Donny Walker

Producer Michael Knox has appointed Donny Walker as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships for his production/management company Music Knox, LLC.

In his new role, Walker will develop unique promotional partnerships in key radio and touring markets nationally for Music Knox and its roster. Walker will work alongside Senior Vice President Shalacy Griffin, who oversees the company’s day-to-day operations, which includes Reviver Records recording artist Michael Tyler. Tyler’s debut album 317 is available March 17, 2017 and he is currently on the “Ones to Watch” tour with labelmates LOCASH.

“I’ve known and respected Donny for a long time. He brings a lot of experience to the table and we are excited to add him to the Music Knox team” says Music Knox President/CEO Michael Knox.

“I’ve always felt that my skill set could help with artist management so joining Michael Knox’s team will be an exciting new path for me both professionally and personally” Walker said. “This is an incredible opportunity; from the first time I saw Michael Tyler perform, it was obvious that he is an extremely talented artist and songwriter.”

Walker recently exited his role as Senior Director of Syndicated Radio for Westwood One where he spent 12 years managing the affiliate sales effort for many award winning nationally syndicated radio shows including Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton, CMT Radio Live with Cody Alan, American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks and The Lia Show. In addition, he was responsible for overseeing the affiliate sales of the Cumulus NASH syndicated product line including Nash Nights Live with Shawn Parr, The Blair Garner Show, Country Gold with Terri Clark and Ty, Kelly and Chuck Mornings.

Walker started his radio career at Billboard Magazine working in the chart department and then joined BDS to launch their first real-time radio-monitoring product Radio Track.

Michael Knox is most noted for his production work with Jason Aldean, as well as production credits for Thomas Rhett (“It Goes Like This”), Trace Adkins (“Just Fishin’” and This Ain’t No Love Song”), Kelly Clarkson‘s collaboration with Aldean (“Don’t You Wanna Stay”), Ludacris‘ collaboration with Aldean (“Dirt Road Anthem”), Luke Bryan & Eric Church‘s collaboration with Aldean (“The Only Way I Know”), Montgomery Gentry (“Where I Come From”), Josh Thompson (“Beer On The Table” and “Way Out Here”) and Frankie Ballard (“Tell Me You Get Lonely” and “A Buncha Girls”) among others.

Michael Knox also serves as Vice President for peermusic Group in Nashville. Under the creative purview of Knox, peermusic Nashville has built itself into one of Nashville’s top independent publishing companies. In 2013 they enjoyed the ASCAP Song of the Year “How Country Feels” (Randy Houser) and in 2016 SESAC honored peermusic with Country Song of the Year “Somewhere On A Beach” (Dierks Bentley).

The family of Merle Haggard, Blackbird Presents and Willie Nelson will host an all-star concert event taping, titled Sing Me Back Home: The Music Of Merle Haggard, at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Thursday, April 6, 2017.

The concert, which will begin at 7 p.m. CT, honors what would have been Haggard’s 80th birthday and the one-year anniversary of his passing.

The event will feature performances from Nelson, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, John Mellencamp, Dierks Bentley, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams Jr., The Avett Brothers, Alison Krauss, Ronnie Dunn, Warren Haynes, Jamey Johnson, Kacey Musgraves, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lucinda Williams, Ben Haggard, John Anderson, Connie Smith and Bobby Bare. Additional performers to be announced in the coming weeks.

Keith Wortman, Mark Rothbaum and Theresa Haggard are the creators and executive producers of the show. Don Was, Ben Haggard and Buddy Cannon will serve as music directors and preside over a house band backing the performers at the taping. The event will be filmed and recorded for multi-platform distribution throughout traditional media (worldwide broadcast, music, and digital). A portion of the proceeds will benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation.

Tickets on sale Friday, March 3, 2017 at 11 a.m. CT online at ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster locations and the Bridgestone Arena box office.

Garth Brooks continues to top himself, breaking another touring record last Friday night (Feb. 24) with a record five millionth ticket sold in just 60 cities played on his Garth Brooks World Tour. Brooks was recognized for the feat during his show Friday night at Rogers Place in Edmonton, AB, where wife Trisha Yearwood interrupted her own set to surprise him with the big news.

Yearwood invited Jared Smith, President of Ticketmaster and Michael Evans, President of Arenas for Live Nation to the stage to present Brooks with a commemorative plaque honoring the five million tickets sold in 100 cities during the 1996-1998 world tour along with a second plaque honoring the five millionth ticket sold in just 60 cities during this current tour. Garth Brooks and Ticketmaster have been working together for more than 20 years.

Following that presentation, Bob Nicholson, Oilers Entertainment Group CEO & Vice Chair and Susan Darrington, General Manager of Rogers Place joined the two on stage to unveil a new banner hanging from the rafters celebrating the five millionth ticket sold and Brooks’ nine sold-out concerts at the new Rogers Place in Edmonton. The banner will hang alongside the championship banners of the Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Oil Kings. As Garth then tried to leave the stage, Trisha stopped him for another surprise – a special video message from Wayne Gretzky that played on the big screen.

In just over two years the tour has sold over five million tickets, making it the biggest tour in the world and breaking records held by acts like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The tour is presented by Amazon Music Unlimited.

The Blues Foundation will induct its 38th class into the Blues Hall of Fame on May 10 at Memphis’ Halloran Centre for the Performing Arts and Education. Fourteen inductees representing five categories: Performers, Non-Performing Individuals, Classic of Blues Literature, Classic of Blues Recording (Song) and Classic of Blues Recording (Album) will be inducted this year.

The six artists chosen for induction into the Performers category are Mavis Staples; Latimore; guitarists Magic Slim and Johnny Copeland; and Howlin’ Wolf sidemen guitarist Willie Johnson and piano-man Henry Gray.  The year’s non-performer category inductee is Living Blues Magazine co-founder/radio show host Amy van Singel, who passed away in Sept. 2016. The Classic of Blues Literature pick is Father of the Blues, W.C. Handy’s 1941 autobiography. John Lee Hooker’s 1966 Chess album Real Folk Blues is the Classic of Blues Recording Album category induction pick.

The Classic of Blues Recording songs going into the Hall of Fame include Bo Diddley’s signature tune “Bo Diddley,” Tommy Tucker’s classic “Hi Heel Sneakers,” the Albert King hit “I’ll Play the Blues For You,” Son House’s “Preachin’ the Blues” and “I Ain’t Superstitious,” which features 2017 inductee Henry Gray playing on Howlin’ Wolf’s well-known 1961 recording. 

Tickets for the ceremony, which is open to the public, are $100 per seat and can be purchased online here.