‘Greatest Hits’ co-hosts Kelsea Ballerini and Aresenio Hall. Photo courtesy ABC.
Kelsea Ballerini, Lee Ann Womack, and Little Big Town are among the country artists taking part in ABC’s upcoming music series Greatest Hits. Each episode of the six-episode series will highlight a five-year period in music, ranging from the 1980s-2000s. The first episode debuts Thursday (June 30) at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
The show is the brainchild of ABC execs and Ken Ehrlich, who also serves as executive producer for the annual Grammy awards.
Ballerini, the hitmaker behind “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs,” and her latest, “Peter Pan,” will co-host the show alongside veteran TV show host Arsenio Hall, known for his days hosting The Arsenio Hall Show. That series ran from 1989 through 1994 and welcomed a variety of artists, including Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.
“I had never worked with her before, though obviously I was aware of her. She is terrific and a hard worker. Man, she comes across great,” Ehrlich tells MusicRow of working with Ballerini.
In addition to Ballerini, fellow country artists Little Big Town and Lee Ann Womack will also appear in various episodes. Womack and Rachel Platten will mix Womack’s signature “I Hope You Dance” with Platten’s “Stand By You.” Meanwhile, Little Big Town will make two appearances on two different shows.
Ken Ehrlich
“They love Alicia Keys, so they did ‘Fallin’,’ and they do a great version of ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis,” Ehrlich notes.
While the show’s content covers three decades of hits, the time frame for putting the show together was exceedingly brief. Ehrlich and his team taped performances from 40 artists in less than 20 days. Even with the country star power provided by Little Big Town, Ballerini, and Womack, the brief window for filming nixed the opportunity for more country artists to be involved. Ehrlich hopes for more country artists to appear if Greatest Hits returns for a second installment.
“We did reach out and there were three or four other country acts we wanted on the show, but it was about availability,” Ehrlich says. “We had to do the whole show in basically two-and-a-half weeks and I just couldn’t get them. We had talked about Zac Brown and Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. There were several acts we would have loved to have on the show. They were unavailable, though they’ve all said when it comes around again, they would love to do it.”
The series’ June 30 premiere episode will feature chart-topping songs from 1980-1985, with performances by Pitbull, REO Speedwagon, Ray Parker, Jr., Jason Derulo, Kenny Loggins, Kim Carnes, Rick Springfield and Kool & The Gang. Ehrlich estimates each taping took place before approximately 800 audience members.
“I doubt there was anyone over age 30 in most of the audiences, and they knew the words to every song,” Ehrlich says. “We’ve taken a number of acts who have had great hits in those years and asked them to do those songs, but we’ve surrounded them with a much more contemporary look—sets and lighting. In essence, you are being reintroduced to a lot of music you grew up with, but you are looking at it in a new house.
“You can be 18 years old or 40 years old, and still relate to Boyz II Men or En Vogue, or for that matter, to the current acts we worked with like Miguel or Jason Derulo. This show covers it all.”
Greatest Hits will premiere Thursday, June 30 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
Lit Will Debut Nashville-Influenced Music On Tootsie’s Rooftop
/by Craig_ShelburneBMI and Lex Music Group will present new music from the band Lit at Tootsie’s Rooftop on July 6. The free show is open to the public. It also marks the beginning of a 30-city North American summer tour.
As Sony/ATV Nashville songwriters, the band has been immersing themselves in the country music genre. Their rock hits include “My Own Worst Enemy” and “Miserable.” They joined Dustin Lynch to perform “My Own Worst Enemy” at Stagecoach Festival earlier this year.
Vince Gill’s ‘Down To My Last Bad Habit’ To Be Released On Vinyl
/by Jessica NicholsonMCA Nashville artist Vince Gill is celebrating his 25th year as a member of the Grand Ole Opry with the release of a limited edition vinyl version of his newest album, Down To My Last Bad Habit. The project features collaborations with Little Big Town, Cam, and Chris Botti.
The limited edition product features a new cover designed by Hatch Show Print, the legendary printer of show business posters that is now part of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on Aug. 10, 1991, Vince is also a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as a 20-time Grammy winner. He will be the featured performer at the Grand Ole Opry on Aug. 13.
Fans can pre-order autographed copies of the Down To My Last Bad Habit package—which includes a T-Shirt illustrated with a photo of one of Vince’s favorite guitars—by visiting vincegill.com. Orders will arrive on or around July 15. After that date, only the album will be available at retail that carries vinyl.
Exclusive: Executive Producer Ken Ehrlich Talks ABC’s ‘Greatest Hits’
/by Jessica Nicholson‘Greatest Hits’ co-hosts Kelsea Ballerini and Aresenio Hall. Photo courtesy ABC.
Kelsea Ballerini, Lee Ann Womack, and Little Big Town are among the country artists taking part in ABC’s upcoming music series Greatest Hits. Each episode of the six-episode series will highlight a five-year period in music, ranging from the 1980s-2000s. The first episode debuts Thursday (June 30) at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
The show is the brainchild of ABC execs and Ken Ehrlich, who also serves as executive producer for the annual Grammy awards.
Ballerini, the hitmaker behind “Love Me Like You Mean It,” “Dibs,” and her latest, “Peter Pan,” will co-host the show alongside veteran TV show host Arsenio Hall, known for his days hosting The Arsenio Hall Show. That series ran from 1989 through 1994 and welcomed a variety of artists, including Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men.
“I had never worked with her before, though obviously I was aware of her. She is terrific and a hard worker. Man, she comes across great,” Ehrlich tells MusicRow of working with Ballerini.
In addition to Ballerini, fellow country artists Little Big Town and Lee Ann Womack will also appear in various episodes. Womack and Rachel Platten will mix Womack’s signature “I Hope You Dance” with Platten’s “Stand By You.” Meanwhile, Little Big Town will make two appearances on two different shows.
Ken Ehrlich
“They love Alicia Keys, so they did ‘Fallin’,’ and they do a great version of ‘Wonderwall’ by Oasis,” Ehrlich notes.
While the show’s content covers three decades of hits, the time frame for putting the show together was exceedingly brief. Ehrlich and his team taped performances from 40 artists in less than 20 days. Even with the country star power provided by Little Big Town, Ballerini, and Womack, the brief window for filming nixed the opportunity for more country artists to be involved. Ehrlich hopes for more country artists to appear if Greatest Hits returns for a second installment.
“We did reach out and there were three or four other country acts we wanted on the show, but it was about availability,” Ehrlich says. “We had to do the whole show in basically two-and-a-half weeks and I just couldn’t get them. We had talked about Zac Brown and Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. There were several acts we would have loved to have on the show. They were unavailable, though they’ve all said when it comes around again, they would love to do it.”
The series’ June 30 premiere episode will feature chart-topping songs from 1980-1985, with performances by Pitbull, REO Speedwagon, Ray Parker, Jr., Jason Derulo, Kenny Loggins, Kim Carnes, Rick Springfield and Kool & The Gang. Ehrlich estimates each taping took place before approximately 800 audience members.
“I doubt there was anyone over age 30 in most of the audiences, and they knew the words to every song,” Ehrlich says. “We’ve taken a number of acts who have had great hits in those years and asked them to do those songs, but we’ve surrounded them with a much more contemporary look—sets and lighting. In essence, you are being reintroduced to a lot of music you grew up with, but you are looking at it in a new house.
“You can be 18 years old or 40 years old, and still relate to Boyz II Men or En Vogue, or for that matter, to the current acts we worked with like Miguel or Jason Derulo. This show covers it all.”
Greatest Hits will premiere Thursday, June 30 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.
Chris Stapleton Will Sing At Fort Bragg Military Post On July 4
/by Craig_ShelburneChris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton has partnered with Budweiser and Folds of Honor to perform a Fourth of July concert at Fort Bragg, the military post near Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Budweiser will present a donation to Folds of Honor from a portion of nationwide sales of Budweiser bottles and cans with “America” inscribed on the front—up to $1 million total. The donation will provide educational support to the spouses and children of fallen and disabled service members.
The concert will also feature Cheap Trick and Natalie Stovall & The Drive. The event is expected to draw 40,000 service members, their families and members of the Fort Bragg communitry.
On Sunday (July 3), Fort Bragg will host the first-ever Major League Baseball game to be played on a military base. The Miami Marlins will go head-to-head with the Atlanta Braves.
Grand Ole Opry Prepares Free Plaza Concerts For July 1-2
/by Craig_ShelburneThe Grand Ole Opry will present free tribute performances to country legends on Friday and Saturday (July 1 and 2) on the Opry Plaza. The music will begin at 5 p.m. and is set to salute artists like Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.
The band 50 Shades of Hay will perform on Friday, while Shelley Skidmore & Greg Bates will sing on Saturday. Food trucks and bar service will be available.
The weekend’s Opry line-up includes Vince Gill, Connie Smith, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Ricky Skaggs, Love and Theft, and more.
In July, Opry House Backstage Tours will run seven days a week along with Opry performances each Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday night.
Among those appearing later in the month include Steve Wariner (July 5); Chris Janson, The Grascals (July 6); Josh Turner, Lorrie Morgan, Pam Tillis, Clare Bowen, Craig Morgan (July 8); Cam, Justin Moore (July 12); Roy Clark, Craig Campbell (July 15); Lauren Alaina, Scotty McCreery, Del McCoury Band (July 19 & 20); Charlie Daniels Band, Hillary Scott & the Scott Family, Brothers Osborne (July 26); and Oak Ridge Boys, Eric Paslay, Dailey & Vincent (July 27).
Off The Record Fashion And Music Event Confirms Date And Venue
/by Craig_ShelburneOff the Record, an exclusive fashion and music event, is set to return to Nashville on Saturday, Oct. 29, at The Factory at Franklin. Off The Record showcases collections from well-known, international designers and performances from top musicians.
Executive producers are Gil Cunningham and Liz Cunningham of Neste Event Marketing, as well as Paul Jankowski of New Heartland Group. Fashion Director is Christiev Alphin of Everything Visual, LLC. Creative Director/Fashion Show Producer is David Fischette of Go West Creative.
Last year’s event featured a world-class runway set production, a high energy fashion show featuring collections from designers including Gucci, KaufmanFranco, John Varvatos, Johnathan Kayne and Amanda Valentine with professional models and stylists from around the country. The evening also included musical performances by artists The Cadillac Three, Maren Morris, Old Dominion, Phil Vassar and Tommy Shaw of Styx.
“The response from last year’s event was phenomenal,” said Gil Cunningham. “We are thrilled to continue building on this excitement. No one else is doing an event like this, and it makes perfect sense to have it originate in Nashville.”
This exclusive event will begin with a cocktail reception with red carpet arrivals, special musical performances and an intimate viewing of the designers’ fashion lines prior to the fashion show.
The 2016 lineup of designers and performances will be announced in the months ahead.
Tickets will go on sale to the public on Aug. 8 with packages ranging from $300 to $1,000 to include the cocktail reception and fashion show. A few sponsorship opportunities are also available.
Joel A. Katz Will Receive City Of Hope’s Top Honor
/by Craig_ShelburneJoel A. Katz
Entertainment lawyer Joel A. Katz of Greenberg Traurig will be recognized with the City of Hope’s 2016 Spirit of Life Award.
Katz is chair of the Global Entertainment and Media Practice of Greenberg Traurig. He will be honored with the award by City of Hope’s Music, Film and Entertainment Industry group at a gala in Los Angeles on Nov. 10. The presentation follows a year-long fundraising campaign that supports City of Hope’s ability to quickly speed new therapies and scientific breakthroughs to patients who need them.
City of Hope is a world leader in cancer and diabetes research and treatment. The award is City of Hope’s highest honor, and each year recognizes a leader whose work has fundamentally impacted the music, film and entertainment industries.
“City of Hope is proud to honor Joel this year in recognition of his support of our mission,” said Robert W. Stone, president and chief executive officer of City of Hope. “We deeply appreciate Joel’s unwavering commitment to our Spirit of Life campaign which propels our innovative research and treatments that outsmart deadly diseases — one patient at a time.”
“It is my honor to receive The Spirit of Life Award from City of Hope. I congratulate this organization in launching this outstanding fundraising campaign which supports the physicians and scientists who are dedicated to developing innovative, disease-fighting strategies in the battle against cancer,” Katz said.
Katz began his career in 1971 leading his own law practice, Katz, Smith and Cohen, which became one of the nation’s largest entertainment law firms. In 1988, when Katz merged his thriving practice with Greenberg Traurig, his client list had expanded to include some of the nation’s most renowned entertainers.
His first client was music icon, James Brown, followed by B.B. King, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, who remains a client to this day.
His and Greenberg Traurig’s client roster grew rapidly to include more than 50 celebrated artists, among them Kix Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Ronnie Dunn, Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Little Big Town, Brad Paisley, George Strait, and others.
In addition, Katz and Greenberg Traurig serve a number of corporate clients such as Big Machine Label Group, BMG Rights Management GmbH, Country Music Association, Dick Clark Productions, Jason Owen and Sandbox Management, and National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.
Industry Ink: SOURCE, Regions Music Row, Capitol Nashville “Bowen Years” Reunion
/by Jessica NicholsonSOURCE Welcomes Speaker Shelby Kennedy
Pictured (L-R): Suzanne Lee, ASCAP; Pat Rolfe, SOURCE member and longtime ASCAP employee; Shelby Kennedy, VP, TuneCore. Photo credit: SOURCE
SOURCE—the Nashville music industry executive women’s organization—held its monthly membership luncheon on Thursday (June 23) at ASCAP. This month’s guest was Shelby Kennedy, Vice President of Entertainment Relations for TuneCore, a global digital music distribution, publishing, administration and licensing company.
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.
The Bass Brothers Perform For Regions Music Row Team
The Bass Brothers, a trio of performing brothers from England, did an impromptu musical performance for the Regions Music Row team on Monday, June 29. Their latest project, which will soon be released, is produced by brothers David and Dann Huff.
Capitol Nashville Reunion, The Bowen Years
Organizers call it “The Bowen Years,” referencing label head Jimmy Bowen.
Those interested in attending and receiving more information can contact capitolnashvillereunion@gmail.com.
Toby Keith Adds Waterloo Revival To Open Tour Dates
/by Jessica NicholsonFront Row (L-R): Waterloo Revival’s Cody Cooper, Toby Keith, Waterloo Revival’s George Birge. Back Row (L-R): TKO Artist Management’s TK Kimbrell, Show Dog Nashville General Manager George Nunes, Show Dog Nashville VP Promotion Rick Moxley
Show Dog Nashville’s Waterloo Revival has been added to the Toby Keith Interstates & Tailgates Tour Presented by Ford F-Series. Waterloo Revival will open shows beginning Thursday (June 30) and continuing through October.
Recently signed to the Show Dog Nashville roster, Waterloo Revival has been touring non-stop the past year. The duo is comprised of lead singer/guitarist George Birge and singer/guitarist Cody Cooper.
Toby Keith Interstates & Tailgates Tour Presented by Ford F-Series tour dates:
June 30: Cherokee, N.C.; Harrah’s Cherokee Casino & Resort
July 8: Virginia Beach, Va.; Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
July 9: Washington, DC; Jiffy Lube Live
July 10: Raleigh, N.C.; Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
July 15: Darien Lake, N.Y.; Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
July 16: Hartford, Conn.; XFINITY Theatre
July 21: Bangor, Maine; Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
July 22: Boston; XFINITY Center
Aug. 12: Chicago; Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Aug. 13: Pittsburgh; First Niagara Pavilion
Aug. 14: Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Aug. 20: Red Wing, Minn.; Treasure Island Resort & Casino
Sept. 8: Cincinnati; Riverbend Music Center
Sept. 9: Indianapolis; Klipsch Music Center
Sept. 10: St Louis; Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
Sept. 23: Tampa, Fla.; Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sept. 24: West Palm Beach, Fla.; Perfect Vodka Amphitheater
Oct. 16: Austin, Texas; Austin360Amphitheter
Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris Visit ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp
/by Craig_ShelburneCarrie Underwood spends time with ACM Lifting Lives campers. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images/Courtesy of ACM Lifting Lives
Carrie Underwood and Maren Morris are the latest country artists taking part in ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp this week in Nashville. The residential camp has the dual purpose of studying Williams syndrome while providing music enrichment through performance and education. Campers from around the country participate in a week of activities and excursions in Music City.
Carrie Underwood and ACM Lifting Lives campers. Photo: Terry Wyatt/Getty Images/Courtesy of ACM Lifting Lives
On Monday (June 27), Underwood visited the campers during a recording session, where they did a Q&A and sang a few songs together. That was followed by the campers recording their original song, “Happy Together” with producer Ross Copperman at Belmont University’s Ocean Way Nashville Studios. The campers wrote the song on Thursday during a songwriting session with Copperman and Eric Paslay.
Later that day, campers were treated to a special set at the Bluebird Cafe with Maren Morris. Her performance included “My Church” and “80s Mercedes” as well as a Q&A with the campers.
Erika Wollam Nichols, Bluebird Cafe; Paul Moore, ACM Parliamentarian; Beth Moore, ACM Lifting Lives & Director of Community Development at Vanderbilt University; Maren Morris; Ed Warm, ACM Lifting Lives President; Teresa George, ACM SVP, Brand Integration & Strategic Partnerships; Stuart Dill, VUMC Entertainment Industry Liaison; Janet Weir, Red Light Management; Mary Catherine Kinney, Sony Music. Photo: Getty Images/Terry Wyatt/Courtesy of ACM Lifting Lives