CMA Open For Business At New Location
CMA staff members on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 begin moving to new Music Row offices at 35 Music Square East, Suite 201, in Nashville. Photo: Christian Bottorff / CMA
The Country Music Association began operating from its new Music Row headquarters at 35 Music SQ. E. on Monday (July 25).
CMA had occupied its former building at One Music Circle South since 1991, when there were only 15 full time staff members, one annual television program, and Fan Fair was held at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. CMA is now home to 49 staff members; three ABC television properties; the annual CMA Music Festival, which brings 88,500 fans to downtown Nashville; CMA Songwriters Series, showcasing the best of country music’s hit songwriters; and the CMA Foundation, which has donated $13.68 million to improving and sustaining music education programs across the U.S.
Phone and fax numbers remain, and the new mailing address is 35 Music Sq. E., Ste. 201, Nashville, TN 37203.
Opry Entertainment Adds Writer/Producers, Videographer
Opry Entertainment has added Ben Stansbury and Jill Wilderman as writer/producers, and Caleb Thomas as videographer.
Stansbury has a decade of digital, TV, commercial and music video production experience and has produced music videos for Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line and Charles Kelley.
Wilderman has spent the last decade in Los Angeles in TV and digital content development, most recently as the founder, producer and host of online country music news and content destination Spotlight Country. There she produced and hosted an exclusive country music news program for the VEVO digital music video platform.
In his eight years in video production and photography, Thomas has worked in production on the television series Nashville as well as numerous music videos and on tour content projects for Nashville’s top labels and artists.
Stansbury can be reached at bstansbury@opry.com; Wilderman at jwilderman@opry.com, and Thomas at cthomas@opry.com.
Americana Music Association Launches #RoadToAmericanaFest
The Americana Music Association is gearing up for its 17th annual Festival and Conference, slated for Sept. 20-25 in Nashville, with an interactive campaign, #roadtoamericanafest. The campaign will engage artists, independent radio, retail, and more to promote AmericanaFest through their social channels.
The campaign will run through September with initial support coming from artists including Bonnie Raitt, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, and Wynonna & The Big Noise in the U.S., Shane Nicholson in Australia, and My Bubba from Iceland/Sweden.
A #roadtoamericanafest contest has also been launched, with the grand prize including a flyaway experience to attend the Americana Music Festival as well as the Americana Honors & Awards on Sept. 21 in Nashville. For more details, go to visitmusiccity.com.
Tickets Available For SOURCE Hall Of Fame Induction
/by Craig_ShelburnePictured: Front Row (L-R): Diane Cash, Tammy Brown. Back Row (L-R): Callie Khouri, Nancy Jones, Alison Booth. Photo: Denise Fussell
A limited number of seats remain for the SOURCE Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Aug. 23.
This year’s SOURCE Awards will also be marking the organization’s 25th Year Anniversary celebration and will be held at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum at the Historic Municipal Auditorium.
Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m. followed by a sit-down dinner beginning promptly at 7 p.m. The presentation will be hosted by Brenda Lee and Jeannie Seely.
Tickets are $85.
As previously announced, this year’s inductees are: Alison Booth, MTM Music Group, RCA Records, Sony Music Nashville; Tammy Brown, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Sony Music, olé Songs; Diane Cash, WLAC Radio, MCA Records, John Conlee Enterprises; Nancy Jones, George Jones Management, George Jones Museum; Callie Khouri, Creator/Executive Producer of Nashville; and Gail Pollock (posthumously), Monument Studios, We Make Tapes.
Founded in 1991, SOURCE is a nonprofit organization supporting women executives and professionals who work in all facets of the Nashville music industry. In 2003, the annual SOURCE Awards were established to pay respect to and honor the women who helped develop and build upon the foundation of the music industry in Nashville. SOURCE also pays tribute to women who presently make major contributions with their work in the industry.
Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Sheryl Crow Slated For Inaugural Outlaw Music Festival
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Promise of the Real, Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Lee Ann Womack, and Brothers Osborne are set to perform at the inaugural Outlaw Music Festival, slated for Sunday, Sept. 18 at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Nelson will be backed by his Family Band, while Young will be backed by Promise of the Real, which includes Nelson’s sons, Lukas and Micah Nelson.
“We’re thrilled to be working with Geoff Gordon and the entire Live Nation team to bring this incredible musical experience to fans in Scranton and its surrounding communities,” says Keith Wortman, CEO of Blackbird Presents.
General public ticket sales begin Friday (July 29) at 10 a.m. CT via ticketmaster.com, by phone 800-745-3000, all Ticketmaster outlets, and The Montage Mountain Box Office. VIP packages will include upgraded seats, premier parking pass, VIP club access, and exclusive festival merchandise.
The Earls Of Leicester Honor Flatt & Scruggs At CMHoF Concert
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): The Earls of Leicester’s Jerry Douglas; Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Peter Cooper and Abi Tapia; The Earls of Leicester’s Charlie Cushman, Shawn Camp, Jeff White, Barry Bales and Johnny Warren; McLachlan Management’s Andrew Stokes. Photo: Jason Davis/Getty Images for Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum
On Friday, July 22, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, along with The Earls of Leicester, honored the legacy of Country Music Hall of Fame members Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs with a performance in the CMA Theater.
The concert was presented in support of the museum’s permanent exhibit The Precious Jewel, which currently houses Earl Scruggs’ Gibson RB-Granada Mastertone banjo and Lester Flatt’s Martin D-28 guitar.
The Grammy-winning band features Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Shawn Camp on guitar and lead vocals, Charlie Cushman on banjo and guitars, Jeff White on vocals and mandolin, Johnny Warren on fiddle and Barry Bales on vocals and bass. They released the album Rattle & Roar on Rounder Records on July 15.
Willie Nelson Teams With The Time Jumpers For Ray Price Tribute Album
/by Jessica NicholsonWillie Nelson will pay tribute to the late singer Ray Price, with the new project For The Good Times: A Tribute To Ray Price. The album is set for release on Legacy Recordings on Friday, Sept. 16.
Nelson teamed with producer Fred Foster and conductor/arranger Bergen White, who had worked together to finish Price’s final album Beauty Is… at Nashville’s Ocean Way Studios. Nelson also teamed with The Time Jumpers on six of the album’s tracks, including “Invitation To The Blues,” “Heartaches By The Numbers,” “Crazy Arms,” “City Lights,” “I’ll Be There” and “Don’t You Ever Get Tired Of Hurting Me.”
The Time Jumpers includes Vince Gill (electric and acoustic guitar, harmony vocals), Andy Reiss (electric guitar), Larry Franklin (fiddle), Joe Spivey (fiddle), Kenny Sears (fiddle), Brad Albin (bass), Billy Thomas (drums), Jeff Taylor (piano and accordion), Paul Franklin (pedal steel) and Willie’s Family Band harmonica player Mickey Raphael.
Nelson’s musical relationship with Price began in 1960, when Nelson was an aspiring artist and songwriter. After Nelson made the move to Nashville, his song “Night Life” was used as Ray Price’s theme music to open his concerts. Nelson continued to work with Price on projects including San Antonio Rose (1980), Run That by Me One More Time (2003) and Last of the Breed (2007), a trio album with Merle Haggard. Ray Price made an appearance, singing “Cold War with You,” on Willie’s 2012 Legacy album Heroes.
For The Good Times: A Tribute To Ray Price track listing:
1. “Heartaches By The Number” (featuring The Time Jumpers)
2. “I’ll Be There (If You Ever Want Me)” (featuring The Time Jumpers)
3. “Faded Love”
4. “It Always Will Be”
5. “City Lights” (featuring The Time Jumpers)
6. “Don’t You Ever Get Tired Of Hurting Me” (featuring The Time Jumpers)
7. “Make The World Go Away”
8. “I’m Still Not Over You”
9. “Night Life”
10. “Crazy Arms” (featuring The Time Jumpers)
11. “Invitation To The Blues” (featuring The Time Jumpers)
12. “For The Good Times”
Buckle Up Country Music Festival Near Cincinnati Cancelled
/by Jessica NicholsonWith less than two weeks until it was set to open, Buckle Up Festival near Cincinnati, Ohio, has been cancelled.
The two-day festival was slated for Aug. 5-6 at Summit Park in Blue Ash, Ohio. Headliners for the event included Brad Paisley, Randy Houser, and Chase Rice.
Also set to perform were Maddie & Tae, Tyler Farr, Bobby Bones & The Raging Idiots, Brooke Eden, Corey Smith, Mo Pitney, Maggie Rose, Jessie James Decker and more.
The cancellation announcement was made on the festival’s official website:
Artist Updates: Chris Janson, Trent Harmon, Brice Long
/by Jessica NicholsonChris Janson Donates Funds To Benefit Those Affected By West Virginia Floods
During Chris Janson‘s performance at the Peck Fest in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, he announced from stage that every dollar raised at the merch table would stay in West Virginia to help those affected by flooding that hit the region less than a month ago. “It’s the right thing to do,” said Janson. “I’ve played many nights here in West Virginia and the people have always treated me and my family so nice. It’s like a second home to me.”
Trent Harmon Contributes Song To Ice Age: Collision Course Soundtrack
Photo: Big Machine Records
Trent Harmon, winner of American Idol‘s final season, has contributed a rendition of the 1975 classic “Dream Weaver” to the digital version of the soundtrack to Ice Age: Collision Course. Harmon worked with producer Ross Copperman on the track.
Harmon recently released his debut single, “There’s A Girl,” to country radio, and is working on his upcoming Big Machine Records debut.
11th Annual Brice Long and Friends Back To Back Foundation Concert Raises $61K
Brice Long. Photo: Brice Long/Facebook
The eleventh annual Brice Long and Friends Back to Back Foundation Benefit Concert was held Saturday in Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and raised over $61,800.
The show featured music from Nashville songwriters Lee Thomas Miller, Clint Daniels, and Marla Cannon-Goodman, as well as a full band concert featuring Brice Long. His set included his hit singles as a songwriter, including “Nothing On But The Radio,” “Like a Cowboy,” “Anything Goes” and more.
Back to Back aids local families in need during the holiday season but also helps throughout the year with other local charities. Brice formed The Back to Back Foundation in 2005 with the intent to give back to the community that has supported him throughout his career. Since its inception Back to Back Inc. has raised over $380,000 and helped over 200 families.
Industry Ink: CMA Opens New Office, Opry Entertainment Staffs Up, #RoadToAmericanaFest
/by Jessica NicholsonCMA Open For Business At New Location
CMA staff members on Wednesday, July 20, 2016 begin moving to new Music Row offices at 35 Music Square East, Suite 201, in Nashville. Photo: Christian Bottorff / CMA
The Country Music Association began operating from its new Music Row headquarters at 35 Music SQ. E. on Monday (July 25).
CMA had occupied its former building at One Music Circle South since 1991, when there were only 15 full time staff members, one annual television program, and Fan Fair was held at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. CMA is now home to 49 staff members; three ABC television properties; the annual CMA Music Festival, which brings 88,500 fans to downtown Nashville; CMA Songwriters Series, showcasing the best of country music’s hit songwriters; and the CMA Foundation, which has donated $13.68 million to improving and sustaining music education programs across the U.S.
Phone and fax numbers remain, and the new mailing address is 35 Music Sq. E., Ste. 201, Nashville, TN 37203.
Opry Entertainment Adds Writer/Producers, Videographer
Stansbury has a decade of digital, TV, commercial and music video production experience and has produced music videos for Kenny Chesney, Florida Georgia Line and Charles Kelley.
Wilderman has spent the last decade in Los Angeles in TV and digital content development, most recently as the founder, producer and host of online country music news and content destination Spotlight Country. There she produced and hosted an exclusive country music news program for the VEVO digital music video platform.
In his eight years in video production and photography, Thomas has worked in production on the television series Nashville as well as numerous music videos and on tour content projects for Nashville’s top labels and artists.
Stansbury can be reached at bstansbury@opry.com; Wilderman at jwilderman@opry.com, and Thomas at cthomas@opry.com.
Americana Music Association Launches #RoadToAmericanaFest
The campaign will run through September with initial support coming from artists including Bonnie Raitt, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, and Wynonna & The Big Noise in the U.S., Shane Nicholson in Australia, and My Bubba from Iceland/Sweden.
A #roadtoamericanafest contest has also been launched, with the grand prize including a flyaway experience to attend the Americana Music Festival as well as the Americana Honors & Awards on Sept. 21 in Nashville. For more details, go to visitmusiccity.com.
Sony Music Nashville Learns Label History At CMHoF
/by Craig_ShelburneSony Music Nashville staff at the Country Music Hall of Fame with Museum Editor Peter Cooper. Photo: Alan Poizner
Sony Music Nashville staff visited the Country Music Hall of Fame on Wednesday (July 20) to learn about the history of the three labels that now comprise present-day Sony Music Nashville.
The presentation was lead by Museum Editor Peter Cooper, who traced the history of Arista, Columbia and RCA Nashville for the group, including promo teams for each of the three labels. He also discussed the artist breakthroughs of the past 12 months.
The event took place nearly a year to the day after Randy Goodman, then the newly-announced Chairman & CEO of Sony Music Nashville, surprised the staff by bussing everyone to the Hall of Fame for a gathering to discuss creating a new Sony Music Nashville storyline.
In addition to Cooper’s presentation, the staff was treated to a dinner and drinks in the Hall of Fame rotunda.
Jessi Alexander Signs With Warner/Chappell, THiS Music
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R, back row): Austen Adams, attorney; Jon Platt, Warner/Chappell Music; Anna Weisband, THiS Music; Ben Vaughn, Warner/Chappell Music; Phil May, Warner/Chappell Music; Tim Nichols, THiS Music. Front: Rusty Gaston, THiS Music; Jessi Alexander; Connie Harrington, THiS Music.
Warner/Chappell Music and THiS Music have signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with Jessi Alexander.
Alexander’s hits include Blake Shelton’s “Mine Would Be You” and “Drink On It,” Eric Paslay’s “Song About a Girl,” and Lee Brice’s “I Drive Your Truck,” which earned Song of the Year honors from the CMA (2013), ACM (2014) and the 2013 NSAI Awards. The song was also nominated for a Grammy for Country Song of the Year. Alexander co-wrote the title track for Tim McGraw’s most recent project, Damn Country Music, and contributed two songs to Shelton’s current album, If I’m Honest, including “Savior’s Shadow” and “Friends.”
Alexander also wrote the upcoming single “The Way I Talk” for Big Loud Records’ artist Morgan Wallen. Alexander’s own self-released album, Down Home, includes collaborations with Sheryl Crow, Dierks Bentley, and Alexander’s husband and frequent collaborator Jon Randall.
THiS Music was formed in 2006 by publisher Rusty Gaston and songwriters Tim Nichols and Connie Harrington—launched in partnership with Warner/Chappell Music—and recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Downtown Music Publishing Enters Deal With NEEDTOBREATHE
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Bo Rinehart; Seth Bolt; Jedd Katrancha, Downtown EVP; Justin Kalifowitz, Downtown CEO; Bear Rinehart; Josh Lovelace.
Downtown Music Publishing has entered into a global administration deal with alternative rock band, NEEDTOBREATHE.
Through this deal, Downtown will administer the Grammy-nominated band’s six studio albums to date, H A R D L O V E (2016), Rivers in the Wasteland (2014), The Reckoning (2011), The Outsiders (2009), The Heat (2007), Daylight (2006), and future works.
Of the signing, Bear, NEEDTOBREATHE’s lead vocalist said on behalf of the group, “We’re really excited to be teaming up with Downtown as we release this new album. They’ve built a great, forward-thinking company and we’re proud to join their roster.”
Band manager Steve Bursky at Foundations Artist Management, added “I’ve long admired the team at Downtown and the work they do on behalf of their writers. I couldn’t be happier to be in business with such a talented group of people.”
Downtown’s Executive Vice President Jedd Katrancha commented on the deal saying, “We’re thrilled to partner with such a creative and hard-working band and their impressive team. With each release, they take their music to new heights and we feel fortunate to join them as they share this great album with the world.”
The band recently celebrated their song “Brother” reaching gold status.
NEEDTOBREATHE celebrates gold status for their single “Brother.” Photo: NEEDTOBREATHE/Instagram