In Pictures: BMI, Grammy Pro, Grand Ole Opry

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BMI, ALT 975 Present Eastside Sounds Show

BMI and the newly revamped ALT 975 presented the first Eastside Sounds showcase of 2017 to a packed house at the Basement East in Nashville. Featuring pop/soul artist J. Human and rocking soul singers The New Respects, the enthusiastic audience was treated to a night of incredible Nashville musicianship.

Pictured (back row, L-R): BMI songwriters and The New Respects band members Darius Fitzgerald and Jasmine Mullen, BMI’s Nina Carter, BMI songwriter J. Human and BMI’s Josh Tomlinson. (Front row): BMI songwriters and The New Respects band members Alexis and Alexandria Fitzgerald. Photo: Rhea Foote

Pictured (L-R): Iconic Entertainment Group’s Brian O’Neil, BMI’s Branden Bosler, BMI songwriter J. Human, BMI’s Nina Carter and iHeart Media’s Wells Adams hang backstage at the BMI and ALT 975 Eastside Sounds showcase at the Basement East. Photo: Rhea Foote

 

Jermaine Dupri, Anthony Hamilton Discuss Careers During Grammy Pro Event

Songwriter Jermaine Dupri and R&B/soul artist Anthony Hamilton spoke during a Grammy Pro “Art of the Craft” session on April 13 at Nashville’s The Listening Room. The event, moderated by engineer/mixer Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, included a conversation, listening session and live performance.

Dupri is known for his work with Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Usher and more. In 2006, he earned a Grammy for Best R&B Song for “We Belong Together.” Hamilton earned multiple Grammy nominations for tracks including “Comin’ From Where I’m From,” “Charlene,” and won a Best R&B Song Grammy in 2009 with “You’ve Got The Love I Need” (w/Al Green).

Pictured (L-R): The Recording Academy Nashville Chapter Executive Director, Alicia Warwick; moderator and GRAMMY winner Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, GRAMMY winner Jermaine Dupri, GRAMMY-winning Soul/R&B artist Anthony Hamilton, and The Recording Academy Nashville Chapter President and two-time GRAMMY winner Shannon Sanders. Photo: courtesy of The Recording Academy®/photo by Jason Davis, WireImage.com

 

Brad Paisley Makes Surprise Grand Ole Opry Appearance

Grand Ole Opry member Brad Paisley stopped by unannounced to celebrate the release of his new album Love and War with his Opry family. Introduced by his co-writer friend and Opry legend Bill Anderson, Paisley explained to the audience that he and Anderson had penned a new song called “Dying To See Her” for Paisley’s new album which will be released April 21. The two performed the tune together, and Paisley added a sampling of his hits including his recent No. 1 from the album, “Today.”

Paisley is set to return to the Opry for two shows May 6. Tickets and ticket/album combo packages are available at opry.com. Paisley graces the cover of the Opry’s seasonal Inside the Circle magazine, part of the Opry’s new subscription box, the Opry Box, also available at opry.com.

Brad Paisley performs on the Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

Elle King, Butch Walker, Shooter Jennings, Wynonna And More Set To Play Dylan Fest

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Dylan Fest: A Celebration of Bob Dylan‘s 76th Birthday, has been set for May 23-24 at the Ryman Auditorium. The second annual two-night concert event will feature an array of artists paying tribute to the music of Bob Dylan by performing their favorite Dylan songs.

Set to appear at the festival are Wynonna & The Big Noise, Elle King, Shakey Graves, Duane Eddy, Boz Scaggs, Valerie June, Hamilton Leithauser, Moon Taxi, Richard Hawley, Shooter Jennings, Anderson East, Erika Wennerstrom of Heartless Bastards, Butch Walker, Karen Elson, Langhorne Slim, John Paul White, The Weeks, Rayland Baxter, Bones Owens, Danny Masterson, The Whigs, The Watson Twins, Jonathan Tyler, Paul Cauthen, Gill Landry, Lauren Shera, The Texas Gentlemen, Eric Pulido of Midlake, Shelly Colvin, Odessa and many more.

In addition to commemorating Dylan’s 76th birthday, the concerts will also celebrate Dylan’s recent Nobel Prize win and marks the 50th anniversary of his 1967 album, John Wesley Harding, recorded at Columbia’s Studio A in Nashville.

Tickets go on sale April 21 at ticketmaster.com. The shows will benefit Refuge Foundation for the Arts, a non-profit providing sanctuary for the pursuit of creative expression through music and art that was founded in response to the lack of resources available to artists today.

 

John Butler To Exit Curb, Join Spotify As Head Of Christian Music

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After 15 years at Curb Records, VP of Promotion John Butler is exiting the company. He will join Spotify as Head of Christian Music, beginning April 24.

In his new role, Butler will continue to be based in Nashville, overseeing Christian music globally through playlist curation, programming and editorial.

Prior to his work at Curb Records, Butler served at Squint Entertainment (Sixpence None The Richer) and Arista Austin. During his career he also spent time at Jive Records and Silvertone Records (Jars of Clay).

Lauren Alaina, Chris Janson, Kip Moore, Michael Ray Set For “Georgia On My Mind” Concert

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Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, and Ben Hayslip – will return to host “Georgia on My Mind” May 16 at the Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Georgia Music Foundation

The fourth annual Jameson Irish Whiskey Presents Georgia On My Mind concert, set for May 16 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, will host a solid lineup of chart-toppers and ace songwriters, hosted by the Peach Pickers Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip.

Lauren Alaina, Chris Janson, Kip Moore, Michael Ray and T. Graham Brown are slated to perform, as are Georgia Music Hall of Famers Drivin’ N Cryin’ and Jimmy Hall of Wet Willie. Returning this year are Dexter Redding and Otis Redding III, sons of the soul icon Otis Redding.

The evening also includes a special performance by students from the Georgia Pick and Bow Traditional Music School in Dahlonega, who received a grant from the Georgia Music Foundation in 2016 from concert proceeds.

“This is as close to a Georgia homecoming as you are going to get in Tennessee,” said Davidson, who also chairs the Georgia Music Foundation Board of Directors. “The popularity and success of this event is so rewarding because it celebrates our homegrown talent and allows us to give back to deserving music education programs.”

“At Jameson we believe music has the power to make a community a family, and we are excited to celebrate and be part of the Georgia-bred music family for the fourth year with ‘Georgia on My Mind,'” said Sebastien Borda, Director, Jameson, Pernod Ricard USA.

The Georgia Music Foundation, a non-profit organization established in 1994, has distributed more than $150,000 in grants to deserving music education, preservation and outreach programs across the state in the past three years from “Georgia On My Mind” proceeds. Each year during the concert, the Georgia Music Foundation presents its Flamekeeper Award to a Georgia artist who tirelessly preserves and promotes Georgia’s musical roots and traditions.

Tickets, which are available now, are $52.50 and $42.50 and will be available via Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com, ryman.com or by calling 800-745-3000.

Watch a clip from the 2016 concert below.

YouTube video

William Michael Morgan Joins BMI

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Pictured (L-R): William Michael Morgan, BMI’s Bradley Collins

William Michael Morgan stopped by BMI’s Nashville office on April 18 to officially join the performing rights organization. The singer-songwriter has been touring in support of his debut Warner Music Nashville album Vinyl, which was released late last year.

The album includes his debut single, “I Met A Girl,” penned by Shane McAnally, Sam Hunt, and Trevor Rosen. Morgan is currently promoting his followup single, “Missing.”

Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy Promotes Jason Fridenstine

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Jason Fridenstine

Entertainment business management firm Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy has promoted Jason Fridenstine from associate business manager to business manager.

A native of Ohio, Fridenstine has been with FBMM for 18 years and has more than 25 years of music industry experience. His previous experience as a recording artist and producer has given him insights on multiple aspects of the music industry. At FBMM, he provides his clients with business management advice that is tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.

“Jason always goes above and beyond for our clients,” said FBMM partner Mary Ann McCready. “One of his strengths is his ability to understand our clients’ needs and put himself in their shoes. We look forward to seeing how he will continue to solve our clients’ toughest business problems in the future.”

Fridenstine is active in Nashville’s music community as a member of the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association and Recording Academy. He also volunteers in his free time with MusiCares, Habitat for Humanity and St. Henry’s Men’s Club and is a volunteer coach for youth baseball. Fridenstine graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1991 with a B.A. degree in music and has continued his education by taking accounting and finance classes at Nashville State.

Carrie Brings Luck To Mike Fisher And The Preds At Monday Night’s Blackhawks Matchup

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As if Nashville Predators fans weren’t amped enough going into Game 3 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Chicago Blackhawks here on home ice Monday night (April 17), Carrie Underwood made a surprise appearance to open the game with a rousing rendition of the National Anthem.

Underwood and her golden pipes must’ve brought some added luck to hubby Mike Fisher and the Preds, because they fought their way to a third win 3-2 in overtime, helping the team take their first 3-0 series lead in franchise history. Decked out in a Predators jersey, the proud superstar tweeted about the supercharged energy of the crowd before the puck even hit the ice, and was as overjoyed as anyone when they pulled out their third victory in the tight game.

No word on whether she’ll sing again at Thursday’s Game 4 against Chicago, but it’s likely she’ll be on hand for every minute of the pulse-pounding action.

Go Preds!

Watch the video below:

CCM News: Chris Tomlin Makes History At Bridgestone Arena, Winter Jam Tops Tours, Next Level Songs Expands

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Chris Tomlin Makes History With Good Friday Nashville Event

Pictured (L-R): Governor Bill Haslam, First Lady Crissy Haslam, Chris Tomlin, Kristen Allender (State Director for Tennessee’s Kids Belong), Laura Doherty (Director of Communications for America’s Kids Belong)

CCM artist Chris Tomlin made history on Friday, April 14, when nearly 15,000 attendees joined him for his Good Friday Nashville event at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, making it the largest ticketed Christian concert in the venue’s history.

Joining Tomlin were Big Daddy Weave, Zach Williams, best-selling author Max Lucado and surprise special guest Hillary Scott from Lady Antebellum singing her No. 1 hit “Thy Will,” as well as Matt Maher and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. Good Friday Nashville is set to return with Bridgestone Arena already on hold for the next seven years.

Tomlin donated the net proceeds from Good Friday Nashville to Tennessee Kids Belong (TKB), the state chapter of national non-profit, America’s Kids Belong.

 

Winter Jam Tour Spectacular Makes Pollstar Top 100 Tours List

Britt Nicole performs at Winter Jam

The Winter Jam Tour Spectacular, which closed its 2017 Eastern U.S. run earlier this month, landed at No. 4 on Pollstar’s “1Q YTD Worldwide 2017 Ticket Sales Top 100 Tours” chart. The tour visited 46 cities from January through April.

The tour features 10 top CCM artists, including Crowder, Britt Nicole, Tenth Avenue North, Andy Mineo, Colton Dixon, Thousand Foot Krutch, and Winter Jam creators and tour hosts NewSong. Several special guests appeared throughout the tour, including Matthew West, Lauren Daigle, Danny Gokey, Francesca Battistelli, Jordan Feliz, Zach Williams and more.

 

Next Level Songs Adds Marketing Director, Lead Mentor

Nashville-based Next Level Songs, founded by Stephen Duncan in 2014, has added Brittani Scott as Marketing Director and Lead Mentor. The company provides mentorships and song critiques, as well as hosting songwriting retreats to connect songwriters with fellow writers and industry professionals. The company is primarily geared toward the Christian music industry.

Stephen Duncan, the owner and founder of Next Level Songs, states, “I am so excited to bring Brittani Scott on staff with Next Level Songs! She is heading up our marketing department, co-leading and coordinating our retreats and workshops, and she adds huge value to our mentorship program as our second mentor on staff.”

Next Level Songs’ upcoming songwriting retreat will take place June 22-25 at Deer Run Retreat Center south of Nashville. For more, visit event.nextlevelsongs.com/retreat

Rounder Records Launches Vinyl Subscription Service

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Rounder Records has launched vinyl subscription service Roundup Vinyl. The direct-to-fan service will include quarterly mailings of three albums, curated by Rounder founders Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy, and Bill Nowlin. Each package will be accompanied by a letter from the founders that frames each collection, and details the selection process.

Subscriptions are offered on a quarterly, half-yearly, and yearly basis.

The inaugural bundle from Roundup Vinyl showcases three luminaries in contemporary roots music: 15-time Grammy winner Béla Fleck’s Juno Concerto, featuring the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and string quartet Brooklyn Rider; singer-songwriter, actor, and style icon Pokey LaFarge’s Manic Revelations; and Universal Favorite, a solo album by banjo innovator and multi-instrumentalist Noam Pikelny, a founding member of Punch Brothers.

Irwin recalls, “Rounder recording artist Hazel Dickens was to play a New York Film Festival show at Lincoln Center in 1974. She called her usual banjo player Tony Trischka, but was disappointed when he told her that he wasn’t available. He recommended a 16 year old banjo student. Hazel had reservations because it was such a high profile gig, but trusted Tony and made the hire. The boy was named Béla Fleck. 43 years later, and with more Grammy nominations in varying categories than any other artist in history, we are humbled to present Béla’s 15th Rounder release, Juno Concerto.”

“The first time I heard Pokey, it was indeed a revelation – though more in the life-changing sense rather than the manic,” says Levy.  “A great American storyteller, he brings those stories to life, both live and on record.  For me, Pokey Lafarge both continues and expands that bardic tradition, in the wild spirit of Woody Guthrie, Johnny Cash, or any other great American classic, but in his own inimitable style.  To deeply hear his music is to be transformed!”
“When I heard that Steve Martin had awarded Noam Pikelny the first-ever Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, I wondered if he’d gotten punch-drunk,” says Nowlin. “But that was before I’d heard Noam Pikelny play Kenny Baker playing Bill Monroe. And now I’ve heard him play a 1953 Fender Telecaster on Carl Butler’s ‘My Tears Don’t Show.’ For that, I had to wait — as did we all — for Noam’s 2017 solo album on Rounder, Universal Favorite. It might be true that only a banjo master could play the Telecaster the way he does. If you haven’t caught his solo show yet, don’t tarry.”
To learn more about Roundup Vinyl, visit roundupvinyl.myshopify.com

Radio Vet John Shomby Adds WKDF PD Duties At Cumulus

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John Shomby has been promoted to Program Director of NASH FM 103.3 (WKDF) in Nashville. He adds those duties in addition to the NASH Director of Programming position he’s held with Cumulus Media for the past year and half. Shomby has more than 43 years in radio programming and management experience, including stops at Max Media Hampton Roads, where he was Operations Manager for their five-station cluster, KLIF Radio, KAAM/KZPS in Dallas, and Cumulus’s seven-station cluster in Augusta.

Charlie Cook continues as VP/Country for Cumulus Media as well as the VP/Operations for Cumulus Media-Nashville with continued oversight of WKDF, and as the Program Director for 95.5 NASH ICON (WSM-FM).

“Charlie is the cornerstone of our country strategy,” said Allison Warren, Vice President/Market Manager for Cumulus Media-Nashville. “His unparalleled knowledge, leadership, and passion for country music will continue to drive our success. With that, he and I are excited to expand John’s duties to PD of WKDF in Nashville. John’s experience in country, CHR, syndication, working with big personalities, and making a difference in the community makes him a great fit for Nashville and this iconic brand.”

“Charlie is providing me with a great opportunity and I appreciate the vote of confidence from him, Allison Warren, and Mike McVay, Cumulus and Westwood One EVP, Content and Programming. I look forward to working with the WKDF team and continuing to build on the success of NASH FM 103.3 (WKDF),” said Shomby about the promotion.