Longtime country music executive Joe Taylor died on Monday, May 14, at age 85.
As the head of the Joe Taylor Artist Agency, he was one of the industry’s top talent executives for decades. Taylor represented such artists as Sammi Smith (“Help Me Make It Through the Night”), Dave Dudley (“Six Days on the Road”), John Anderson (“Swingin’”), David Frizzell (“I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home”), Johnny Paycheck (“Take This Job and Shove It”) and Sylvia (“Nobody”).
At one time or another, his roster also included such Hall of Fame members as Connie Smith, George Jones, Kitty Wells, Alabama and Grandpa Jones. Grand Ole Opry stars Johnny Russell, Jim & Jesse, Stringbean and Ray Pillow were booked by the Joe Taylor Artist Agency, as were Hee Haw TV stars Junior Samples, Archie Campbell, and Gordie Tapp.
Joe D. Taylor was born in McMinnville in 1933 and graduated from the University of Tennessee. After working for the Chattanooga Free Press and Chattanooga Times and serving in the U.S. Army, he entered the music business.
In 1960, he was hired as the first director of talent for the Wil-Helm Agency, booking shows for Loretta Lynn, The Wilburn Brothers, Joe Dowell and others. In 1962-64 he was the advertising manager for Martha White Flour, a major sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry. This brought him into close contact with the company’s celebrity spokesmen Flatt & Scruggs and Jim & Jesse.
He formed the Joe Taylor Artist Agency in 1964. In addition to the many artists listed above, the company represented Mickey Gilley, Dave & Sugar, Stella Parton, Billie Jo Spears, Ronnie Prophet, Bobby G. Rice, Lawanda Lindsey, Bobby Lord, Johnny Wright and Brian Collins.
Taylor persevered through decades of music-industry changes. His agency was a mainstay throughout the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. It helped to establish country music’s popularity in Europe. In later years, Joe Taylor served as the president of R.O.P.E. (Reunion of Professional Entertainers).
He is survived by children Lisa Easterling and Brent Taylor, by grandchildren Selena Foutch and Joseph Ellis, and three great-grandchildren.
A Life Celebration will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, in The Pavilion at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home. Visitation will be 1:30-2:30 p.m. prior to the memorial. Harpeth Hills Funeral Home is at 9090 Hwy 100, Nashville, TN 37221 (615-646-9292).
Track Listing, Songwriters Revealed For New Tyler Farr EP
/by Jessica NicholsonColumbia Nashville’s Tyler Farr has partnered with boot brand, Durango, to be a 2018 Durango Boot Country Music Ambassador, a deal that includes the upcoming release of a five-song EP, Livin’ Hard.
The EP, produced by Jim Catino and Julian King, is available to Durango boot purchasers and is featured in an in-store promotion throughout 150 stores. The EP includes three of Farr’s No. 1 hits, but also two new tracks.
The EP’s title track was penned by Farr along with Jonathan Singleton and the late Andrew Dorff. Farr co-wrote “I Hope I Don’t Live To See That Day” with Patrick Jason Matthews and Jim McCormick.
Livin’ Hard EP – Presented by Durango track listing
1. Redneck Crazy
Written by Josh Kear/Mark Irwin/Chris Tompkins
2. A Guy Walks Into a Bar
Written by Melissa Peirce/Jonathan Singleton/Brad Tursi
3. Whiskey in My Water
Written by Tyler Farr/Philip LaRue/John Ozier
4. Livin’ Hard
Written by Tyler Farr/Andrew Dorff/Jonathan Singleton
5. I Hope I Don’t Live to See That Day
Written by Tyler Farr/Patrick Jason Matthews/Jim McCormick
Steve Earle, Bob McDill Headed To Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall Of Fame
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Mason Hunter, BMI; Brendon Anthony, Texas Music Office; Jamie Lin Wilson, Texas songwriter; Aaron Barker, TxHSA Hall of Fame member; Heather Morgan, Texas songwriter; Joe Ables, TxHSA board member, during Key West Songwriters Festival. Photo: Erika Goldring/BMI
The Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall Of Fame has announced its 2019 Hall of Fame class of inductees which will include Christopher Cross, Steve Earle, Billy F Gibbons and Bob McDill.
The Texas Hall Of Fame in partnership with the Texas Music Office surprised attendees at the 2018 Key West Songwriters Festival last Friday night with the announcement during a showcase of Texas songwriters where Rob Baird, Keith Gattis, Troy Cartwright, Heather Morgan, Aaron Barker, Jamie Lin Wilson, Liz Rose and Bruce Robison performed at the Key West Theater.
The 2019 Texas Heritage Songwriters Association Weekend will return to Austin on February 22-23, 2019, celebrating the achievements of its latest class of inductees. A VIP sponsor-only DKR Pickin’ Party at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum will kick off the weekend on Feb. 22. Saturday’s public Hall of Fame Awards Show at the Paramount Theatre will both honor and celebrate these new honorees, bringing them into the spotlight and inducting them into the Hall of Fame.
A limited number of seats for the 2019 Hall of Fame Awards Show will be made available to the public, with a ticket sales date announced in December.
Industry Ink: ASCAP, Ten Atoms, Sounds Like Nashville
/by Jessica NicholsonClare Dunn, CJ Solar Lead ASCAP Nashville Music Performances
Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Robert Filhart, Logan Brill, Clare Dunn, Cody Belew and Jaden Michaels. Photo by Ed Rode.
ASCAP presented its quarterly We Create Music Series showcase at 3rd and Lindsley on May 1. Performing in a stripped-down acoustic configuration were songwriter-artists Cody Belew, Logan Brill (Warner/Chappell) and Jaden Michaels, and BMG songwriter/MCA Nashville recording artist Clare Dunn closed the night with a full band set. On Wednesday, May 2, the most recent installment of ASCAP’s monthly Bluebird Cafe showcase featured Sea Gayle Music writers Smith Ahnquist, Brent Anderson, songwriter-artist Rick Huckaby, and Sea Gayle writer-artist CJ Solar.
Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, CJ Solar, Brent Anderson, Smith Ahnquist and Rick Huckaby
Bully Manager Ryan Matteson Launches Artist Management Company
Ryan Matteson
Ryan Matteson, manager for Nashville-based rock band Bully, has launched Ten Atoms, an artist management firm combining digital initiatives, successful traditional strategies and dedicated representation to build bands’ careers. Ten Atoms’ initial roster includes Bully, Black Pumas, Japanese Breakfast, Mountain Goats, Strand of Oaks, Whitney and Wye Oak.
Ten Atoms will be based in Austin, Texas.
Matteson previously worked at C3 Management, and for C3 Presents, handling digital marketing strategy and helping produce Austin City Limits Festival and Lollapalooza.
Country Music Website Sounds Like Nashville Names New Editor-In-Chief
Alison Abbey has joined Sounds Like Nashville, as Editor-in-Chief, effective May 30. This follows the exit of Sounds Like Nashville editor Lauren Jo Black earlier this year. Abbey previously served as associate editor of Parade Magazine.
Veteran Booking Exec Joe Taylor Dies
/by Robert K OermannAs the head of the Joe Taylor Artist Agency, he was one of the industry’s top talent executives for decades. Taylor represented such artists as Sammi Smith (“Help Me Make It Through the Night”), Dave Dudley (“Six Days on the Road”), John Anderson (“Swingin’”), David Frizzell (“I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home”), Johnny Paycheck (“Take This Job and Shove It”) and Sylvia (“Nobody”).
At one time or another, his roster also included such Hall of Fame members as Connie Smith, George Jones, Kitty Wells, Alabama and Grandpa Jones. Grand Ole Opry stars Johnny Russell, Jim & Jesse, Stringbean and Ray Pillow were booked by the Joe Taylor Artist Agency, as were Hee Haw TV stars Junior Samples, Archie Campbell, and Gordie Tapp.
Joe D. Taylor was born in McMinnville in 1933 and graduated from the University of Tennessee. After working for the Chattanooga Free Press and Chattanooga Times and serving in the U.S. Army, he entered the music business.
In 1960, he was hired as the first director of talent for the Wil-Helm Agency, booking shows for Loretta Lynn, The Wilburn Brothers, Joe Dowell and others. In 1962-64 he was the advertising manager for Martha White Flour, a major sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry. This brought him into close contact with the company’s celebrity spokesmen Flatt & Scruggs and Jim & Jesse.
He formed the Joe Taylor Artist Agency in 1964. In addition to the many artists listed above, the company represented Mickey Gilley, Dave & Sugar, Stella Parton, Billie Jo Spears, Ronnie Prophet, Bobby G. Rice, Lawanda Lindsey, Bobby Lord, Johnny Wright and Brian Collins.
Taylor persevered through decades of music-industry changes. His agency was a mainstay throughout the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. It helped to establish country music’s popularity in Europe. In later years, Joe Taylor served as the president of R.O.P.E. (Reunion of Professional Entertainers).
He is survived by children Lisa Easterling and Brent Taylor, by grandchildren Selena Foutch and Joseph Ellis, and three great-grandchildren.
A Life Celebration will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 22, in The Pavilion at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home. Visitation will be 1:30-2:30 p.m. prior to the memorial. Harpeth Hills Funeral Home is at 9090 Hwy 100, Nashville, TN 37221 (615-646-9292).
Former CMA Exec Helen Farmer Passes
/by Robert K OermannPictured: Helen Farmer with former CMA Executive Director Tammy Genovese, during Farmer’s induction into the Source Nashville Hall of Fame Class of 2008. Photo: CMA Archives
Longtime Country Music Association executive Helen Farmer has died at age 92.
She was the CMA’s director of programs and special projects, working directly under the late Country Music Hall of Fame member Jo Walker Meador (1924-2017). Farmer earned the CMA’s Founding President’s Award in 1994 and was presented with a SOURCE honor in 2008.
The Nashville native worked for the CMA for more than 20 years, witnessing the country industry’s growth throughout the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. She handled logistics for the annual CMA Awards and was involved in the planning of the Fan Fair festivals. She retired from the CMA in 1994.
Among her other accomplishments was the 1973 founding of the Music City Tennis Invitational, which raises money for Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. She was also involved with the American Cancer Society and with legislative advocacy efforts resulting in anti-stalking laws.
Helen Farmer died on Sunday, May 13, of natural causes.
She is survived by sons Michael and Sonny Farmer and by six grandchildren. Her funeral will take place on Wednesday, May 16, at Congregation Micah in Brentwood at 2001 Old Hickory Blvd.
Live Nation Launches Women Nation Fund To Promote Female-Led Music Companies
/by Jessica NicholsonLive Nation’s President/CEO Michael Rapino said, “As the leader in live entertainment, we want to meaningfully address this issue, change the dynamic and widen the playing field. The Women Nation Fund is a first step towards empowering new entrepreneurs and creating more opportunity for women in this sector of the live music business.”
The Women Nation Fund will identify, fund and grow the pool of female-led festivals, events and promotion companies available on a worldwide basis. Entrant businesses must be female-founded and oriented around concert promotion, festivals or live venue management. The Women Nation evaluating team is comprised of Live Nation female executives with diverse domain expertise including Anna Sjolund (Co-Managing Director/Head Promoter, Live Nation Sweden), Amy Corbin (Promoter, C3), Virginia Davis (Founder, G Major Management), Amy Howe (COO, Ticketmaster), Lesley Olenik (VP, Touring), Maura Gibson (President, Front Gate Tickets), Kelly Chappel (VP, Touring) and Carrie Davis (Chief Communications Officer).
Businesses selected by the fund will be given access to Live Nation resources such as strategic advisory, industry contacts and mentorship across lines of business and functional areas.
For more information and to apply to the Women Nation Fund, please visit: https://womennationfund.
Big Loud Publishing Ups Jervey, Giangreco
/by Jessica NicholsonSamantha Jervey, Michael Giangreco
Big Loud Publishing has announced the promotion of two of its team members – Samantha Jervey and Michael Giangreco.
Jervey, who previously served as the firm’s Director of A&R, has been elevated to the position of Creative Director. A Virginia native and Belmont University graduate, she began her tenure with Big Loud as an intern, coming on board permanently as Office Manager in 2016. Jervey can be reached at samantha@bigloud.com.
Likewise, Giangreco moves to the rank of Big Loud A&R Coordinator/Catalog Manager, stepping up from his previous role as Creative Coordinator. Also a Belmont grad and former intern, Giangreco’s experience includes time spent with Rhythm House/Roc Nation and Universal Music Publishing Group. He can be reached at mike@bigloud.com.
Both staff members will continue to report to Big Loud Publishing Vice President Seth England and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Craig Wiseman, who founded the hit making song factory as Big Loud Shirt Publishing in 2003.
The home of a proven stable of chart-topping songwriters, Big Loud Publishing has gone on to help launch the career of superstar duo Florida Georgia Line, while also scoring three Grammy Awards, more than 70 singles and nearly 50 No. 1 hits. The game-changing group of writers is still led by Wiseman, but also includes FGL’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley, Joey Moi, Rodney Clawson, Sarah Buxton, The Warren Brothers, Chris Tompkins and Matt Dragstrem, plus Chris Lane, Ashley Leone, Cameron Montgomery, Jamie Moore, and Morgan Wallen.
Margo Price, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile Lead Americana Honors & Awards Nominations
/by Jessica NicholsonMargo Price, Jason Isbell and Brandi Carlile are among the leading nominees for the upcoming Americana Honors & Awards, which will be held Sept. 12 in Nashville. All three artists are nominated for Artist of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year.
Artist of the Year:
Brandi Carlile
Jason Isbell
Margo Price
John Prine
Song Of The Year:
“A Little Pain,” Margo Price, Written by Margo Price
“All The Trouble,” Lee Ann Womack, Written by Waylon Payne, Lee Ann Womack and Adam Wright
“If We Were Vampires,” Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Written by Jason Isbell
“The Joke,” Brandi Carlile, Written by Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth
Instrumentalist of the Year:
Daniel Donato
Brittany Haas
Jerry Pentecost
Molly Tuttle
Album of the Year:
All American Made, Margo Price, Produced by Jeremy Ivey, Alex Munoz, Margo Price and Matt Ross-Spang
By The Way I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile, Produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings
The Nashville Sound, Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit, Produced by Dave Cobb
Rifles & Rosary Beads, Mary Gauthier, Produced by Neilson Hubbard
Duo/Group of the Year:
I’m With Her
Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
Emerging Act of the Year:
Courtney Marie Andrews
Tyler Childers
Anderson East
Lilly Hiatt
Luke Bryan Announces Fifth Annual Crash My Playa
/by Jessica NicholsonLuke Bryan, along with CID Presents, announces his Crash My Playa – 5th Year Fiesta destination event taking place Jan. 23-26, 2019 in Riviera Maya, Mexico. The Caribbean beach vacation, which has sold out for the past four years, will include Bryan headlining two of the four nightly concerts with one of those deemed as “Luke & Friends Set.”
“Nothing better than a beach vacation mixed with some country music to launch a new year,” shared Bryan. “It’s an amazing get-away trip for the fans and all the artists performing.”
“When we first approached Luke and his team about Crash My Playa it was just a concept,” said Dan Berkowitz of CID Presents. “Now, as we head into our fifth year, it has grown into something beyond our wildest dreams. Each year is better than the last, and with this being our 5th anniversary, we’re excited to celebrate with the incredible community of fans, artists, and the people behind the scenes who make this event so special.”
Packages on sale Wednesday, May 23 at 1 p.m. ET at crashmyplaya.com. Citi® is the official presale credit card of the Crash My Playa – 5th Year Fiesta. As such, Citi® cardmembers will have access to purchase all-inclusive packages during the Citi presale Monday, May 21 at 1PM ET – Wednesday, May 23 at 1PM ET.
Fans can stay at the event’s host resort, the Barceló Maya, or opt for one of several carefully selected tropical resorts and enjoy royal treatment all weekend long – all-inclusive food and drink, 24-hour concierge service, daily onsite activities, offsite adventures like visiting Chichen Itza, zip-lining, and ATV tours, excursions including day trips to Tulum, official Crash My Playa – 5th Year Fiesta merchandise packages, and more.
Additional performers to be announced soon.
Music Biz 2018, Day 1: Podcast Monetization, Digital Services, Entertainment Law
/by Jessica NicholsonSeth England of Big Loud sits for a Keynote Interview with Laurie Jakobsen of Jaybird Communications to kick off the Career Development Workshops on May 14.
Music Biz 2018 launched Monday (May 14) in Nashville at the Omni Nashville Hotel. The venue’s Legends Foyer was packed with representatives from all corners of the industry taking in new programming such as the Podcasting: Licensing and Monetizing This New Success sessions and Music & Money: Financial Literacy Summit as well as the second annual Digital Service Workshops, the Entertainment & Technology Law Conference, and much more.
Hip-Hop artist YelaWolf speaks with Tim Gray, Host of The Golden Rules podcast, at the Music & Money: Financial Literacy Summit powered by Lyric Financial Music on May 14.
From left: Stacie Griffin of Lockn’ Music Festival leads a conversation with Savannah Faircloth of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Sheena Barnett of Elvis Presley Enterprises, and Chris Shiflett of Foo Fighters and the Walking the Floor podcast during the Podcasting: Licensing and Monetizing This New Success program on May 14.
Chris Shiflett, guitarist for Foo Fighters and host of the Walking the Floor podcast, headlined the “View from the Top — Successful Podcasters Tell Their Stories” segment of the first-ever Podcasting: Licensing and Monetizing This New Success program along with Sheena Barnett and Savannah Faircloth of Elvis Presley Enterprises and hosts of the Starring Elvis Presley podcast. The event kicked off with a keynote presentation from Tom Webster of Edison Research, who reviewed the history, present, and future of podcasting; discussed the shift from download-and-manage to clicking and streaming; and explained how podcasters can make money through licensing and promoting music.
Hip-Hop artist YelaWolf got the Music & Money: Financial Literacy Summit powered by Lyric Financial Musicoff to a great start, sitting for an interview with Tim Gray, Host of The Golden Rules podcast. Another first-time event, the Summit featured an informative discussion on how those in the music business can achieve financial success, the legal and financial issues that artist-owned companies must consider to make sure they maximize and keep the profits from their hard work, and how to forecast potential ROI before investing in launching a new artist or project. Topics included artists as business owners, new business models, a team approach to the new music economy, making money as a musician, and banking in Nashville.
This year’s Career Development Workshops provided music business students and young professionals with valuable guidance on breaking into the industry. It was headlined by a Keynote Interview (conducted by Jaybird Communications’ Laurie Jakobsen) with Seth England of Big Loud, which has signed major artists Florida Georgia Line and Chris Lane.
Music Biz 2018 runs through May 17 in Nashville.