Carlton Anderson performs for MusicRow staffers. Photo: Eric T. Parker/MusicRow
Growing up in a middle class family just outside of Houston, Texas, Carlton Anderson watched his father, and plenty of others in the community work in “black gold,” the oil rigs. Anderson even tried his own hand at it.
“I did that just long enough to know it wasn’t what I wanted to do,” says Anderson. “I did a lot of odd jobs before picking up a guitar.”
Blessed with a talent for songwriting and a confident baritone, Anderson played in honkytonk bars around Texas, mixing originals with songs made famous by his heroes such as George Strait, Willie Nelson, and Alan Jackson. Soon knew he had a choice to make.
Instead of following his father into the oil business, Anderson enrolled in Belmont University’s music business program in Nashville. He became the first in his family to graduate college.
Along the way, he auditioned for The Voice, but didn’t make the final cut for the televised portion of the audition, for which he is now grateful.
“It got to the last 100 people and then all the teams filled up, but that was a blessing in disguise.”
Meanwhile, he was also knocking on doors around Music City.
“As a songwriter, you are used to being told ‘no’ before you are told ‘yes,’” he says. “I think I got told no by every publishing company in this town before Warner/Chappell said ‘yes’ in 2015.”
It didn’t take long for others in Nashville’s music community to take note of the warm Texas twang in Anderson’s baritone voice, and his throwback country sound.
Earlier this year, it was announced Anderson had joined Sony Music Nashville’s Arista Nashville imprint. He is managed by Morris Higham’s Robert Filhart and is aligned with ASCAP.
Anderson also earned his first official cut as a writer, having co-written “Where Cowboys Are King,” a track on Cody Johnson’s upcoming debut album for WMN, Ain’t Nothin’ To It.
During a visit to the MusicRow Magazine office, Anderson poured his own Texas-to-Tennessee story into the track “Raised,” penned with Trent Willmon and Phil O’Donnell.
He also offered his debut major label single, “Drop Everything,” penned by Rhett Akins, Matt Dragstrem, and Ashley Gorley. He penned another track, “Keep Abilene Beautiful,” with Tony Lane and Tom Douglas.
“It’s amazing to get into rooms with songwriters who are my heroes,” Anderson says. “I remember as a kid, thinking that George Strait was writing all this stuff, like a typical fan. I’ve been very blessed to write with some of these guys.”
Carlton Anderson with MusicRow staffers.
‘Amy Grant’s Tennessee Christmas’ To Air On Hallmark Channel
/by Lorie HollabaughAmy Grant
Amy Grant’s Tennessee Christmas music special is set to air Monday, Dec. 3 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the Hallmark channel. Grant will be joined by husband Vince Gill, Kellie Pickler, and longtime friend Michael W. Smith on the show for an evening filled with performances and fun.
Grant will be sharing family Christmas memories and beloved traditions along with shining a light on the charities that are close to her heart, including Song for Veterans, the Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation, the Appalachian Relief Fund, World Relief, and Barefoot Republic, Grant’s own camp for kids. The hour-long special is part of the network’s No. 1-rated programming event, Countdown To Christmas.
Grant and Gill kicked off their long-running concert series, “Christmas at the Ryman” this week. The beloved Nashville Christmas tradition, which began in 2008, will run for 12 nights this year through Dec. 21 and includes guests Rodney Crowell, John Jorgenson and multi-instrumentalist Rory Hoffman.
Dates Announced For CMT Next Women Of Country Tour 2019
/by Jessica NicholsonTour dates have been announced for the 2019 CMT Next Women of Country Tour, featuring headliner Cassadee Pope. The 11-date tour will launch April 11 in Tampa, Florida, and will also feature openers and fellow Next Women of Country members Clare Dunn and Hannah Ellis. The tour wraps May 4 in Columbia, Missouri.
The tour marks the first-ever headlining tour for Pope, who was named as part of CMT’s inaugural Next Women of Country class in 2013. She is working on her upcoming second album, slated to release in 2019.
VIP Packages for the CMT Next Women of Country Tour will become available Friday (Nov. 30).
Willie Nelson, Vince Gill, Kacey Musgraves Join MusiCares Person Of The Year Tribute Concert
/by Lorie HollabaughParton, who is being recognized as the 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year in recognition of her significant creative accomplishments and longtime support of many charitable causes, will close out the evening’s performances.
Proceeds from the annual Person of the Year tribute, now in its 29th year, provide essential support for MusiCares, the charity founded by the Recording Academy that ensures industry members have a place to turn in times of financial, medical, and personal need.
The Person of the Year gala will begin with a reception and silent auction offering an exclusive selection of luxury items, VIP experiences, and one-of-a-kind celebrity memorabilia for bidding guests. The reception and silent auction will be followed by a gala dinner sponsored by AEG, a live auction, the concert, and the award presentation.
Carlton Anderson Brings Throwback Country Sounds To Arista Nashville Debut
/by Jessica NicholsonCarlton Anderson performs for MusicRow staffers. Photo: Eric T. Parker/MusicRow
Growing up in a middle class family just outside of Houston, Texas, Carlton Anderson watched his father, and plenty of others in the community work in “black gold,” the oil rigs. Anderson even tried his own hand at it.
“I did that just long enough to know it wasn’t what I wanted to do,” says Anderson. “I did a lot of odd jobs before picking up a guitar.”
Blessed with a talent for songwriting and a confident baritone, Anderson played in honkytonk bars around Texas, mixing originals with songs made famous by his heroes such as George Strait, Willie Nelson, and Alan Jackson. Soon knew he had a choice to make.
Instead of following his father into the oil business, Anderson enrolled in Belmont University’s music business program in Nashville. He became the first in his family to graduate college.
Along the way, he auditioned for The Voice, but didn’t make the final cut for the televised portion of the audition, for which he is now grateful.
“It got to the last 100 people and then all the teams filled up, but that was a blessing in disguise.”
Meanwhile, he was also knocking on doors around Music City.
“As a songwriter, you are used to being told ‘no’ before you are told ‘yes,’” he says. “I think I got told no by every publishing company in this town before Warner/Chappell said ‘yes’ in 2015.”
It didn’t take long for others in Nashville’s music community to take note of the warm Texas twang in Anderson’s baritone voice, and his throwback country sound.
Earlier this year, it was announced Anderson had joined Sony Music Nashville’s Arista Nashville imprint. He is managed by Morris Higham’s Robert Filhart and is aligned with ASCAP.
Anderson also earned his first official cut as a writer, having co-written “Where Cowboys Are King,” a track on Cody Johnson’s upcoming debut album for WMN, Ain’t Nothin’ To It.
During a visit to the MusicRow Magazine office, Anderson poured his own Texas-to-Tennessee story into the track “Raised,” penned with Trent Willmon and Phil O’Donnell.
He also offered his debut major label single, “Drop Everything,” penned by Rhett Akins, Matt Dragstrem, and Ashley Gorley. He penned another track, “Keep Abilene Beautiful,” with Tony Lane and Tom Douglas.
“It’s amazing to get into rooms with songwriters who are my heroes,” Anderson says. “I remember as a kid, thinking that George Strait was writing all this stuff, like a typical fan. I’ve been very blessed to write with some of these guys.”
Carlton Anderson with MusicRow staffers.
Entertainment Law Firm Marcus & Colvin Relocates, Adds Senior Associate
/by Jessica NicholsonStephanie Westerman
Entertainment law firm Marcus & Colvin, LLP has relocated its Nashville office to the rising Pie Town community, at the corner of Division Street and 5th Ave. S. The company has also hired Stephanie Westerman as a senior associate.
Westerman previously worked as Viacom, handling licensing of content for all programming, and most recently worked in the business affairs department at Concord Music.
“I am so excited that Stephanie has joined our firm,” said Marcus & Colvin co-owner Kent Marcus. “In the few months that she has been with us, Stephanie has made an immediate impact on the quality service we provide our clients, not only with her proven, well-established skills, but her positive energy and dedication. I have no doubt that Stephanie will be a significant part of this firm’s future.”
“Until I met with Kent and Jeff, I was fairly certain that in-house was the place for me, but right away I knew that the opportunity to work with them was one I could not pass up,” said Westerman. “They are unmatched in their expertise and ability to stay ahead of the curve. I am thrilled to be a part of the team.”
Marcus & Colvin represents some of the top names and companies in the entertainment industry, including a diverse array of Grammy award-winning artists, estates, designers, labels, publishers, management companies, film and television production companies, music festivals and promoters, digital service providers, industry executives, and marketing agencies. Marcus & Colvin is also of counsel with the New York- and Los Angeles-based entertainment law firm of Carroll, Guido & Groffman, LLP.
‘Variety’ Honors Mary Ann McCready With 2018 Business Managers Elite Award
/by Lorie HollabaughMary Ann McCready, co-founder of FBMM (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy), has been honored with Variety’s 2018 Business Managers Elite Award. The Business Managers Elite Award honors business leaders and recognizes professional success, a high level of commitment to the community, and a strong involvement in philanthropic efforts. McCready is the first woman and first person outside of Los Angeles and New York to be honored with this award.
“This is a well-deserved honor for Mary Ann, and all of us at FBMM are extremely proud of her,” said Frank Bumstead, FBMM co-founder. “Her genuine passion for our clients and those in the community is evident in everything she does. She has left an indelible mark on Music City, and she continues to be a force in the industry.”
Her distinguished career includes becoming the first female vice president of national sales at CBS Records, and being the first female recipient of the CMA President’s Award. She is also an inaugural member of the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Circle Guard, among other honors.
McCready is heavily involved in the Nashville community as well. She was the first co-chairperson of the Music City Music Council and has served as a longtime trustee, finance committee member and investment committee chairwoman for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She was at the forefront of the establishment of the CMA’s Horizon Award, and she also dedicates her time to the community as an Advisory Council member for the W.O. Smith Community Music School, among other organizations.
Tim McGraw To Launch Flagship TRUMAV Fitness Club In Nashville’s Gulch Area
/by Jessica NicholsonTim McGraw
Tim McGraw has partnered with Snap Fitness to develop a custom line of boutique fitness clubs, called TRUMAV Fitness. The flagship club, owned by fitness entrepreneur Wirth Campbell, is slated to open in Nashville’s Gulch neighborhood in January at 601 9th Ave. S.
Snap Fitness, led by Peter Taunton and based out of Chanhassen, Minnesota, announced a two-year partnership with Tim McGraw in 2017 that included the development of a custom-designed fitness club franchise.
TRUMAV Fitness will provide instructional exercise classes and a personal boutique fitness space. Members can work out on their own, with a trainer, or in a group class setting. Each club will include custom equipment and programs based on Snap Fitness’s 25-year expertise and McGraw’s personal workout routines. Each club will feature two signature workouts, TRUFIT and TRUPOWER. Both deliver full body results with a standalone group training experience that focuses on heart rate training through wearable technology. TRUFIT is the standard high energy 45-minute workout and is designed to increase your metabolic rate post workout helping you continue to burn calories throughout the day. TRUPOWER is an elite level workout that TRUMAVs can test into, lasting 35 minutes and following a variety of military-based fitness scenarios that are completed as a team.
Campbell grew up in Nashville playing football for Ensworth High School and continued on to play for Auburn University. He is currently a cast member of the reality show Very Cavallari, which originally aired on the E! Network in the summer of 2018.
“Physical fitness is something I value – it can help you lead your best life,” said McGraw. “Working out becomes a habit when it’s an easy part of your every day. That’s why I’ve partnered with Snap Fitness to create TRUMAV. We want to help you find what works for your fitness goals and give you a community that can inspire you to achieve them.”
Studio 3 Bee Forms Alliance With Intercept Music
/by Lorie HollabaughThe announcement was made by Tod Turner, chief executive officer of Intercept Music. The new agreement builds on Brand Ambassador relationships that Intercept Music has already signed in the Latin, pop, Christian and gospel fields, with several more in the works.
“The vision for Intercept Music is to empower artists to take control of their music, and their careers,” says Turner. “We started by forming a partnership with InGrooves’ world class distribution service in over 150 countries. InGrooves is the perfect home for indie artists. Our Brand Ambassadors are another critical part of the process: they provide us with key insights into the needs of the artists they know best. When it comes to country and its many musical cousins, Butch, Skip and Renee have an incredible record of success in nurturing talent, and they are a natural choice to be our liaison with the community.”
Intercept Music offers a combination of tools to enable indie artists to promote, market and distribute their own music. The core Intercept Music suite automates social media marketing for artists, enabling them to plan and schedule the release of news and new songs months at a time. With a subscription to the service, artists also gain free, worldwide distribution of their music to more than 600 digital storefronts and every major streaming service in more than 200 countries. Artists can also opt for concierge-level service to set up and launch their accounts, and even one-on-one coaching with a range of experts in many genres to help guide their music and career development.
“We are proud to be associated with Intercept Music,” said Bishop, Bell and Waugh collectively. “This is the most forward thinking, innovative, and necessary modern music company that addresses the needs of the rapidly evolving music industry. It presents the opportunity for every talented musician/artist to have access to global exposure through the most sophisticated technology available. This new model allows the artists to focus on making music, while Intercept handles everything else.”
From now through Jan. 31, 2019, Studio3Bee has arranged for a special discount of 50% off the first month’s $49.95 subscription (discount will apply at checkout.) More information can be found at Studio3Bee.Interceptmusic.com.
John Carter Cash, Alan Light Set For Book Talk At Country Music Hall Of Fame
/by Jessica NicholsonSinger, songwriter and producer John Carter Cash will join author and journalist Alan Light for a special session at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville on Dec. 8. The two will discuss Light’s latest book, Johnny Cash: The Life and Legacy of the Man in Black.
The event will begin at 2 p.m. in the CMHoF’s Ford Theater. The event is included with museum admission and is free to museum members.
Johnny Cash: The Life and Legacy of the Man in Black is an illustrated biography revealing Cash’s personal and professional life through previously unpublished material including handwritten notes and lyrics, photographs, and beloved objects from his home and recording studio. During this program, Light and Carter Cash will discuss the process of gathering these new finds for the book. The program will also a performance from Carter Cash.
In Pictures: Jason Aldean Headlines Pandora Nashville Concert
/by Jessica NicholsonJason Aldean performs during Pandora Presents Backroads on Nov. 27, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for Pandora Media, Inc. )
On Tuesday (Nov. 27), as the top-played country artist on the Pandora platform, Jason Aldean headlined a celebration concert in Nashville. He was also surprised with a Billionaire plaque, commemorating billions of airings of his music on the Pandora platform.
Steven Lee Olsen, known for penning hits including Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” opened the show.
Jason Aldean receives a Billionaire plaque commemorating billions of spins on Pandora from Brad Minor, VP, Brand Marketing & Communications; Aimee Lapic, CMO; Beville Dunkerley, Director of Artist Marketing and Industry Relations; and Jeff Zuchowski, VP of Artist Marketing & Industry Relations. (Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for Pandora Media, Inc. )
“In the last year, Pandora has served up billions of listening hours for country music,” said Jeff Zuchowski, Vice President of Artist Marketing and Industry Relations at Pandora. “Jason Aldean fans have contributed to many of those hours and we’re thrilled to have him be part of Backroads along with Steven Lee Olsen, giving our loyal country fans an opportunity to experience them live.”
“It’s cool to get to play shows like this where you know the fans are all going to be some of the biggest out there” stated Jason Aldean. “We’re looking forward to having a chance to thank them for all their support.”
In April 2018, Aldean became the first of only three country artists to have their album debut at No. 1 on the overall Top 200 albums chart this year–the feat marked Aldean’s fourth consecutive album debut at the peak of the Top 200. Rearview Town, released on April 13 via Macon/Broken Bow Records, earned 183,000 equivalent album units during its debut week, according to Nielsen Music, of which 162,000 were in traditional album sales. Aldean is the reigning ACM Entertainer of the Year, and earned four CMA nominations in 2018.
Steven Lee Olsen performs during Pandora Presents Backroads on November 27, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for Pandora Media, Inc. )