“Everlasting Love” Singer Dies In Music City

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Nashville soul singer Robert Knight has passed away at age 72.

In 1967, he recorded the first version of the pop evergreen “Everlasting Love.” Written by Music City’s Buzz Cason and Mac Gayden, the song has since been recorded by hundreds, including Love Affair (1969), David Ruffin (1969), Carl Carlton (1974), Narvel Felts (1979), Louise Mandrell (1979), Rex Smith & Rachel Sweet (1981), U2 (1989), Gloria Estefan (1995) and David Essex (1995).

“Everlasting Love” also served as the title tune of Robert Knight’s debut LP. It was issued on Cason’s Rising Sons label, distributed by Monument Records. Cason and Gayden produced and arranged it.

Robert Knight was born Robert Peebles in Franklin, TN in 1945. Raised by his grandparents, he was singing professionally by the time he was a teenager.

He became a member of The Paramounts, who recorded for Dot Records in the early 1960s. At this point, DJ and music entrepreneur Noel Ball suggested he change his last name to Knight.

He was in the Nashville R&B group The Fairlanes when Mac Gayden heard him singing at the Kappa Sigma House on the Vanderbilt University campus and recruited him to record the songs that he and Cason were writing.

“Everlasting Love” became a hit on both pop and r&b charts. Knight followed it with the Cason/Gayden song “Blessed Are the Lonely” in 1968.

Ray Stevens provided Knight’s 1968 single “Isn’t It Lonely Together.” He returned to the Cason/Gayden catalog for “Love on a Mountain Top” in 1970.

Knight took his hits to the Apollo Theater in Harlem. He traveled with soul star Joe Tex for six months and became Aretha Franklin’s opening act on a European concert tour.

In the 1980s, “Everlasting Love” was revived to became a favorite on the “Beach Music” scene in the Carolinas.

But Robert Knight eventually drifted away from music. He worked at Vanderbilt as a lab technician and on the grounds crew.

In 2004, the Country Music Hall of Fame opened its acclaimed exhibit “Night Train to Nashville,” and Knight enjoyed a new moment in the spotlight. “Everlasting Love” was included on the show’s accompanying CD, which won a Grammy Award.

In recent years, Robert Knight had been suffering from emphysema and a blood disorder. He passed away on Sunday, Nov. 5. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Notes For Notes Opens Nashville Studio With Help From CMA Foundation

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Pictured (L-R): Kos Weaver, Executive VP of BMG Nashville; Stephen Dashiff, Notes for Notes student guitarist; Tiffany Kerns, CMA Director of Community Outreach; Rod Hare, Board President/Co-Founder of Notes for Notes; Lindsey Ell, Stoney Creek recording artist; Phillip Gilley, CEO/ Founder of Notes for Notes; Ron Samuels, CMA Foundation Board Member; Justine Avila, Executive Director, Music City Music Council. Photo: Caitlin Harris/CMA

Stoney Creek Records artist Lindsay Ell joined forces Monday with the CMA Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee, and Lowe’s Renovation Across the Nation, to officially open the flagship Notes for Notes recording studio at the Cleveland Park Boys and Girls Club in Nashville.

Ell performed Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” with Stephen Dashiff, a promising guitar player from the Notes for Notes studio. The performance was recorded by Executive Vice President of BMG Nashville Kos Weaver, who is a Notes for Notes Nashville Soundboard Member. Ell also performed her current single “Waiting on You.” The songs will be included in a future EP of live recordings from the studio featuring a variety of artists and student musicians.

The CMA Foundation made an initial donation to the first Nashville Notes for Notes chapter in 2014 and has since supported the opening of recording studios in Boys & Girls Clubs and other facilities in several markets. The CMA Foundation receives the bulk of the funding to support these and other worthwhile programs from CMA Music Festival. To date, CMA and the CMA Foundation have donated nearly $2 million to Notes for Notes.

The new Nashville studio features a plethora of gear recently donated by Converse including an API 1608 console. Notes for Notes is also thankful to have the support of so many music instrument and gear manufacturers like Avid, Audio Technica, Casio, Dell, DW, Gibson, Kala Ukuleles, Native Instruments, and Stagg.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee received a grant from the Lowe’s Renovation Across the Nation program, which provided support for construction and many willing hands to transform Clubs for kids. Clark Construction, a national construction firm, generously helped manage the project working with a variety of local trades who also supported the buildout.

CMA Posthumously Honors Merle Haggard

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CMA CEO Sarah Trahern and CMA Senior Director of Awards & Industry Relations Brandi Simms present the Joe Talbot Award to Theresa Haggard on Monday, Oct. 30 at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville. Photo: Hunter Berry / CMA

CMA posthumously awarded Country Music Hall of Famer Merle Haggard with the 2016 Joe Talbot Award, presenting the award to Haggard’s widow, Theresa Haggard. The Joe Talbot Award recognizes outstanding leadership and contributions to the preservation and advancement of country music’s values and traditions.

The award was presented last week at a reception where Bill and Shannon Miller, founders of Icon Entertainment Group, announced they’ll open a Haggard-focused museum in Nashville next summer.

Soul2Soul Tour Extends Into 2018

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Following an 80-date North American run of sold-out shows, superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are extending their critically acclaimed Soul2Soul The World Tour 2017 with more than 25 additional dates in 2018.

Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday, Nov. 17, the same day McGraw and Hill’s first-ever album together The Rest of Our Life will be released on Sony Music Entertainment under the Arista Nashville/McGraw Music imprint. Each ticket purchase will come with a copy of the album.

Additionally, later that night the tour film Tim & Faith: Soul2Soul will premiere at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Showtime, including live performances, interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

The Soul2Soul World Tour is approaching 1 million in attendance since its launch in April.

American Express® Card Members can purchase tickets in select markets before the general public, beginning Friday, Nov. 10.

Tour dates
May 31, 2018: Richmond, VA
June 1, 2018: Charleston, WV
June 2, 2018: Lexington, KY
June 5, 2018: Baltimore, MD
June 7, 2018: Grand Rapids, MI
June 8, 2018: Toledo, OH
June 12, 2018: Hershey, PA
June 14, 2018: Uniondale, NY
June 15, 2018: Uncasville, CT
June 16, 2018: Manchester, NH
June 18, 2018: Hamilton, ON
June 19, 2018: London, ON
June 22, 2018: Raleigh, NC
June 23, 2018: Duluth, GA
June 26, 2018: Bossier City, LA
June 29, 2018: Springfield, MO
June 30, 2018: Des Moines, IA
July 6, 2018: Green Bay, WI
July 7, 2018: Minneapolis, MN
July 8, 2018: Sioux Falls, SD
July 10, 2018: Grand Forks, ND
July 13, 2018: Seattle, WA
July 14, 2018: Eugene, OR
July 18, 2018: Salt Lake City, UT
July 20, 2018: Phoenix, AZ
July 21, 2018: Los Angeles, CA
July 22, 2018: Sacramento, CA

Full details and tour dates can be found at soul2soultour.com.

In Pictures: Blake Shelton, Lee Brice, Luke Combs, Michael Ray, Temecula Road, Faren Rachels

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Blake Shelton Celebrates New Album at Pandora’s Sounds Like You: Country Event

Pictured (L-R): Chairman and CEO of Warner Music Nashville John Esposito, VP Artist Marketing and Industry Relations at Pandora Jeff Zuchowski, singer-songwriter Blake Shelton and CEO of Pandora Rodger Lynch. Photo: John Shearer / Getty Images for Pandora

Blake Shelton. Photo: John Shearer / Getty Images for Pandora

Maggie Rose. Photo: John Shearer / Getty Images for Pandora

Pandora’s second Sounds Like You: Country concert of the year was held last Friday night (Nov. 3) at Oz Arts Nashville and featured an intimate performance by Blake Shelton, exclusively for Pandora listeners.

Shelton is among Pandora’s Top 30 artists of all time and the show honored his fans with free tickets on the night of the release of his new album Texoma Shore. Shelton’s performance was a mix of current crowd favorites, songs off the new album, and early career hits including “Some Beach,” “Ol’ Red,” and “Austin” among others. Singer-songwriter Maggie Rose opened the event.

 

Lee Brice Celebrates RIAA Milestone

Pictured (L-R): Cara Duckworth (RIAA), Lee Brice, Tiki Barber, Brandon Tierney, on stage at Playstation Theater, NYC. Photo: Mike Pont/Getty Images

Lee Brice was surprised with a career sales milestone last week while on stage at the sold-out Playstation Theater in New York City.

Tiki Barber and Brandon Tierney (CBS Radio’s “Tiki + Tierney”) joined the RIAA’s Cara Duckworth on stage with a custom-made plaque that showcased Brice’s career Gold and Platinum highlights, including eight singles that are Gold or higher plus two new Gold album awards for Love Like Crazy and I Don’t Dance.

Every one of Brice’s albums is now officially certified Gold or higher—with the exception of his new self-titled album released Nov. 3—and he has reached the milestone of more than 10 million Gold and Platinum career awards.

 

Luke Combs Joins CMA Foundation to Announce $1M Contribution to Houston Independent School District

Pictured (L-R): Tricia Steel, Mr. Holland’s Opus; Tiffany Kerns, CMA Foundation; Jennie Smythe, CMA Foundation Board member; Felice Mancini, Mr. Holland’s Opus; Luke Combs; Lori Lueptow, Whittier Elementary; and Richard Carranza, HISD Superintendent. Photo: Preston Leatherman

Luke Combs with music students from Whittier Elementary School. Photo: Preston Leatherman [Click photo to enlarge]

CMA New Artist Of The Year nominee Luke Combs joined the CMA Foundation in Houston, Texas last Friday (Nov. 3) to announce the organization’s $1 million contribution to Houston Independent School District (HISD). In partnership with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and Music Rising, CMA Foundation and Combs revealed a $700,000 grant for HSID music education resources, $50,000 in instrument donations and $200,000 towards continued Hurricane Harvey relief.

“From elementary school all the way through college, I was involved in music programs and chorus through my schools and that has impacted so much of my life and career,” shares Combs. “I’m grateful the CMA Foundation asked me to be a part of today’s event in Houston. Giving these students the opportunity to discover and learn about music is a really incredible thing to be a part of.”

Watch Combs and the CMA Foundation surprise students with the donation here.

 

Michael Ray Donates Over 100K Meals to Shelter Animals on Get To You Tour

Michael Ray assists fans as they donate to Wrigley Cares: Helping Animals in Need in Rochester, New York. Photo: Courtesy of Warner Music Nashville

A life-long animal supporter, Michael Ray launched Wrigley Cares: Helping Animals In Need earlier this month as a philanthropic component to his 15-city Get To You Tour. Named after his rescue dog, Wrigley, the chart-topping singer/songwriter teamed up with Zappos For Good and local animal shelters to set up donation stations at each of his tour stops. In just four weeks on the road, Ray and his fans have collected 100,320 meals to donate to animals in need.

“We set out to see how we can help animals in need and we are blown away by the huge response,” shared Ray. “When we’re on the road, we stop in each town and become a part of the community for a night while on stage. It’s inspiring to see the ‘Get To You’ Tour can leave a lasting impression and feed so many shelter animals. Wrigley’s stoked too.”

 

Temecula Road At Live In The Vineyard

Pictured (L-R): Eric Paslay, Emma Salute (Temecula Road), Dave Barnes, Dawson Anderson (Temecula Road), Hunter Hayes, and Maddie Salute (Temecula Road).

Buena Vista Records’ Temecula Road made their first appearance at the Live In The Vineyard music festival in Napa Valley last weekend (Nov. 3-5). The trio performed at Peju Winery alongside Dave Barnes, Eric Paslay and Hunter Hayes.

 

Faren Rachels Visits CMA

Pictured (L-R):Brandi Simms (CMA), Faren Rachels, and Angela Roland (CMA). Photo: Christian Bottorff

Singer-songwriter Faren Rachels recently stopped by the CMA to officially become a new member. The country newcomer is prepping to release her self-titled debut EP on Nov. 10 and will join Luke Combs for the second half of his Don’t Tempt Me With A Good Time Tour.

Weekly Register: Kenny Chesney’s 30-Song Live Album Tops The Charts

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Kenny Chesney‘s Live In No Shoes Nation tops this week’s country albums chart, according to Nielsen Soundscan, with 219K in total consumption. The number was also enough for Chesney to top the overall Top 200 albums chart, with fellow Nashville resident Kelly Clarkson coming in at No. 2. Clarkson’s Meaning of Life moved 79K this week.

On the country albums chart, Granger Smith‘s When The Good Guys Win debuts at No. 2, with 17K, followed by Kane Brown‘s self-titled album at No. 3 with 14K. Thomas Rhett‘s Life Changes is at No. 4 with 13K, while Darius Rucker‘s When Was The Last Time rounds out the Top 5 with 12K.

Other debuts this week include Lee Ann Womack‘s The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone debuting at No. 13 on the country albums rankings, with 3.2K.

The top 5 country digital songs this week are LANCO‘s “Greatest Love Story” at No. 1, with 17K (340K RTD), followed by Kane Brown’s “What Ifs” (ft. Lauren Alaina) at No. 2 with 16K. Luke Combs’ “When It Rains It Pours” is at No. 3 with 13.3K, followed by Dustin Lynch‘s “Small Town Boy” at No. 4 with 13K. Blake Shelton‘s “I’ll Name The Dogs” is at No. 5 with 11K.

MercyMe, Tenth Avenue North Team For 2018 Tour

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MercyMe is teaming up with Tenth Avenue North for a tour running February through April 2018. The outing’s more than 20 markets includes a visit to Nashville March 4 at the Ryman Auditorium.

Multi-platinum band MercyMe are closing 2017 on a high note, after wrapping their successful headlining Lifer Tour, winning three GMA Dove Awards including Artist of the Year, and a sixth American Music Award nomination. Much of the fanfare stems from their most recent No. 1 album Lifer, which debuted earlier this year, and includes “Even If” which dominated the Billboard and Mediabase radio charts with a 19-week streak at No. 1.”

Named for MercyMe’s megahit song, the movie I Can Only Imagine opens in theaters March 16, 2018. It is a true story based on the life of lead singer Bart Millard, who wrote the song after the loss of his father to cancer.

Concert tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 10. Details at MercyMe.org.

Industry Ink: Phil Vassar, Josh Osborne, Shoalsville Publishing, Johnny Lee

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Vassar Joins Adkins Publicity

Country music hitmaker Phil Vassar has joined the Adkins Publicity roster for exclusive PR/publicity representation.

Vassar plays more than 135 shows each year, offering his signature songs including 10 No. 1 singles such as “Carlene,” “Just Another Day in Paradise,” and “Six-Pack Summer.”

This holiday season, Vassar and Kellie Pickler are teaming up for a special Christmas tour and releasing a new single called “The Naughty List.”

 

Osborne To Be Honored By American Cancer Society

Josh Osborne. Photo: Moments By Moser

Hit songwriter Josh Osborne is among the 2017 honorees at the American Cancer Society’s Best Dressed Ball. The event will be held Nov. 11 at Marathon Music Works and feature honorees dressed by local designers and boutiques, including Jonathan Kayne and Eric Adler.

Fellow honorees include Samantha Kirby, Dr. Tony Majors, Samantha Oaks, Laura Crawford, Charlie and Andy Nelson, Tina Tuggle, Connie Richardson, Brandon Peffer, Mee Tracy Mccormick, and Stacy Case.

Tickets available at www.acsnashvillegala.org.
 

Shoalsville Signs Members of As We Ascend

Pictured (L-R): Jake Jones, Chad Green, Robert Venable

Chad Green has launched Shoalsville Music Publishing Co. with the signing of Jake Jones and Robert Venable, of the Christian rock band As We Ascend.

Their 2017 debut album has already yielded a two-week No. 1 with the song “Tell Me,” which Jones and Venable co-wrote and produced.

Additionally, Jones was in the Atlantic Records band We As Human. Venable has engineer and/or production credits on Megadeath, Kelly Clarkson, Twenty One Pilots, MuteMath, and more.

Green previously spent time at ASCAP, Word Music Publishing and Daywind Music Publishing. He can be reached at shoalsville@gmail.com.

 

Johnny Lee Signs With 117 Publicity

Johnny Lee

Singer Johnny Lee has signed with 117 Publicity for exclusive PR representation, led by Zach Farnum and Bev Moser.

Lee is a member of the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame. He performs between 80 and 100 dates a year, and shows no signs of slowing down. He recently released an autobiography titled Still Lookin’ for Love and an album, You Ain’t Never Been to Texas.

Scooter Braun to Receive Humanitarian Award, Give Keynote at Music Biz 2018

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Scooter Braun

Scooter Braun will receive the Music Business Association’s (Music Biz) prestigious Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award at the Music Biz 2018 conference on May 17, 2018 at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Braun will be honored at the conference’s Awards Luncheon, sponsored by BuzzAngle Music, for his outstanding charitable efforts, and will participate in a keynote interview focusing on his philanthropic mission.

Braun is manager for Justin Bieber, Kanye West, Ariana Grande, Usher, Karlie Kloss, Tori Kelly, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Black Eyed Peas, and Martin Garrix.

In 2017, Braun organized the One Love Manchester benefit concert following a terrorist attack at Manchester Arena during an Ariana Grande concert. The event raised over $22 million. Three months later, he organized Hand in Hand: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief telethon which raised more than $62 million.

Currently, he serves as Chair of the Advisory Board of Pencils of Promise, a non-profit organization that has built more than 400 schools in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. He is also on the board of Fuck Cancer, an organization co-founded by his wife, Yael Braun.

Music Biz will be held May 14-17, 2018 in Nashville, and will also feature the presentation of the Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement to Cary Sherman, CEO of the RIAA.

For more information, visit www.musicbiz2018.com.

Big Loud Records Signs Jake Owen

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Pictured (L-R): Greg Fowler (Jake Owen Tour Manager), Good Company Entertainment’s Jon Andolina (Management), Red Light’s Tom Becci, Good Company Entertainment’s Keith Gale (Management), Big Loud Records’ President Clay Hunnicutt, Jake Owen, Greenberg Traurig’s Jess Rosen, Big Loud Partners Seth England, Craig Wiseman and Joey Moi Not Pictured: Big Loud Partner Kevin “Chief” Zaruk

Big Loud Records has signed Jake Owen, who comes on board the label today (Nov. 6). With this move, Owen is reunited with one of the founders of the Big Loud organization Joey Moi, who produced Owen’s breakthrough album, Barefoot Blue Jean Night, which garnered four consecutive No. 1 hits.

“I couldn’t be more excited to start this new chapter in my career with Big Loud,” Owen says. “The passion for success that everyone has in the building is contagious. Combining what I already do with Big Loud’s expertise is exciting, and I am eager to get to work with Joey Moi again. We had great success in the past and I’m looking forward to what the future holds for all of us.”

“This is an unbelievable moment for all of us as true fans of Jake Owen,” label President Clay Hunnicutt says. “When we created Big Loud over two years ago, this is exactly the type of ‘home’ we wanted to create for someone like Jake, who is a unique and unparalleled entertainer and person, and who has a clear vision of who he is as an artist.”

As a platinum-selling hitmaker, Owen is a welcomed addition to the Big Loud Records roster whose team has already launched the careers of newcomers Chris Lane, Morgan Wallen, and Jillian Jacqueline.

Owen, a native Floridian, recently joined Florida Governor Rick Scott to help in relief efforts for Hurricane Irma victims in his home state with a campaign he launched called “Bring Back the Sunshine.” Also, he will unite with Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, and Toby Keith to perform at a Hurricane Benefit Concert, taking place on November 19, at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center on the campus of Owen’s alma mater, Florida State University, in Tallahassee, FL. Proceeds will help communities in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the islands affected by hurricanes in 2017.