Top (L-R): Hori Pro’s Courtney Crist, Hori Pro’s Keithan Melton, Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg, BMI’s Bradley Collins and Word’s Janine Ebach. Bottom (L-R): Song Factory’s Jennifer Johnson, Bill Butler Music’s Bill Butler, Bart Butler, Jon Pardi, Brice Long and SESAC’s Shannan Hatch (Photo: Steve Lowry) [Click photo to enlarge]
On Wednesday (Feb. 21),
Jon Pardi gathered with songwriters, friends, family, and industry executives at BMI’s Nashville offices to celebrate two consecutive chart-topping singles, “Dirt On My Boots” and “Heartache On The Dance Floor.” “Dirt On My Boots,” which marked Pardi’s second No. 1 song, was penned by BMI writers
Rhett Akins and
Jesse Frasure as well as ASCAP writer
Ashley Gorley. “Heartache On The Dancefloor,” Pardi’s third No. 1, was co-written by BMI writers Pardi and
Bart Butler, as well as SESAC writer
Brice Long. Butler also served as a co-producer on Pardi’s second major label album
California Sunrise, which has earned gold status.
Representatives from three performing rights organizations were on hand, including BMI’s Bradley Collins, ASCAP’s Michael Martin and SESAC’s Shannan Hatch.
Pictured (L-R): Bart Butler, Brice Long, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, Jon Pardi and Rhett Akins. Photo: Steve Lowry
Pinnacle Bank made a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Among those celebrating were MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson, UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan, Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg, Song Factory’s Jennifer Johnson, Pardi’s manager Melanie Wetherbee, Word Country’s Janine Ebach and more.
“Thanks to everybody for coming out,” Pardi said. “It was a great year last year and it’s going to be a great year this year. All I’ve been thinking about is the third record. I’m still cutting outside songs so keep sending them, songwriters. Thank you so much for believing in me and for your great songs.” He also brought his father to the No. 1 party.
“Feb. 23, 2008 is when I moved to town and 10 years later, I have three No. 1s and we are at a double No. 1 party,” he said to the applause of the crowd. A screen displayed a photo of Pardi holding a guitar with the words “Never give Up” scratched into the wood. True to his love of a good time (and a good story), Pardi shared the story behind the photo. “We carved that in with a wine opener while we were hammered in a hotel during a radio tour, so never give up.”
Jon is currently on tour with Miranda Lambert on the Livin’ Like Hippies Tour and can also be seen out on Luke Bryan’s stadium tour later this year.
Top (L-R): Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg, Bart Butler and BMI’s Bradley Collins.
Bottom (L-R): Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, Jon Pardi and Rhett Akins. Photo: Steve Lowry
‘Songs Of Johnny And June’ Kick Off Opry Country Classics Series
/by Lorie Hollabaugh© Grand Ole Opry
The annual spring run of the Opry Country Classics series will take place on Thursdays March 1 – May 31. Larry Gatlin returns as host of the popular series, which kicks off March 1 with a spotlight on “The Songs of Johnny and June” on what would have been the 50th wedding anniversary of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. Among those performing on the special show will be the couple’s son John Carter Cash and numerous artists befriended and influenced by the legendary couple.
Each subsequent Opry Country Classics performance will feature a number of special guests, including a Spotlight Artist sharing several greatest hits and country classics. Spotlight Artists scheduled for the spring include Craig Morgan (March 8); Tracy Lawrence (March 15); Chris Young (March 22); Oak Ridge Boys (April 12);Brenda Lee (April 19); Tanya Tucker (May 3); Marty Stuart (May 10); Charlie Daniels Band (May 24).
A special Saturday afternoon edition of Opry Country Classics is scheduled for CMA Music Fest Week on June 9 at 3 p.m. Opry Country Classics tickets as well as money-saving ticket combos including admission to both Thursday night Opry Country Classics shows and Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday Grand Ole Opry shows are available by visiting opry.com or by calling 615-871-OPRY or 800-SEE-OPRY.
Garth Brooks Makes Surprise Appearance At Belmont’s Homecoming In The Round Concert
/by Lorie HollabaughHomecoming in the Round at Belmont University Nashville, Tennessee, February 23, 2018.
Garth Brooks shocked a thrilled Belmont University crowd Friday night (Feb. 23) at its Homecoming 2018 celebration with his surprise appearance at the 6th annual Homecoming in the Round concert, an event hosted each year by songwriter/Belmont alum Gordon Kennedy. The concert recognizes decades of talented Belmont songwriters, and this year offered special recognition to the 10th anniversary of Belmont’s Curb College songwriting major.
The show opened with performances featuring several No. 1 hits from alumni Matt Dragstrem (’08), Sawyer (a duo comprised of 2017 graduates Kel Taylor and Emma Harvey), Justin Wilson (’07), Sarah Peacock (’05) and a trio performance from recent Grammy winner Dwan Hill (’08) along with Marcus Hill (’09) and Nate Dugger (’08).
Kennedy (’81) then took the stage and offered a tribute song to the late Billy Graham and a rendition of his 1997 Grammy-winning Song of the Year, “Change the World.” He then introduced his surprise special guest and long-time friend Brooks by telling stories of his generosity and servant spirit while Kennedy toured with him on the road.
Brooks took the stage with just a guitar and spent 90 minutes sharing stories of the music he grew up with and how it shaped who he became as a songwriter and musician. The proud parent of a Belmont student and the husband of a Belmont alumna, he then opened the floor to questions from members of the Belmont community in attendance. When asked how you know a song is finally finished, the superstar offered up this wisdom: “For me, if I didn’t have a deadline I’d never finish anything…Don’t be lazy. You are not writers, you are re-writers. Write it, then back up the truck and run over it. Keep doing that until it’s smooth as glass.”
Florida Georgia Line, Lauren Alaina Help Celebrate Kane Brown’s First No. 1
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville’s Randy Goodman, BMI’s Bradley Collins, Universal Music Publishing’s Kent Earls, Martha Earls, Lauren Alaina, Kane Brown, Matt McGinn, SMACK’s Robin Palmer, Jordan Schmidt, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, SMACK’s Shane McAnally, Tree Vibez Music’s Brian Kelley, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad and Dann Huff. (Photo: Jason Kempin) [Click photo to enlarge]
Alaina, as well as Florida Georgia Line members Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard, were on hand to help celebrate the chart-topper, which was penned by Brown along with SESAC writer Matt McGinn and ASCAP writer Jordan Schmidt.
The track marked the first No. 1 as songwriters for Brown and McGinn. Tree Vibez Music owners Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard were on hand to support Tree Vibez writer Jordan Schmidt.
Also celebrating were ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, BMI’s Bradley Collins, Sony Music Nashville’s Randy Goodman, RCA Nashville’s Dennis Reese, SMACKSongs’ Shane McAnally and Robin Palmer, UMPG’s Kent Earls, Brown’s manager Martha Earls, and producer Dann Huff. Also presenting honors were MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson and CMA’s Brandi Simms.
Billboard’s Jim Asker was on hand to recognize Brown for being the first artist in Billboard history to top all five Billboard Country charts simultaneously.
The No. 1 was extra special for Brown and Alaina, who were former middle school choir classmates. They were surprised during the No. 1 party with a visit from their former middle school choir teacher, Mr. Lamar Gillespie (Mr. G). Pinnacle Bank also presented a donation on behalf of Kane Brown to the CMA Foundation to support music education.
Dwight Yoakam Launches Exclusive Channel With SiriusXM
/by Jessica NicholsonDwight Yoakam has teamed with SiriusXM to launch an exclusive channel, Dwight Yoakam and The Bakersfield Beat “Where Country Went Mod.” The channel, curated by Yoakam, will launch in the spring.
Yoakam’s SiriusXM channel will celebrate the Bakersfield sound and those whom it has inspired including Buck Owens, Wynn Stewart, Tommy Collins, The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Eagles, The Blasters, Lucinda Williams and more.
The channel will encompass all that is California country and country rock, in all of its various and varietal hybrid forms, from Ricky Nelson to Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt and will also include artists from the movement in LA in the early to middle 80s that Yoakam broke out of, and will feature bands as diverse as X, Lone Justice and Los Lobos. This movement was encapsulated on the series of albums titled, A Town South of Bakersfield, and has led variations over time to the current continuing country scene in LA, all of which Yoakam has dubbed as a segment for his channel entitled “That Town South of Bakersfield: “From Cow Punks To Now Punks.”
Music fans can get a preview of the new channel as it takes over SiriusXM’s Prime Country beginning Friday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. ET through Monday, Feb. 26 at 3 am. ET on channel 58.
“Dwight’s musical career was so heavily influenced by the Bakersfield sound and he returned the compliment by producing decades of critically acclaimed music,” said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Office of SiriusXM. “A full-time channel of Dwight Yoakam and The Bakersfield Beat added to our already powerful and diverse country music lineup is a potent addition SiriusXM country music fans will love.”
The Shadowboxers To Open Justin Timberlake’s Spring Man Of The Woods Tour Dates
/by Lorie HollabaughDiscovered by Timberlake and signed to his Villa 40 artist development company, Nashville-based Shadowboxer members Scott Tyler, Matt Lipkins and Adam Hoffman experienced an almost-instantaneous musical compatibility when they first started writing together in college, forging a cohesive sound based on a shared reverence for the harmonies of the Bee Gees, CSN and Earth, Wind & Fire, and the rhythmic pop funk of Prince, D’Angelo and Michael Jackson.
Initially creating buzz with their YouTube cover of Timberlake’s “Pusher Love Girl,” the three have since racked up over 4 million streams of original material on Spotify and Apple Music to date and growing. Spending time writing in the studio with both Timberlake and Israeli songwriter/producer K-Kov, The Shadowboxers released the single “HOT DAMN!” in September 2017, and have since performed on national shows such as TODAY and The Talk as well as completed a set of national headlining tour dates.
The band is preparing for the release of their first EP, due out this Spring.
Jake Owen To Welcome Chris Janson, Jordan Davis For 2018 Tour
/by Jessica NicholsonBig Loud recording artist Jake Owen will welcome Chris Janson and Jordan Davis on his 2018 Life’s Whatcha Make It Tour, with a majority of shows happening at baseball stadiums across the country. The tour launches at Chattanooga, Tennessee’s AT&T Field on May 18, and wraps Sept. 22 at Ogden, Utah’s Lindquist Field.
Tickets will go on sale Friday, March 2 at 10 a.m. local time.
Owen has partnered with CID Entertainment to offer three levels of VIP Ticket Packages on tour. VIP Ticket Packages include a premium concert ticket and exclusive VIP merchandise. Fans can also opt-in to join Jake before the show for a ‘Good Company’ experience where he’ll perform two acoustic songs.
“I really do believe that life’s whatcha make it,” says Owen. “If you wake up feeling positive, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll see things throughout the day in a positive light. I think concerts are like that: it’s what you make it. People show up to have a good time and the artists on stage feel that too. A lot of my songs over the years have pointed to that idea. The fact that we’re playing baseball parks on Friday and Saturday nights throughout the summer, when people are ready to get out, have a good time, and don’t have to work the next day, is really cool. And, I’m so pumped to have Chris Janson and Jordan Davis on the bill with me. It’s going to be an awesome tour. I’m fired up!”
Life’s Whatcha Make It Tour Dates:
May 18: Chattanooga, TN- AT&T Field
May 19: Augusta, GA- SRP Park
June 2: Erie, PA- UPMC Park
June 3: Vienna, VA- Wolf Trap – Filene Center^
June 15: Jackson, TN- Ballpark at Jackson
June 16: Little Rock, AR- Dickey-Stephens Park
June 30: Bowling Green, KY- Bowling Green Park
July 6: Naperville, IL- Ribfest^
July 7: South Bend, IN- Four Winds Field*
Aug. 4: Washington, MO- Washington Town & Country Fair
Aug. 9: Ft. Wayne, IN- Parkview Field
Aug. 18: Berea, OH- WGAR Country Jam*^
Aug. 24: Glen Allen, VA- Innsbrook After Hours
Aug. 25: Kannapolis, NC- Intimidators Stadium
Aug. 30: Birmingham, AL- Regions Field
Aug. 31: Montgomery, AL- Riverwalk Stadium
Sept. 7: Champaign, IL- State Farm Center*~
Sept. 14: Sacramento, CA- Raley Field*
Sept. 15: Fresno, CA- Chukchansi Park*
Sept. 21: Colorado Springs, CO- Security Service Field
Sept. 22: Ogden, UT- Lindquist Field
*Does not include Chris Janson
^ Tickets already on sale
~ Tickets on sale Friday, March 30
Reverie Lane Signs With Dreamlined Entertainment, Dan Hodges Music, LLC
/by Haley CrowPictured (back row L-R): Dan Hodges, Ginny Johnson, Jen Stegall and Keith Stegall; (front row L-R): Spencer Bartoletti and Presley Tucker. Photo: Courtsey Dan Hodges Music, LLC
Keith Stegall and Dreamlined Entertainment have welcomed Reverie Lane to the family, celebrating a production agreement with Jen Stegall. The duo, featuring Spencer Bartoletti and Presley Tucker, signed exclusive songwriting agreements with Dan Hodges Music, LLC earlier this year.
Reverie Lane is currently on the road opening for Tanya Tucker and writing for their project.
Ashley Monroe Gives Wings To New Project ‘Sparrow’ In April
/by Lorie HollabaughCredit: Hannah Burton
Ashley Monroe is set to release her fourth album on Warner Music Nashville, Sparrow, on April 20. The project, a followup to her Grammy-nominated LP The Blade, was produced by Dave Cobb in Nashville’s RCA Studio A and inspired in part by some turmoil and emotions from Monroe’s childhood that bubbled to the surface. “I knew I wanted to work with Dave,” Monroe says. “All of his records are consistently awesome and classic, timeless, old and new all in one.”
After losing her father when she was young, Monroe and her mother grappled with defining their new roles in his absence. Through the songs she and some of her closest collaborators, including Brendan Benson and Waylon Payne, penned, Monroe and Cobb turned the experiences into moody, orchestral recordings that explore all sides of a fully formed woman unashamed of her scars.
Monroe released the music video for the project’s first single, “Hands On You,” today.
UMG Nashville Celebrates Double No. 1 Pardi
/by Jessica NicholsonTop (L-R): Hori Pro’s Courtney Crist, Hori Pro’s Keithan Melton, Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg, BMI’s Bradley Collins and Word’s Janine Ebach. Bottom (L-R): Song Factory’s Jennifer Johnson, Bill Butler Music’s Bill Butler, Bart Butler, Jon Pardi, Brice Long and SESAC’s Shannan Hatch (Photo: Steve Lowry) [Click photo to enlarge]
Representatives from three performing rights organizations were on hand, including BMI’s Bradley Collins, ASCAP’s Michael Martin and SESAC’s Shannan Hatch.
Pictured (L-R): Bart Butler, Brice Long, Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, Jon Pardi and Rhett Akins. Photo: Steve Lowry
Pinnacle Bank made a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Among those celebrating were MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson, UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan, Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg, Song Factory’s Jennifer Johnson, Pardi’s manager Melanie Wetherbee, Word Country’s Janine Ebach and more.
“Thanks to everybody for coming out,” Pardi said. “It was a great year last year and it’s going to be a great year this year. All I’ve been thinking about is the third record. I’m still cutting outside songs so keep sending them, songwriters. Thank you so much for believing in me and for your great songs.” He also brought his father to the No. 1 party.
“Feb. 23, 2008 is when I moved to town and 10 years later, I have three No. 1s and we are at a double No. 1 party,” he said to the applause of the crowd. A screen displayed a photo of Pardi holding a guitar with the words “Never give Up” scratched into the wood. True to his love of a good time (and a good story), Pardi shared the story behind the photo. “We carved that in with a wine opener while we were hammered in a hotel during a radio tour, so never give up.”
Jon is currently on tour with Miranda Lambert on the Livin’ Like Hippies Tour and can also be seen out on Luke Bryan’s stadium tour later this year.
Top (L-R): Sony/ATV’s Josh Van Valkenburg, Bart Butler and BMI’s Bradley Collins.
Bottom (L-R): Jesse Frasure, Ashley Gorley, Jon Pardi and Rhett Akins. Photo: Steve Lowry
BMLG Creative Department Promotes Two
/by Jessica NicholsonBig Machine Label Group has promoted two in its Creative Department. Nicole Flammia has been promoted to Sr. Creative Director, Photo & Video Production, while Seth Hellman has been promoted to Director, Creative Content/Asset Manager. Both Flammia and Hellman will report to Sandi Spika Borchetta, SVP Creative.
“Nicole is the utmost professional and an absolute joy to work with,” said Borchetta. “Her ambition and passion to find the best for our artists never stops and we appreciate her dedication. She is an important gear in our machine!”
A graduate of Belmont University, Flammia joined BMLG in 2015 with a seasoned background in video production and will continue to collaborate with the full roster of artists in managing music video and photo shoot production.
Borchetta comments, “Seth has been an amazing asset to our Creative Team. His pre-law degree mixed with analytical sensibility, sharp technical skills and creative eye are perfect for his role at Big Machine. We are fortunate to have his dedication and hard work ethic.”
A graduate of Colorado Mesa University, Hellman joined BMLG in 2011 and will continue to collaborate with the full roster of artists, managing visual content needs such as behind the scenes and EPK videos as well as asset management and delivery.
Flammia can be reached at Nicole.Flammia@bmlg.net and 615-846-7671.
Hellman can be reached at Seth.Hellman@bmlg.net and 615-345-4524.