The Music Biz Association will present discussions surrounding the international success and impact of the Country Music Association’s “Forever Country,” and Tim McGraw‘s “Humble and Kind,” as well as the strategy behind breaking artist Thomas Rhett on an international level, in a series of case studies titled “Country Music’s Gone Global.” The discussions will be held Wednesday, May 17 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. as part of the Music Biz 2017 convention at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.
At 11 a.m., CMA and UMG Nashville will explore the multi-artist, multi-label country single “Forever Country,” and its accompanying video which commemorated the CMA Awards’ 50th broadcast. This session and case study takes a deeper look at Forever Country and the impact on overall International audiences and adoption of country music globally prior to, during, and since release with research from the CMA and Universal Music Group Nashville.
Those taking part in the session include Annie Ortmeier, Sr. Director of Streaming & Digital Marketing, Universal Music Group Nashville; Karen Stump, Sr., Director of Consumer Insights, Country Music Association (CMA); and Damon Whiteside, Chief Marketing Officer, Country Music Association (CMA).
At 11:40 a.m., a session will focus on the marketing campaign behind Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind,” which became a No. 1, platinum-selling single that would go on to inspire a New York Times Best Seller book. McGraw’s management company, EM.Co, partnered with Facebook to premiere the song’s accompanying music video, and launched a social media campaign that brought in millions of views and spurred a movement for fans to create original content and complete random acts of kindness. During the Academy of Country Music Awards, McGraw welcomed 130 people from across the globe to join him for a performance of “Humble and Kind” on the ACM Awards stage.
Those taking part in the session include Brian Kaplan, VP of Marketing and Digital, EM.Co, and James Stewart, Sr. Director of Marketing, EM.Co.
At 12:15 p.m., a session will focus on the strategy, opportunities, and challenges surrounding taking Big Machine Label Group artist Thomas Rhett’s stateside success, including his six-week No. 1 single “Die A Happy Man,” into international territory. He has had headlining shows in Belgium, Canada, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Scotland. On the verge of a third album and a 2017 world tour, this timely discussion will give a current perspective on the challenges and opportunities of going global, as well as an inside look at the components necessary to do so, and much more.
The session will be moderated by Billboard columnist Phyllis Stark, and will include Jimmy Chapin, International Director, Big Machine Label Group; Virginia Davis, Founder and Managing Partner, G Major Management; Anna-Sophie Mertens, Promoter, Live Nation UK; and Akiko Rogers, Agent, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME).
Day passes for Wednesday, May 17, are also available for $199. These passes will allow buyers to access all Music Biz 2017 programming on May 17 only, including the CMA-sponsored Awards Breakfast & Presentations (featuring awards presentations to UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan and Music Millennium’s Terry Currier and a live performance by Little Big Town) and Country Music’s Gone Global. To purchase the May 17 day pass, visit musicbiz2017.eventbrite.com and use code COUNTRYDAY to reveal the ticket.
Music Biz 2017 will be held May 15-18 at Renaissance Nashville Hotel.
Coran Capshaw To Be Honored With City of Hope’s 2017 Spirit of Life Award
/by Dan_StrassbergCoran Capshaw
City of Hope, the world-renowned medical and scientific research and treatment center, announced today that its Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Group will present its 2017 Spirit of Life® Award to Coran Capshaw. The Spirit of Life® Award is City of Hope’s highest honor, and each year recognizes a leader whose work has fundamentally impacted the music, film or entertainment industries.
Capshaw will be presented with the award at a gala dinner in Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2017.
“City of Hope is proud to recognize Coran with its highest honor, the Spirit of Life award,” said Robert W. Stone, president and chief executive officer of City of Hope. “We deeply appreciate Coran’s commitment to our mission and focus on providing cutting-edge treatment and compassionate care to our cancer and diabetes patients.”
“I’m humbled to receive such a great honor from City of Hope, an organization at the forefront of life-changing treatment and research that improves and saves so many lives.” Said Capshaw.
“Coran’s involvement, along with the support of other music, film and entertainment leaders, is vital to City of Hope’s scientific breakthroughs, innovative research and compassionate patient care,” said Peter Gray, President of the Music, Film and Entertainment Industry board. “City of Hope is extremely grateful for their collaboration and passion.”
Capshaw founded Red Light Management in 1991 at the beginning of his now 25-year role as the personal manager of Dave Matthews Band. RLM’s roster includes Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Chris Stapleton, Lady Antebellum, Tiësto, Enrique Iglesias, Lionel Richie, Alabama Shakes and many more. Red Light Management has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Charlottesville, Nashville, Atlanta, Seattle, London and Bristol.
Industry Ink: Spin Doctors Music Group, Rocketown, Power of Music Festival
/by Jessica NicholsonSpin Doctors Music Group Promotes Kidd
Jessilynn Kidd
Jessilynn Kidd named to VP/Promotion for Spin Doctors Music Group, and SMG Records Nashville.
SDMG President/CEO Al Brock said, “as our company continues growing, we are focusing our energies on some additional endeavors, and we love Jessilynn’s tenacity, passion, and genuine enthusiasm for what we are doing. She is a perfect fit for this new position and will be a big part of our future growth.”
Kidd joined the company in January and her prior experience includes Huntsman Entertainment. SDMG is owned by Brock Entertainment Inc and was founded in 2010.
Rocketown Names New Executive Director
Kenny Alonzo
Rocketown, a Nashville-based youth outreach facility founded by Michael W. Smith, has named Kenny Alonzo as its new Executive Director. Alonzo spent the past 12 years with YMCA of Middle Tennessee Association in various roles, with the most recent being the Executive Director of their downtown location.
“We are so very grateful and excited that Kenny Alonzo is joining the Rocketown team as our new Executive Director,” shares Rocketown Founder Michael W. Smith. “Kenny’s love and passion for youth, in particular disadvantaged youth, and ministry is contagious. I fully believe that Rocketown’s best days are ahead and Kenny is the perfect leader to guide our staff and young people in the right direction”.
Rocketown is well-known for their youth ministry but also arts enrichment programs, sports leagues, Nashville’s only all ages music venue, and expansive skatepark. The youth-only recording studio, improv acting classes, and music and vocal lessons are free and open to students in 5-12 grade – year round.
Power Of Music Festival To Benefit I’ll Fly Away Foundation
The Power Of Music Festival will bring over 50 performers to eight stages for more than 80 shows April 27-29 during the inaugural fundraiser in Bentonville, Arkansas for the I’ll Fly Away Foundation. Performers will include Beth Nielsen Chapman, Thom Schuyler, Roger Cook, Richard Leigh, Tony Arata and Dennis Morgan (all Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame honorees), multiple Grammy Award-winner Carl Jackson, Fred Knobloch, Larry Cordle and more are scheduled to perform.
Next generation writers appearing include Katie Larson, Michael Dause, Graham Weber, Akina Adderley, Candy Lee, Saul Paul, The Accidentals and more. All funds raised will benefit the “You Can Fly” Songwriting Program.
Weekly Register: Chris Stapleton’s “Broken Halos” Makes Strong Debut
/by Jessica NicholsonCapitol Nashville artist Keith Urban‘s Ripcord is again at No. 1 this week on the Nielsen Soundscan current country album chart. Ripcord sold 8.5K this week.
UMG Nashville artists take the top two spots on the country album chart this week, as Mercury Nashville artist Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller is at No. 2, with 6.7K sold this week. To date, Traveller has sold 1.9 million units. The album’s follow up, From A Room: Vol. 1, is set to release next month.
Joey Martin Feek‘s If Not For You falls from No. 2 to No. 3 this week, with 6.6K sold.
RCA Nashville/Vanner artist Miranda Lambert‘s The Weight Of These Wings sold 5.6K, while Nash Icon’s Reba rounds out the Top 5, with her album Sing It Now: Songs of Faith and Hope selling 5.3K this week.
On the top digital tracks rankings, Sam Hunt‘s “Body Like A Back Road” is again the top country track, selling 70K. Chris Stapleton’s new single, “Broken Halos,” debuts in the second spot, selling 37.3K. Brett Young‘s “In Case You Didn’t Know” comes in third with 31.7K. Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood‘s “The Fighter” follows, with 27.7K. Luke Combs‘ “Hurricane” rounds out the Top 5, selling 21.1K.
Information provided by Nielsen Soundscan.
Hideout Pictures Adds Two Staffers
/by Lorie HollabaughTrevor O’Neil, Ed Pryor
Hideout Pictures, LLC, the production company behind CMT’s series Still The King, and a subsidiary of Average Joes Entertainment, has added two new staffers, Trevor O’Neil and Ed Pryor. O’Neil has been named Vice President of Unscripted/Alternative, while Pryor has been appointed Director/In-house Content Creator.
George Strait Adds Las Vegas Dates
/by Jessica NicholsonGeorge Strait has added to his successful 2 Nights of Number 1’s run at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, tacking on six appearances throughout 2017. The unique concert series allows Strait, who has 60 No. 1 hits to his credit, to showcase not only his radio hits but many fan-favorites that didn’t reach the pinnacle of the country charts.
Upcoming 2017 shows are slated for July 28-29, Sept. 1-2, and Dec. 8-9. Special guest Cam will join him on these dates.
The singer-songwriter launched 2 Nights of Number 1’s during his T-Mobile Arena run on April 7-8, where he played chart-toppers such as “You Look So Good In Love,” “Baby Blue,” “The Chair,” “Check Yes Or No,” and more, in addition to fan-favorites including “Troubadour.”
“Back when we announced 2 Nights of Number 1’s, I said if the fans wanted to hear more, we would look at it,” says Strait. “Well, we heard them loud and clear. This is something they want more of, so that’s what they will get.”
Strait stepped away from touring in 2014 on his The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, which peaked with a concert at AT&T Stadium near Dallas, which drew a record-breaking 104,793 fans. In 2016, he began an exclusive series of shows at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena. The show’s success prompted more shows to be added for 2017.
Tickets and VIP packages for the July 28-29 2 Nights of Number 1’s shows are on sale now. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit straittovegas.com.
MusicRowPics: Ryan Griffin Gets Honest On EP ‘Sake Of The Summer’
/by Jessica NicholsonRyan Griffin
Newcomer Ryan Griffin is no stranger to the country charts; he co-wrote Kelsea Ballerini’s No. 1 hit “Dibs,” alongside Ballerini, Josh Kerr, and Jason Duke.
Now, he’s celebrating the recent release of his own five-song EP, Sake of the Summer, which features his current single, “Back Seats and Burnt CDs.”
The single is the only track on his EP that Griffin didn’t have a hand in writing. Griffin first heard the track during a show at the Bluebird Café, when songwriting friends Josh Kerr and Jordan Reynolds debuted the song.
“As songwriters we share songs constantly. So that happens and I’m sitting at that round I thought I had heard all of their songs but they played it. I was like, ‘Why haven’t I heard this before?’ This song has taken me somewhere for like three minutes. ‘Back Seats and Burnt CDs’ was my childhood.”
The video for the song was originally slated to be shot in East Nashville, but Griffin found the “middle America” feel he was looking for in his own town of Nolensville, Tennessee.
“We drove around town for like three hours. We were shooting at night so it had to be lit well, and Nolensville had the perfect feel. We put the band on the main road. There’s a Napa Auto Parts and Nana’s Diner. That song is so nostalgic so I wanted the video to have that nostalgic vibe.”
Ryan Griffin with MusicRow staffers.
The Florida native has been in Nashville for over 10 years, and attended Belmont University. During his senior year, Griffin worked on the road with Jason Aldean.
During his visit to the MusicRow offices, he also showcased songs including “Woulda Left Me Too,” a brutally honest track he co-wrote with Lisa Carver.
“It’s a true story, and it’s not my shining moment as a human. It was that girl that made me good enough or even slightly good enough to marry my wife when she came around. It’s about that girl that I learned a lesson with. It was one of those songs I never thought would see the light of day. To see it go on Spotify and see it blow up was really cool. I’m so happy that platforms like Spotify and Sirius are getting behind it.”
Renee Blair Signs With SMACKSongs for Publishing/Production
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto credit: Weiss Eubanks
Epic Records artist Renee Blair has signed a worldwide publishing and production deal with Shane McAnally‘s SMACKSongs. McAnally and Blair head into the studio this week to begin work on a new album, due out later this year. Upon moving to Nashville, St. Louis native Blair began collaborating with Starkitechs’ Brandon Riester to develop her sound, which ultimately caught the attention of Epic Records’ CEO L.A. Reid, who signed her to Epic.
“Renee’s work ethic and passion are unequaled. She is determined to write the right songs to showcase her unique brand of R&B inspired modern country music,” expressed McAnally. “She is a true artist in every sense.”
“It’s a dream come true to work with this level of writers, musicians and collaborators. They challenge and inspire me to be better in every way, by continuously raising the bar on great music,” said Blair. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with Shane and everyone in the SMACK family.”
Peter Frampton, Rob Thomas, More To Perform At ASCAP’s ‘We Write The Songs’ Event
/by Lorie HollabaughHosted by ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams, the evening will include performances by Peter Frampton and Gordon Kennedy (“Baby I Love Your Way” & “Change the World”), Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty (“Smooth”), Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman of The Hooters (“One of Us” & “Time After Time”), Ledisi (“Pieces of Me”) and young jazz composer and singer Camille Thurman.
The event takes place the night before ASCAP’s “Stand with Songwriters” Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill April 26, when many of the “We Write the Songs” music creators will meet personally with legislators to discuss the challenges facing songwriters in the digital age and urge policymakers to update the outdated and overreaching federal regulations that govern how songwriters license their work.
“We Write the Songs” has become a Washington tradition and an exclusive ticket for legislative and cultural dignitaries, and is not open to the public.
Brad Paisley Kicks Off ‘Love And War’ Release With Surprise Nashville Show
/by Lorie HollabaughJohn Fogerty and Brad Paisley
Brad Paisley celebrated the release of his star-studded new album Love And War yesterday in a big way, with a party at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and a surprise show at famed honky tonk Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on Sunday (April 23). Paisley was joined onstage at the over 90-minute-long Tootsie’s jam by some special guests who appear on his new album, including John Fogerty, Bill Anderson, and Timbaland.
Prior to the Tootsie’s show, Paisley showcased the unique strategy behind the album, reviewing the music videos that accompany each track on Love and War. Paisley also announced a new a partnership with the 2017 Sarah Cannon’s Band Against Cancer campaign.
Pictured (Top left): Timbaland and Brad Paisley; (Top right): Bill Anderson and Brad Paisley; Bottom: A crowd gathers at tootsies to celebrate the release of Paisley’s Love and War album. All Photos: Derek Cressman
Teams Behind Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, CMA To Discuss International Strategy During Music Biz 2017 Conference
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Music Biz Association will present discussions surrounding the international success and impact of the Country Music Association’s “Forever Country,” and Tim McGraw‘s “Humble and Kind,” as well as the strategy behind breaking artist Thomas Rhett on an international level, in a series of case studies titled “Country Music’s Gone Global.” The discussions will be held Wednesday, May 17 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. as part of the Music Biz 2017 convention at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.
At 11 a.m., CMA and UMG Nashville will explore the multi-artist, multi-label country single “Forever Country,” and its accompanying video which commemorated the CMA Awards’ 50th broadcast. This session and case study takes a deeper look at Forever Country and the impact on overall International audiences and adoption of country music globally prior to, during, and since release with research from the CMA and Universal Music Group Nashville.
Those taking part in the session include Annie Ortmeier, Sr. Director of Streaming & Digital Marketing, Universal Music Group Nashville; Karen Stump, Sr., Director of Consumer Insights, Country Music Association (CMA); and Damon Whiteside, Chief Marketing Officer, Country Music Association (CMA).
At 11:40 a.m., a session will focus on the marketing campaign behind Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind,” which became a No. 1, platinum-selling single that would go on to inspire a New York Times Best Seller book. McGraw’s management company, EM.Co, partnered with Facebook to premiere the song’s accompanying music video, and launched a social media campaign that brought in millions of views and spurred a movement for fans to create original content and complete random acts of kindness. During the Academy of Country Music Awards, McGraw welcomed 130 people from across the globe to join him for a performance of “Humble and Kind” on the ACM Awards stage.
Those taking part in the session include Brian Kaplan, VP of Marketing and Digital, EM.Co, and James Stewart, Sr. Director of Marketing, EM.Co.
At 12:15 p.m., a session will focus on the strategy, opportunities, and challenges surrounding taking Big Machine Label Group artist Thomas Rhett’s stateside success, including his six-week No. 1 single “Die A Happy Man,” into international territory. He has had headlining shows in Belgium, Canada, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Scotland. On the verge of a third album and a 2017 world tour, this timely discussion will give a current perspective on the challenges and opportunities of going global, as well as an inside look at the components necessary to do so, and much more.
The session will be moderated by Billboard columnist Phyllis Stark, and will include Jimmy Chapin, International Director, Big Machine Label Group; Virginia Davis, Founder and Managing Partner, G Major Management; Anna-Sophie Mertens, Promoter, Live Nation UK; and Akiko Rogers, Agent, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME).
Day passes for Wednesday, May 17, are also available for $199. These passes will allow buyers to access all Music Biz 2017 programming on May 17 only, including the CMA-sponsored Awards Breakfast & Presentations (featuring awards presentations to UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan and Music Millennium’s Terry Currier and a live performance by Little Big Town) and Country Music’s Gone Global. To purchase the May 17 day pass, visit musicbiz2017.eventbrite.com and use code COUNTRYDAY to reveal the ticket.
Music Biz 2017 will be held May 15-18 at Renaissance Nashville Hotel.