Musicians On Call (MOC) has kicked off a yearlong campaign titled Half a Million Moments after reaching a milestone of having played for half a million patients. The nonprofit organization brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.
The campaign’s goal is to celebrate this milestone by thanking the champions that helped MOC reach the milestone, asking volunteers and supporters to share their stories of their favorite moment bringing music to hospitals using #MOCMoments, and to raise funds and support to help MOC serve the next half a million people. Throughout the year, MOC will be hosting Half A Million Moments Celebrations across the country including New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia and Cleveland.
“I’ve been a Musicians On Call volunteer for over 10 years now and I’ve experienced so many memorable moments performing at the bedsides of patients. I’m so happy that Musicians On Call has reached half a million patients, families and caregivers,” said Gavin DeGraw. “I’m a total believer in the healing power of music and grateful to Musicians On Call for providing me the opportunity to perform for and even with patients in need.”
In an effort to connect supporters to the patients they serve, MOC is announcing its new Backstage Pass Club. Supporters who donate or raise $500 on behalf of Musicians On Call will receive a limited-edition, numbered Backstage Pass, entering them to win cool prizes like concert tickets, autographed items and music themed prizes.
The $500 raised then sponsors a hospital room for one year that an MOC volunteer will visit weekly and deliver “Backstage” performances to the bedsides of patients. Each patient will receive an actual Backstage Pass sticker, just like the commemorative pass that the supporter will receive, connecting each donor with the patients MOC serves.
“We’re proud to say that Musicians On Call is the largest provider of volunteers bringing live music at the bedsides of patients in hospitals,” said Pete Griffin, MOC President. “We couldn’t have reached this many lives without the support of our volunteers, musicians, donors, hospital staff, partners, Advisory Board Members and Board of Directors who help us deliver the healing power of music in 18 cities across the country.”
In addition, MOC is excited to announce a nationwide partnership with Hard Rock Cafe who will host Volunteer Appreciation events to give thanks to its Volunteer Guides and Musicians. Musicians On Call has thousands of dedicated volunteers and supporters across the country who will take part in these events.
These momentous campaigns follow the success of the Rock The Room Tour, which raised over $387,000 for Musicians On Call over the course of three events in Nashville, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The Rock The Room Tour was created to raise awareness of the impact music has on healing, honor leaders in entertainment and philanthropy and raise funds for Musicians On Call in order to continue making a difference in the lives of patients through its unique “bedside tours” in hospitals.
Musicians On Call (MOC) was founded in 1999 with the mission of bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities ranging from children’s hospitals to adult facilities, VA hospitals and hospices. To date, its volunteers have played for half a million people across the country. By delivering live, in-room performances to patients undergoing treatment or unable to leave their beds, they add a dose of joy to life in a healthcare facility.
MOC supporters over the years include Bruce Springsteen, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Antebellum, Justin Timberlake, Ed Sheeran, Reba, Gavin DeGraw, Darius Rucker, Pharrell, Amos Lee, Nick Jonas, Rachel Platten and many more.
Waylon Payne Rejoins Carnival Music
/by Jessica NicholsonWaylon Payne
Singer-songwriter Waylon Payne has returned to Carnival Music publishing company. The son of country singer Sammi Smith and guitarist Jody Payne, he first joined Carnival Music as a writer in 2006.
Since returning to Nashville from Los Angeles, Payne has been writing and is in the studio to record the follow-up to his 2004 project, The Drifter. That album introduced “Running from the Rain,” “Pretender” and the title track. Lee Ann Womack recorded Payne’s solo-written “Solitary Thinkin'” for her 2008 album, Call Me Crazy.
In addition, Payne portrayed Jerry Lee Lewis in the Academy Award-winning Walk The Line, starred in the Hank Garland biopic Crazy, and appeared on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
“When Waylon walked back through our door this time, it was as though he’d never left,” says Carnival Music’s Frank Liddell. “Poetry, lyrics, and honesty are getting their time in the sun here in Nashville again, and I think the timing is finally right for him. Plus, he’s just an incredible talent and a good person.”
“I’m so happy to be back home at Carnival,” Payne says. “Frank was the first person who gave me a writing deal. He’s been a friend to me for 25 years. Now, he’s welcomed me back, and he didn’t have to—everyone at Carnival has shown me such compassion. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the truth: I had a horrible drug problem. It almost killed me several times. But I just picked up my chip for being four-years sober and am so grateful. By the grace of God, I’m alive, making music again, with a lot of stories to tell. I finally feel like I’m in the right place.”
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Signs “Die A Happy Man” Writer Sean Douglas
/by Jessica NicholsonAmanda Berman-Hill and Sean Douglas
Sony/ATV Music Publishing’s West Coast branch has signed “Die a Happy Man” co-writer Sean Douglas, who has also worked with Jason Derulo, Nick Jonas, Madonna and more.
The Los Angeles-based writer has penned “Heart Attack” by Demi Lovato, “Talk Dirty” and “Wiggle” for Derulo, “Hey Mama” for David Guetta, “Levels” for Jonas, and “Die a Happy Man” for Thomas Rhett.
Sony/ATV Senior Vice President and Head of West Coast Writer Relations Amanda Berman-Hill said, “Sean Douglas is one of the most talented and diverse songwriters and his talents have no boundaries. We are beyond thrilled to have him join the Sony/ATV family and look forward to being a partner in his continued success.”
Douglas said, “I’m thrilled to begin the next chapter of my career with Sony/ATV as a partner. The support and enthusiasm Marty Bandier, Amanda and the rest of the team have shown me is truly inspiring. Here’s to the beginning of a great partnership.”
Alabama, Sam Moore To Be Inducted Into Music City Walk of Fame
/by Jessica NicholsonAlabama
Country group Alabama and soul singer Sam Moore will be the latest artists to receive stars on the Music City Walk of Fame. The induction ceremony for the 71st and 72nd stars will take place May 26 at 1 p.m. at Walk of Fame Park in Nashville.
“This year’s inductees to the Music City Walk of Fame prove once again the dazzling scope and sweep of Nashville’s musical history,” Mayor Megan Barry said. “Alabama is one of the great country groups of all time. They created a stunning blend of voices and musical styles to top the charts over and over and over again.
“Sam Moore’s incredible vocals and stage moves helped make Sam & Dave one of the finest rhythm and blues acts in music history. Sam famously told Steve Cropper to ‘Play it, Steve’ in the middle of the classic song ‘Soul Man,’ and it’s going to be wonderful to see the two of them together again on the Music City Walk of Fame. Congratulations to this year’s inductees!”
Sam Moore
The Music City Walk of Fame was created in 2006, to recognize inductees for their significant contributions to preserving the musical heritage of Nashville and for contributing to the world through song or other industry collaboration.
Alabama, which includes cousins Jeff Cook, Teddy Gentry and Randy Owen, from Fort Payne, Alabama, has sold 73 million albums and charted 43 No. 1 singles, including 21 consecutive No. 1 singles. They are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame and have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They released a new studio album, Southern Drawl, in 2015 and will kick off the North American leg of their Southern Drawl Tour later this month.
Sam Moore is best known as the tenor voice of the soul duo Sam & Dave of Memphis-based Stax/Atlantic Records. The duo’s hits included “Hold On! I’m Coming,” “I Thank You,” and the iconic “Soul Man.” They sold more than 10 million records worldwide. Moore has also collaborated with country music artists, including Conway Twitty on “Rainy Night in Georgia” in 1994.
UMPG Nashville Signs Kane Brown
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (Back Row, L-R): Travis Gordon; Ron Stuve; Kent Earls, Executive VP/GM, UMPG; Cyndi Forman; Missy Roberts; and Stephen Denninger; (Front Row, L-R): Katie Flynn; Amelia Varni; Kane Brown; Tammy Helm.
Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) Nashville has signed an exclusive, global publishing deal with artist and songwriter Kane Brown. The announcement was made today (May 4) by Kent Earls, Executive Vice President/General Manager, UMPG Nashville.
“Kane Brown’s charismatic voice matched with his magnetic look screams superstar and the level at which he connects with his fans is revolutionary in our format,” said Earls. “We are honored to be the home of Kane’s songs for years to come.”
“I’m so excited to be part of the Universal Music Publishing team,” added Brown. “I’ve been collaborating with their incredible writers and we have been writing some amazing songs. I can’t wait for the fans to hear what’s coming next.”
Shortly after signing to RCA Nashville in January 2016, Brown released his debut single “Used To Love You Sober” to country radio. His EP Chapter 1 (RCA/Zone 4) was released in March and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and No.9 on The Billboard 200. Brown is currently working on his debut full-length album, which is set to be released later this summer.
Brown got his start in music by developing a dedicated fan base through posting original and cover songs to his own social media channels. After independently releasing “Used To Love You Sober” to digital retailers, the song went viral.
Brown is currently headlining his first tour with over 40 sold out shows, and he will join Florida Georgia Line on their Dig Your Roots Tour this summer.
The Barbershop Harmony Society Plans Convention In Nashville
/by Craig_ShelburneMusical Island Boys Quartet
The Barbershop Harmony Society 2016 International Convention will take place July 3-10 in Nashville. The organization has been headquartered in downtown Nashville since 2007.
A uniquely American art form, barbershop is four-part, a cappella, close-harmony singing style. It will be spotlighted in competitions hosted at venues across Nashville, including Music City Center, Bridgestone Arena, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and the First Baptist Church.
The convention is expected to attract more than 6,000 singers and generate more than $11 million for the local economy.
“Barbershop harmony is improvisational music at heart,” said Marty Monson, CEO of the Society. “Although we’ll have all of our superstars here on stage and in competitions, a huge number of our guests come just to sing with each other, to meet up casually to sing their favorites with new friends. That singing spills out of the hotels and convention center, and engulfs the entire city. We are the opposite of a hide-in-conference rooms convention.”
With 23,000 members, the Society is the world’s largest all-male singing organization. Today, it has more than 800 chapters across North America with 4,500 affiliates in nine additional countries. Affiliated and female organizations around the world bring the global barbershop movement to more than 80,000 singers. Groups from England, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Germany, and Ireland travel to Nashville this summer for a week of a cappella singing.
Among the highlights of the week are two performances at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center of “Pitch Perfected: An Evening of Vocal Harmony,” which features championship quartets, on July 6-7. “A Better World Singing Day” will also take place on July 9, offering families the opportunity to be a part of making music together while enjoying free shows at The Walk of Fame Park and Bridgestone Arena.
The full week schedule includes quartet contests for singers under age 25, and the open division contest, the International Chorus Contest, and hundreds of classes ranging from vocal techniques, songwriting to comedy, to music history.
Musicians On Call Introduces Half A Million Moments Campaign
/by Craig_ShelburneMusicians On Call (MOC) has kicked off a yearlong campaign titled Half a Million Moments after reaching a milestone of having played for half a million patients. The nonprofit organization brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.
The campaign’s goal is to celebrate this milestone by thanking the champions that helped MOC reach the milestone, asking volunteers and supporters to share their stories of their favorite moment bringing music to hospitals using #MOCMoments, and to raise funds and support to help MOC serve the next half a million people. Throughout the year, MOC will be hosting Half A Million Moments Celebrations across the country including New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia and Cleveland.
“I’ve been a Musicians On Call volunteer for over 10 years now and I’ve experienced so many memorable moments performing at the bedsides of patients. I’m so happy that Musicians On Call has reached half a million patients, families and caregivers,” said Gavin DeGraw. “I’m a total believer in the healing power of music and grateful to Musicians On Call for providing me the opportunity to perform for and even with patients in need.”
In an effort to connect supporters to the patients they serve, MOC is announcing its new Backstage Pass Club. Supporters who donate or raise $500 on behalf of Musicians On Call will receive a limited-edition, numbered Backstage Pass, entering them to win cool prizes like concert tickets, autographed items and music themed prizes.
The $500 raised then sponsors a hospital room for one year that an MOC volunteer will visit weekly and deliver “Backstage” performances to the bedsides of patients. Each patient will receive an actual Backstage Pass sticker, just like the commemorative pass that the supporter will receive, connecting each donor with the patients MOC serves.
“We’re proud to say that Musicians On Call is the largest provider of volunteers bringing live music at the bedsides of patients in hospitals,” said Pete Griffin, MOC President. “We couldn’t have reached this many lives without the support of our volunteers, musicians, donors, hospital staff, partners, Advisory Board Members and Board of Directors who help us deliver the healing power of music in 18 cities across the country.”
In addition, MOC is excited to announce a nationwide partnership with Hard Rock Cafe who will host Volunteer Appreciation events to give thanks to its Volunteer Guides and Musicians. Musicians On Call has thousands of dedicated volunteers and supporters across the country who will take part in these events.
These momentous campaigns follow the success of the Rock The Room Tour, which raised over $387,000 for Musicians On Call over the course of three events in Nashville, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The Rock The Room Tour was created to raise awareness of the impact music has on healing, honor leaders in entertainment and philanthropy and raise funds for Musicians On Call in order to continue making a difference in the lives of patients through its unique “bedside tours” in hospitals.
Musicians On Call (MOC) was founded in 1999 with the mission of bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities ranging from children’s hospitals to adult facilities, VA hospitals and hospices. To date, its volunteers have played for half a million people across the country. By delivering live, in-room performances to patients undergoing treatment or unable to leave their beds, they add a dose of joy to life in a healthcare facility.
MOC supporters over the years include Bruce Springsteen, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Antebellum, Justin Timberlake, Ed Sheeran, Reba, Gavin DeGraw, Darius Rucker, Pharrell, Amos Lee, Nick Jonas, Rachel Platten and many more.
Tim DuBois To Receive Honorary Doctoral Degree From Oklahoma State University
/by Craig_ShelburneTim DuBois
Tim DuBois will receive an honorary doctoral degree and speak to students at Oklahoma State University’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 7, at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.
DuBois will speak at 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby, who will also receive an honorary doctoral degree, will keynote the 1 p.m. ceremony.
“This year’s honorees embody leadership and a true commitment to people that has allowed them to literally shape a brighter future for an industry and a nation,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “We are pleased to recognize their accomplishments and service to others with one of our university’s highest honors, the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.”
DuBois is known as one of the most successful executives in the recording industry, discovering and signing Arista Nashville artists including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley, BlackHawk, Pam Tillis and Diamond Rio. An adjunct professor of management at Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management and longtime ASCAP member, DuBois’ storied career has included recognition as a songwriter, manager, record executive and producer.
Five songs that he has co-written have been No. 1 hits on the music charts. He has received numerous awards and two Grammy award nominations. As a producer, his accolades have included over 20 No. 1 hits and Top 5 singles, and more than a dozen gold, platinum, and double-platinum albums.
DuBois, who graduated with a degree in accounting from OSU, was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2015 and the OSU Alumni Hall of Fame in 1996. He was recently honored by the OSU Spears School of Business as one of its most influential graduates of the school’s first 100 years.
Becca Walls Resigns From WKDF After 16 Years
/by Jessica NicholsonBecca Walls
Nash FM 103.3 (WKDF) on-air personality Becca Walls has resigned after 16 years with the station, she announced today (May 3). Her last day will be May 11.
“Please know this was 1000% my decision and Cumulus Nashville couldn’t have been kinder or more supportive when I delivered the news. It’s something I have thought about, prayed about, struggled with, sought advice from wiser friends about, and ultimately decided it was time,” Walls stated on social media. “My passion and love for country radio and my love affair with country music and the artists is for life. I am not leaving Nashville. It is my home and a city I have grown to love intensely.”
She will do freelance work as the Nashville correspondent for Envision Networks’ AmeriCountry daily radio prep. She is also the Nashville correspondent for the Bud and Broadway morning show on 92.3 (WIL) in St. Louis, and is exploring other options ranging from freelance work to full-time opportunities.
“I owe a big debt of gratitude to Wes Gardipe who took a chance on me 16 years ago when I had little to no experience as a solo DJ on a radio station. He believed in me because of my work with Blair Garner on After MidNite. His belief in me changed my life and since then, anyone who has believed in me, supported me, encouraged me, loved me or listened to me in the last 16 years has also changed my life in the most positive and amazing ways.”
MusicRowLife: The AristoMedia Group’s Jon and Tessa Walker Welcome Daughter
/by Jessica NicholsonThe AristoMedia Group’s Jon Walker and wife Tessa welcomed daughter, Emme Josephine Walker, on Monday, May 2. She weighed in at 6 lbs, 6 oz.
This is the third grandchild for the late Jeff Walker (AristoMedia Group Founder) and his wife Terri. Emme is also the great-granddaughter of award-winning arranger, producer, conductor and music director Bill Walker and wife Jeanine Walker, and niece of AristoMedia’s Christy Walker-Watkins and Matt Watkins.
Emme Josephine Walker
LANco Makes The Most Of Every Moment On Debut Arista Nashville Single
/by Jessica NicholsonLANco
One of Arista Nashville’s newest additions to its roster, LANco visited with MusicRow on Tuesday morning (May 3) to showcase three songs from their four-song LANco EP, including “Trouble Maker,” “American Love Story,” and their current single “Long Live Tonight.”
Like many bands, LANco’s members—Brandon Lancaster, Tripp Howell, Eric Steedly, Jared Hampton, and Chandler Baldwin—found a shared musical bond through performing in other bands around the Middle Tennessee area.
Introducing “Long Live Tonight,” Lancaster stated, “This song is about making the most of every moment you’ve got.”
It’s a maxim that has brought the band from secretly rehearsing in warehouses to working with Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town) and inking their deal with Arista Nashville.
At the time, band member Tripp Howell worked at a carpet warehouse by day, and was a musician by night. The band took advantage of the space and time they had to develop their sound. “At that time we weren’t really making any money and couldn’t afford a rehearsal spot,” says Lancaster. “Tripp had the keys to the carpet warehouse so we would sneak in there and just rehearse. We would always try to load our stuff out before the store opened. Then we got kind of lazy, so we put our equipment in the corner of the warehouse and threw old dusty rugs over our stuff, hoping not to get caught. We did get caught.”
LANco
Later, Lancaster would take a risk with a bigger payoff. During one of his shifts working at the Bridgestone Arena’s concession stand, Lancaster spotted Jay Joyce.
“I was a huge fan, so I thought that was the appropriate time to shut down my register. I just approached him as a fan,” says Lancaster. “We got to talking and about 30 minutes later, he invited me to his studio to play some songs.”
That meeting and a four-song performance led to an offer to record an album at Joyce’s Neon Cross Studio in Nashville.
“We did that, and got ourselves an RV and hit the road to build a fan base,” says Lancaster. “We played a show at [Nashville’s] The High Watt. There were a few guys in the green room after the show that we didn’t recognize, but it was Randy Goodman and Steve Hodges from Sony and that whole crew and they offered us a deal on the spot.”
“Long Live Tonight” officially impacts country radio on July 11. The band will spend the summer playing festivals, and recently appeared at SXSW and Tortuga Music Festival.
LANco with MusicRow staff