Casey Anderson
Services will be held this morning for Clarence Selmer “Casey” Anderson. The widely loved music industry figure died on Monday, Nov. 26 at age 92.
Casey Anderson was one of the founders of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). He was the father of country star Lynn Anderson (1947-2015) and the husband of the late singer-songwriter Liz Anderson (1930-2011).
Casey is credited as the cowriter on several of his wife’s compositions, including 1967’s “The Fugitive,” which became Merle Haggard’s first No. 1 hit. He and Liz co-hosted the TNN cable-TV travel series Side By Side in the 1980s.
Casey Anderson was born in North Dakota in 1926. He was a Navy mechanic in 1945-47. Just days prior to his death, he rode in the Nashville Veteran’s Day Parade.
He married Liz in 1946, and they had daughter Lynn in 1947. The family moved to California in 1951 in order for Liz to pursue her songwriting career. Casey sold cars and became a member of the world-champion equestrian drill team The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse in 1957-66.
He and Liz co-wrote “The Ballad of the Pony Express” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Pony Express U.S. mail service. Casey also rode in its 1960 reenactment.
Liz Anderson’s songwriting began to pay off in the 1960s. Her early successes included “Be Quiet Mind” (Del Reeves, 1961), “Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart” (Conway Twitty, 1966), “Strangers” (Merle Haggard, 1965), “Just Between the Two of Us” (Bonnie Owens & Merle Haggard, 1964), “I Cried All the Way to the Bank” (Norma Jean, 1965) and “Pick of the Week” (Roy Drusky, 1964).
Chet Atkins signed her to RCA, and the Andersons moved to Nashville in 1966. Daughter Lynn subsequently earned a contract with Chart Records. Liz wrote several of her daughter’s early hits, including “Ride Ride Ride,” “If I Kiss You,” “Keeping Up Appearances,” “Mother May I,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Flattery Will Get You Everywhere” in 1966-69.
In 1967, Casey and Liz Anderson were among the co-founders of the NSAI.
During this same era, Liz’s recording career at RCA included such self-penned singles as “Go Now Pay Later,” “So Much for Me So Much for You,” “The Wife of the Party” and “Mama Spank” in 1966-67. She and Casey co-wrote her 1970 single “All Day Sucker.”
In later years, Casey and Liz Anderson co-hosted the 1988 TNN series, which was geared toward retirees. They also collaborated on a number of songs celebrating their shared western heritage. Some of these were collected on the 2012 CD The Cowgirl Way.
Casey Anderson is survived by granddaughters Lisa Sutton and Melissa “Bunny” Hempel and grandson Gray Stream, as well as a grandson and six great-grandchildren.
The celebration of his life was on Friday, Nov. 30 in Woodland’s Dignity Hall off Thompson Lane.
Pictured: NSAI board member Brett James, Lynn Anderson, Exec. Director Bart Herbison, Casey Anderson, then-NSAI President Lee Miller at the Stephen Foster Award presentation in 2015.
Bart Allmand Launches New Podcast Thinkin’ & Drinkin’
/by Lorie HollabaughSongwriter, musician and label executive Bart Allmand will give music fans a look inside the lives of songwriters and musicians as part of his upcoming new podcast, Thinkin’ & Drinkin’. The podcast, which launches Dec. 3, takes listeners into the studio to hear guests including Jeffrey Steele, Jessi Alexander, and Bob DiPiero, as well as Dave Rude (singer/guitarist for rock supergroup Tesla), offer insight into navigating the slippery world of the music industry.
“This podcast is basically the result of my wife, Amy, wanting me to write a book about my 30 years of being in the music biz doing everything from unclogging a toilet in a hotel room to accepting music an award from BMI for one of the songs I wrote,” said Allmand. “Well, I didn’t want to write a book, so she thought a podcast might be the way to go, that way my friends can tell their own stories and not blame me. I hope listening to these podcasts might shed a little new light on someone familiar or shine a new light on a brand new name. Sometimes the names have been changed to protect the innocent…but MOST of the truth is here.”
As a promotions executive, Allmand has held positions at labels including 16th Avenue Records, RCA, and Monument, where he was instrumental in launching the career of the Dixie Chicks. He was also pivotal in the careers of Martina McBride, Clint Black, Alabama, The Judds, and more. Allmand’s songwriting catalog boasts over 50 cuts, including chart-topping hits for Brooks & Dunn and Steve Holy. His career also includes time at Blaster Records and Big Loud Mountain.
The first season of Thinkin’ & Drinkin’ will be available on iTunes on Dec. 3.
Thinkin’ & Drinkin’ Season One Line-up:
Ep. 1: Jeffrey Steele – singer, songwriter
Ep. 2: Gordon Kennedy – musician, producer, songwriter
Ep. 3: Bob DiPiero – songwriter
Ep. 4: Kyle Cook – vocalist, guitarist for Matchbox 20
Ep. 5: Jessi Alexander – singer, songwriter
Ep. 6: Dave Rude – singer, songwriter, guitarist for Tesla
Ep. 7: Jason Charles Miller – singer, guitarist for Godhead
Ep. 8: Charlie Crowe – guitarist for Brooks & Dunn
Logan Mize To Join Russell Dickerson, Carly Pearce On The Way Back Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughLogan Mize has been tapped to join co-headliners Russell Dickerson and Carly Pearce on their TheWay Back Tour starting Jan. 24 in Cleveland, Ohio. Mize’s most recent single, “Better Off Gone,” is featured on Spotify’s Hot Country, New Boots, Wild Country and Chillin’ On A Dirt Road playlists as well as similar lists on Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora and YouTube, and his video for “Better Off Gone” has been viewed more than 470,000 times. “Better Off Gone” will impact country radio on Feb. 4.
“We’ve spent a lot of time touring on our own for most of 2018,” Mize said. “So, looking forward to next year, I’m anxious to get out there with new and old friends alike. We’re excited and very grateful that Russell and Carly have asked us to come along and share their audience. This is going to be a fun one!”
Mize’s Better Off Gone Tour will conclude 2018 with 16 shows across the West Coast before joining forces with Dickerson and Pearce in January.
2019 The Way Back Tour Dates:
Jan. 24: Cleveland, OH; House of Blues
Jan. 25: Madison, WI; The Sylvee
Jan. 26: Fort Wayne, IN; The Clyde Theatre
Jan. 31: Lexington, KY; Manchester Music Hall
Feb. 2: Myrtle Beach, SC; House of Blues
Feb. 21: Baton Rouge, LA; Texas Club
Feb. 22: Nacogdoches, TX; Banita Creek Hall
Feb. 23: Tulsa, OK; Cain’s Ballroom
Feb. 28: Champaign, IL; The City Center
March 1 Grand Rapids, MI; 20 Monroe Live
March 2 Chicago, IL; Joe’s on Weed
SOURCE Honoree Sherytha Scaife Passes
/by Robert K OermannSherytha Scaife
Sherytha Scaife, whose long career in Music City incorporated song publishing, museum management, record labels and philanthropy, passed away on Tuesday (Nov. 27).
She was the widow and business partner of Cecil Scaife (1927-2009). They were Arkansas natives who entered the music business when he became the promotion manager at Sun Records during its heyday in Memphis in the 1950s.
They moved to Nashville in the early 1960s. Sherytha was hired as a charter employee at the then-new Country Music Hall of Fame when it opened in 1967. She became the institution’s first curator in 1974.
The Scaifes established their Music Incorporated publishing company in the 1970s. It grew to contain one of the largest catalogs of Christian music in America. Cecil was one of the founders of the Gospel Music Association. The couple also operated the secular firm Tennessee Music Publishing, as well as a recording studio. The Scaifes’ record labels included Songs of Faith, Halo and Classic Christmas.
Cecil Scaife was a founding force behind the creation of the music business program at Belmont University. He retired for health reasons in 1998, but his wife carried on in the music industry. Sherytha Scaife oversaw The Cecil Scaife Music Business Scholarship Endowment at the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont. In addition, she was on the university’s board of directors.
She also created the annual Cecil Scaife Visionary Award. Among its recipients have been Tony Brown, Mike Curb, Harold Bradley, Marsha Blackburn, Amy Grant, Wynonna and David Briggs.
In 2010, Sherytha was honored with a SOURCE Award. These honors given to women in the music industry are held at the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum.
Sherytha Scaife was a glamorous 86-years-old. She is survived by her son Joe Scaife, a producer and engineer, as well as by her music-business daughters LaQuita, LaRawn and LaQuela. She had six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services were held on Saturday, Dec. 1, at Mt. Olivet Funeral Home. Visitation was held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by her Celebration of Life.
Warner/Chappell Nashville Signs Aussie Duo Seaforth
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured: Ben Vaughn (Warner/Chappell), Laura Worley (LH7 Management), T.D. Ruth (Serling Rooks), Jessi Vaughn (Warner/Chappell), Poppy (Shenanigoats), Mitchell Thompson (Seaforth), Pimento (Shenanigoats), Olive (Shenanigoats), Tom Jordan, Pippy (Shenanigoats), Alison Junker (Warner/Chappell), Patrick W. Ogilvy (Serling), Katie Jelen (Warner/Chappell), Brian Teefey (LH7 Management). Goats provided by Shenanigoats & featured as a nod to Seaforth’s matching goat tattoos
Aussie duo Seaforth has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Nashville. Earlier this month, Seaforth opened for Kane Brown at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. The duo recently released two songs, “Talk to Me” and “Love That,” via RCA Records Nashville.
Seaforth includes childhood friends Mitchell Thompson and Tom Jordan, whose moniker comes from the Australian suburb where they grew up.
YouTube Rolls Out Student Discount Plans For YouTube Music, YouTube Premium
/by Jessica NicholsonAdditionally, YouTube is offering students YouTube Premium for $6.99, discounted from $11.99. Students who sign up by Jan. 31, 2019 can lock in YouTube Premium at a special rate of just $5.99.
Clarence “Casey” Anderson Dies At 92
/by Robert K OermannCasey Anderson
Services will be held this morning for Clarence Selmer “Casey” Anderson. The widely loved music industry figure died on Monday, Nov. 26 at age 92.
Casey Anderson was one of the founders of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). He was the father of country star Lynn Anderson (1947-2015) and the husband of the late singer-songwriter Liz Anderson (1930-2011).
Casey is credited as the cowriter on several of his wife’s compositions, including 1967’s “The Fugitive,” which became Merle Haggard’s first No. 1 hit. He and Liz co-hosted the TNN cable-TV travel series Side By Side in the 1980s.
Casey Anderson was born in North Dakota in 1926. He was a Navy mechanic in 1945-47. Just days prior to his death, he rode in the Nashville Veteran’s Day Parade.
He married Liz in 1946, and they had daughter Lynn in 1947. The family moved to California in 1951 in order for Liz to pursue her songwriting career. Casey sold cars and became a member of the world-champion equestrian drill team The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse in 1957-66.
He and Liz co-wrote “The Ballad of the Pony Express” to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Pony Express U.S. mail service. Casey also rode in its 1960 reenactment.
Liz Anderson’s songwriting began to pay off in the 1960s. Her early successes included “Be Quiet Mind” (Del Reeves, 1961), “Guess My Eyes Were Bigger Than My Heart” (Conway Twitty, 1966), “Strangers” (Merle Haggard, 1965), “Just Between the Two of Us” (Bonnie Owens & Merle Haggard, 1964), “I Cried All the Way to the Bank” (Norma Jean, 1965) and “Pick of the Week” (Roy Drusky, 1964).
Chet Atkins signed her to RCA, and the Andersons moved to Nashville in 1966. Daughter Lynn subsequently earned a contract with Chart Records. Liz wrote several of her daughter’s early hits, including “Ride Ride Ride,” “If I Kiss You,” “Keeping Up Appearances,” “Mother May I,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Flattery Will Get You Everywhere” in 1966-69.
In 1967, Casey and Liz Anderson were among the co-founders of the NSAI.
During this same era, Liz’s recording career at RCA included such self-penned singles as “Go Now Pay Later,” “So Much for Me So Much for You,” “The Wife of the Party” and “Mama Spank” in 1966-67. She and Casey co-wrote her 1970 single “All Day Sucker.”
In later years, Casey and Liz Anderson co-hosted the 1988 TNN series, which was geared toward retirees. They also collaborated on a number of songs celebrating their shared western heritage. Some of these were collected on the 2012 CD The Cowgirl Way.
Casey Anderson is survived by granddaughters Lisa Sutton and Melissa “Bunny” Hempel and grandson Gray Stream, as well as a grandson and six great-grandchildren.
The celebration of his life was on Friday, Nov. 30 in Woodland’s Dignity Hall off Thompson Lane.
Pictured: NSAI board member Brett James, Lynn Anderson, Exec. Director Bart Herbison, Casey Anderson, then-NSAI President Lee Miller at the Stephen Foster Award presentation in 2015.
Apple Music Coming To Echo Devices In December
/by Lorie HollabaughCustomers will be able to ask Alexa to play their favorite songs, artists, and album or any of the playlists made by Apple Music editors from around the world. They will also be able to ask Alexa to stream expert-made radio stations centered on popular genres like Hip-Hop, decades like the 80s, and even global music like K-Pop.
“Music is one of the most popular features on Alexa—since we launched Alexa four years ago, customers are listening to more music in their homes than ever before,” said Dave Limp, senior vice president, Amazon Devices. “We are committed to offering great music providers to our customers and since launching the Music Skill API to developers just last month, we’ve expanded the music selection on Alexa to include even more top tier services. We’re thrilled to bring Apple Music – one of the most popular music services in the US – to Echo customers this holiday.”
Weekly Chart Report (11/30/18)
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
Writer’s Den Music Group, Torque Entertainment Suspend Operations
/by Jessica NicholsonWriter’s Den Music Group and Torque Entertainment have suspended business operations, effective immediately. The companies represented writers including Sarah Clanton, Drew Kennedy, Gordon Kennedy, Brennen Leigh, Noel McKay, Don Schlitz, and Thom Schuyler.
Employees affected by this include President Jimmy Metts, Partner/GM Bobby Rymer, and Creative Director Sarah Feldman.
They can be reached at the following:
Rymer: Bobby.Rymer@comcast.net
Feldman: scfeld1@gmail.com
Metts: jimmymetts@bellsouth.net
United Talent Agency Adds Vanja Primorac For New Music Innovations Role
/by Jessica NicholsonVanja Primorac
Talent and entertainment company United Talent Agency (UTA) has hired Vanja Primorac as an executive focused on Music Innovations. In this newly created role, she will identify and execute innovative marketing, distribution and platform partnerships to ensure the company’s global roster of artists are on the cutting edge of a constantly evolving music landscape. Primorac comes to UTA from Spotify, where she was an artist marketing representative. She will be based in UTA’s Los Angeles office, but will work with all of UTA’s offices including Nashville, New York, Miami, London and Sweden.
“The music industry continues to be a hotbed for innovation and disruption, with new platforms and business models continually redefining the landscape,” said UTA Chief Innovation Officer, Brent Weinstein. “We are excited to utilize Vanja’s experience and entrepreneurial spirit to help our clients navigate this ever-changing world, and to unlock new creative and business opportunities.”
Primorac added, “UTA is taking a holistic approach to their artist partnerships and I’m excited to start the next chapter of my career with the incredible team they have in place. It’s tricky to break through the noise in today’s competitive music landscape and together, we can develop innovative partnerships and campaigns that can move the needle.”
In her previous role with Spotify, Primorac worked with managers, independent and major labels, advising on streaming strategies and executing marketing campaigns. Her work was instrumental in helping develop and established artists such as LANY, J. Cole, Mumford & Sons, AlunaGeorge, Mike Posner and Calvin Harris. She also spearheaded Spotify’s “Louder Together” campaign which featured Sasha Sloan, Nina Nesbitt, Charlotte Lawrence and King Henry. Prior to that, she worked with Sean “Diddy” Combs and team to launch Revolt TV, helping to conceptualize and develop content initiatives, produce artist-driven interstitials, and lead production on all of their co-branded content.