Pictured (clockwise, from top left): Gentry Alverson, Janet Edbrooke, Kathryn Nauman, Jon Sands, Lindsay Potts, Taylor Payne.
The Academy of Country Music has promoted six staffers across several departments, including Gentry Alverson, Janet Edbrooke, Kathryn Nauman, Taylor Payne, Lindsay Potts and Jon Sands. Positions are based out of the Academy’s headquarters in Encino, California, as well as the Nashville satellite office.
Alverson has been promoted to Coordinator, Administration & Membership. He was previously an assistant at the ACM’s administration department. In his new role, Alverson will coordinate overall administration of the ACM office with a focus on professional membership, finance and Board of Directors communication. He reports to Tiffany Moon, Executive Vice President, Managing Director.
Edbrooke has been promoted to Coordinator, Operations & Events. Edbrooke interned at the ACM’s Operations & Events department before joining full-time as assistant in 2014. In her new role as Coordinator, Edbrooke will oversee operations for the ACM Awards team, including sponsor fulfillment, credentials, catering, transportation, red carpet logistics and the All-Star Jam official after party. She will also coordinate logistics for the quarterly ACM Board of Directors meetings and will assist with the annual ACM Honors event. She reports to Erick Long, Senior Vice President, Operations & Events.
Nauman has been promoted to Manager, Operations & Events. Nauman joined the Academy full-time after graduating from Arizona State University. In her new role as Manager, Kathryn will oversee operations and logistics for the ACM Party for a Cause Festival. She reports to Long.
Payne has been promoted to Coordinator, Creative & Content Production. After interning for ACM Lifting Lives, Payne continued on full-time as an assistant in the Creative & Content Production and PR & Marketing departments. In her new role as Coordinator, Payne will help coordinate the day-to-day management of the Academy’s websites, photo archives, A-List eblasts and ACM Tempo, among other duties. Payne reports to Lisa Lee, Senior Vice President, Creative & Content Production.
Potts has been promoted to Manager, Brand Integration & Strategic Partnerships. While attending The University of Rhode Island, Potts interned at Sony Picture Entertainment in Culver City, California, with Screen Gems post-production team. She has joined the ACM’s Nashville-based Brand Integration and Strategic Partnerships team. As Manager, she oversees sponsor relationships and on-site sponsor activations at the ACM Party for a Cause Festival. She reports to Amy Cannon, Manager, Brand Integration & Strategic Partnerships.
Sands has been promoted to Coordinator, Operations & Events. Sands first joined the ACM team in 2013 as an intern for the Los Angeles office, where he continued on as a full-time staff member while simultaneously earning a Master of Science degree in Communication from Minnesota State University, Mankato. As Coordinator for the Operations & Events team, Sands will focus on the logistics for the ACM Party for a Cause Festival, including planning, stage production and the volunteer program. Sands reports to Long.
Artist Updates: Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Brett Eldredge, Brad Paisley
/by Jessica NicholsonMiranda Lambert Headlines At Nashville’s City Winery
Pictured (L-R): Steve Hodges, EVP Promotion & Artist Development, Sony Music Nashville; Jim Catino, A&R VP, Sony Music Nashville; Miranda Lambert; Randy Goodman, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Nashville; Ken Robold, EVP & COO, Sony Music Nashville; Taylor Lindsey, A&R Senior Director, Sony Music Nashville; Caryl Healey, Sales VP, Sony Music Nashville; Keith Gale, Sr. VP National Promotion, RCA Nashville. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images
RCA Nashville artist Miranda Lambert headlined a sold-out show at Nashville’s City Winery on Jan. 20, playing an acoustic benefit for her Women Creators Scholarship at Belmont University. The event also featured Ashley Monroe, Shane McAnally, and Nicolle Galyon.
Thomas Rhett Celebrates Six-Week Chart Topper
Pictured: Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta (center left) leads celebrations with The Valory Music Co.’s SVP Promotion George Briner (far right), VMC promo staff and fellow BMLG staffers.
Following the news of his six-week No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, Thomas Rhett celebrated the success of “Die A Happy Man” with his label team, Big Machine Label Group. The platinum-selling singer-songwriter called to share congratulations with his team on the way home from a show as direct support for Jason Aldean’s We Were Here 2016 Tour.
Brett Eldredge To Perform at Music Biz 2016
Brett Eldredge
The Music Business Association (Music Biz) has announced that Brett Eldredge will perform at the Music Biz 2016 Awards Breakfast on Tuesday, May 17, at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville. Sponsored by the Country Music Association (CMA) to spotlight the 50th anniversary of the CMA Awards, the breakfast will also feature the presentation of the Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement to John Esposito, President and CEO of Warner Music Nashville and Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors, and the Independent Spirit Award to Redeye, a leading physical and digital distributor and label services provider for some of the biggest independent artists and labels in the world.
Music Biz 2016 will take place in Nashville from May 16-18. For more information or to sign up for the conference, visit musicbiz2016.com.
Brad Paisley Brings Country Nation College Tour to Ole Miss
Photos: Ben Enos
On Monday night (Jan. 24) Brad Paisley performed the last show on his Country Nation College Tour presented by Zaxby’s as part of the grand-opening season for The Pavilion at Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi. The University of Mississippi became the tenth IMG College-partner school to welcome Paisley this school year as he provided free entertainment for the campus community. Grammy-nominated artist Cam was special guest.
View highlights from the show below:
The Stellas Ink New Publishing Deal With Warner/Chappell
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Genevieve Jewell, Manager; Ben Vaughn, Warner/Chappell; Alicia Pruitt, Warner/Chappell; Marylynne Stella; Brad Stella; Phil May, Warner/Chappell
Warner/Chappell Music has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Canadian country duo, The Stellas. Brad and Marylynne Stella wrote the majority of material on their 2011 self-titled album. They are the recipients of the 2013 Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Group or Duo of the Year award, the 2013 Country Music Association of Ontario (CMAO) Group or Duo of the Year award, and the 2012 CCMA Video of the Year award for their song, “In This House.”
They are also parents to Lennon and Maisy Stella who are known for their roles as Maddie and Daphne on the ABC hit show Nashville.
Watershed Festival Offers Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Keith Urban On Consecutive Weekends
/by Craig_ShelburneThe Watershed Music and Camping Festival will be the first-ever country music festival to host two consecutive weekends, with Jason Aldean, Eric Church and Keith Urban slated to headline the festival both weekends this summer.
With a history of selling out in just minutes, due to the dedicated fans known as ‘Shedders, the fifth annual festival will take place at The Gorge in George, Washington, on July 29-31 and Aug. 5-7. Passes will go on sale Friday (Jan. 29) at 10 a.m. PT on the festival website.
Other confirmed performers for the festival (though not necessarily on both weekends) include: A Thousand Horses, Brothers Osborne, Brett Eldredge, Tyler Farr, Merle Haggard, Neal McCoy, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, David Nail, Jon Pardi, RaeLynn, Travis Tritt and more.
“The ’Shedders and my team know how special Watershed is to me and I can’t believe we’re coming back in only our fifth year for two weekends,” said Brian O’Connell, President of Live Nation Country Touring. “I’m so excited to see first-timers like Jason, Keith and Eric’s reaction when they arrive at The Gorge, as the view is just out of this world, and all the artists and fans getting to experience the truly unique vibe of this festival. ”
The first to be established in Live Nation’s family of premier country music festivals, Watershed was quickly followed by the launch of four other destination festivals: Faster Horses in Brooklyn, Michigan; Route 91 Harvest in Las Vegas; Windy City LakeShake in Chicago; and FarmBorough in New York City.
Charles Esten, Don Henley, Ronnie Milsap Added To T.J. Martell Foundation Gala
/by Jessica NicholsonCharles Esten
The T.J. Martell Foundation will welcome Charles Esten again as host of the 8th annual Nashville Honors Gala, which is slated for Monday, Feb. 29, at Nashville’s Omni Hotel.
Additionally, Don Henley and Ronnie Milsap have been added as performers for the evening, which will pay tribute to outstanding community leaders.
This year’s previously-announced honorees are:
Aubrey Harwell: Spirit of Nashville Award
Brian Philips: Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award
Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D.: Medical Research Advancement Award
Kenny Rogers: Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award
FedEx Corporation: Outstanding Global Citizenship Award with Frederick W. Smith accepting on behalf of more than 350,000 team members around the world
Honors Gala co-chairs this year are board members, Dave Berryman, president of Gibson Guitar Corporation, and Leslie Fram, CMT’s senior vice president of music strategy. The evening is produced by Martin Fisher and Edie Hoback of High Five Entertainment.
The Honors Gala has raised over $3.5 million since its inception in 2009.
BMI Expands Search For “Road to ‘Roo” Battle Of The Bands
/by Jessica NicholsonBMI’s “Road to ‘Roo” Battle of the Bands is expanding its search for the best bands in the Southeast.
The performing rights organization has partnered with Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival to expand “Road to ‘Roo” beyond Nashville to include three additional cities. Atlanta, Athens, and Knoxville have been added as participating cities. Sixteen bands from each city will be ultimately be chosen for the initial round of battle of the bands. The competition will launch the week of Feb. 29.
Applications for interested bands will be posted on participating radio station websites: Georgia’s Rock 100.5 WNNX-FM; 103.7 Chuck FM WXKT-FM; 106.1 Your Georgia Country WNGC-FM and Power 100.1 WPUP-FM and Tennessee’s 103.5 Classic Rock WIMZ-FM and Lightning 100 WRLT-FM.
“We could not be more excited for this expanded edition of Road to Roo,” said Mark Mason, Executive Director, BMI Writer-Publisher. “It’s a great opportunity to get our licensees involved with the battle of the bands process. It’s time to see the best the Southeast has to offer!”
Three bands will win the honor of playing at Bonnaroo, to be held June 9-12, in Manchester, Tennessee. Celebrating its 15th anniversary, the festival attracts more than 85,000 attendees each year to experience four days of music, comedy, cinema, art, wellness and more.
‘Southern Living’ To Celebrate 50th Anniversary With Nashville Celebration
/by Jessica NicholsonLifestyle magazine Southern Living will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016 with a celebration in Nashville slated for Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 1-5.
Titled Nashville Now, the weekend will include an array of culinary events, showcases from local fashion designers, and songwriter rounds. Additionally, there will be garden tours, art shows, and events featuring local boutique shops.
In addition, Southern Living collaborated with Goo Goo and Tennessee Brew Works for Nashville Now on limited edition flavors to commemorate the 50th anniversary: The Hummingbird Premium Goo Goo and Tennessee Brew Works’ Wildflower Honey Blonde Ale.
“We are thrilled to be working with the city of Nashville – it’s one of our favorite Southern cities and a great example of how the South is continuously evolving but also celebrating its roots,” said Southern Living Editor Sid Evans. “And what better way to celebrate our 50th anniversary than by partnering with two iconic Nashville brands? They both make products that are beloved by Southerners, and we look forward to sharing these limited editions with the Southern Living audience.”
“Nashville has relied on Southern Living to carry our message to consumers for decades,” said Butch Spyridon, president and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “We are honored they wanted to work with us and pleased with the opportunity to showcase our music, food and fashion as part of their 50th anniversary.”
An event schedule and visitor packages will be announced in coming weeks.
Warner/Chappell Music, Neon Cross Music Sign Stevenson Everett
/by Jessica NicholsonWarner/Chappell Music and Jay Joyce‘s Neon Cross Music have revealed their latest joint venture signing, Stevenson Everett. Everett is set to release his first digital EP, produced by Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Little Big Town) and recorded at Nashville’s St. Charles Studio.
The EP features his first digital single, “Born With It.”
Everett says, “In a world where women feel like they must be perfect, I’m trying my best to teach my daughters that real beauty comes from being true to yourself. Beauty is something you’re born with, not something you buy.”
In the accompanying video directed by Blythe Thomas, various women and girls are spotlighted singing along to the lyrics. Among those featured are a cancer survivor, a community activist, a nurse, a correctional officer, adoptees, and a young lady with Down Syndrome. The video ends with a shot of Everett dancing with his wife and daughters for whom he wrote the song.
An EP release show is planned for Monday night (Jan. 25) at St. Charles Studio at 6 p.m. in East Nashville.
Open Road Recordings/RGK Entertainment Group Moves Nashville Office to Berry Hill
/by Jessica NicholsonAdditionally, Open Road Recordings/RGK Entertainment Group welcomes Amber Bell as Manager of National Promotion to the Toronto team and Jamie New Johnson as the Social Media and Content Editor for TopCountry.ca.
Artists on the company’s roster include Dean Brody, Tim Hicks, The Road Hammers, Blackjack Billy, and more. RGK has won Management Company of the Year from 2009 to 2014 and Manager of the Year nine times at the Canadian Country Music Awards (CCMA).
Open Road Recordings/RGK Entertainment Group’s Nashville outpost can be reached at (615) 327-2645.
Academy of Country Music Promotes Six Staffers
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (clockwise, from top left): Gentry Alverson, Janet Edbrooke, Kathryn Nauman, Jon Sands, Lindsay Potts, Taylor Payne.
The Academy of Country Music has promoted six staffers across several departments, including Gentry Alverson, Janet Edbrooke, Kathryn Nauman, Taylor Payne, Lindsay Potts and Jon Sands. Positions are based out of the Academy’s headquarters in Encino, California, as well as the Nashville satellite office.
Alverson has been promoted to Coordinator, Administration & Membership. He was previously an assistant at the ACM’s administration department. In his new role, Alverson will coordinate overall administration of the ACM office with a focus on professional membership, finance and Board of Directors communication. He reports to Tiffany Moon, Executive Vice President, Managing Director.
Edbrooke has been promoted to Coordinator, Operations & Events. Edbrooke interned at the ACM’s Operations & Events department before joining full-time as assistant in 2014. In her new role as Coordinator, Edbrooke will oversee operations for the ACM Awards team, including sponsor fulfillment, credentials, catering, transportation, red carpet logistics and the All-Star Jam official after party. She will also coordinate logistics for the quarterly ACM Board of Directors meetings and will assist with the annual ACM Honors event. She reports to Erick Long, Senior Vice President, Operations & Events.
Nauman has been promoted to Manager, Operations & Events. Nauman joined the Academy full-time after graduating from Arizona State University. In her new role as Manager, Kathryn will oversee operations and logistics for the ACM Party for a Cause Festival. She reports to Long.
Payne has been promoted to Coordinator, Creative & Content Production. After interning for ACM Lifting Lives, Payne continued on full-time as an assistant in the Creative & Content Production and PR & Marketing departments. In her new role as Coordinator, Payne will help coordinate the day-to-day management of the Academy’s websites, photo archives, A-List eblasts and ACM Tempo, among other duties. Payne reports to Lisa Lee, Senior Vice President, Creative & Content Production.
Potts has been promoted to Manager, Brand Integration & Strategic Partnerships. While attending The University of Rhode Island, Potts interned at Sony Picture Entertainment in Culver City, California, with Screen Gems post-production team. She has joined the ACM’s Nashville-based Brand Integration and Strategic Partnerships team. As Manager, she oversees sponsor relationships and on-site sponsor activations at the ACM Party for a Cause Festival. She reports to Amy Cannon, Manager, Brand Integration & Strategic Partnerships.
Sands has been promoted to Coordinator, Operations & Events. Sands first joined the ACM team in 2013 as an intern for the Los Angeles office, where he continued on as a full-time staff member while simultaneously earning a Master of Science degree in Communication from Minnesota State University, Mankato. As Coordinator for the Operations & Events team, Sands will focus on the logistics for the ACM Party for a Cause Festival, including planning, stage production and the volunteer program. Sands reports to Long.
Artist Updates: Thompson Square, Brandy Clark, High Valley, Ronnie McDowell, Ruthie Collins
/by Jessica NicholsonThompson Square’s Shawna and Keifer Thompson Welcome First Child
Photo courtesy Thompson Square.
Thompson Square’s Shawna and Keifer Thompson welcomed their first child, Rigney Cooper Thompson, on Jan. 24 at 2:46 a.m. CT. The boy weighed 7 lbs and 13 oz and is 19 inches long.
The name “Rigney” is the maiden name of Shawna Thompson’s grandmother.
“We’re so excited to be able to share this monumental day with all of you,” Shawna and Keifer said in a statement via social media. “We’ve had many wonderful things happen to us but this absolutely tops them all. We want to thank you all for being there for us and our music and for all of your support during our pregnancy. We can’t wait to see you out on the road this year but until then. . .Please say hello and welcome to this big ol world, Rigney Cooper Thompson aka #coopert #cooperman #coopdeville #coopdog #sircoopsalot.”
Warner Music Nashville Showcases Brandy Clark, High Valley at iHeart Summit
Pictured (L-R): Kevin Herring, SVP, Promotion, WMN; Michael Jordan, iHeart; Brad Rempel, High Valley; Kristen Williams, VP, Promotion, WMN; Rod Phillips, iHeart; Brandy Clark; Curtis Rempel, High Valley; Jordan Pettit, VP, Promotion, WMN; Michael Bryan, iHeart.
Warner Music Nashville showcased duo High Valley as well as Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Brandy Clark at the iHeart Summit recently. High Valley performed their debut single “Make You Mine” while Clark previewed songs from her upcoming album due later this year, including her new single “Girl Next Door.”
Ronnie McDowell Releases Autobiography
The book is available on McDowell’s website.
Curb Records’ Ruthie Collins Debuts Lifestyle Series on Country Now
Curb Records artist Ruthie Collins has debuted the original lifestyle series Pinterest “Pass or Fail” on Country Now. The six episode series will air weekly on Thursdays, and will run through Feb. 25.
Watch a preview of the series below.