Trio Southern Halo Plots Upcoming Album

Trio Southern Halo is set to release their latest CD, the concept-driven album Just Like In The Movies, on April 27. The 14-track album was produced by Catt Gravitt and Gerald O’Brien, and traces the musical growth of Mississippi-bred sister trio that includes Natalia, Hannah and Christina Morris.

The album’s empowering theme is grounded by the first single, “Anything Is Possible,” penned by Gravitt and Carl Falk.

“Missing Mississippi,” written by Natalia and Jennifer Adan, slows things down with the true tale of Natalia’s first night in her new Nashville home. “Famous” tells the tale of the loneliness that can surround stardom. Penned with Alex Dooley, the message is deep – and partially hidden by a seductive melody.

“Tom Girl,” written with Melissa Boella Rowe, describes a character familiar to the Morris sisters: someone who loves to get their hands dirty, but also loves to dress up for special occasions.

Just Like In The Movies Track Listing

Southern Halo
My Girls & Me
Notice Me
I Think Too Much
Tom Girl
Anything Is Possible
Not Today
Missing Mississippi
Famous
Gettin’ Back Up
Hey Boy
Coming Home
It’s Always Been You
Just Like In The Movies

Dustin Lynch Celebrates Four-Week No. 1 Hit “Small Town Boy”

Pictured (L-R): Zach Crowell, Rhett Akins, Dustin Lynch, Kyle Fishman and Ben Hayslip. Photo: Steve Lowry

By: LB Rogers

Dustin Lynch celebrated his fifth No. 1 along with an excited crowd of friends and family at downtown Nashville’s Headquarters Beercade on Wednesday (March 7). “Small Town Boy” was written by Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, and became the first No. 1 for new writer, Kyle Fishman. Fishman was presented with a BMI guitar for his first No. 1 during the ceremony, hosted by BMI’s Josh Tomlinson. The track was produced by Zach Crowell.

A career-changing song for Lynch, “Small Town Boy” was the largest audience song of 2017 and the Broken Bow Records artist’s fifth consecutive single to make it to No. 1, where it stayed for four weeks. The song reached an impressive 1.56 billion people through radio, according to CRB’s Holly Freeman.

Jon Loba, Executive VP of BBR Music Group, praised Lynch and his team for making “Small Town Boy” such a big hit, bringing the BBR promotion staff up to the stage, including: VP of Promotion Lee Adams, National Director of Syndication Renee Leymon, Southeast Director of Promotion Scotty O’Brien, and Promotion Coordinator Andrea Knipp.

“Dustin dominated last summer with ‘Small Town Boy,’ and I promise you this next summer we have something coming,” prodded Loba, “and stadiums are on the horizon.”

Pictured, back row (L-R): Zach Crowell, BMI’s Josh Tomlinson, Sony ATV’s Tom Luteran, Warner/Chappell’s Ryan Beuschel, Play It Again Music’s Dallas Davidson, This Music’s Rusty Gaston, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Broken Bow’s Jon Loba; Seated (L-R): BMI songwriter Rhett Akins, Dustin Lynch, BMI songwriter Kyle Fishman, ASCAP songwriter Ben Hayslip. Photo: Steve Lowry

THiS Music’s Rusty Gaston thanked an unusual contributor to the song for having the writers out on the road. “We also want to thank Luke Bryan and Kerri Edwards for this because they invited the Peach Pickers (Akins, Hayslip and Dallas Davidson) to come out on the road and while they were out there, I think Rhett probably got drunk, woke up hung over, probably didn’t want to write while out on the Luke Bryan Farm Tour,” said Gaston.

While Akins debunked Gaston’s suspicion, he confessed to contributing to the song while never leaving his bus bunk on a rainy day in Knoxville. “I wasn’t that hung over actually, but I didn’t get out of the bed to write it. I actually laid in the bunk the whole time,” he joked.

Warner/Chappell’s Ryan Beuschel called for the crowd to vote for Akins as ACM’s Songwriter of the Year. “He has had a song on the charts every single week since 2010. That’s eight consecutive years of songs on the charts every single week. Let’s reward that level on consistency by making sure he is this year’s ACM Songwriter of The Year.”

Tom Luteran of Sony/ATV announced their donation to MusiCares in Akins’ name to celebrate.

President of Play It Again Music, Dallas Davidson had a lot to say about their new chart-topping songwriter, Kyle Fishman, commending the California native on his hard work and perseverance. “Kyle came to town and slept on the couch at the office for a couple of weeks. I cannot tell you how hard he works, how talented he is, he’s not just a track-guy, he’s a hustler. Kyle Fishman is a world class songwriter.”

Davidson also thanked Play It Again’s previous Creative Director and song plugger, Hannah Montgomery, for stealing Lynch’s email from Davidson’s phone and sending the Broken Bow Label Group star the song, along with other Play It Again staffers and the team at Broken Bow.

ASCAP’s Mike Sistad congratulated Hayslip on his 21st No. 1 and announced that he had just received his fourth CMA Triple Play award. He also congratulated Crowell for producing the record and thanked ASCAP’s No. 1 party partner First Tennessee Bank.

“This is probably the biggest song of my career…a four-week No. 1 and all that stuff,” confessed Hayslip of his third single with Lynch.

Lynch closed the celebration by thanking everyone, careful not to leave anyone out. Starting with his parents, Lynch thanked his L3 Entertainment management team, songplugger Hannah Montgomery, producer Zach Crowell, the songwriters, the BBR team, his PR reps Jay Jones and Jensen Sussman, and WME.

Lastly, an emotional Lynch thanked his band and crew. “Five in a row and I still cry. Thank you guys and girls for continuing to dedicate your lives to my dreams.”

Lynch closed with a dedication to the writers, “It all starts with a song. We live to be on stage and perform and have that feeling. Thank you guys for creating music and for getting music heard. Thanks for making our dreams come true. Cheers.”

Among those celebrating “Small Town Boy” were CMA’s Brandi Simms, Pinnacle Bank’s David Smith, and MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson.

Billy Dean Inks Deal With Absolute Publicity

Pictured (L-R): Billy Dean, Don Murry Grubbs

Nineties country hitmaker Billy Dean has signed on with Absolute Publicity for exclusive public relations representation.

“We are so pleased to announce the addition of Billy Dean to our roster,” says Absolute Publicity president Don Murry Grubbs. “He was one of our first clients when Absolute was launched nearly a decade ago. We’ve come full-circle, and let me just say, the years have been kind to Billy Dean. He sounds as great as ever. Welcome back, Billy!”

During his 25+ year career, Dean has earned 11 Top 10 Billboard country singles, including the No. 1 hits “I Miss Billy The Kid,” “Somewhere In My Broken Heart,” “If There Hadn’t Been You,” “You Don’t Count The Cost,” and “It’s What I Do.” He earned the ACM’s Top New Male Vocalist honor and Song of the Year for “Somewhere In My Broken Heart.” He also offered harmony vocals along side Alison Krauss on Kenny Rogers’ “Buy Me A Rose,” which earned a Grammy.

RAM Reveals “Best-Sounding Truck” At RCA Studio A, Tuned By Dave Cobb

2019 RAM 1500. Photo: Justin Fricke

“Vehicles are so important to where you listen to music,” said RAM’s head of advertising Jeff Summers during the Nashville reveal of his 2019 RAM 1500 trucks. “Now we think we have the best-sounding truck in the business.”

RAM’s luxury and off-road trucks were introduced in Detroit on Jan. 15. But on March 8, the brand was at Nashville’s RCA Studio A with producer Dave Cobb, giving industry tastemakers a preview of their integrations with Nashville.

“Each of you really helped us do what we’re trying to do here—create a really authentic and credible relationship with the genre,” Summers said. “Music is so important to our business and to our fans and we appreciate everything you guys have done with us. Since we became a stand-alone brand in 2009—no longer Dodge Ram–we really wanted to find those passionate touch points for our owners, and one of those is country music.

“That was key to us as we developed this truck. Partnering with Harman Kardon to develop what we think is the best-sounding truck in the business, whether if you’re listening to music created from RCA Studio A, or SiriusXM…Dave [Cobb told us], ‘I think you could do a little better.’ So we said, ‘Come tune it yourself.’

Cobb flew to Michigan to meet RAM designers and go to Harman Kardon, which has a 19-speaker system and 12-inch touch-screen display in the luxury version of the truck.

“I want to say they were in lab coats,” said Cobb of Harman Kardon technicians. “They weren’t, but it’s a better story. They had computers analyzing everything and it was amazing to work with such a brilliant team. But we put the stereo through a beating when we were up there.”

Amanda Shires performs with Jason Isbell accompanying. Photo: Justin Fricke [CLICK TO ENLARGE]

The Nashville reveal was hosted by G7 Entertainment’s Wayne Leeloy. G7 has partnered with RAM for over seven years to help navigate the music and entertainment space. Event sponsors included RAM, Harman Kardon, SiriusXM, Titos, Yeti and Low Country Sound/RCA.

During the program, a reel teased many of those music partnerships G7 has brought onboard in recent years, including artists Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert, Brett Eldredge, Brent Cobb, Old Dominion, Chris Stapleton, Midland, Brothers Osborne, Zac Brown Band, Mickey Guyton, Cam, Kellie Pickler, and more, including Americana and roots artists.

Amanda Shires was billed to perform live at the RAM event. Her husband, Jason Isbell, made a surprise appearance accompanying Shires’ 15-minute set in the same room where she recorded her forthcoming album with Cobb, expected to release Aug. 3.

“We really do see this as a family that we want to grow,” concluded Summers on behalf of his RAM brand. “You’ll see music video integrations, tours and partnerships. Some are small, but all built from this pure nature with doing the right things with the right artists. And we’ve only just begun.”

WME Signs Ryan Weaver

Ryan Weaver

Ryan Weaver, the Patriotic Voice of the PBR, a unit of Endeavor, has signed with WME for worldwide representation in all areas.

The son of a Marine, Weaver is a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot who lost a brother and brother-in-law in service. Weaver quit flying to pursue a country rock dream the day his brother Aaron, also a US Army Aviator, was killed. He was discovered by PBR (Professional Bull Riders) CEO Sean Gleason while performing at a veteran’s benefit in Colorado in 2016. In 2017, Ryan was announced as the Patriotic Voice of the PBR for the league’s Celebrate America campaign, and he made his debut in the primetime performance shot at the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas. He is signed to PBR Music, with his songs featured at PBR events and in league marketing, and recently released his debut EP, Celebrate America.

He is currently on tour with PBR as the sport celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2018, performing at PBR events at venues including Madison Square Garden in New York, AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Upcoming tour stops include Albuquerque, New Mexico; Glendale, Arizona; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

New Brent Cobb Project ‘Providence Canyon’ Set For May

Brent Cobb has set a release date of May 11 for his new album Providence Canyon on Low Country Sound/Elektra Records.

The project was recorded at Nashville’s RCA Studio A with his cousin, producer Dave Cobb, and features eleven songs including “King of Alabama,” which is premiering today. Each digital album pre-order comes with an immediate download of “King of Alabama” as well as “Ain’t A Road Too Long,” which debuted last year.

Cobb has planned an extensive Spring tour in support of the new album, with stops in Kansas City, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, New York, Dallas, New Orleans and more. He joins Chris Stapleton‘s All American Road Show for a series of dates this Summer and Fall as well which will include shows at the Forum and Madison Square Garden.

Brent Cobb Tour Dates:
March 20—Toronto, Ontario—Horseshoe Tavern*
March 21—Detroit, MI—The Shelter*
March 22—Evanston, IL—SPACE*
March 23—St. Paul, MN—Turf Club*
March 24—Kansas City, MO—Knucklehead’s*
March 25—St. Louis, MO—Off Broadway*
March 27—Indianapolis, IN—Hi-Fi*
March 28—Louisville, KY—Zanzabar*
March 29—Asheville, NC—Grey Eagle Tavern*
March 30—Raleigh, NC—The Pour House Music Hall*
March 31—Washington, D.C—DC9*
April 3—Philadelphia, PA—Boot & Saddle*
April 4—New York, NY—Mercury Lounge*
April 6—South Burlington, VT—Higher Ground*
April 7—Allston, MA—Great Scott*
April 8—Uncasville, CT—Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Resort*
April 10—Columbus, OH—The Basement*
April 11—Pittsburgh, PA—Club Café*
April 12—Charlottesville, VA—The Southern*
April 13—Charlotte, NC—Neighborhood Theatre*
April 14—Savannah, GA—Savannah Music Festival
May 1—Oxford, MS—Proud Larry’s*
May 2—New Orleans, LA—Gasa Gasa*
May 3—Houston, TX—The Heights Theater*
May 4—Austin, TX—Stubb’s Jr.*
May 5—Dallas, TX—The Kessler Theater*
May 8—Phoenix, AZ—Valley Bar*
May 9—San Diego, CA—Casbah*
May 11—West Hollywood, CA—Troubadour*
May 12—San Francisco, CA—The Chapel*
May 16—Portland, OR—Doug Fir Lounge*
May 18—Seattle, WA—Tractor Tavern*
May 19—Vancouver, Canada—The Biltmore Cabaret*
May 22—Boise, ID—Neurolux*
May 23—Salt Lake City, UT—The State Room*
May 24—Fort Collins, CO—The Armory*
May 25—Denver, CO—Globe Hall*
May 26—Omaha, NE—Slowdown*
June 16—Brandon, MS—Brandon Amphitheater‡ (SOLD OUT)
June 22—Rogers, AR—Walmart Amp‡ (SOLD OUT)
June 28—Darien Center, NY—Darien Lake Amphitheater‡
June 29—Philadelphia, PA—BB&T Pavilion‡
June 30—Mansfield, MA—Xfinity Center‡
July 13—St. Louis, MO—Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre‡
July 13—Louisville, KY—Forecastle Fest
July 15—Birmingham, AL—Sloss Fest
July 19—Spokane, WA—Spokane Arena‡
July 20—Portland, OR—Sunlight Supply Amphitheater‡ (SOLD OUT)
July 21—Seattle, WA—White River Amphitheatre‡
July 26—South Lake Tahoe, NV—Harveys Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena‡
July 27—Sacramento, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre‡
July 28—Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre‡
August 2—Billings, MT—Rimrock Auto Arena‡ (SOLD OUT)
August 3—Missoula, MT—Adams Center‡
August 4—Boise, ID—Ford Idaho Center Arena‡
August 9—Albuquerque, NM—Isleta Amphitheater‡
August 10—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center‡ (SOLD OUT)
August 11—Salt Lake City, UT—USANA Amphitheatre‡
August 16—San Diego, CA—Mattress Firm Amphitheatre‡
August 17—Anaheim, CA—Honda Center‡
August 18—Los Angeles, CA—The Forum‡
August 23—Saratoga Springs, NY—Saratoga Performing Arts Center‡
August 24—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion‡ (SOLD OUT)
August 25— Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion‡
October 4—Cincinnati, OH—Riverbend Music Center‡
October 5—Indianapolis, IN—Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center‡
October 6—Chicago, IL—Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre‡
October 11—Charlotte, NC—PNC Music Pavilion‡ (SOLD OUT)
October 12—Raleigh, NC—Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek‡ (SOLD OUT)
October 13—Bristow, VA—Jiffy Lube Live‡
October 19—Alpharetta, GA—Verizon Amphitheatre‡ (SOLD OUT)
October 20—Atlanta, GA—Lakewood Amphitheater‡ (SOLD OUT)
October 25—Columbia, SC—Colonial Life Arena‡
October 26—Knoxville, TN—Thompson Boling Arena‡ (SOLD OUT)
October 27—Lexington, KY—Rupp Arena‡ (SOLD OUT)
November 2—New York, NY—Madison Square Garden‡
November 3—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena‡
November 4—Baltimore, MD—Royal Farms Arena‡
*as part of Cobb’s “Ain’t A Road Too Long” tour with special guest Savannah Conley
‡as part of “Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show”

Warner Music Group Strikes Facebook Deal

Warner Music Group (WMG) and Facebook announced a holistic partnership that includes licensing agreements covering the music company’s recorded music and music publishing catalogs for use in social experiences such as videos and messages. The deal allows fans to create, upload and share videos with licensed music from their favorite artists and songwriters. Under the partnership, WMG and Facebook will continue to work together to develop new products that enable users to personalize their music experiences across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Oculus.

Eric Mackay, EVP, Global Digital Strategy, Warner/Chappell, commented, “The team at Facebook is creating a truly innovative product and is showing real commitment to its participation in the growth of the music business. We’ve taken our time to arrive at the best possible deal, one that recognizes the value that music creates on social networks, while empowering our songwriters to reach audiences around the world, in a way that will spark creativity and conversation among their fans. Our incredible catalogue of songs will be represented throughout Facebook’s platforms and we’re excited to work together to create new opportunities for both our songwriters and Facebook’s users.”

Ole Obermann, Chief Digital Officer, Warner Music Group, added, “Our partnership with Facebook will help expand the universe of music streaming and create supplementary revenue for artists. Fan-created video is one of the most personal, social and often viral ways that music is enjoyed, but its commercial potential is largely untapped. This collaboration will lead to new possibilities for our artists, while enhancing the user experience across Facebook, Instagram and Oculus, and enabling people to communicate and express themselves using the music they love.”

Tamara Hrivnak, Head of Music Business Development and Partnerships, Facebook, said, “When Facebook and music come together, we have the power to bring people closer together. Music brings to life the happy, the sad, the throwback and the funny in all the moments and messages we share with friends. We are delighted to partner with Warner, its artists and songwriters, and welcome them to our platforms.”

https://www.facebook.com/warnermusicgroup/videos/10155467138908014/?t=0

Copperline Music Group Inks Distribution Deal With The Orchard

Pictured (L-R): Derek Anderson (The Orchard), William Edwards (CMG), Craig Wayne Boyd, Rusty Harmon (CMG), Alyssa Logan (CMG), Dewayne Brown (The Orchard)

Copperline Music Group (CMG) has signed an exclusive distribution deal with The Orchard for the label’s releases. Current Copperline Music Group projects include Craig Wayne Boyd’s Top Shelf and Jason Morton and The Chesapeake Sons‘ new self-titled album.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Orchard and their teams in Nashville and New York,” says Copperline Music Group’s Rusty Harmon. “Having access to their multitude of proven label services will enhance our ability to achieve success for our artists.”

“As the music industry continues to evolve and change, I find myself looking to sign artists and labels that understand these changes,” notes The Orchard’s Dewayne Brown. “Ones that embrace the challenges of the new movement to a more digital streaming world, but yet still feels that there is life and needs for physical product. I am so very honored and proud that Rusty Harmon and his staff at CMG have join our family here at The Orchard Nashville. Our staff is extremely excited about working with CMG, Craig Wayne Boyd, Jason Morton, and beyond.”

Copperline Music Group has also partnered with Girlilla for digital marketing and Absolute Publicity for publicity services.

Weekly Chart Report 3/9/18

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Industry Pics: CMHoF, Randy Travis, Brett Young, Zach Williams

Country Music Hall Of Fame Celebrates American Currents: The Music of 2017

Pictured (Back row, L-R): Josh Osborne, Ashley Gorley, Molly Tuttle, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Kyle Young, Dave Cobb, John Osborne and T.J. Osborne of musical duo Brothers Osborne and Shawn Camp, (Front Row L-R) Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley of musical duo Florida Georgia Line, Luke Combs, Sierra Hull, Randy Travis, Kane Brown and Chris Young attend Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum new exhibition American Currents: The Music of 2017 on March 6, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum) [Click photo to enlarge]

On Tuesday, March 6, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum celebrated the opening of its newest exhibition American Currents: The Music of 2017. Located in the Museum’s ACM Gallery, the exhibit chronicles the latest chapter in country music’s ever-evolving story through a behind-the-scenes look at all things new and noteworthy from the prior year. Several artists in attendance viewed their displays in the exhibition for the first time, including Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Shawn Camp, Dave Cobb, Luke Combs, Florida Georgia Line, Ashley Gorley, Sierra Hull, Jason Isbell, Josh Osborne, Amanda Shires, Randy Travis, Molly Tuttle and Chris Young. Others featured in the exhibit include Jason Aldean, busbee, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Rodney Crowell, Fort Lonesome, Sam Hunt, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Lori McKenna, Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, John Prine, Thomas Rhett, Marty Robbins, Sturgill Simpson, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban.

 

Randy Travis Visits The Song Suffragettes

Pictured (L-R): Makayla Lynn, Karla Davis, Kalie Shorr, Randy Travis, Kaylin Roberson and Katelyn Clampett. Photo: Todd Cassetty

Country Music Hall of Fame member and icon Randy Travis made a surprise visit to Monday night’s Song Suffragettes show at the Listening Room where they returned the surprise with a cover of “Forever and Ever, Amen.”

 

Brett Young Celebrates Triple Platinum Status

Pictured (L-R): “In Case You Didn’t Know” songwriters Trent Tomlinson, Brett Young, Tyler Reeve. Photo: BMLG Records

ACM nominee Brett Young celebrated the success of his three-time platinum hit “In Case You Didn’t Know” recently with his cowriters at Losers Bar and Grill in Nashville. Written by Tyler Reeve, Kyle Schlienger, Trent Tomlinson and Young, “In Case You Didn’t Know” is the only song from a debut country artist to earn RIAA 3X Platinum Certification since 2014.

 

Zach Williams Welcomes Chris Pratt To California Show

Pictured (L-R): Chris Pratt, Zach Williams

Zach Williams‘ Roadshow Tour recently hit Ontario, California near Los Angeles and the singer-songwriter welcomed Guardians of the Galaxy actor Chris Pratt to the show. Williams recently earned a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Album for his breakthrough project Chain Breaker.

In January, Pratt posted a video, featuring music by Williams, to his more than 14 million Instagram followers; the video has more than 2.3 million views to date.