Lee Murphy

PIctured (L-R): APA’s Steve Lassiter, David Lee Murphy, his manager Doug Casmus and Reviver Founder/CEO David Ross.

APA threw a party for Reviver’s David Lee Murphy to celebrate his recent successes, which include a No. 1 single (“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”), opening stadium tour dates for Kenny Chesney, and his first CMA Award.

The Wild Feathers, Warner Music Celebrate In NYC

Pictured (L-R): Anna Cage (Regional Manager, WAR Radio & Streaming), John Foxx (PD, WNSH), Mike Krinik (EMI), and [in front] Jimmy Rector (EMI)

Anna Cage (WMN), John Foxx (WNSH), Mike Krinik (EMI), and Jimmy Rector (EMI) enjoyed a night out in the Big Apple recently to see The Wild Feathers open for Brothers Osborne.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Takes Southern Rock Cruise To Cozumel

Pictured (L-R): Rickey Medlocke (guitar), Michael Cartellone (drums) and Gary Rossington (guitar) of Lynyrd Skynyrd; Southern Rock Cruise Executive Producer/StarVista LIVE Senior Vice President Mike Jason; Southern Rock Cruise Executive Producer Mike Robertson; Skynyrd’s Johnny Van Zant (lead vocals), Peter Keys (keyboard), Keith Christopher (bass guitar) and Mark ‘Sparky’ Martejka (guitar). Photo: StarVista LIVE

Lynyrd Skynyrd recently headlined the 2019 Southern Rock Cruise for 2,000 fans aboard the Norwegian Pearl in Cozumel, Mexico.

Joy Williams

Joy Williams has unveiled the title track to her upcoming album, Front Porch, which is set to release May 3 via Sensibility/Thirty Tigers.

The new album was produced by Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids, and engineered by Matt Ross-Spang. Williams has previously released two tracks from the upcoming project, including “Canary” and “The Trouble With Wanting.”

The four-time Grammy winner and former member of The Civil Wars is set to headline several tour stops beginning in February, including shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver, Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, as well as two shows at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley in May.

National Museum Of African American Music To Screen Charley Pride Doc

Charley Pride

The National Museum of African American Music will present the first public screening of “Charley Pride: I’m Just Me” a feature-length documentary episode of the PBS series “American Masters” at the Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tenn., on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. A portion of the proceeds from the screening will benefit the National Museum of African American Music.

“Charley Pride: I’m Just Me” traces the improbable journey of Charley Pride, from his humble beginnings as a sharecropper’s son on a cotton farm in segregated Sledge, Miss., to his career as a Negro League baseball player and his meteoric rise as a trailblazing country music superstar. A panel featuring filmmaker Barb Hall and Dr. Dina Bennett, senior curator at NMAAM, will immediately follow the film’s conclusion.

“Helping shine a light Charley Pride’s story, struggles and incredible musical talent through this documentary represents the kinds of stories our museum wants to tell,” said H. Beecher Hicks III, CEO and president of NMAAM. “He’s truly a one-of-a-kind, trailblazing artist whose place in our nation’s and our culture’s musical history is undeniable.”

“At a time when African American singers were more notable for R&B hits, Charley Pride followed his passion for country music, overcoming obstacles through determination and raw talent to make a lasting impact on the genre and create a legacy that continues today,” said Michael Kantor, executive producer of “American Masters.”

PLA Names Cindy Dupree AS Sr. Consultant PR, Marketing

Cindy Dupree

PLA has added Cindy Dupree to the staff as senior consultant PR/Marketing. Dupree spent more than 10 years as communications director/PIO for the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development during the Bredesen and Haslam administrations. She has also served as communications director for BMI in New York City and as a music manager, literary agent, and artist development consultant while in the Big Apple.

 

Business Management Company Growth Group Celebrates Certified Tax Coach Designation

Pictured (L-R): Growth Group’s Alexis Louis and American Institute for Certified Tax Planners Director Dominique Molina

Business management company Growth Group relocated from Atlanta to Nashville in October 2018, and is celebrating the success of the company’s CEO Alexis Louis, who is one of just over 700 tax professionals who has completed the American Institute for Certified Tax Planners training academy, leading to the Certified Tax Coach designation.

Music City is rocking into the New Year.

In addition to established favorites like Bill Lloyd, Kelly Clarkson and Ashley Cleveland, there’s a heaping helping of new talent in this week’s DisClaimer pop/rock roundup.

The Disc of the Day unquestionably belongs to one of these up-and-comers. Lennon Stella has graduated from TV ingenue to full-fledged pop princess with “Feelings.”

Other fresh faces here include Blank Range, Rayland Baxter, The Steel Woods and our DisCovery Award winners, Fuel on Fire.

COIN/I Want It All
Writers: Rick Foster/Isom Innis; Producer: Rick Foster, Isom Innis & Rich Costey; Publishers: none listed; Columbia
– This Nashville trio bops with a moody vibe on its latest Columbia single. The song comes from Foster the People folks, but the delivery is the group’s own churning, burbling, frothy and punchy audio stew. Coin’s alterna-pop sound has accumulated 100 million Spotify streams to date. Tour starts next month. This comes from its forthcoming third album.

BILL LLOYD/Working The Long Game
Writers: Bill Lloyd/Buddy Mondiock; Producer: none listed; Publishers: Fourel Songs/BMG/Chrysalis/Fire of Change, BMI/ASCAP; Spyderpop
– Veteran Lloyd returns to his melodic pop/rock roots on his new collection. The title tune kicks off with his chopping guitar riffs, then locks into a juicy, hooky bopper. It’s a relationship song about perseverance in love. But mostly you can smile and bob your head in sonic pleasure. This man is a Nashville treasure.

LENNON STELLA/Feelings
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Columbia
– Wow. We watched her grow up on the six seasons of TV’s Nashville. Now she’s a fabulous pop presence. This ultra addictive jam is luscious, lustrous and as deliriously dazzling as anything I’ve heard in months. Little sister Maisy is among the backup singers. Absolutely play this. EP is out now. Tour starts in March.

RAYLAND BAXTER/Casanova
Writers: Rayland Baxter; Producer: Butch Walker; Publisher: Japanese Rainbow, BMI; ATO
– Shot through with wry humor, this clomping, rhythm-soaked track comes from this Nashvillian’s excellent Wide Awake album. There’s something instantly endearing about his rootsy rocking sound. Think updated Kinks. Baxter plays Saturday at Marathon Music Works.

KELLY CLARKSON/Never Enough
Writers: Benj Pasek/Justin Paul; Producers: Pasek/Paul; Publishers: none listed; Atlantic
– This comes from that Greatest Showman Reimagined soundtrack spinoff phenom. It’s an absolutely epic performance of a power ballad. By contrasting trembling emotion with show-stopping soprano pyrotechnics, she makes this song her own. The woman can sing like nobody’s bizness.

ASHLEY CLEVELAND/Way Out Of No Way
Writers: Ashley Cleveland; Producer: none listed; Publishers: Sole Sister/BMG/Chrysalis, BMI; 204
– Grammy winner Ashley is the subject of an excellent new documentary film titled Who’s the Girl as well as a memoir, Little Black Sheep. Her triumphant current CD, One More Song, features this swampy, slithering, blue-eyed blues slow burner. In addition to her smoldering originals, it also includes standards like “Down By the Riverside,” “Walk in Jerusalem” and “Take Me to the Water.” This soul sister’s style of rocking gospel makes me want to shout “Hallelujah.”

THE SHADOWBOXERS/Telephone
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Sony/Villa 40
– Why aren’t these guys superstars yet? Coming across like a triple-whammy Bruno Mars on stage, good lookin’ and boosted by Justin Timberlake, they also deliver the goods on disc. From neo-funk (”Finding a Problem”) to throbbing pop-rock (”Runaway,” featuring Timberlake in its video) and sizzling dance-pop like this, they have a sound made for America’s airwaves.

THE STEEL WOODS/Old News
Writers: Jason Cope; Producer: Jason Cope/WEs Bayliss; Publisher: Rowdy Woods, SESAC; Woods Music/Thirty Tigers
– This Nashville rock band salutes Gregg Allman with a version of “Whipping Post,” Black Sabbath on “Changes,” Townes Van Zandt on “The Catfish Song” and Tom Petty in a rendition of “Southern Accents” on its new CD. The title tune ballad showcases the searing, Dixie-fried lead vocal of Wes Bayliss as well as the thought provoking songwriting of fellow bandmember Jason Cope. Its lyric draws on our current political malaise to bring a message of hope.

BLANK RANGE/Change Your Look
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; Shady Girl
-Jangling, shuddering rock electric guitars; happy, garage-y production values plus boyish and faintly Brit-inspired pop vocals characterize this catchy, tuneful outing. It comes from the East Nashville band’s album, In Unison, which drops on Feb. 1. Delightful, eccentric and promising. Next local date is at The Basement on Feb. 15.

FUEL ON FIRE/Heartbreak
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; FoF
– These four brothers relocated to Music City from Key West two years ago, and this comes from their first Nashville-recorded collection. It’s an astonishingly accomplished, super contemporary, wonderfully produced and super catchy jam. Crashing guitars, airy soaring singing, solid rhythm and tight arranging are the hallmarks here. A new EP titled Them features covers of tunes by the likes of U2 (”With Or Without You”) and The Beatles (”Eleanor Rigby”). It’s now getting airplay on Lightning 100.