Rodney Crowell To Receive ASCAP Founders Award

/by

Rodney Crowell is the latest artist to receive the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award at the upcoming 55th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards. The exclusive, invitation-only gala celebrating the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP’s most performed country songs of 2016, will take place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Monday, Nov. 6.

“Rodney Crowell is one of the most treasured voices in American music,” said ASCAP President Paul Williams. “For decades, whether writing No. 1 country hits and collaborating with some of the world’s top artists, or exploring his own musical soul in rich, literary detail, he has crafted a brilliant body of work marked by powerful intimacy, epic scope and profound insight into the human experience. He is a masterful storyteller and musician who continues to elevate the songwriters’ art, and we are honored to present him with the ASCAP Founders Award.”

Crowell is a multiple Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter who has written or recorded 15 No. 1 songs on the country charts. He has won five Americana Music Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting in 2009, and is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. His songs have been recorded by country legends (Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, George Strait), current country chart toppers (Tim McGraw, Keith Urban), blues icons (Etta James) and rock legends (Van Morrison, Bob Seger). Crowell’s latest album, Close Ties, was released in March on New West Records.

The Founders Award is one of ASCAP’s highest honors and is presented to songwriters and composers who have made pioneering contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators. Each recipient is an innovator who possesses a unique style of creative genius, which will enrich generations to come. Previous recipients include Ricky Skaggs, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Garth Brooks, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Melissa Etheridge and Neil Young, among others.

Bermuda Triangle Sets Southern Mini-Tour For October

/by

Photo Credit: Harvey Hale

New trio Bermuda Triangle, comprised of Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes), Becca Mancari and Jesse Lafser, has set a series of southern shows for this Fall. The ladies will kick off the jaunt on Oct. 4 at Terminal West in Atlanta and play shows in Birmingham, Asheville, Knoxville, and Chapel Hill through Oct. 9.

Special guests Thelma and the Sleaze will support on the first two dates and Music Band will open the other three shows. Tickets for the dates go on sale today at noon ET. For ticket information, visit facebook.com/BermudaTriangleBand.

Bermuda Triangle’s debut song “Rosey,” which features Lafser on lead vocals, is now up for streaming here.

Bermuda Triangle Tour Dates:
10/4 – Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West *
10/5 – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City *
10/6 – Knoxville, TN @ Mill + Mine #
10/8 – Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel #
10/9 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Cat’s Cradle #

* Thelma and the Sleaze supporting
# Music Band supporting

 

Artists Line Up Concerts Benefiting Hurricane Harvey Victims, Responding To Recent Charlottesville Events

/by

Justin Timberlake, Chris Stapleton To Join Dave Matthews Band’s “A Concert For Charlottesville”

Justin Timberlake. Photo: Tom Munro / RCA Records

Justin Timberlake, Chris Stapleton, Cage The Elephant, The Roots, and Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard are set to join Dave Matthews Band for an all-star benefit concert later this month, in response to the violence that erupted in Dave Matthews Band’s hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia during a white nationalist rally in August.

Dubbed “A Concert for Charlottesville,” the event is set to take place Sept. 24 at the University of Virginia’s Scott Stadium, and will also feature performances from Pharrell Williams and Ariana Grande.

Tickets will be free, and will be first given to residents of Charlottesville, as well as UVA students, faculty and staff. Tickets can also be requested via ConcertforCharlottesville.com. The ticket request period concludes Monday, Sept. 11 at noon ET.

In lieu of a ticket charge, attendees are encouraged to donate to the Concert for Charlottesville Fund.

 

CCM Artists Gather For Night Of Hope To Benefit Hurricane Harvey Relief

Several CCM artists will take part in Night Of Hope, a Hurricane Harvey relief concert, which will be held Wednesday, Sept. 20 at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, Texas. All ticket proceeds will support the relief efforts through Convoy of Hope. The Night of Hope concert is a collaborative effort from local CCM stations KLTY, AiR1, Way-FM, and KCBI.

The lineup includes: MercyMe, TobyMac, Casting Crowns, For King & Country, Zach Williams, Natalie Grant, Danny Gokey, Phil Wickham, Josh Wilson, Chonda Pierce, Laura Story, Brandon Heath, Jason Roy of Building 429, Tauren Wells, Moriah Peters, Chris August, Jason Crabb, Wayne Watson, Plumb and John Tibbs.

Tickets are available at axs.com.

 

Halfway To Hazard Announces Hurricane Harvey Relief Telethon Today

Country music duo Halfway to Hazard will host a Hurricane Harvey relief telethon today (Thursday, Sept. 7) beginning at 2 p.m. CT.

The group will appear live on Kentucky CBS affiliate station WYMT-TV to solicit donations for those affected by the historic flooding in Texas. The telethon will broadcast from the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. Halfway to Hazard’s Chad Warrix and David Tolliver will not only host the event but will also perform their career hit songs, as well as tunes from their most recent album REDemptiOn.

The telethon will also feature live music by members of the Kentucky Opry as well as select performances from other artists from the Bluegrass State.

BMI Distributes More Than One Billion In Royalties For The First Time In Its History

/by

BMI has broken another revenue record for the third consecutive year, generating $1.130 billion to end its 2017 fiscal year. The company also distributed and administered $1.023 billion to its songwriters, composers and publishers, representing a 10 percent increase over last year and a new milestone for the organization. The results rank the performing rights organization with the highest royalty distributions of any rights organization in the world.

“No matter how much the industry continues to evolve, BMI remains the leader in supporting songwriters, composers and publishers and maximizing their royalties across all platforms,” said Mike O’Neill, President and CEO, BMI. “We are thrilled to have been able to achieve these record distributions, but we still believe our affiliates deserve more.  We thank them for entrusting their music to us and will continue to work hard on their behalf to secure the full and fair value of their creative work.”

The company’s total domestic revenue, encompassing digital, media, and general licensing, came in at a record $836 million, a $52 million increase over last year. Digital revenue saw its highest performance to date, up seven percent to $163 million, helped in part by new long-term agreements with Netflix and Hulu, among others. Media Licensing came in at $524 million, a $32 million increase over last year driven by growth in the terrestrial radio, cable and satellite radio categories.

The $1.023 billion in total distributions included both domestic and international royalties, as well as royalties from direct deals that BMI administers on behalf of its publishers. Those deals, which account for approximately three percent of BMI’s total distribution, helped the company achieve its record payments to affiliates.

BMI processed nearly 1.4 trillion performances this year, 40 percent more than last year. This includes both audio and audiovisual performances, of which 1.35 trillion were digital, highlighting the ongoing move to digital within the industry as well as BMI’s ability to manage big data and convert it to actionable information.

BMI operates as a non-profit, returning approximately 88 percent of all revenue to the musical creators and copyright owners the company represents.

Cumulus Media To Simplify Station Advertising Through Agreement With WideOrbit

/by

WideOrbit and Cumulus Media are entering into a licensing agreement to install WideOrbit Traffic software and other software at all 447 Cumulus Media radio stations across the U.S.

Under the terms of the agreement, WideOrbit will provide Cumulus with a comprehensive operations solution for traffic management, digital advertising, network and barter ads, electronic payments, revenue optimization, and hosting. The software allows all stations to log into the same database, and will streamline corporate reporting and credit management, optimize spot scheduling, and give Cumulus advertisers a simple, integrated method for paying invoices with credit cards and ACH electronic payments.

WideOrbit products will replace Cumulus’s Stratus traffic system, with implementation expected to begin before the end of the year and continue through the First Quarter of 2019.

“WideOrbit’s best-in- class traffic operations system will support and propel our businesses across the U.S. by simplifying and streamlining the advertising process,” said Mary G. Berner, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cumulus Media. “This step is another move to further integrate operating systems companywide, empowering managers in local markets with tools to maximize revenues by making it easier for our customers to buy radio in every Cumulus market.”

2017 IEBA Awards Nominees Announced

/by

IEBA has announced the nominees for its 2017 Industry Awards. A full list of nominations is below. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of IEBA’s 47th Annual Conference on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 at 8 pm.

Club of the Year
• 9:30 Club – Washington, DC
• Brooklyn Bowl – Brooklyn, NY
• The Fillmore Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
• Iron City – Birmingham, AL
• Joe’s Live – Rosemont, IL
• Troubadour – West Hollywood, CA
• Webster Hall – New York, NY

Casino of the Year
• Choctaw Casino & Resort – Durant, OK
• Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort – Cherokee, NC
• Mohegan Sun – Uncasville, CT
• Snoqualmie Casino – Snoqualmie, WA
• Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort – Mt. Pleasant, MI
• Thunder Valley Casino Resort – Lincoln, CA
• Treasure Island Resort & Casino – Welch, MN

Theater of the Year
• Apollo Theater – New York, NY
• Beacon Theatre – New York, NY
• Bellco Theatre – Denver, CO
• Chicago Theatre – Chicago, IL
• Fox Theatre – Atlanta, GA
• The Novo – Los Angeles, CA
• Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall – Los Angeles, CA

Arena of the Year
• Air Canada Centre – Toronto, ON
• American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
• Barclays Center – Brooklyn, NY
• Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN
• Madison Square Garden – New York, NY
• Moda Center – Portland, OR
• T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV

Amphitheater of the Year
• Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion – Gilford, NH
• Daily’s Place – Jacksonville, FL
• Forest Hills Stadium – Forest Hills, NY
• The Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
• Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater – Wantagh, NY
• Red Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO

Fair of the Year
• Arizona State Fair – Phoenix, AZ
• The Great Allentown Fair – Allentown, PA
• The Great New York State Fair – Syracuse, NY
• OC Fair – Costa Mesa, CA
• Oregon State Fair – Salem, OR
• State Fair of Texas – Dallas, TX
• Washington State Fair – Puyallup, WA

Festival of the Year
• BottleRock Napa Valley – Napa Valley, CA
• Country Thunder USA – Twin Lakes, WI
• The Governors Ball Music Festival – New York, NY
• The Hangout Music Festival – Gulf Shores, AL
• Newport Folk Festival – Newport, RI
• Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival – San Francisco, CA
• Stagecoach – Indio, CA
• Summerfest – Milwaukee, WI

Club Buyer of the Year
• Melanie Cantwell – 9:30 Club / I.M.P.
• Stacie George – Live Nation
• Hannah Gold – City Winery NYC
• Jim Mallonee – House of Blues
• Danny Sax – AEG Presents
• Adam Weiser – AEG Presents
• Jennifer Yacoubian – Goldenvoice

Casino Buyer of the Year
• Andrew Blank – C3 Presents
• Bill Borenstein – MotorCity Casino Hotel
• Billy Brill – Billy Alan Productions
• Ted Files – Scott Dean Agency
• Lori Otelsberg – Signature Entertainment
• Kristen Reynolds – Live Nation
• Terrye Seigel – Terrye Seigel Productions, Inc.
• Lea Swanson – AEG Presents

Corporate Buyer of the Year
• Ron Blackmore – NextLevel Productions
• Adam Kahan – Empire Entertainment
• Denise Kirk – Brattle Entertainment
• Ron Pateras – Jam Entertainment & Creative Services
• Corey Shapoff – SME Live Nation
• Fred Suss – Talent Source, Inc.
• Kevin White – OnStage Talent

International Buyer of the Year
• Jim Cressman – Invictus Entertainment Group (Canada)
• Toby Leighton-Pope – AEG Presents (UK)
• Noel McHale – MCD Productions (Ireland)
• Anna-Sophie Mertens – Live Nation (UK)
• Bruce Moran – Live Nation (Latin America)
• Rob Potts – Rob Potts Entertainment Edge (Australia)
• Chris York – SJM (UK)

Fair Buyer of the Year
• Renee Alexander – Minnesota State Fair
• Pat Powelson – Jayson Promotions
• R.J. Romeo – Romeo Entertainment Group
• Lisa Sexton – OC Fair
• Sara Shelton Novak – Triangle Talent
• Glenn Smith – Glenn Smith Presents, Inc.
• Suzanne Wilson – Wilson Events

Festival Buyer of the Year
• Louis Bellavance – Festival d’Été de Québec
• Tom Hoppa & Dave Graham – BottleRock Napa Valley
• Huston Powell – C3 Presents
• Allen Scott – Another Planet Entertainment
• Stacy Vee – Goldenvoice
• Brooke Wirth – C3 Presents

Venue Executive of the Year
• Becky Colwell – The Greek Theatre
• Sid Greenfeig – T-Mobile Arena
• Laurie Jacoby – MSG Entertainment
• Ralph Marchetta – Talking Stick Resort Arena
• Michael Marion – Verizon Arena
• James Rasmussen – Golden 1 Center
• Chris Semrau – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center

Young Professional of the Year
• Sam Forbert – CAA
• Joe Giordano – BOK Center
• Austin Neal – WME
• Molly Warren – Live Nation
• Max Wiebrecht – Paradigm Talent Agency
• Samantha Zastrow – AT&T Center

Talent Agent of the Year
• Corrie Christopher – Paradigm Talent Agency
• Sam Hunt – Paradigm Talent Agency
• Adam Kornfeld – Artist Group International
• Cara Lewis – Cara Lewis Group
• Brian Manning – CAA
• John Marx – WME
• Darin Murphy – CAA
• Adam Voith – The Billions Corporation

Promoter of the Year
• Larry & Fred Frank – Frank Productions
• Lenore Kinder – AEG Presents
• Mike Luba & Don Sullivan – Madison House Presents
• Ryan McElrath – Live Nation
• Louis Messina – MTG
• Gregg Perloff & Sherry Wasserman – Another Planet Entertainment
• Mike Smardak – Outback Concerts
• Jason Wright – Live Nation

ACM Lifting Lives Announces 2017 Grant Cycle

/by

ACM Lifting Lives, dedicated to improving lives through the power of music, has announced a call for submissions for the 2017 Grant Cycle. Through grant cycles, ACM Lifting Lives provides funding to programs that promote education and healing with a musical connection.

Beginning today, Sept. 6, 2017 and ending on Oct. 4, 2017, submissions will be taken for the 2017 Grant Cycle.

For information on program guidelines and how to submit, please visit www.acmliftinglives.org. Funding decisions will be made and programs will be notified in November 2017.

Organizations that received funding previously include Abe’s Garden Alzheimer’s and Memory Care Center of Excellence in Nashville, TN; Alive Hospice in Nashville, TN; The Art of Elysium in Los Angeles, CA; Barefoot Republic, Inc in Nashville, TN; Bridges Academy in Nashville, TN; the Center for Courageous Kids in Scottsville, KY; CreatiVets in Washburn, IL; Free Arts for Abused Children in Los Angeles, CA; Kesem in Culver City, CA; Legacy Music in Salt Lake City, UT; LiveBeyond in Nashville, TN; Middle Tennessee State University Foundation in Murfreesboro, TN; Music National Service Initiative in the Bay Area, CA; Musicians on Call in Nashville, TN; Nashville Rescue Mission in Nashville, TN; Notes for Notes in Nashville, TN, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, CA; Operation Song in Nashville, TN; Peace thru Music in Ventura, CA; Peggy R. McConnell Worthington Center for the Arts in Worthington, OH; Porter’s Call in Franklin, TN; Possibilities! in Cumberland Furnace, TN; The Quest Center for Art & Community Development in Dickson, TN; Rochelle Center in Nashville, TN; Rock for Kidsin Chicago, IL; Shepherd Center Music Therapy for Veterans in Atlanta, GA; Songs For Sounds in Nashville, TN; Tapping Individual Potential in Nashville, TN; Uintah School of Music and the Arts in Vernal, UT; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center in Nashville, TN; Vanderbilt Music Therapy Program in Nashville, TN; W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School in Nashville, TN; and Youth for Tomorrow – New Life Center, Inc in Bristow, VA.

Top Musicians Remember Elvis at Historic RCA Studio B

/by

Pictured (L-R): Norbert Putnam, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Editor Michael Grey, Musician David Briggs, Charlie McCoy and James Burton. Photo Credit: Carissa Riccardi

On Thursday, Aug. 31 musicians David Briggs, James Burton, Charlie McCoy and Norbert Putnam spoke about their extensive work with Elvis Presley at Historic RCA Studio B in honor of the Studio’s 60th anniversary. Presley, Studio B’s most famous client, recorded more than 200 songs at Historic RCA Studio B, including “Stuck on You,” “Little Sister,” “Good Luck Charm,” “Guitar Man,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight?,” and many of his gospel classics.

The musicians swapped stories about their recording sessions in the studio with Presley, reliving old memories in the very same spot where they recorded with “The King.” Studio B’s 60th anniversary year coincides with the 40th anniversary of Presley’s passing.

Historic RCA Studio B, once the recording home for legends like Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley and Charley Pride, is celebrating its 60th anniversary through Oct. 29 with a slate of special surprise performances during random public tours and unique after-hours programming.

A related program, Hit-Makers Reflect on Historic RCA Studio B takes place Thursday, Sept. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Bobby Bare, Dave Cobb, Lloyd Green and Connie Smith will share their perspectives on working at the Home of 1,000 Hits.

Pilgrimage Festival Details Complete Performance Schedule

/by

The complete schedule, including set times, was released today for the third annual Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival, taking place Sat. and Sun., Sept. 23 and 24 at The Park at Harlinsdale in Franklin, Tenn. The stacked lineup offers talent across five stages.

Among the top-name headliners set to perform are Justin Timberlake, who will take the stage at 7 PM on Saturday night, and Eddie Vedder, who will perform at 7:20 PM Sunday night. See complete lists below.

Adding to the festival’s stellar schedule are Ryan Adams, The Avett Brothers, Mavis Staples, Gary Clark Jr., Walk The Moon, and Fitz and The Tantrums.

An app will be available soon on both iPhone and Android to allow festival goers to keep up with the latest info on all their favorite artists, set times, customized schedule and time sensitive notifications.

Attendees can expect over 50 artisan booths in the bazaar, 24 local and regional food craft booths, and the Bell’s Craft Beer Hall showcasing the top college and NFL games.

The festival continues to drive tourism dollars to Williamson County and the Pilgrimage Foundation, the festival’s non-profit arm, and will donate a portion of each ticket sale to benefit the City of Franklin and Friends of Franklin Parks. Additional proceeds go to Dark Horse Institute and MusiCares.

 

Click to enlarge.

 

Click to enlarge.

Jo Dee Messina Diagnosed With Cancer

/by

Jo Dee Messina shared news of her recent cancer diagnosis on her Facebook page today (Sept. 6).

MusicRow wishes her the best as she begins treatment this fall.

Messina’s last tour date for the year will be Oct. 7 at the Harrington Raceway & Casino in Harrington, Delaware.

Her team posted on Facebook, “It has been a trying summer, but her heart has been filled with gratitude for the many opportunities she has had to see God’s hand at work… We don’t know anything specific regarding the treatment plan at this point, but Jo Dee is working closely with a team to explore all options.”

Recently, Messina had been writing and recording in the studio with producer Seth Mosley.

She celebrated her 47th birthday on Aug. 25.

Jo Dee Messina performs at MusicRow’s Rising Women on the Row event in 2014, at the Omni Nashville. Photo: Bev Moser