Thomas Rhett, Jon Pardi, Dustin Lynch Surprise At BMI Tin Pan South Show

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Pictured (L-R): Dustin Lynch, Rhett Akins, BMI’s Leslie Roberts and Jon Pardi gather backstage at 3rd and Lindsley. Photo: Erika Goldring/BMI

BMI packed out Nashville venue 3rd & Lindsley on Tuesday (April 3) for their annual Tin Pan South show. Curated by two-time BMI Songwriter of the Year Rhett Akins and 2017 BMI Icon Bob DiPiero, the show kicked off with a surprise performance from Akins and Thomas Rhett.

Akins, DiPiero, and the Warren Brothers then took the stage for a round and storytelling. Other performances from the evening included surprise guests LOCASH, Dustin Lynch, and Jon Pardi. Also making appearances were hitmaker and 2016 BMI Songwriter of the Year Rodney Clawson as well as newcomer Parker Welling, who just celebrated her first No. 1 single.

BMI’s Leslie Roberts hosted the evening, stating from stage that the performers that evening had a combined total of 45 No. 1 singles.

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Leslie Roberts, The Warren Brothers, Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Bob DiPiero and Parker Welling pose for a photo during BMI’s Tin Pan South show. Photo: Erika Goldring/BMI

LOCASH performs with Rhett Akins at 3rd and Lindsley Photo: Erika Goldring/BMI

Rhett Akins performs with hit songwriter Rodney Clawson. Photo: Erika Goldring/BMI

Glen Phillips Signs With Compass Records Group

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Compass Records Group, home of Colin Hay, the Infamous Stringdusters, Nicki Bluhm and others, has signed Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) to their roster. On May 4, Compass will deliver the commercial release of Phillips’ 2016 solo album, Swallowed By The New, with the addition of a bonus track, “Nobody’s Going to Get Hurt.” Co-written with Lori McKenna, “Nobody’s Going to Get Hurt” features backing vocals from Amber Rubarth.

“Lori McKenna and I wrote ‘Nobody’s Going to Get Hurt’ at her home just outside of Boston,” Phillips says. “I’d been reading and listening to a lot of David Whyte and was taken by his assertion that heartache is the inevitable byproduct of loving anything deeply, a sign of a life well lived instead of something to be avoided. I came in with the title and an idea that the song should be entirely lies. Lori jumped in and we finished it all in under two hours. That was a good day.”

Phillips has been making music for over two decades, starting as the 14-year-old frontman of Toad the Wet Sprocket. Since then, he’s released eight albums with Toad (which collectively have sold close to 4 million units) and three as a solo artist.

Phillips will be doing an acoustic duo tour this year in support of Swallowed By The New.

Upcoming Tour Dates:
4/13 Boca Raton, FL – Private
4/14 Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Broward Center
4/15 Lake Park, FL – Kelsey Theater
4/17 St. Petersburg, FL- The Hideaway Cafe
4/18 St. Augustine, FL – Original Cafe Eleven
4/20 Duluth, GA – Red Clay Music Foundry
4/21 Athens, GA – Hendershot’s
4/22 Morganton, GA – Balch Residence
4/25 Fort Collins, CO – The Armory
4/26 Boulder, CO – eTown Hall
4/28 Denver, CO – Swallow Hill
4/29 Colorado Springs, CO – Friend’s HC
5/4 Kalamazoo, MI – Bell’s Eccentric Ave
5/5 Indianapolis, IN – Private
5/6 Dayton, OH – Yellow Cab Tavern
5/7 Pittsburgh, PA – Club Cafe
5/9 Cleveland, OH – Music Box Supper Club
5/10 Ann Arbor. MI – The Ark
5/11 Cincinnati, OH – Ludlow Garage
5/12 Milwaukee, WI – Back Room @ Colectivo
5/13 Chicago, IL – City Winery
6/2 Novato, CA – HopMonk Tavern
6/3 Novato, CA – HopMonk Tavern

Report: Heather Luke To Join BMLG In Promo Role

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Heather Luke

Former Warner Bros. Rock Promotion Sr. VP Heather Luke is heading to Nashville to join Big Machine Label Group, according to a report from hitsdailydouble.com.

Luke will join Big Machine/John Varvatos Records as Sr. VP/Head of Promotion. Luke previously spent 16 years with Warner Brothers Records, before exiting in March.

Fashion designer John Varvatos and BMLG’s Scott Borchetta launched the rock music-oriented joint venture in 2017. The first artist announced for the imprint in 2017 was California-based rock band badflower.

In Pictures: Thompson Square, Blackhawk, Mickey Gilley

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Thompson Square Reveals Masterpiece At WME Preview

Pictured (L-R): Greg Oswald (WME), Shawna Thompson, John Marks (Spotify), Keifer Thompson and Shawn Pennington (Manager / Pennington Entertainment)

Country duo Thompson Square shared several tracks from their forthcoming album, Masterpiece, with friends and members of the music community on The Steps at WME on Tuesday night (April 3).

Guests were treated to just released tunes “Millionaires,” “A Love Like This,” “Let’s Do Something Stupid,” “Up in Smoke” and “Masterpiece,” with a sneak peek at “Good Day” and a performance of signature hit “Are You Gone Kiss Me Or Not,” to top off the night.

The husband-wife duo will release their first album in more than five years and third studio project, Masterpiece, on June 1.

Pictured (L-R): Greg Oswald (WME), Shawna Thompson, Christian Easterling (Tour Manager), Elton Charles (band), Shaun Spillers (monitors), R.J. Ronquillo (band), Victor Borden (band), Dale Drinkard, Anthony Rankin (band), Keifer Thompson, Abby Wells Baas (WME), Shawn Pennington (Pennington Entertainment) and Alex Sera (WME)

 

Blackhawk, The Outlaws Present Donations To Vanderbilt, MusiCares

Pictured (L-R): Stuart Dill (VUMC Director of Engagement), Dave Robbins (BlackHawk/The Outlaws), Holly Crandall (VUMC), Henry Paul (BlackHawk/The Outlaws), Dr. Douglas Johnson (VUMC), Lori Stefanski (Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund Director of Charity)

Last week in Nashville, Henry Paul and Dave Robbins, members of country group BlackHawk, as well as southern rock band The Outlaws, paid visits to the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center and MusiCares to deliver donations raised for each organization.

Paul and Robbins presented a $40,000 check to Vanderbilt (on behalf of BlackHawk’s “Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund”) and a $20,000 check to MusiCares (on behalf of The Outlaws’ “Fallen Outlaw Fund”).

Pictured (L-R): Debbie Carroll (MusiCares Sr. Executive Director), Henry Paul (BlackHawk/The Outlaws)

 

 Mickey Gilley Presented With Calgary White Hat

Mickey Gilley Receives Calgary White Hat

Mickey Gilley was presented the Calgary White Hat Saturday night (March 31) at the Deerfoot Inn & Casino in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Calgary White Hat recognizes the recipient as an honorary citizen of Calgary and is a symbol of friendship and hospitality that has been bestowed upon celebrities and government officials alike since 1948. Other notable recipients include former U.S. Presidents Clinton and Bush, the Dalai Lama, Oprah and the Rolling Stones.

“It was a great honor receiving the White Hat in Calgary, just about like when I got the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it was awesome!” said Gilley.

 

Clio Music Awards Jury Selected

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The Clio Awards have announced the jury selection for Music Marketing and Use Of Music at the upcoming Clio Music Awards to be held this Oct. 3 at the Ziegfeld Ballroom during Advertising Week in NYC. Nashville-based Wayne Leeloy of G7 Entertainment and Donna McQueen with Red Light Management are both on the 2018 Jury.

Launched five years ago and created in partnership with Billboard, Clio Music underscores the visceral power of music to connect consumers and brands. It lives as a section within the annual Clio Awards event dedicated to honoring work that spans artist self-promotion, music marketing, brand collaborations, and the use of music in advertising.

Key dates, fees, and a full list of mediums and categories can be found at clios.com/music.

Clio Music 2018 Jury:
Music Marketing:
Jessica Beutler Abel, Executive Vice President, Client Services, MAC Presents
Alisann Blood, SVP of Brand Partnerships, Maverick Management
Jennifer Breithaupt, Global Consumer Chief Marketing Officer, Citi
Scott Carter, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Epic Records
Ian Daly, Head of Brand Strategy, Live Nation
Nathan Gregory, Music Brand Partnerships Executive, CAA
Joy Howard, CMO, Sonos
Manuel Hubault, VP Brand Partnerships, UMGB
Chad Issaq, EVP, Business Development & Partnerships, Superfly
Jackie Jantos, VP Brand and Creative, Spotify
Davor Krvavac, Executive Creative Director, B-Reel
Wayne Leeloy, Head of Strategy & Innovation, G7 Entertainment
Donna McQueen, VP Brand Partnerships, Red Light Management
Joe Mulvihill, Entertainment Manager, LiveWire Entertainment
Emma Quigley, Head of Music & Entertainment, PepsiCo
Katie Robinson Addis, Global Head of Marketing, Red Bull Records
Alexis Rodriguez, Head of Global Marketing Solutions, Shazam
Jim Roppo, EVP & General Manager, Republic Records
Carolyn Williams, Senior Vice President, Marketing, RCA Records

Use of Music:
Ed Alexander, Global Head of Music Marketing, Beats by Dr. Dre
Ed Bailie, Director/ Music Supervisor, Leland Music/ Leland Originals
Kelly Bayett, Creative Director/ Partner, Barking Owl
Bob Bowen, Head of Music, Amazon Studios
Ben Dorenfeld, Senior Music Producer, Anomaly
Maura Duval Griffin, Director of Business Development and Music Licensing, Audiomachine
Jennifer Frommer, SVP, Creative Content & Licensing, Columbia Records
Alex Hackford, Senior Artist & Repertoire/ Music Affairs, Sony Interactive Entertainment America
Nick Keenan, Head of Music, VML
Liz Lewis, VP of Sync for Advertising and Video Games, Warner Bros. Records
Greg Moore, Joint Music Director, Adelphoi Music
Brad Rains, Senior Vice-President, Brand Partnerships & Commercial Licensing, Atlantic Records
Rebecca Rienks, Music Supervisor, NBC Entertainment
Marco Zermeño, Executive Production Manager & Latin America Head of Integrated Production, P&G

Nashville’s Creative Community Comes Together For Pop Unsigned Writer Camp

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Photo Credit: Leah McEachern

Last week, 24 unsigned pop artists, writers, and producers came together to form the first Nashville Underground Pop Camp and Showcase. The purpose of this camp was to give the pop focused artists, writers, and producers in Nashville a chance to collaborate and network.

Each participant had one co-write every day for three days. At the end of each day they would play their songs from that day for industry professionals and receive feedback. After everyone’s songs were played, the floor was then opened to questions and discussion between the writers and the industry speakers.

This sparked discussion about the prevalence of pop music within Nashville and gave writers relevant tips and advice on how to navigate their careers from here rather than LA. The three days of the camp came to a close with a showcase at The Back Corner (including 300 guests in attendance) where Liv Miraldi, Iolite, Estef, James Droll, Chelsea Lankes, and Jordan Pruitt performed – all of whom were writers in the camp.

Photo Credit: Ryan Nolan

Jordan Pruitt performs. Photo Credit: Ryan Nolan

Photo Credit: Ryan Nolan

Photo Credit: Leah McEachern

Beth Nielsen Chapman To Make Grand Ole Opry Debut

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Noted songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman will make her Grand Ole Opry debut on April 14, adding another accolade to her performing career. 

Chapman will release her new album, Hearts of Glass, on April 27. The project, her 13th, marks her first collection since Chapman was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2016. On Hearts of Glass, Chapman has recorded her own versions of songs that were recorded by Willie Nelson (“If My World Didn’t Have You”) and Waylon Jennings (“Old Church Hymns & Nursery Rhymes”), as well as reworked versions of album cuts and several new compositions.

Chapman’s numerous songwriting credits include Faith Hill’s “This Kiss,” Martina McBride’s “Happy Girl,” Lorrie Morgan’s “Five Minutes,” Willie Nelson’s “Nothing I Can Do About It Now,” Tanya Tucker’s “Strong Enough to Bend,” and Trisha Yearwood’s “Down on My Knees,” among many others.

She will make multiple appearances in Nashville in the next few weeks, including the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Songwriter Session (April 7), SESAC Presents: In the Round at The Bluebird Café (April 10), and the WMOT Finally Friday radio broadcast at the Nashville Palace (April 13).

ACM, Stagecoach Announce Collaboration

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Two of Southern California’s leading country music authorities, the Academy of Country Music® and Stagecoach: California’s Country Music Festival, have teamed up to give country fans the chance to experience country music on the West Coast by winning passes to 2018 Stagecoach and tickets to attend the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2019.

Stagecoach will be featured in interactive fan activations at select ACM Party for a Cause® events taking place April 13-15, 2018 in Las Vegas, leading up to the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards™, with prizes including Stagecoach merchandise and pass giveaways. The Academy will also take over Stagecoach’s official Instagram (@stagecoach) for a portion of ACM Awards weekend, to give country fans a behind-the-scenes peek at Country Music’s Party of the Year®.

At Stagecoach: California’s Country Music Festival taking place April 27-29, 2018 in Indio, California, the Academy of Country Music will host a fan activation booth giving festival-goers the opportunity to spin-to-win Academy merchandise and other prizes, including tickets to attend the Academy of Country Music Awards in 2019. Artists and industry attendees will also be invited to enjoy an ACM branded artist lounge backstage throughout the weekend.

“I am beyond excited about teaming up with the Academy of Country Music. Our organizations share a passion for creating quality events and opportunities for artists and fans alike,” said Stagecoach Festival Director Stacy Vee.

“The ACM is thrilled to collaborate with Southern California’s preeminent country music festival, Stagecoach. It seemed like a logical, natural fit to bring together these two West Coast forces to create additional opportunities for our country music fans,” said Erick Long, ACM Senior Vice President, Events & Partnerships.

89 Artists Add Names Petitioning Congress To Pass CLASSICS Act

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A coalition of music artists, supported by eight leading music organizations, continues to grow, with 89 additional musicians joining the call on Congress to pass the CLASSICS Act. This bipartisan legislation has been introduced in both chambers of Congress, with the number of artists supporting CLASSICS now totaling 302.

Currently, artists who recorded their work before Feb. 15, 1972 are not required by federal law to be paid when their work is played on digital radio and digital streaming services. The CLASSICS Act would ensure that music creators who made those recordings are compensated.

The CLASSICS Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and will be a part of the music copyright package scheduled for markup by the House Judiciary Committee the week of April 9. Companion legislation in the U.S. Senate, (S. 2393), is sponsored by Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA) and Chris Coons (D-DE) and in recent weeks Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) have signed in support of the legislation.

The growing coalition of artists urging passage of the CLASSICS Act is supported by music community leaders including A2IM, American Federation of Musicians, Content Creators Coalition, the Recording Academy, Recording Industry Association of America, SAG-AFTRA and SoundExchange.

The artists recently joining the coalition to pass the CLASSICS Act includes:

Albert Hammond
Janita
Allen Toussaint (Estate)
Jesse Colin Young (of the Youngbloods)
Allman Brothers Band
Jewel
Aloe Blacc
Joe Williams (Estate)
Ann-Margret
John Lennon (Estate)
Anthony Hamilton
Johnny Rivers
Betty Everett (Estate)
Jon “Bowzer” Bauman
Big & Rich
Jonatha Brooke
Big Joe Turner (Estate)
Judy Collins
Bill Gaither
Justin Hayward (The Moody Blues)
Billy Preston (PMGI Billy Preston’s Legacy)
Laurence Corky Laing
Billy Talent
Lionel Richie
Blackwood Brothers Quartet
Louis Jordan (Estate)
Blake Morgan
Mac Davis
Bob Crosby (Estate)
Martha Reeves
Bruce Springsteen
Maurice White (Estate)
Camper Van Beethoven
Mel Schacher
Candi Staton
Michael McDonald
Cathedral Quartet
Mike Curb Congregation
Chris Clark
Milt Jackson (Estate)
Chuck Berry (Estate)
Oak Ridge Boys
Clara Ward (Estate)
Outkast
Claudette Robinson/The Miracles
Pat Boone
Cracker
Patty Smyth
Curtis Stigers
Paul McCartney
Cyrille Aimee
Petula Clark
Danny Hutton
Portugal. The Man.
David Barbe
Randy Crawford
David Lowery
Ricky Nelson (The Ricky Nelson Company)
David Poe
Ringo Starr
David Sanborn
Rob Thomas
Dickey Betts
Rush
Dinah Washington (Estate)
Ryan Cabrera
Dorothy Norwood
Sam Moore
Don Brewer
Shawn Mendes
Duane Betts
Simon Kirke (Bad Company)
Elf Power
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (Estate)
Ella Fitzgerald (Estate)
Smokey Robinson
Engelbert Humperdinck
Tennessee Ernie Ford (Estate)
Ethel Merman (Estate)
The Beatles
Frank Zappa (Estate)
The Empty Pockets
Glen Campbell (Estate)
The Nelons
Gunnar Printz “Mert” Madsen
Tracy Bonham
J.D. Sumner (Estate)
Trombone Shorty
Jackie “Moms” Mabley (Estate)

Riley Roth Inks Joint Publishing, Development Deal With Busbee, BMG

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Pictured (L-R):Mike Sistad (ASCAP); Ralph Murphy (ASCAP); Stephanie Taylor (Stephanie Taylor Law, PLLC); Riley Roth; Kos Weaver (Executive VP, BMG); Daniel Lee (VP Creative, BMG); busbee

Songwriter and artist Riley Roth has entered into a joint publishing and development deal with hit songwriter and producer busbee and BMG.

A Pennsylvania native, Riley began making regular trips to Nashville when she was 16, at which time she met ASCAP’s Ralph Murphy, who in turn introduced her to BMG’s Daniel Lee. After working informally for almost two years, Daniel introduced Riley to busbee and the three agreed to work together shortly thereafter.

Said VP of Creative Daniel Lee, “Riley represents every positive trait you hope to find in a young artist and none of the negatives that can so often make those situations challenging. She holds her own in every setting: in a writing room, on stage, and interacting with industry professionals at every level.”

Said busbee, “Riley has that rare ability to communicate directly to listeners at every level, and to her peers in particular. It’s a product of her heart, her dedication, her skill, and her work ethic, and when an artist can marry those traits with the right songs and records, anything is possible.”

Said Riley, “All I’ve ever wanted to do was make music. I’m grateful to see that dream come true and to work every day with such an incredible team, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come!”