In Pictures: Brett Young, SESAC, Jim Lauderdale, Kathie Lee Gifford

/by

Brett Young Brings Hits to Sold-Out Crowd

Brett Young played an electric, sold-out show Saturday night (Sept. 16) in Urbana, Illinois at Summer Bash for MDA through Andrae’s Harley Davidson. The packed crowd sang along as Young delivered his No. 1 hits including the Gold-certified “Sleep Without You” and Platinum-selling “In Case You Didn’t Know.”

Young spent the summer on the road as part of Lady Antebellum’s You Look Good World Tour and is set to join the group for dates overseas. He kicks off his debut headlining Caliville Tour next month, featuring rising country singer/songwriter Carly Pearce. For additional information and tour dates, visit BrettYoungMusic.com.

 

SESAC’s Lydia Schultz and Jim Lauderdale

Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Lydia Schultz and Jim Lauderdale.

SESAC’s Lydia Schultz and multi-GRAMMY award-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale, who recently released his 29th album London Southern, spend time together prior to his Americana Fest performance at Nashville venue 3rd & Lindsley last Friday (Sept. 15).

 

Kathie Lee Gifford To Release New Family Musical Experience

Pictured (L-R): Mark Cabaniss (Jubilate Music Group), Ken Harding (New Haven Records), Kathie Lee Gifford, Matt Baugher (Thomas Nelson), and Steve Dady (Sunset Blvd. Studios).

Kathie Lee Gifford is set to release The Little Giant, a new recording that tells the story of David & Goliath in a contemporary yet timeless way, on Sept. 29. Regis Philbin (as Jesse) and Broadway notables Aidan Gemme (as David) and Gregg Edelman (as King Saul/Goliath) among others joined voices with the celebrated television and Broadway personality who assumed the role of Sheeba. The 30 minute album is filled with 13 new tunes produced by multi-platinum selling David Pomeranz and co-written by Gifford.

The Little Giant will be released through New Haven Kids, a division of Nashville-based New Haven Records, which is distributed to the faith-based retail trade through Provident Music Distribution and to mainstream market through SONY Music Distribution. To pre-order the album, visit Amazon or iTunes.

Skyville Live Brings Artists Together To Celebrate Catalog Of Graham Nash

/by

Skyville Live’s Sept. 15 show featuring Graham Nash and special guests Ricky Skaggs, Lee Ann Womack, The Milk Carton Kids, The Secret Sisters and River Whyless produced some incredible moments during the evening taping.

“Graham Nash is synonymous with harmony singing. We learned how to blend our voices by listening to his records.  To be thought of and invited to sing with him, to combine our three voices, is the thrill of a lifetime,” said Joey Ryan of The Milk Carton Kids about the special evening.

The night kicked off with Nash performing “Bus Stop” which lead directly into “Immigration Man.” River Whyless took a turn on “Military Madness” and then performed “I Used To Be King” with Nash for the first of several of the night’s collaborations. The Secret Sisters put their spin on “Wasted On The Way” with Nash and “Hey You” accompanied by Ricky Skaggs, before Nash returned to the stage for “Myself At Last.” The Milk Carton Kids joined him to sing “So Sad,” and then performed “Just A Song Before I Go” on their own before being joined by Nash and Skaggs on “Marrakesh Express.”

The evening also included Ricky Skaggs performing “Angel On My Mind,” Lee Ann Womack, Graham and Skaggs joining in on “Our House” with the audience singing along, and a grand finale featuring Graham Nash and all performers singing “Chicago” and “Teach Your Children Well.”

“What an absolute pleasure it has been hanging with these incredible musicians…. and as an added bonus it’s my music… rarely have I ever seen my songs being done by other musicians and it was completely eye opening for me… what a compliment,” said Nash about the experience.

 

 

Thomas Rhett’s ‘Life Changes’ Becomes First All-Genre No. 1 Country Album Of 2017

/by

Thomas Rhett‘s third full-length release for Valory Music Co., Life Changes, has become the first country album to top Nielsen Soundscan’s all-genre Top 200 albums rankings for 2017. The album sold more than 123K units, which includes 94K in traditional album sales. The album also debuts at No. 1 on Nielsen’s country albums rankings, making it Thomas Rhett’s first album to do so.

Thomas Rhett’s previous two full-length albums Tangled Up (2015) and It Goes Like This (2013) each debuted at No. 6 on the all-genre albums rankings, and at No. 2 on the country albums rankings. Tangled Up debuted with 63K sold in its first week, while It Goes Like This debuted with 36K in 2013.

Life Changes marks the third-largest sales week for a country debut album in 2017, following Chris Stapleton‘s From A Room: Vol. 1, which logged 202K, and Zac Brown Band‘s Welcome Home, which logged 139K.

Life Changes has been propelled by the No. 1, Gold-certified single “Craving You,” featuring Maren Morris, as well as its followup “Unforgettable.”

Thomas Rhett is nominated three times at the upcoming Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, where he is up for Male Vocalist of the Year, Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year (both for “Craving You” ft. Maren Morris). The video for “Craving You” has garnered more than 10 million views on Vevo.

As Thomas Rhett earns his best debut week sales to date, he has spent much of 2017 on his first headlining tour, The Home Team Tour, which has been extended through the fall. His fashion collaborations with several respected designers will be included in his LA Pop Up Store, which will be in Los Angeles Sept. 22-24, coinciding with Thomas Rhett’s first show at the Greek Theatre. The show is sold out.

Robert K. Oermann, Charles Isherwood Team For ‘Children Of Song’ Podcast

/by

Music author, historian, and MusicRow contributor Robert K. Oermann has teamed with former New York Times theatre critic Charles Isherwood for the new podcast, Children of Song, which will debut Monday, Sept. 18 on Fox News Radio.

Each week, Children of Song will interview artists who were exposed to the music business through their famous parents as well as performers who began playing music at an early age. The artists will share their backstories and the inspiration behind many of their biggest hits as well as sing their most memorable songs that highlight those remarkable journeys.

The 52-week series profiles artists across all backgrounds, from country music to reggae, to rock & roll and Broadway, the podcast features a mix of stars who share their biggest breaks, their toughest falls and their passion for the world of music. Artists featured in the podcast include, Vince and Jenny Gill, Lorrie Morgan, Pam Tillis, the Orbison boys, John Carter Cash, Kristin Chenoweth, Kelli O’Hara, CeCe Winans, the McCrary Sisters, Holly Williams, Georgette Jones, Ashley Campbell, the Nelson twins, David Cassidy, Neil Sedaka, Morgan Heritage, Bobby Bare, Bobby Bare, Jr., Jim Dale, Joel Grey, Dean Miller, Krystal Keith, William Michael Morgan, Peppina, David Frizzell, Steve Cropper and Felix Cavaliere.

FNC operates FOX News Radio (FNR), a 24/7 news service reaching more than 36 million listeners a week on over 1,000 affiliated radio stations. The network features a comprehensive hourly five-minute newscast along with one-minute newscasts, business updates and breaking-news coverage.

FOX News Talk provides four weekday programs including: The Brian Kilmeade Show, The Todd Starnes Show, The Tom Shillue Show and FOX News Talk.

Lauren Daigle Becomes First Female CCM Artist To Earn Two Gold Singles From Debut Album

/by

Pictured (L-R): Gregg Chimento, Kory Henkel, John Stokes, Lauren Daigle, Kris Love, Steve Ford, John Mays

Centricity Music artist Lauren Daigle was recently honored with two gold-certified singles from her 2015 debut album, How Can It Be. The feat makes Daigle the first female CCM artist to achieve two gold singles from a debut album.

Her debut Centricity Music album launched both “How Can It Be,” which earned certification for 500K units sold in November 2016; “Trust In You” earned the same recognition in May 2017. Daigle’s label team surprised her with a commemorative presentation and plaque during last week’s Christian Music Broadcasters’ Momentum conference in Orlando.

In 2015 “How Can It Be” earned Gospel Music Association Awards for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year, along with a K-Love Fan Award for Worship Song of the Year. It reached No. 1 on the iTunes Christian Songs Chart, plus No. 5 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart. In 2016 “Trust In You” won the GMA Dove Award for Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year and earned Billboard Music Award and GRAMMY Award nominations. It was No. 1 on the iTunes Christian Songs Chart, plus No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs Chart for 19 consecutive weeks.

Music Health Alliance Announces New Hires, Promotions

/by

Bonita Allen                                                                 Allison Klein

Music Health Alliance has announced some new staff hires and promotions within the organization.

MHA Founder Tatum Hauck Allsep adds CEO responsibilities, while Certified Senior Advisor Shelia Shipley Biddy is elevated to COO of the non-profit. Taylor Clay has also been promoted to the position of Director of Advocacy & Insurance for the company.

Bonita Allen and Allison Klein have also joined the staff at MHA. Allen, whose previous stops include BMI, MCA, Bluewater Music and Westwood One, joins as Director of Client Services & Advocacy. In her new role she will be the initial contact for all members of the music industry seeking the organization’s free services. She can be reached at bonita@musichealthalliance.com.

Klein, whose background includes digital marketing and brand management, joins MHA as Director of Advocacy, Insurance & Marketing. She will oversee marketing services for the 501c3 in addition to client advocacy and individual health insurance needs and can be reached at allison@musichealthalliance.com.

“As the need for MHA’s programs and services continues to grow at a record setting pace, I am thrilled to announce these additions,” said Music Health Alliance CEO and Founder, Tatum Hauck Allsep. “Bonita brings more than 35 years of music and entertainment experience as well as a sincere compassion and a wealth of health care knowledge. While Allison’s background in digital strategy, sponsorships and marketing will add a new dimension to MHA’s communications as we grow, it’s her inherent love for helping others and resourceful nature that make her a great advocate addition. They both bring MHA closer to our mission to Heal the Music each and every day.”

Kimberly Dunn, MHA Director of Group Health, is spearheading an expansion of Music Health Alliance’s Group Health division, ensuring that the small businesses in music industry have an experienced, not-for-profit advocate on their side. Dunn continues to act as an advocate to all employees on group plans from birth to end of life to ensure that all of their healthcare needs are met.

 

Luke Bryan Announces Additional Support For Farm Tour 2017

/by

Luke Bryan has announced additional guest artists on his ninth annual Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour 2017, set to run Sept. 28 through Oct. 7. Joining previously announced opener Jon Pardi are Adam Craig, the Peach Pickers (Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson & Ben Hayslip) and Jon Langston plus DJ Rock. Details on Bryan’s openers for each tour date are listed below.

Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour 2017
Sept. 28: Lincoln, NE, Benes Farm. Openers: Adam Craig, Peach Pickers, Jon Pardi
Sept. 29: Baldwin City, KS, Don-Ale Farms. Openers: Adam Craig, Peach Pickers, Jon Pardi
Sept. 30: Boone, IA, Ziel Farm. Openers: Adam Craig, Peach Pickers, Jon Pardi
Oct. 5: Fort Wayne, IN, Spangler Farms West. Openers: Jon Langston, Peach Pickers, Jon Pardi
Oct. 6: Edinburg, IL, Ayers Family Farm. Openers: Jon Langston, Peach Pickers, Jon Pardi
Oct. 7: Centralia, MO, Stowers Farm. Openers: Peach Pickers, Jon Pardi

Matt Maher To Release ‘Echoes’ On Sept. 29

/by

Matt Maher will release his sixth studio album titled Echoes (Essential/Sony) on Sept. 29. The album is now available for pre-order with two instant downloads, the radio single, “Your Love Defends Me” along with the track “What A Friend.”

Maher has penned several No. 1 hits, including the gold-certified “Lord I Need You,” and his 2015 hit “Because He Lives (Amen).” Maher will join Chris Tomlin’s Good Good Father Tour this fall.

Echoes Track Listing:
Echoes (One Matt Maher / Mitch Parks / Aaron Smith)
Clean Heart (Matt Maher / Audrey Assad)
What A Friend (Adam, Abby, Matt (IAT) / Matt Maher / David Garcia)
Holy (Matt Maher / Chris Tomlin / Hank Bentley / Mike Donahey / Jason Ingram)
Your Love Defends Me (Matt Maher / Hannah Kerr)
Just As I Am (Matt Maher / Ed Cash / Mia Fieldes)
Awake My Soul (Matt Maher / Matt Redman / Laura Story / Jonas Myrin)
Faithfulness (Matt Maher / Stephen McWorter / Jacob Sooter)
Echoes Two (Matt Maher / Mitch Parks / Aaron Smith)
Picket Sign (Matt Maher / Mack Brock / Ike Ndolo / Josh Silverburg)
Won’t Let Me Down (Matt Maher / Jason Ingram / Brian Fowler)
Least Of These (Matt Maher / John Tibbs)
The Cross Forever Speaks (Matt Maher / Jason Ingram / Paul Mabury)
Into Your Hands (Matt Maher / Trevor Morgan / Jason Ingram / Paul Mabury)
As Good As It Gets (Matt Maher / Francesca Battistelli / David Garcia)

‘CMT Crossroads’ Earns Ratings Milestone With Florida Georgia Line, Backstreet Boys Pairing

/by

Backstreet Boys and Florida Georgia Line. Photo: courtesy CMT

CMT’s seminal music series, CMT Crossroads, notched its highest ratings in more than five years with the pairing of pop group Backstreet Boys with country duo Florida Georgia Line. The episode, which aired Wednesday, Aug. 30, became the highest-rated Crossroads among Adults 18-49 (.21) and Women 18-49 (.34) since another cross-genre mashup with Steven Tyler and Carrie Underwood in 2012 (Nielsen Live+3).

Following the telecast, Florida Georgia Line reported triple-digit sales gains on iTunes for singles performed on the show. On the day following the premiere versus the same day a week prior, “Smooth” netted a 172 percent increase on iTunes; with similar gains for “God, Your Mama, And Me” (+131%), “H.O.L.Y.” (+123%) and “Cruise” (+122%). Backstreet Boys reported a +22 percent increase in streaming overall.

The special was a hit with fans on social media as well, with #CMTcrossroads trending nationally and ranking in the Top 5 most-talked about Cable Premieres across Facebook and Twitter that night. The episode garnered over 18,000 interactions on social, with the bulk of those on Facebook. Nearly 88 percent of the interactions on Facebook were generated by females according to Nielsen Social.

Taped in front of a live audience in Franklin, TN, “CMT Crossroads: Backstreet Boys and Florida Georgia Line” features collaborations on songs including “I Want it That Way,” “As Long As You Love Me,” “H.O.L.Y.,” “Cruise” and more. The groups, who also happen to be great friends, recently performed together for sold-out crowds at Boston’s Fenway Park, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Minneapolis Target Field as part of FGL’s headline The Smooth Tour 2017.

“CMT Crossroads” is produced by CMT’s Margaret Comeaux and Switched On Entertainment’s John Hamlin.

In Pictures: Dolly Parton, Grand Ole Opry, BMI, SESAC, The People Sing!, NSAI, TPAC

/by

Dolly Parton Crashes the Premiere Episode of ‘Pickler & Ben’

Pictured (L-R): Faith Hill, Kellie Pickler, Dolly Parton, and Ben Aaron. Photo: George Burns, Jr

Legend and icon Dolly Parton made an unexpected visit to the set of Pickler & Ben to surprise Kellie Pickler, co-host Ben Aaron, and Executive Producer Faith Hill for the premiere episode of their new Nashville-based talk show. Pickler & Ben is the first national show of its kind and will premiere on Monday, Sept. 18.

The show will air first in 21 markets owned and operated by The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP), and 17 additional markets through Disney/ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, and on CMT the morning after the first run.

 

The Grand Ole Opry Celebrates Country Cares for St. Jude Kids

Pictured (L-R): Charles Esten, Luke Bryan, Sally Williams (GM, Grand Ole Opry/SVP, Programing & Artist Relations, Opry Entertainment), Randy Owen, Bill Cody (650 WSM AM), and Kerri Edwards ( KP Entertainment/Luke Bryan manager). Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

Pictured (L-R): Luke Bryan, Kael, and Clare Bowen. Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

Pictured (L-R): Kael, his brother Brody, and Randy Owen. Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry celebrated Country Cares for St. Jude Kids during a special show Wednesday night (Sept. 13). Among the performers were Randy Owen of Country Music Hall of Fame group Alabama, four-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan, and Clare Bowen and Charles Esten of the hit series Nashville.

St. Jude patient Kael, who is five years old, took the stage as a special guest announcer for the night. After Kael presented Owen with a memento thanking him for 28 years of work with Country Cares for St. Jude Kids, the Country Music Hall of Famer returned the favor and surprised Kael and his brother Brody with their own Opry keepsakes.

The month of September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and supporters are encouraged to help St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in its efforts to end childhood cancer.

 

BMI Kicks Off AmericanaFest with a Full House

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Mason Hunter, Phoebe Hunt, and BMI’s Jody Williams. Photo: Steve Lowry

Pictured (L-R): Meg Sellers (Diageo), Jenna Desmond (SUSTO), Branden Bosler (BMI), Corey Harper (SUSTO), Marshall Hudson (SUSTO), David Preston (BMI), Dries Vanderberg (SUSTO), Nina Carter (BMI), and Justin Osborne (SUSTO). Photo: Steve Lowry

BMI hosted the official AmericanaFest kickoff party Tuesday night (Sept. 12) and set the bar high for the festival to follow. Fans and industry VIPs packed the BMI lobby to capacity as three of Americana’s hottest acts took the stage.

Hurray for the Riff Raff kicked off the night with a phenomenal acoustic set, followed by an instrument-filled performance from Phoebe Hunt & the Gatherers. Susto had guests dancing and cheering for more and wrapped up the night with an impromptu encore performance.

 

SESAC Creative Services Team with Christian Lopez

Pictured (L-R): Lydia Schultz, ET Brown, Christian Lopez, and Cristina Wheeler.

SESAC Creative Services team enjoyed a night out with SESAC artist Christian Lopez at the AmericanaFest Razor & Tie Kick-off Happy Hour on Tuesday (Sept. 12).

 

The People Sing! Presented by the Americana Music Association

Pictured (L-R): Teddy Thompson, Marcus Hummon, Elizabeth Cook, Kelsey Waldon, Mike Khalil, Rhiannon Giddens, Joe Henry, Alice Randall, Mike Cooley, Billy Bragg, Valerie June, Shelby Lynne, Allison Moorer, Hayes Carll, Gretchen Peters, Barry Walsh, and Otis Taylor. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images [Click photo to enlarge]

Pictured (L-R): Allison Moorer, music director; Anthony Arnove, director/producer; and Christi Dortch, executive VP of programming & sales at TPAC. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Mike Khalil, Elizabeth Cook, Shelby Lynne, Marcus Hummon, Allison Moorer, Joe Henry, Hayes Carll, Rhiannon Giddens, Billy Bragg, and Teddy Thompson. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images

Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium filled on Tuesday night (Sept. 12) for The People Sing! presented by the Americana Music Association and Voices of a People’s History. The event featured performances by Allison Moorer, Hayes Carll, Alice Randall, Joe Henry, Teddy Thompson, Otis Taylor, Elizabeth Cook, Shelby Lynne, Blind Boys of Alabama, Rhiannon Giddens, Billy Bragg, Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, and more.

“We were thrilled to bring our family of troubadours and troublemakers to the historic War Memorial Auditorium last night and honored to partner with the Tennessee Performing Arts Center and the Americana Music Association,” said director/producer Anthony Arnove. “We have long dreamed of a performance driven by musicians of the calibre who performed in The People Sing! Last night really was a vision years in the making.”

 

NSAI in DC

Pictured (L-R): Bart Herbison, Brooke Perry, and Forest Glen Whitehead.

Pictured: Forest Glen Whitehead performs for Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold.

The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) was on Capitol Hill this week for meetings with Members of Congress. Songwriter/producer Forest Glen Whitehead performed for Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold and staff.

 

World Premiere Of Part Of The Plan at TPAC

Pictured (L-R): Nashville actors Chaley Rose and Sam Palladio, professional golfer Brandt Snedeker and wife Mandy, Rascal Flatts’ Joe Don Rooney and wife Tiffany Fallon. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Pictured (L-R): Karen Fairchild (Little Big Town), JT Hodges, and Kasey Hodges. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Famous faces and VIPs turned out at Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) Sunday night (Sept. 10) for the world premiere of Part of the Plan, the new, original American musical featuring the music and lyrics of celebrated singer-songwriter, the late Dan Fogelberg.

Joe Don Rooney (Rascal Flatts), Karen Fairchild (Little Big Town), country artist Maggie Rose, Nashville actors Sam Palladio and Chaley Rose, Alison Krauss, blues artist Casey James, Jay Buchanan (Rival Sons frontman), Shane MacAnally, Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter Bobby Braddock, Grammy-winning songwriter Don Henry, PGA pro Brandt Snedeker, Emmy-nominated actress Brynn Thayer, and Jean Folgerberg (Dan’s wife) were among those in attendance. Nashville music and entertainment industry names included John Marks, Bonnie Garner, Skip Bishop, Leslie Fram, Neal Spielberg and Tracy Gershon, among others.

Part of the Plan runs through Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017. For tickets and additional information, visit the TPAC website.