Carrie Underwood and members of her team gathered prior to Underwood’s C2C appearance at the 02 Arena in London on Friday, March 11.
Pictured (L-R): Randy Goodman, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Nashville; Steph Seager, Senior Radio Promotion Manager, Sony Music Entertainment UK; 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville’s Carrie Underwood; Mark Terry, Co-President, Columbia, Sony Music Entertainment UK; Ann Edelblute, Underwood’s manager (The HQ)
played in London, Dublin and Glasgow as part of C2C: Country to Country 2016. Of her experience in Europe,
the singer-songwriter said, “I loved every second. Music is so universal and it was great to have such an enthusiastic response so far from home. Fans knew all the words to my songs, even album cuts! I’m already looking forward to returning.”
Miranda Lambert at C2C. Photo: Christie Goodwin
performed “Power of Positive Drinkin’,” the second single off his Warner Music Nashville debut album, last night on
Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Chris Janson
“Smokey and the Bandit” star
Burt Reynolds posed for a photo with CMT’s
Lewis Bogach and
John Miller-Monzon at the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, this past weekend, where “The Bandit” documentary, executive produced by Bogach and Miller-Monzon, premiered
on Saturday.
“The Bandit,” which tells the action-packed story of the making of the original film, features new interviews with Reynolds, rare archive material and candid interviews with the late Hal Needham, and is set to premiere on CMT in August.
Pictured (L-R): CMT’s Lewis Bogach, “Smokey and the Bandit” star Burt Reynolds, and CMT’s John Miller-Monzon
On Friday, Mar. 11,
Scotty McCreery brought several friends and family members to PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, to see one of his biggest heroes in concert – Garth Brooks. After watching the show, McCreery tweeted a photo taken backstage of the two singers and wrote, “This guy IS country music! He brings it at every concert! Enjoyed the show and hanging out man!…”
Pictured (L-R): Garth Brooks and Scotty McCreery
AIMP Nashville Plans Inaugural Awards Show
/by Sarah SkatesCo-chaired by SMACKsongs’ Michael Baum and Wrensong’s Ree Buchanan, the AIMP created a planning committee to represent all sectors of the independent Nashville music community to conceptualize the event.
“Michael and I had a dream to create an event that celebrated independent songwriters and their publishers,” says Buchanan. “In Nashville, independents make up more that 50 percent of the market. That should be awarded.”
The invitation-only AIMP Nashville Awards will pay tribute to the top independent publisher, songwriter and song from 2015, as voted on by AIMP members. Top independent writer and publisher awards are calculated by the NEKST chart. The celebration will also honor the top-streamed country song on Spotify and Song Champion of the Year, recognizing a member of the industry whose actions exemplify him or her as a song/songwriter advocate.
“Spotify is delighted to be the sponsor of the AIMP Nashville Awards,” said James Duffett-Smith, Publisher Relations, Spotify. “The independent publishing community in Nashville has contributed an enormous amount to the music of this iconic town, and we are privileged to play a part in recognizing their talented songwriters.”
The Wallflowers To Headline St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon Concert
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Wallflowers
The Wallflowers will headline the Toyota Rock ‘n’ Roll Concert Series on Saturday, April 30 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 7 p.m., as part of this year’s St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon & 1/2 Marathon.
Formerly known as the St. Jude Country Music Marathon, the event has been rebranded as part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series for the first time in 2016. The musically-themed race attracts more than 30,000 runners and walkers who will take on the 26.2, 13.1-mile and 5K courses, while passing 50 of Nashville’s top live bands performing along the route. Additionally, 4,000 junior racers will participate in KiDS ROCK Nashville presented by YMCA of Middle Tennessee.
The concert is open to the public and tickets are now on sale for $35.00. Race participants and volunteers receive free admission. Tickets can be purchased at the Bridgestone Arena box office, TicketMaster charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com.
“With more than 30,000 runners this year, the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is a marquee event in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series,” said Kevin Buffalino, Event Director. “It’s the first year as Rock ‘n’ Roll, and we are thrilled that The Wallflowers will perform at this year’s post-race concert to celebrate all of the musical genres that Nashville is known for. We are excited that so many participants return year after year to experience the event and run Music City.”
During the marathon, thousands of St. Jude Heroes will run, hoping to raise more than $2 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Over the event’s five-year partnership with St. Jude, nearly $6 million has been raised.
For more information or to register for the event, visit RunRocknRoll.com/Nashville.
Eric Paslay Honored With MTSU Young Alumni Achievement Award
/by Jessica NicholsonTop photo (L-R): Ken Paulson, MTSU Dean of the College of Media and Entertainment; Dr. Sidney McPhee, Eric Paslay, Pete Fisher. Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry
EMI Records Nashville artist Eric Paslay appeared on the Grand Ole Opry last night (March 15) performing a few of his hits, including new single “High Class” and “She Don’t Love You,” which is nominated for “Song of the Year” at the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards.
Following his performance, Paslay was presented with the “Young Alumni Achievement Award” from his alma mater, Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). The award was presented by MTSU President Dr. Sidney McPhee alongside Grand Ole Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher, also an alumni from the school and a past recipient of two MTSU achievement awards, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award.
The “Young Alumni Achievement Award” honors an MTSU graduate 35 years of age or younger who has had outstanding achievement in career, public service and/or volunteer activities and is selected annually by the Association’s Board of Directors from nominations submitted by alumni, MTSU faculty, staff and friends.
Dierks Bentley Celebrates CMHoF Exhibit With Acoustic Performance
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Peter Cooper; songwriter Angelo Petraglia; Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Abi Tapia; Dierks Bentley; and songwriters Jon Randall, Ross Copperman, and Brett James.
Photo by Rick Diamond, Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
This weekend, the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum presented a special appearance by multi-platinum entertainer Dierks Bentley in the museum’s CMA Theater. The program was hosted by museum editor Peter Cooper and offered in support of the exhibition Dierks Bentley: Every Mile a Memory. The afternoon also featured an acoustic performance by Bentley who was joined by frequent co-writers Jim Beavers, Jon Randall, Ross Copperman, Brett James, and Angelo Petraglia.
Dierks Bentley: Every Mile a Memory runs through Sept. 6, 2016.
Pictured (L-R): songwriter Jim Beavers, Dierks Bentley, and songwriter Jon Randall perform at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Rick Diamond, Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
In Pictures: Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Chris Janson, CMT, Scotty McCreery
/by Jessica NicholsonCarrie Underwood and members of her team gathered prior to Underwood’s C2C appearance at the 02 Arena in London on Friday, March 11.
Pictured (L-R): Randy Goodman, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Nashville; Steph Seager, Senior Radio Promotion Manager, Sony Music Entertainment UK; 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville’s Carrie Underwood; Mark Terry, Co-President, Columbia, Sony Music Entertainment UK; Ann Edelblute, Underwood’s manager (The HQ)
Miranda Lambert played in London, Dublin and Glasgow as part of C2C: Country to Country 2016. Of her experience in Europe, the singer-songwriter said, “I loved every second. Music is so universal and it was great to have such an enthusiastic response so far from home. Fans knew all the words to my songs, even album cuts! I’m already looking forward to returning.”
Miranda Lambert at C2C. Photo: Christie Goodwin
Chris Janson performed “Power of Positive Drinkin’,” the second single off his Warner Music Nashville debut album, last night on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
Chris Janson
“Smokey and the Bandit” star Burt Reynolds posed for a photo with CMT’s Lewis Bogach and John Miller-Monzon at the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, this past weekend, where “The Bandit” documentary, executive produced by Bogach and Miller-Monzon, premiered on Saturday.
“The Bandit,” which tells the action-packed story of the making of the original film, features new interviews with Reynolds, rare archive material and candid interviews with the late Hal Needham, and is set to premiere on CMT in August.
Pictured (L-R): CMT’s Lewis Bogach, “Smokey and the Bandit” star Burt Reynolds, and CMT’s John Miller-Monzon
On Friday, Mar. 11, Scotty McCreery brought several friends and family members to PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina, to see one of his biggest heroes in concert – Garth Brooks. After watching the show, McCreery tweeted a photo taken backstage of the two singers and wrote, “This guy IS country music! He brings it at every concert! Enjoyed the show and hanging out man!…”
Pictured (L-R): Garth Brooks and Scotty McCreery
Top Female Music Industry Execs Gather For WHO KNEW Presents: Women Who Rock
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Tracy Gershon (Rounder Records), Ree Guyer Buchanan (Wrensong Music Publishing), Marcie Allen (MAC Presents), Julie Boos (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy), Linda Edell Howard (Adams and Reese, LLP), Sloane Scott (FLO.CO), Heather McBee (Nashville Entrepreneur Center) and Leslie Fram (CMT) celebrate a successful evening at WHO KNEW™ Presents: Women Who Rock Thursday, March 10 at 3rd and Lindsley. Photo: Autumn Haile
Music industry executives gathered at 3rd & Lindsley on Thursday, March 10 for WHO KNEW Presents: Women Who Rock, a panel featuring several top music industry members, including Leslie Fram (Sr. VP/Music Strategy at Viacom/CMT), Tracy Gershon (VP, A&R at Rounder Records), Ree Guyer Buchanan (owner/president of Wrensong Music Publishing), Marcie Allen (MAC Presents), Julie Boos (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy), Linda Edell Howard (Adams and Reese, LLP), Sloane Scott (FLO.CO) and Heather McBee (Nashville Entrepreneur Center).
The executives shared stories and career advice, and emphasized the importance of empowering women in the entertainment industry.
WHO KNEW is presented by the College of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University and MusicRowSearch, with support from Dell Nashville, Stites & Harbison, Uncle Classic Barber Shop, Axis Teknologies, Southwest Airlines, Jammber Music, Anacrusis, Do615, Lightning 100, Jukebox Mixtape, Jive! Printing, Signs First and Kaleidoscope Media.
Ree Guyer Buchanan speaks at WHO KNEW Presents: Women Who Rock. Photo: Autumn Haile
Leslie Fram speaks at WHO KNEW Presents: Women Who Rock. Photo: Autumn Haile
Linda Edell Howard speaks during WHO KNEW Presents: Women Who Rock. Photo: Autumn Haile
Tracy Gershon speaks during WHO KNEW Presents: Women Who Rock. Photo: Paul Schatzkin
Sloane Scott speaks during WHO KNEW Presents: Women Who Rock. Photo: Autumn Haile
Artist News: Darius Rucker, Cam, Terri Clark, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
/by Sarah SkatesDarius Rucker To Host ACM Lifting Lives Golf Classic
Darius Rucker will return to host the ACM Lifting Lives Golf Classic for the fifth consecutive year at TPC Las Vegas on Sat., April 2, 2016. Proceeds from the tournament benefit the ACM Lifting Lives’ Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund, which provides immediate relief to those in need within the music industry.
The ACM Lifting Lives Golf Classic and the 4th Annual ACM Party for a Cause Festival are just two events benefitting the charities during “The Week Vegas Goes Country,” leading up to the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 3.
Cam Remakes “Here Comes The Sun” For Major Motion Picture
Cam. Photo: Ninelle Efremova
Cam has recorded a remake of “Here Comes The Sun” which will be included in the Sony Pictures film Miracles From Heaven (starring Jennifer Garner) opening in theaters nationwide tomorrow (March 16). This classic song was written by George Harrison and first released in 1969 on the Beatles’ album Abbey Road.
This past weekend, Cam made her Down Under debut performing at CMC Rocks QLD 2016. “Mayday” is the new follow-up to her major hit “Burning House.” Cam heads to the April 3 ACM Awards as the most-nominated female, with six nominations.
Terri Clark To Host Country Gold Show
Westwood One has announced that Terri Clark will take over hosting duties of the four-hour classic country show Country Gold, beginning the weekend of April 9-10, 2016. Country Gold airs on more than 100 stations. Randy Owen previously hosted the show for four years.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band On PBS Tonight
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s star-studded PBS Pledge Special airs tonight (March 15) at 7 p.m. CST on WNPT in Nashville. Guests include John Prine, Sam Bush, Vince Gill, Jerry Jeff Walker, Alison Krauss, Rodney Crowell, Byron House, and Jerry Douglas as well as former members, Jimmy Ibbotson (longtime member) and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and early NGDB member Jackson Browne.
There will be an accompanying CD and DVD as well as concert tickets and meet and greets available exclusively through PBS member stations.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has a full slate of dates to commemorate their Golden 50th anniversary running through the end of 2017.
Mark Collie To Release New ‘Icon’ Album Of Hits April 15
/by Troy_StephensonSinger, actor, and songwriter Mark Collie will release a new ICON collection, to be released April 15 by MCA Nashville/UMe. Collie has had a list of hits including “Something With A Ring To It,” “Born To Love You,” “Even the Man in the Moon is Crying,” and “Hard Lovin’ Woman.”
Collie’s four MCA Nashville albums, Hardin County Line (1990), Born And Raised In Black & White (1991), Mark Collie (1993), and Unleashed (1994), make their digital release debuts on March 25.
Mark Collie: ICON
1. She’s Never Comin’ Back
2. Even the Man in the Moon is Crying
3. Looks Aren’t Everything
4. Let Her Go
5. Something With A Ring To It
6. Born to Love You
7. Shame Shame Shame Shame
8. Calloused Hands
9. Hardin County Line
10. Something’s Gonna Change Her Mind
11. Hard Lovin’ Woman
Collie stars as Frankie Gray on ABC’s hit show “Nashville,” which returns Wednesday, March 16 for the second half of its fourth season. On April 16, SiriusXM’s Prime Country channel will air a new interview with Collie between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. EDT. That evening, Collie will perform at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, with an autograph session at the Opry’s gift shop to follow the show.
Jon Platt, Cathy Hughes Named National Museum Of African American Music Honorees
/by Jessica NicholsonThe National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) will honor several artists and industry executives during the 2016 My Music Matters™: A Celebration of Legends Luncheon, to be held Friday, May 6 at Nashville’s Renaissance Hotel. Shannon Sanders and Dyana Williams, GRAMMY chapter presidents of Nashville and Philadelphia, respectively, will co-host the event and serve as masters of ceremonies.
Sanders and Williams were on hand Tuesday morning (March 15) at Nashville’s Renaissance Hotel to announce this year’s honorees, which include:
• Pastor Shirley Caesar, GRAMMY®, Dove and Stellar award-winning Gospel icon
• Cathy Hughes, TV One/Radio One, Chairman
• Alfred Liggins, III, TV One/Radio One, President & CEO
• Kenny Gamble, Gamble-Huff Music
• Leon Huff, Gamble-Huff Music
• Jon Platt, CEO, Warner/Chappell Music, North America
“It is an honor to serve as co-host of the Legends Luncheon with the co-founder of Black Music Month, Dyana Williams, in Music City,” said Sanders, the first African American elected to serve as president of the GRAMMY’s Nashville chapter. “It’s especially powerful that we will host this event in Nashville, leading into June and celebrating NMAAM. This project is a cultural imperative, not just for Nashville, but for the world. I am looking forward to the many aspects of American culture told within the museum and in communities all across this country.”
“The conversations we have had with leaders and community members, across the nation, fueled our progress and has produced growth in multiple facets,” said H. Beecher Hicks III, president and CEO of NMAAM. “By ensuring the mission of NMAAM with new and existing supporters, we have accomplished key milestones and significant fundraising, including securing plans for our future home – in the heart of Music City’s downtown core – surpassing 2015 goals and reaching over 10,000 youth and adults through expanded educational programming.”
Tickets for the My Music Matters: A Celebration of Legends luncheon are $125 per person and can be purchased at nmaam.org. Those interested in becoming a sponsor should contact NMAAM’s development department by calling 615-301-8724 or contacting info@nmaam.org.
Kix Brooks Is Cookin’ With New Book
/by Sarah Skates“This cookbook is all about making it easy to be outside creating memories with the people who mean the most to you,” said Brooks. “Whether you are getting ready for a backyard BBQ, planning a menu for Thanksgiving Dinner or want to cook up some fish you just pulled out of a stream, we have recipes for you. Before you know it, you’ll be cookin’ like a Cajun too!”
The multi-faceted entertainer hosts his Kickin It with Kix radio show, a Cooking Channel series Steak Out with Kix Brooks, co-owns Arrington Vineyards and is a contributor to Nash Country Weekly. The residency, Reba, Brooks & Dunn Together In Vegas, has had 18 consecutive sellouts and continues May 3 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.
Fans can now pre-order the cookbook at www.kixbrooks.com.