Vince Gill, John Prine, Dean Dillon, Tom T. Hall Among Songwriters Hall Of Fame Nominees

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Vince Gill

Vince Gill and John Prine have been named among nominees for the Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2019, it was announced Wednesday (Nov. 7). In the performing songwriter category, they join fellow nominees Missy Elliott, Mariah Carey, Chrissie Hynde, the Beach Boys’ Mike Love, Jimmy Cliff, Jeff Lynne, Cat Stevens, Lloyd Price, Tommy James and the Eurythmics.

Non-performing nominees include Dean Dillon, Tom T. Hall, Jack Tempchin, Jerry Fuller, Roger Nichols, and Dallas Austin.

The Songwriters Hall gave The Associated Press the list of nominees Wednesday, a day ahead of its official announcement.

Six songwriters or songwriting groups will be officially inducted during the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s 50th annual ceremony in New York on June 13, 2019. Songwriters are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years.

Eligible members can vote for three non-performing songwriters and three performing songwriters until Dec. 17.

Rachel Wammack Breaks The Rules With Debut Single, “Damage”

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Rachel Wammack. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow

At a time when artists increasingly turn to homemade YouTube videos to get their music heard, new RCA Nashville artist Rachel Wammack’s discovery feels decidedly old-school.

A native of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Wammack began collaborating with the late FAME Studios producer-writer Rick Hall while she was still in her teens. As a high school senior, Wammack was performing a mix of cover songs and originals at a restaurant in her hometown, where Sony Music Nashville’s Jim Catino happened to catch a performance.

He gave her his card, offering mentorship and guidance as she enrolled in the University of North Alabama to study professional writing.

“My professors knew I was writing songs so they would tailor assignments, like one assignment I had to go through every Bob Dylan song,” she told MusicRow during a recent visit.

She also began honing her performance skills. She reached out to Catino asking him to come see her show but instead he invited her to come perform for Sony’s A&R staff. Following their advice, Wammack made the move, while pursuing a master’s degree and working as a bartender in Nashville.

Wammack officially became an RCA Nashville artist earlier this year, signing with Sony Music Nashville during a CRS event at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

Pictured (L-R): Rachel Wammack, MusicRow Owner/Publisher Sherod Robertson. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow

Similar to her female contemporaries like Carly Pearce (“Every Little Thing”) and Cam (“Burning House”) before her, Wammack eschewed an uptempo track as her breakthrough radio offering; “Damage” is a slow burn that focuses both on nuance of delivery and a complex storyline. Her capable, strong soprano gravitates toward intimate warmth rather than overwrought vocal gymnastics.

Wammack’s bartending experiences, celebrating with customers over a promotion, or helping salve those intent on drinking away heartache, informed her debut single, “Damage,” penned with Tom Douglas and David Hodges.

I’ve seen it from all sides/winning and losing/and love can do some damage, she sings in the song’s chorus.

“I wrote it very literally, just what I went through. I was a horrible bartender. I wasn’t good with making drinks, but I was good with people,” she recalls. “I loved sharing stories.”

Poised behind a keyboard, Wammack offered stripped down renditions of several songs from her upcoming album for the MusicRow Magazine staff. Many tracks transparently chronicle the caustic lessons learned from former flames, as she sublimates the heartache and confusion that followed an unceremonious breakup into deftly crafted songs such as “Closure.”

She rediscovers the uniqueness and validity of her own voice on anthemic tracks like “Hard To Believe” and the blunt “My Boyfriend Doesn’t Speak For Me Anymore,” which she devotes to the girl just singing in the shower/who shut up and forgot about her power.

Wammack is still recording and writing for her upcoming Sony album and says it will offer a mix of ballads and uptempos. Meanwhile, she will join Brett Young and Tyler Rich as part of CMT On Tour: Here Tonight, beginning Nov. 16 in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Pictured (L-R): Eric T. Parker, Haley Crow, Robert K. Oermann, Rachel Wammack, Sherod Robertson, Jessica Nicholson, Alex Kobrick

Jason Aldean To Be Featured Speaker At CRS 2019

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Jason Aldean will appear as a featured speaker at Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2019. The BMI-sponsored panel, Jason Aldean: Overcoming Obstacles, will take place on Friday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m. CT.

The hour-long discussion, led by CRB/CRS’ RJ Curtis and SummitMedia’s Beverlee Brannigan, will delve into Aldean’s career story, which has included more than 17 million in album sales and 21 career No. 1 hits. The conversation will also touch on his constant connection to fans via music and touring throughout his career, and the challenges that followed the events of Oct. 1, 2017 in Las Vegas, as well as as the strength of the music community to persist.

Aldean has made several appearances at Country Radio Seminar over the years, from being included as one of celebrated artists at 2006’s New Faces of Country Music Show, to headlining 2018’s Amazon Music & CRS Monday Night Showcase, including a special encore performance with Garth Brooks.

 

Academy Of Country Music Announces Officers, Board Of Directors For 2018-2019 Term

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The Academy of Country Music has announced the newly-elected Officers and Board of Directors for the 2018-2019 term. Previously announced officers include Chairman Duane Clark, President Ed Warm, Vice President Lori Badgett, Treasurer Carmen Romano, Parliamentarian Paul Moore, Sergeant-at-Arms Tim DuBois and Secretary Tommy Moore.

This year, 11 of the 13 qualifying professional categories were elected by the Academy’s membership. In addition to those elected, director-at-large positions have been appointed by Chairman Duane Clark, President Ed Warm and Vice President Lori Badgett. Directors are elected from each category based on the number of members in that category. Each director serves staggered two-year terms, with half the board membership changing each year.

Newly elected members of the Board of Directors include:

Jackie Campbell, 615 Leverage
Beville Dunkerley, Pandora
Tom Forrest, Taillight
Becky Gardenhire, WME
Ali Harnell, AEG
Bob Kingsley, Bob Kingsley’s Top 40 Countdown
Frank Liddell, Carnival Music
Cindy Mabe, Universal Music Group
John Marks, Spotify
Ebie McFarland, Essential Broadcast Media
Lee Thomas Miller
Norbert Nix, Triple Tigers Records*
Sally Seitz, Apple Music
Jackie Stevens, The Big Time
Stacy Vee, Goldenvoice
Troy Vollhoffer, Premier Global Production*
Trisha Yearwood

Newly appointed director-at-large members of the Board of Directors include:

Bobby Bones, The Bobby Bones Show
Leslie Cohea, Sandbox Entertainment
Charlie Cook, Cumulus
George Couri, Triple 8 Management
Kele Currier, ASCAP
Chris Farren, Combustion Music
Leslie Fram, CMT
Nick Hartley, Fitzgerald Hartley
Jon Loba, Broken Bow Music Group
Michael McAnally Baum, SMACK Songs
Shawn McSpadden, Redlight Management
Curt Motley, UTA
Brian O’Connell, Live Nation
Rod Phillips, iHeart Media
Tim Roberts, Entercom
Clarence Spalding, MAVERICK

*Elected to fill one-year term which was previously vacated.

“Having served on the Academy’s Board for years, I’ve witnessed firsthand what an amazing group of extraordinary leaders endeavoring to build the Academy’s future, and a dedicated and passionate ACM staff, can accomplish. It’s an honor to serve alongside these amazing women and men to shape the Academy’s next chapter,” said ACM Chairman Duane Clark.

OFFICERS
Chairman- Duane Clark, FBMM
President – Ed Warm, Joe’s Live
Vice President- Lori Badgett, City National Bank
Treasurer – Carmen Romano, FBMM
Parliamentarian Paul Moore, PGM Connections, LLC.
Sergeant-at-Arms Tim DuBois, Artist Management Partners
Secretary Tommy Moore, Academy of Country Music

AFFILIATED
Jackie Campbell, 615 Leverage
Beville Dunkerley, Pandora
Michael Knox, Music Knox / peermusic Nashville
John Marks, Spotify
Sally Seitz, Apple Music

ARTIST/ENTERTAINER/MBI
Cam
Jake Owen
Hillary Scott
Marty Stuart
Trisha Yearwood

CLUB/CASINO/CONCERT-VENUE OPERATOR
Roger Gearhart, Graham Brothers Entertainment
Troy Vollhoffer, Premier Global Production

COMPOSER
Lee Thomas Miller

MANAGER
Kerri Edwards, KPentertainment
Fletcher Foster, Iconic Entertainment
Daniel Miller, Red Light Management / Fusion Music

MEDIA/PUBLIC RELATIONS
Ebie McFarland, Essential Broadcast Media

MUSIC PUBLISHER/PRO
Frank Liddell, Carnival Music
Rusty Gaston, THiS Music

ON-AIR PERSONALITY
Bob Kingsley, Bob Kingsley’s Country Top 40

RADIO
Jackie Stevens, The Big Time

RECORD COMPANY
Andrew Kautz, Big Machine Label Group
Gordon Kerr, Black River Entertainment
Cindy Mabe, Universal Music Group Nashville
Norbert Nix, Triple Tigers Records

TALENT AGENT
Becky Gardenhire, WME
Steve Lassiter, APA

TALENT BUYER/PROMOTER
Ali Harnell, AEG
Stacy Vee, Goldenvoice

TV/MOTION PICTURE
Tom Forrest, Taillight

DIRECTORS AT LARGE
Chuck Aly, Country Aircheck
Bobby Bones, The Bobby Bones Show
Leslie Cohea, Sandbox Entertainment
Bradley Collins, Frontman Consulting
Charlie Cook, Cumulus
George Couri, Triple 8 Management
Kele Currier, ASCAP
Enzo DeVincenzo, Red Light Management
Crystal Dishmon, Shopkeeper Management
Chris Farren, Combustion Music
Leslie Fram, CMT
Nick Hartley, Fitzgerald Hartley
Shannan Hatch, SESAC
Greg Hill, Hill Entertainment Group
Gayle Holcomb, WME
Chris Janson
Jeff Krones, CAA
Cris Lacy, Warner Music Nashville
Jon Loba, Broken Bow Music Group
Michael McAnally Baum, SMACK Songs
Shawn McSpadden, Red Light Management
Curt Motley, UTA
Brian O’Connell, Live Nation
Lynn Oliver-Cline, River House Artists
Chris Parr, MAVERICK
Rod Phillips, iHeart Media
Kelly Rich, Amazon
Tim Roberts, Entercom
Clarence Spalding, MAVERICK
Peter Strickland, Marathon Talent Agency
Neil Vance, L3 Entertainment
Brian Wright, Universal Music Group Nashville

PAST CHAIRS
Paul Barnabee, FBMM
Darin Murphy, CAA
Ken Robold, Sony Music Nashville
Ken Tucker, Wheelhouse Records
Ben Vaughn, Warner Chappell
Butch Waugh, Studio2bee

EX OFFICIO PAST CHAIRS
Rod Essig, CAA
Mark Hartley, Fitzgerald Hartley

Amazon Music Launches Alexa-Powered New Release Notifications Feature

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Amazon Music has quietly released a new feature that will further connect fans with their favorite artists. With New Release Notifications, Amazon Alexa users in the United States can now ask Alexa to follow their favorite artist. The listener will then be notified when an artist releases a new song or album.

Users will receive a notification on each Echo device and via the Amazon Music mobile app for iOS or Android. Users must have notifications enabled via the Alexa app and the Amazon Music app to receive these updates.

On Echo smart speakers, users will see a yellow light ring when there is a new notification. Users can listen by saying, “Alexa, play my messages” or “Alexa, what are my notifications?”

Amazon has teamed with artists including Future and Anderson.Paak to promote the new feature.

 

YouTube video

Live In The Vineyard Concludes 10th Anniversary Celebration

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Pictured (L-R): Seth Ennis, Phil Barton, Jon Randall, Liz Rose, Cassadee Pope and LITV CEO Bobbii Jacobs at LE Estates Nov. 4th during the 10th Anniversary Live In The Vineyard. Photo: Will Bucquoy

Live In The Vineyard celebrated its 10th anniversary Nov. 1-4 with performances across Napa Valley by artists including Jason Mraz, Jewel, Matt Nathanson, Mat Kearney, Michael Franti, Cassadee Pope, Rita Wilson, LOCASH, Tegan Marie and many more. The event wrapped Nov. 4 amidst the lush scenery of boutique wineries in Napa, and this year’s event paid special tribute to singer-songwriters with over forty artists performing at over 30 estates and vineyards, bringing in over 500 people from across the country to Napa to be a part of the special weekend.

LITV gave attendees exclusive access to artists, top tier wine makers, world-renowned chefs offering exquisite food tastings and pourings by some of the most revered vintners at wineries including Chappellete Winery, Eleven Eleven, Italics Winegrowers, JaM Cellars, LE Estates, Robert Mondavi Winery, Shadybrook, Stag’s Leap, Trefethen, Vista Collina, and more.

During the day, wineries across wine country hosted pop-up concerts in an up-close and personal, intimate setting. Then on Friday and Saturday night, concert events took place at Lincoln Theater in Yountville with performances on Friday night that included Mraz, Nathanson, Wilson, Blaine Mitchell and Whitney Woerz and Saturday night with acoustic performances by Maggie Rose, Haley Reinhart, Dean Lewis, Emily Bear, Patrick Droney and Andreas Moss.

Pictured (L-R): Chris Lucas (LOCASH), Clare Dunn, LITV CEO Bobbii Jacobs, and Preston Brust (LOCASH) at Brasswood Napa Valley during the 10th Anniversary Live In The Vineyard. Photo: Will Bucquoy

Kenny Chesney Varies Venues On 2019 Songs For The Saints Tour

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Kenny Chesney decided for some dates on his upcoming Songs for the Saints tour, he’d bring the music to the fans for a change, rather than making them travel to the giant stadiums for his massive concert experience. On this new tour, he’s performing in several cities without stadiums, offering up more of a stripped-down, intimate feel this time around.

Initial dates include shows include Champaign, Illinois; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, among others, and will focus on the heartland, mid-Atlantic and South over the course of three months.

“I wanted to change it up,” Chesney says. “Last year was so intense, and amazing. No Shoes Nation took it to a whole other level, and they blew all of us away. It was the kind of energy you don’t take for granted. So when we started thinking about next year, they made me wanna come to them. Rather than the massive two-day set-up, make everyone come to a stadium away from their homes, I wanted to go to where the fans live… strip things back a bit, and make it a little more intimate. This is the kind of thing you do for passion. To rein things in a bit, change up the way we present the music, I know these songs will show us things they don’t when we’re in those massive stadiums. I never worry about the energy or the passion, but I think the songs are different depending on where you play them. So I’m fired up for 2019.”

Songs for the Saints 2019 Tour Initial Cities:
Champaign, IL                   State Farm Center
Grand Rapids, MI                  Van Andel Arena
Greensboro, NC                     Greensboro Coliseum
Washington, DC                    The Anthem
Tallahassee, FL                      Donald L Tucker Civic Center
Orange Beach, AL                 The Wharf
Columbia, MO                       Mizzou Arena
Wichita, KS                           INTRUST Bank Arena
Wilkes-Barre, PA                   Mohegan Sun Arena
Atlantic City, NJ                   Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena
Tuscaloosa, AL                     Tuscaloosa Amphitheater

Carly Pearce, Russell Dickerson Announce Co-Headlining Tour

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With both artists having earned No. 1 singles, “Every Little Thing” hitmaker Carly Pearce will co-headline a tour next year with fellow rising star Russell Dickerson (“Yours,” “Blue Tacoma”).

The 11-city The Way Back Tour will launch Jan. 24 in Cleveland, Ohio. Tickets for the tour go on sale Nov. 9.

“Carly and I go way, way back and we have cheered each other on for years,” Russell said. “Breaking onto the scene together has been such a fun ride, so we had to book a tour together to celebrate!”

“It’s crazy to think about eight years ago when Russell and I had a residency in Nashville together. Now, to see the evolution of our careers that have mirrored in so many ways is a dream come true,” said Pearce. “Sometimes slow and steady wins the race, and I couldn’t be more proud of how far we’ve come.”

2019 THE WAY BACK TOUR DATES & CITIES

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

Artist Pics: Carly Pearce, Jerrod Niemann, Jimmie Allen, Tenille Arts

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Carly Pearce Performs On Dancing With The Stars

Carly Pearce and EVP of Country Programming Strategy at iHeartMedia Rod Phillips on set last night (Nov. 5) at Dancing With The Stars.

As Dancing With The Stars contestants Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe took the floor with a Rumba during the ABC hit show’s live broadcast last night (Nov. 5), Carly Pearce performed her searing, Gold-certified ballad “Every Little Thing,” which steered a chart-topping trifecta on SiriusXM’s The Highway and solidified her the highest charting solo female debut since July 2015.

 

Jerrod Niemann Performs “Old Glory” At Dallas Cowboys/Tennessee Titans Game

Jerrod Niemann performs. Photo: James D. Smith/Dallas Cowboys

Curb Records country star Jerrod Niemann hit the field with the Dallas Cowboys and Tennessee Titans last night (Nov. 5), saluting American service members with his red-white-and-blue ballad, “Old Glory,” during halftime of the ESPN Monday Night Football game in Arlington, Texas.

 

Jimmie Allen Co-Hosts Fourth Hour Of NBC’s TODAY

Jimmie Allen co-hosts the fourth hour of NBC’s TODAY with Kathie Lee & Hoda. Photo courtesy of TODAY show

On the heels of his first full-length release Mercury Lane, with his debut single “Best Shot” earning the biggest point increase of the week on the country radio charts (currently at No. 3 and climbing), Jimmie Allen took his talents to New York three times in the past four weeks. The 33-year-old Delaware native has performed, commentated and now, as of this morning, co-hosted the fourth hour of NBC’s TODAY with Kathie Lee and Hoda.

 

ACM Welcomes Tenille Arts

Pictured (L Pete Fisher, ACM CEO; Tenille Arts; Mary Pambukyan, ACM Jr. Staff Accountant; Jim Malito, Reviver Entertainment Group, VP/Promotion

The Academy of Country Music welcomed Reviver Records/19th & Grand recording artist Tenille Arts to the office while she was in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, Arts performed her current single, “I Hate This,” and other songs from her upcoming album.

 

 

 

 

 

Pandora’s Q3 Financials Show Paid Subscribers, Revenue Up

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Pandora’s third-quarter financials, ending Sept. 30, were released Monday (Nov. 5).

Q3 revenue was $417.6 million, a 16 percent growth year-over-year, with subscriptions now making up 30 percent of that. There are now 6.8 million Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium subscribers, up around 12 percent, year-over-year. Active users were down to 68.8 million at the end of the third quarter of 2018, and total listener hours were 4.81 billion for the third quarter of 2018.

“I’m proud of the progress we’ve made over the past year to reinvigorate Pandora,” said Roger Lynch, the company’s CEO. “A year ago, we committed to drive listener engagement through product innovation, expand our content, and increase distribution partnerships. We also prioritized making our ad tech capabilities a strategic advantage. And we executed. We launched new products like Premium Access, delivering on-demand functionality and improved listener engagement in our ad-supported tier; forged partnerships with leading brands such as T-Mobile, AT&T, Comcast, and Snap; and solidified our global leadership in digital audio advertising with the acquisition of AdsWizz and the launch of our programmatic audio marketplace.”

Continued Lynch, “Looking ahead, I couldn’t be more excited about Pandora joining forces with SiriusXM. A combined Pandora-SiriusXM will create the world’s largest audio entertainment company, bringing Pandora additional resources to accelerate growth and building on SiriusXM’s leadership in the car, subscription expertise, and unique content.”

Added CFO Naveen Chopra, “Our Q3 financial results, which exceeded both revenue and adjusted EBITDA guidance, showed meaningful improvement. Revenue growth accelerated, thanks to better monetization and a fast-growing subscription business; gross margins are expanding as evidenced by a 500 basis point sequential improvement in Q3; and we’re operating more efficiently: we recorded a 300 basis point reduction in operating expenses (excluding marketing and subscription commissions) as a percentage of revenue. All of this puts us on track to significantly improve cash flow and adjusted EBITDA next year and beyond.”

At the end of September it was announced SiriusXM will acquire the Oakland-based music service in an all-stock transaction, which was valued at approximately $3.5 billion and expected to be made official in Q1 of next year. Also beginning in 2019, a partnership with SoundCloud will enable advertisers and brands to purchase SoundCloud’s U.S. ad inventory directly through Pandora. This will increase Pandora’s U.S. ad audience reach to over 100 million users. Concurrently, SoundCloud entered into an agreement to use AdsWizz’s programmatic platform globally.

The year-over-year earnings comparisons do not include Australia and New Zealand, where the service was discontinued in July 2017, and Ticketfly, which was sold to Eventbrite in September 2017.