Media Rights Capital, Dick Clark Productions And ‘Billboard’ Publisher Merge

/by

Television event production company Dick Clark Productions, House of Cards production company Media Rights Capital (MRC) and the publisher of Billboard and Hollywood Reporter have merged under a new entity called Valence Media, reports the LA Times.

Los Angeles-based Valence is owned by Todd Boehly’s Eldridge Industries and MRC co-founders Asif Satchu and Modi Wiczyk. Satchu and Wiczyk will lead the new company as co-chief executives, while Boehly will serve as chairman.

Eldridge, which Boehly formed when he left Guggenheim Partners, already owned Dick Clark Productions, Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group and a minority stake in MRC. In 2016, the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter bought rock music publication Spin, hip-hop and R&B magazine Vibe and indie music blog Stereogum in a bid to reach a younger, digitally-inclined audience.

LA Times reports that leadership for both Hollywood Reporter and Billboard will remain intact.

CMA Reveals Triple Play Award Honorees

/by

The Country Music Association has revealed the recipients of the ninth annual CMA Triple Play Awards, an honor presented to songwriters who pen three No. 1 songs within a 12-month period based on the Country Aircheck, Billboard Country Airplay and Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Ashley Gorley will receive three trophies in recognition of nine No. 1 songs, while Shane McAnally will receive two trophies in recognition of his six No. 1 songs.

In total, 15 songwriters will receive trophies this year: Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Zach Crowell, Jesse Frasure, Gorley, Ben Hayslip, Sam Hunt, McAnally, Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Thomas Rhett, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi, Brad Warren and Brett Warren.

Thomas Rhett is a first time CMA Triple Play Awards recipient.

To celebrate, a special CMA Songwriters Series presented by U.S. Bank, hosted by McAnally, will take place Tuesday, Feb. 20 at Marathon Music Works in Nashville at 6:30 p.m. (doors 5:30 p.m.) and feature Copperman, McAnally and The Warren Brothers. A ticket pre-sale exclusively for CMA members opens Monday, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets become available to the public Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. CT.

CMA Songwriters Series presented by U.S. Bank will follow a private industry-only luncheon where recipients will be awarded their trophies on Feb. 20, hosted by Troy Tomlinson, Sony/ATV Music Publishing President and CEO and CMA Board member.

The ninth annual CMA Triple Play Awards recipients are being recognized for the following:

Rhett Akins
“Star Of The Show,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
“Dirt On My Boots,” recorded by Jon Pardi
“Small Town Boy,” recorded Dustin Lynch

Ross Copperman
“Wanna Be That Song,” recorded by Brett Eldredge
“Black,” recorded by Dierks Bentley
“If I Told You,” recorded by Darius Rucker

Zach Crowell
“Dirty Laundry,” recorded by Carrie Underwood
“Body Like A Back Road,” recorded by Sam Hunt
“Do I Make You Wanna,” recorded by Billy Currington

Jesse Frasure
“Dirt On My Boots,” recorded by Jon Pardi
“Road Less Traveled,” recorded by Lauren Alaina
“No Such Thing as a Broken Heart,” recorded by Old Dominion

Ashley Gorley
“American Country Love Song,” recorded by Jake Owen
“Middle of a Memory,” recorded by Cole Swindell
“Dirty Laundry,” recorded by Carrie Underwood
“A Guy With a Girl,” recorded by Blake Shelton
“Today,” recorded by Brad Paisley
“Dirt On My Boots,” recorded by Jon Pardi
“Black,” recorded by Dierks Bentley
“Do I Make You Wanna,” recorded by Billy Currington
“Unforgettable,” recorded by Thomas Rhett

Ben Hayslip
“Mind Reader,” recorded by Dustin Lynch
“Huntin’, Fishin’ And Lovin’ Every Day,” recorded by Luke Bryan
“Star Of The Show,” recorded by Thomas Rhett

Sam Hunt
“Make You Miss Me”
“I Met a Girl,” recorded by William Michael Morgan
“Body Like A Back Road”

Shane McAnally
“Different For Girls,” recorded by Dierks Bentley featuring Elle King
“I Met a Girl,” recorded by William Michael Morgan
“Body Like A Back Road,” recorded by Sam Hunt
“If I Told You,” recorded by Darius Rucker
“Drinkin’ Problem,” recorded by Midland
“Unforgettable,” recorded by Thomas Rhett

Josh Osborne
“Make You Miss Me,” recorded by Sam Hunt
“Setting the World On Fire,” recorded by Kenny Chesney featuring P!nk
“Body Like A Back Road,” recorded by Sam Hunt

Matthew Ramsey
“Make You Miss Me,” recorded by Sam Hunt
“Song for Another Time,” recorded by Old Dominion
“No Such Thing as a Broken Heart,” recorded by Old Dominion

Thomas Rhett
“Die A Happy Man”
“Star Of The Show”
“Think A Little Less,” recorded by Michael Ray

Trevor Rosen
“I Met a Girl,” recorded by William Michael Morgan
“Song for Another Time,” recorded by Old Dominion
“No Such Thing as a Broken Heart,” recorded by Old Dominion

Brad Tursi
“Song for Another Time,” recorded by Old Dominion
“No Such Thing as a Broken Heart,” recorded by Old Dominion
“Light It Up,” recorded by Luke Bryan

Brad Warren
“Lights Come On,” recorded by Jason Aldean
“Sober Saturday Night,” recorded by Chris Young featuring Vince Gill
“Every Time I Hear That Song,” recorded by Blake Shelton

Brett Warren
“Lights Come On,” recorded by Jason Aldean
“Sober Saturday Night,” recorded by Chris Young featuring Vince Gill
“Every Time I Hear That Song,” recorded by Blake Shelton

Exclusive: Eddie Montgomery Talks New Album, Future Of Montgomery Gentry

/by

Tonight (Friday, Feb. 2) Eddie Montgomery returns to the stage at the Grand Ole Opry. His three-song set will mark the first time he has taken to the Opry stage since the tragic passing of his Montgomery Gentry bandmate and music brother Troy Gentry.

Gentry died on Sept. 8, 2017, at age 50, following a tragic plane crash in Medford, New Jersey, just hours before Montgomery Gentry were scheduled to perform. On Sept. 14, a public celebration of life was held onstage at the Grand Ole Opry, the same stage where the duo had been inducted as Opry members in 2009.

“Me and T-Roy talked a long time ago and decided if something ever happened to one of us, that we wanted the other to keep rockin’.” Montgomery tells MusicRow.

If tonight’s Opry performance is bittersweet, it’s also cause for celebration, heralding the release of Montgomery Gentry’s ninth studio album, Here’s To You (Average Joes), out the same day. The album has already reached No. 1 on the iTunes Country chart.

The 12-song collection was completed two days before Gentry died. At the conclusion of Gentry’s celebration of life, the single “Better Me” was released. Numerous artists and execs in the Nashville industry touted the song, honoring a fallen member of the Nashville music community.

“T-Roy really loved that song,” Montgomery said of “Better Me.” For years, we might hear a song and go, ‘Well, that’s a Montgomery Gentry song. I hear T-Roy singing this,’ or he’d bring me a song and say, ‘I hear you on this.’ ‘Better Me’ was the first time T-Roy came up to me and said, ‘Eddie I really want to sing this song.’ I’ll tell ya man, it surprised him how we’d grown up over the years. He was such a great father and husband to Angie and Kaylee. It was unbelievable. It was the best vocal I’ve ever heard him do.”

Montgomery Gentry released their debut album Tattoos & Scars in 1999, but Eddie and Troy’s friendship stretches back to childhood, where Montgomery’s parents played music in a bar owned by Gentry’s father.

“We grew up in nightclubs,” Montgomery says. “My mom was a drummer, my dad was a guitar player and the bartenders were our babysitters. After the accident, I just couldn’t believe it. People came up to me after the funeral and they were like, ‘Are you going to keep playing?’ At the time I was like, ‘I don’t know. I’ve never done nothing else.’

“I got to thinking that T-Roy was always about new music. There wouldn’t be no time at all after we had a CD out and he would be like, ‘Man, I’m ready for some new music.’ I knew also that if we didn’t put this album out, T-Roy would come down and haul us out and kick our ass.”

Here’s To You, made of a dozen songs dedicated to working class citizens, feel-good partying, and loyalty to family, is classic Montgomery Gentry. The album pays homage to both Gentry’s legacy as part of the duo, and to the loyal fanbase the duo has brought with them from years of playing clubs, through earning Platinum albums and several CMA and ACM awards.

“We’ve never called anybody fans, we’ve called them friends,” Montgomery says. “We’d been together about 35 years, and we had a lot of friends around the world and they’ve had our back since we came out with Tattoos & Scars and they’ve still got our back. I reckon that’s just from growin’ up in the nightclubs. We were just about the working class, whether you were going to school and trying to make it better or we’d play a song for someone that might be coming in to celebrate a promotion. We just talked to everybody and that’s the way we were because we played six nights per week in a honky tonk.”

If “Better Me” has instantly become one of Gentry’s signature songs, then “Feet Back On The Ground” penned by Neil Thrasher, Casey Beathard and Tony Martin, proved a personal favorite for Montgomery.

“I played that for my mama, and she said that was the first [song] we’d done that almost made her cry. I’ve never seen my mama cry. It’s a killer written song and it reminded me so much of when I go see her now to this day.”

Though Montgomery is determined to keep doing what has come naturally for the past three decades—recording music and bringing fans an energetic live show—he is taking one day at a time. Asked whether there are plans to release any previously recorded songs that feature Gentry’s vocals, Montgomery says, “Right now, I just want to get this one out and get to playing it live and you know I figure our fans will let us know what they want, and that’s where we will go from there.”

For now, Montgomery’s focus is on rocking the Grand Ole Opry stage, just as Gentry would want him to.

“For the last 30 years plus, I’ve been used to looking to my left and seeing T-Roy and playing off of him. It’s definitely different and weird,” Montgomery says. “But I know T-Roy would be right there going ‘C’mon, let’s go. Let’s do this.’ I’m sure he’ll be there pranking us somehow. I’m waiting on that, because he was always a prankster.

“Our guys that have been playing with us, most of them have been with us 20 or 25 years. It will be very emotional for all of us and I’m sure T-Roy will be right there with us. We are going to have a hell of a party. We’ll laugh and cry, and have a drink or two.”

Celebration Of Life To Be Held For Lari White

/by

Lari White

A celebration of life has been set for Lari White Cannon, who died Jan. 23 at age 52.

The event will be held on Monday, Feb. 12, 2018, at 6 p.m. at Christ Church, located at 15354 Old Hickory Blvd in Nashville.

She is best known for her string of RCA hits of the 1990s, including “That’s My Baby” (1994), “Now I Know” (1994), “That’s How You Know (When You’re In Love)” (1995) and “Ready, Willing and Able” (1996). White was also a stage and screen actor, a songwriter, a record producer and a label owner.

In addition to co-writing most of her hits, she also had her songs recorded by Tammy Wynette, Rebecca Holden, Patti Page, Danny Gokey, Sarah Buxton and Pat Green, among others.

 

Jon Pardi Re-Records Tom T. Hall’s “I Like Beer” For Super Bowl Commercial

/by

Jon Pardi

Jon Pardi has rearranged and re-recorded “I Like Beer” (originally recorded by Tom T. Hall) as the new anthem for Michelob ULTRA. The song will appear in ULTRA’s second ad spot that will air during the Super Bowl. USA Today and “Extra” exclusively debuted the commercial, which includes actor Chris Pratt, US Open Golf Champion Brooks Koepka, World Surf League Champion Kelly Slater and 2017 NYC Marathon winner Shalane Flanagan singing the song together.

“This past year has been filled with so many milestones and bucket list items, and when Michelob Ultra reached out with an opportunity to be part of this Super Bowl commercial, I was all in. It was such a fun experience to record this version of the song and it’s awesome to be a part of it,” says Pardi.

“I Like Beer” is one of two ads kicking off Michelob ULTRA’s “You Can Do Both” campaign, which demonstrate how it’s possible to be fit and still enjoy beer. Originally recorded by Tom T. Hall, “I Like Beer” was rearranged and re-recorded by Pardi. Earlier this week, Pardi also made a TV appearance during the truth campaign’s prime-time Grammy commercial, which can be viewed here.

YouTube video

Nashville Music Execs Among Those Calling For Recording Academy’s Neil Portnow To Resign

/by

Neil Portnow

In the wake of Recording Academy president Neil Portnow‘s inflammatory comments regarding the lack of female artists nominated for Grammy Awards in 2018, a group of female music industry executives are calling for the resignation of Portnow in an open letter (read in full below), obtained by Variety. Signees include Nashville-centered music executives Marcie Allen (MAC Presents) and Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group’s Lou Taylor.

The female executives’ letter came shortly after the Recording Academy released a statement announcing the establishment of an independent task force that will review every aspect of the organization, to identify how the Recording Academy can remove “explicit barriers and unconscious biases that impede female advancement in the music community.” In that Recording Academy statement, Portnow also responded, “I understand the hurt that my poor choice of words following last Sunday’s GRAMMY telecast has caused. I also now realize that it’s about more than just my words. Because those words, while not reflective of my beliefs, echo the real experience of too many women. I’d like to help make that right.”

Originating just after the Grammy telecast, Portnow had responded to a Variety reporter’s question regarding female artists, “It has to begin with… women who have the creativity in their hearts and souls, who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, producers, and want to be part of the industry on the executive level… [They need] to step up because I think they would be welcome. I don’t have personal experience of those kinds of brick walls that you face but I think it’s upon us — us as an industry — to make the welcome mat very obvious, breeding opportunities for all people who want to be creative and paying it forward and creating that next generation of artists.”

Portnow’s “step up” comment sparked the backlash from many in the industry.

Despite several Grammy nominees wearing white roses on the pre-show carpet to support the #metoo movement, as well as a moving #metoo-themed performance from Kesha and Janelle’s Monae’s speech, very few females were represented in the top categories at this year’s Grammy Awards. Three female artists were nominated for Best New Artist, including winner Alessia Cara, and nominees Julia Michaels and SZA. Solo female artists earned two of of the 15 total nominations in the other three top categories (Album of the Year, Best Song of the Year and Best Record of the Year). Notably, Lorde’s Melodrama was nominated for Best Album, but she was not invited to perform on the awards show. Some have also speculated that part of the reason for the lack of female Grammy nominees is that several top solo female artists, including Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and Adele, did not release albums during the eligibility period.

Read the female executives’ letter in full below:

Dear Mr. Neil Portnow,

The statement you made this week about women in music needing to “step up” was spectacularly wrong and insulting and, at its core, oblivious to the vast body of work created by and with women. Your attempt to backpedal only emphasizes your refusal to recognize us and our achievements. Your most recent remarks do not constitute recognition of women’s achievements, but rather a call for men to take action to “welcome” women. We do not await your welcome into the fraternity. We do not have to sing louder, jump higher or be nicer to prove ourselves.

We step up every single day and have been doing so for a long time. The fact that you don’t realize this means it’s time for you to step down.

Today we are stepping up and stepping in to demand your resignation.

The stringent requirements for members of NARAS to vote reflect the distorted, unequal balance of executives and creators in our industry. There is simply not enough opportunity and influence granted or accessible to women, people of color and those who identify as LGBTQ. We can continue to be puzzled as to why the Grammys do not fairly represent the world in which we live, or we can demand change so that all music creators and executives can flourish no matter their gender, color of their skin, background or sexual preference.

Let’s take a look [at] some facts, most of which are courtesy of a recent report on Inclusion in Popular Music from USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism division:

  • In 2017, 83.2% of artists of popular songs were men and 16.8% were women, a 6 year low for female artists.
  • A total of 899 individuals were nominated for a Grammy Award between 2013 and 2018. A staggering 90.7% of these nominees were male and 9.3% were female.
  • Fewer than 10% of the nominees for Record or Album of the Year were female.
  • Over the last six years, zero women have been nominated as producer of the year.
  • Of the 600 top songs from 2012 to 2017,of the 2,767 songwriters credited, 87.7% were male and 12.3% were female.
  • The top nine male songwriters claim almost 1/5th (19.2%) of the songs in the 6 year sample.
  • The gender ratio of male producers to female producers is 49 to 1.
    Only 2 of 651 producers were females from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group.
  • 42% of artists were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.
  • The top male writer has 36 credits, the top female writer has 15 credits.
  • Of the newly released Billboard Power 100, 18% were women.
  • In publishing history, there has been only 1 female CEO and 1 male of color CEO. They currently hold these positions.
  • The position of President of a Label, is currently only held by one woman of color.

WOMEN COMPRISE 51% OF THE POPULATION.

We are here not to merely reprimand you, but to shed light on why there is such an outcry over your comments and remind you of the challenges that women face in our country and, specifically, in the music industry. Your comments are another slap in the face to women, whether intended or not; whether taken out of context, or not. Needless to say, if you are not part of the solution, then you must accept that YOU are part of the problem.

Time’s up, Neil.

Respectfully,
Marcie Allen, MAC Presents
Gillian Bar, Carroll Guido & Groffman, LLP
Renee Brodeur, Tmwrk
Rosemary Carroll, Carroll, Guido & Groffman, LLP
Kristen Foster, PMK-BNC
Jennifer Justice, Superfly Presents
Renee Karalian, Carroll, Guido & Groffman, LLP
Cara Lewis, Cara Lewis Group
Corrie Christopher Martin, Paradigm Talent Agency
Natalia Nastaskin, UTA
Elizabeth Paw, Carroll, Guido & Groffman, LLP
Carla Sacks, Sacks & Co.
Ty Stiklorius, Friends at Work
Lou Taylor, Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group
Beka Tischker, Wide Eyed Entertainment
Marlene Tsuchii, CAA
Caron Veazey, Manager- Pharrell Williams
Katie Vinten, Warner/Chappell
Marsha Vlasic, Artist Group International
Gita Williams, Saint Heron
Nicole Wyskoarko, Carroll, Guido & Groffman, LLP

Pandora Cuts 5 Percent Of Staff, Expands Atlanta Office

/by

This week, Pandora announced a restructuring that it expects will help save $45 million annually. As part of the restructuring, Pandora is laying off 5 percent of its staff. The shift allows the company to focus on ad-tech, non-music content, device integration, marketing technology and audience development efforts, and will combine certain roles. The music streaming company also announced plans to expands its workforce in Atlanta, a location with lower costs than the company’s Oakland, California headquarters.

In 2016, the company reported its headcount at 2,488 employees. Pandora expects the restructuring to be significantly finished in the first quarter of 2018.

“Pandora is the largest music streaming service in the U.S. People spend more time on Pandora than any other digital platform in the country, and as our dynamic industry evolves, we must also evolve,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Pandora. “As I shared last quarter, we know where and how to invest in order to grow. We have an aggressive plan in place that includes strategic investments in our priorities: ad-tech, product, content, partnerships and marketing. I am confident these changes will enable us to drive revenue and listener growth.

“Atlanta is a city with a rich history in music and a large pool of diverse tech talent that we can tap into as we scale,” added Lynch. “While we are committed to having Oakland remain our headquarters, we’re excited to build on the great foundation of our awesome team there and expand our presence in Atlanta over time. These changes allow us to act faster, invest for growth and extend our leadership as the audio market hits what we believe will soon be a major inflection point.”

 

 

Cody Belew Joins ASCAP Family

/by

Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Evyn Mustoe Johnston, Cody Belew and ASCAP’s Robert Filhart

Singer/songwriter Cody Belew stopped by ASCAP’s Nashville offices Jan. 31 to officially sign with the performing rights organization.

A native of Beebe, Arkansas who received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Arkansas Tech University, Belew moved to Nashville in 2011. While constantly writing songs and figuring out how to navigate the music business, he opened Hyde Salon in 2012 and helped to build that into a thriving Nashville brand before opening Duet, a women’s contemporary store, in the fall of 2017.

“I was never cut out for the whole ‘starving artist’ thing,” commented Belew. “Through entrepreneurial opportunities, I found that I could support myself while being a writer and then play out a handful of times a year. I never thought I’d be in any business outside of the music business. I’ve been eager to join the ASCAP family for some time now. This is a big milestone for me, and I’m very excited to begin working together.”

Belew has performed alongside Rascal Flatts, CeeLo Green, and even The Muppets. In 2013, he was the face of the national “Say Love” campaign for Heifer International, a global nonprofit working to eradicate poverty and hunger through sustainable, values-based holistic community development. He wrote and recorded the song “Say Love” and traveled to Ecuador to film the music video. He is currently writing for an upcoming project set for release in the summer of 2018.

“Cody is a valuable asset to the ASCAP family,” said Robert Filhart, ASCAP Creative Director. “His energetic and engaging live performance along with his honest and emotional lyrics set him apart in this competitive industry. His writing is relatable and raw, and he is certainly one to watch.”

 

 

Spotify Launches New Songwriter Credits Feature

/by

Spotify has implemented a new songwriter credits feature that will enable users around the world to view songwriter and producer credits for tracks on the desktop platform. Information on artists, songwriters, and producers will be available by simply right-clicking on a track and selecting “show credits” from the menu of options.

During the launch phase in this first step in displaying writer credits, Spotify will highlight information from label-provided metadata and will display the source of the credits. As the process evolves, the feature will become more efficient and provide better functionality as the company incorporates additional information from industry partners.

“Songwriters are an integral force behind the music we love,” said Tiffany Kumar, Global Head of Songwriter Relations, Spotify. “With the newly launched credits feature, we aim to increase songwriter and producer visibility and, in turn, foster discovery among new collaborators, industry partners, and fans.”

“The more we share information, the more opportunities we can help create for songwriters,” added Annika Goldman, ‎Director of Music Publishing Operations, Spotify. “This is just the beginning of making songwriter and producer credits more easily available to Spotify listeners, and we look forward to continually improving that information, in close collaboration with our music industry partners.”

Weekly Chart Report 2/2/18

/by

Click here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report.