Pictured (L-R): Ben Vaughn, Warner/Chappell; Jody Williams, BMI; Bradley Collins, BMI; Troy Tomlinson, Sony/ATV; Hannah Williams, Sony/ATV; Josh Hoge; Shannan Hatch, SESAC; Chris Young; Corey Crowder; Larry Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Hartley; Bill Simmons, Fitzgerald Hartley; Mike Sistad, ASCAP; Steve Hodges, Sony Music Nashville
Industry members, friends and family gathered yesterday evening (Jan. 11) at Nashville’s The Cannery Ballroom for a No. 1 celebration honoring RCA Nashville artist Chris Young‘s title track single, “I’m Comin’ Over.” The song held the top spot for a three-week run in 2015.
Written by Young (BMI), Corey Crowder (ASCAP) and Josh Hoge (SESAC), the lead single has reached RIAA Platinum status and is Young’s 7th No. 1 song and first as a producer.
BMI’s Bradley Collins welcomed guests and set the stage for the festivities before Sony Nashville’s Steve Hodges and Keith Gale started the accolades. Avenue Bank’s Ron Cox presented a contribution on behalf of the tunesmiths to T. J. Martell Foundation while Ashley Silver took a turn to honor the writers from Country Radio Broadcasters.
ASCAP’s Mike Sistad touted that Crowder was celebrating his first No. 1 as a writer and producer while everyone agreed this would not be his last. Warner/Chappell’s Ben Vaughn continued the celebration and in partnership with Liz Rose Music handed out original Rob Hendon paintings to each of the writers. SESAC’s Shannan Hatch gave kudos to Hoge who was also celebrating his first No. 1 song. Sony ATV’s Troy Tomlinson bragged on Hoge and Young before Collins proudly added his respect and excitement for Young’s achievements.
Then it was the writers’ turns.
Pictured (L-R): Josh Hoge (SESAC), Chris Young (BMI), Corey Crowder (ASCAP). Photo: Alan Poizner
Hoge quickly admitted, “I’m very nervous” and shared his remembrance of starting out in the music business working at Dreamworks and running the mailroom stating, “That’s when it all started.” “I’m a firm believer in not forgetting where you come from,” shared Hoge before giving an emotional thanks to his co-writers adding, “We share more than just writing songs.”
Crowder took the stage next, offering sincere gratitude to a long list of recipients including his wife, Laney, family, musicians, Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, Sony, ASCAP, Duane Hobson, and his co-writers. Crowder met co-writer Hoge 10 years ago and admitted, “It’s cool to see our friendship come full circle.” With Hoge being the one to initially introduce him to Chris Young, Crowder told Young, “Thanks for taking a chance on me.”
“This is obviously a very big song for me,” Young admitted to the excited crowd. “I needed this. I really did.” Young expressed his appreciation to his co-writers saying, “Both of these guys are emotional guys and you have to write from your heart.” His thanks included those to Sony Music, Huskins-Harris, WME, and Sony ATV, among others. “I’m very proud to have made this song with Corey and Josh,” added Young. “This is my seventh No. 1, and seven is my lucky number ever since I was a little kid. I truly am lucky and very blessed.”
Randy Goodman (via video recording) gave a “hearty congratulations” as he was on a business trip in New York and unable to attend. Goodman also took the opportunity to remind guests of ACM voting and that Chris Young deserves the male vocalist nod stating, “This is a guy whose time has come.”
Messina Touring Group Promotes Five To Executive Positions
/by Jessica Nicholson“It’s no secret that every successful company gets that way because of the people working every day to make it grow,” Messina said. “Mike, Rome, Kate, Bridget and Sara have been making this company great for years, decades in some cases. I’m so proud of everyone and these promotions are well-deserved.”
Dugan and Winter worked on Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour, the McMahons helped guide Kenny Chesney’s The Big Revival run of stadiums and Bauer oversaw Eric Church’s The Outsiders World Tour. Together, Kate McMahon and Bauer guided the launch of George Strait’s upcoming Las Vegas Arena exclusive engagements, in which all eight shows are sellouts, including two shows in 2017.
Dugan began his career in the concert business in 1991 with Nederlander Concerts and soon began his relationship working with Louis Messina for PACE Concerts at the Starwood Amphitheatre outside Nashville. In 2004 he joined the Messina Group in Houston and has been involved in promoting the tours for Tim McGraw, Alan Jackson, Nickelback, Sugarland, Gretchen Wilson and Ed Sheeran while at TMG. In 2009 he became TMG’s point person for Taylor Swift’s Fearless Tour and continued that involvement on the 2011 Speak Now Tour, the 2013 RED Tour and the 2015 1989 World Tour. Taylor’s 1989 World Tour was the highest grossing tour in 2015, grossing over $250 million in tickets sales worldwide.
Rome McMahon has been working with Louis Messina for over 20 years, first at PACE Concerts, then SFX Entertainment, Clear Channel Entertainment and finally helping to form The Messina Group in 2001. The 2016 Kenny Chesney tour will mark his 13th tour with the performer. McMahon plays an integral role overseeing promoter duties as well as acting as Chesney’s tour accountant. McMahon has a hand in guiding many other office projects–including tours for Eric Church, George Strait and Ed Sheeran. Prior to touring with Chesney, he toured as a promoter rep with Aerosmith, The Dixie Chicks and The George Strait Country Music Festival.
Kate McMahon has worked with Louis Messina for 20 years and helped form The Messina Group in 2001. In that time, she has marketed the last 13 Kenny Chesney tours, played an integral role in marketing George Strait shows, from 1996 to present, including The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, the exclusive engagements in Las Vegas in 2016-17 and the George Strait Country Music Festivals from 1998-2001. She has been named one of Billboard’s Women of The Year three times. She oversees all country acts with the marketing department.
Winter was Director of Tour Marketing at Messina Touring Group for seven years, spearheading Taylor Swift’s tour marketing since her first sold-out headlining tour through her record-breaking sold-out 1989 World Tour. In 2014 she added Ed Sheeran to her list of clients, taking the helm of marketing for his first U.S. arena headlining tour as well as his North American tour in 2015. Winter has taken on the position of overseeing all pop artists within the marketing department as Messina Touring Group welcomes clients Vance Joy and Shawn Mendes.
Bauer’s career in the music industry spans more than two decades. Her experience at CMT, the William Morris Agency, and six years overseeing day-to-day management and touring operations for Asleep at the Wheel provided the groundwork needed to take on the management of Louis Messina and his office. She is also the promoter rep for the George Strait tour. Alongside Louis Messina and Kate McMahon, Bauer produced the final show on Strait’s The Cowboy Rides Away Tour in 2014 at AT&T Stadium. The show was the largest indoor concert in North American history. In 2010, MTG teamed up with Reba McEntire to promote her All the Woman I Am Tour that Bauer ran point on, and she currently manages Eric Church touring.
UMG Artists, Songwriters To Benefit From SoundCloud Deal
/by Eric T. ParkerUniversal Music Group (UMG) and SoundCloud have announced an agreement today (Jan. 13) that allows UMG’s emerging and established artists and songwriters to benefit on the new ad-supported and paid tiers, expected to be introduced in the U.S. and other markets later this year.
The agreement benefits UMG’s roster of recording artists as well as songwriters signed to Universal Music Publishing Group. In addition, UMG’s labels and publishing company will gain access to SoundCloud’s promotional tools, analysis and data to provide recording artists and songwriters with new opportunities to generate revenue and to strengthen their connections with fans.
“At UMG, we have long-embraced empowering entrepreneurs and innovative services such as SoundCloud,” said Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group. “With this partnership, we’re ensuring recording artists, songwriters and labels benefit, both creatively and commercially, from the exciting new forms of music community engagement on SoundCloud. We look forward to working with SoundCloud and supporting the company’s evolution into a successful commercial service.”
“With this partnership with UMG we will further strengthen and grow the unique community we’ve built over the past seven years, where multiple forms of expression can live and where artists at every stage of their careers come to create and share their work,” said Alexander Ljung, SoundCloud Founder & CEO. “Bringing together the world’s largest audio platform and the world’s largest music company means we are able to further expand SoundCloud’s role as a critical platform for creators and open up its benefits to UMG’s extensive roster of artists.”
Ljung continued: “With the majority of the music industry partnering with us, and adding to the more than 100 million tracks already available to discover on the platform, we are able to offer a service to both creators and listeners that is unrivalled in the music streaming space today.”
Berlin-based SoundCloud is a platform for music and audio creators with 175 million monthly listeners.
Big Machine Label Group Expands Internationally With London Office
/by Jessica NicholsonBig Machine Label Group has expanded its international presence with a new office and staff in the United Kingdom. Located within the Universal Music Group offices on London’s Kensington High Street, the BMLG UK team is comprised of Chris Koegen (Head of International), Alexandra Hannaby (Label Manager) and Amy Maunder-Taylor (Label Coordinator) with plans to develop more over the next year. Jimmy Chapin remains Senior Manager of International and is based in the BMLG US headquarters.
The establishment of a UK offices allows BMLG to take complete ownership over the record cycle for its artists. BMLG will continue to work with Ted Cockle and the team at Virgin/EMI for Taylor Swift.
“Our continued strong relationship with David Joseph and the Universal Music Group is highlighted and defined by this investment and belief in the Big Machine Label Group. It highlights how dedicated we are to the UK (and related territories) in breaking our artists through and building on their ever-growing fanbases. This is a natural expansion of our original mission, and I can’t thank David and his incredible team enough for this opportunity,” said Scott Borchetta, President and CEO of the Big Machine Label Group.
“Few would bet against Scott Borchetta succeeding in his mission to take his artists and their music to a wider audience in the UK,” said David Joseph, Chairman and CEO, Universal Music UK. “He’s an exceptional discoverer of new talent, whose new team is ready to build on what our labels have already achieved here. I’m looking forward to supporting them as the UK chapter of the Big Machine story unfolds.”
Nashville Ballet, Bluebird Café Team For Attitude Series
/by Craig_ShelburneNashville Ballet has collaborated with the Bluebird Café for a new installment of the dance organization’s Attitude series.
A Valentine’s Day evening performance has been added to the original schedule due to popular demand, with a total of four performances Feb. 12-14 at TPAC’s Polk Theater.
The ballet will convey the look and feel of the Bluebird Café. Songwriters Victoria Banks, J.T. Harding and Georgia Middleman will perform a selection of their biggest hits in typical Bluebird fashion, in a writers’ round featuring a stripped-down sound, the stories behind their songs and spontaneous collaboration.
Hit songs made famous by country superstars like Keith Urban, Blake Shelton, Reba McEntire and Sara Evans will provide the soundtrack to new choreography by Nashville Ballet’s Christopher Stuart, New Dialect’s Banning Bouldin, Brian Enos and Gina Patterson. The piece, entitled City of Dreams, is named after Banks’ song that was recorded by more than 40 artists to support Tennessee flood relief in 2010.
“The overarching theme is City of Dreams, because Nashville is that,” said Erika Wollam Nichols, The Bluebird Cafe’s Chief Operating Officer and General Manager. “Nashville is the place where people come with dreams, even if you’re not a songwriter or musician. The energy of chasing your dreams is here.”
“As songwriters, we’re always thinking about how we’re making people feel and how to use words and melodies in a way that will make people connect with our music,” Banks said. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the choreographers use their own interpretations of the songs to add an extra visual element to the performance to make people connect in an even deeper way.”
Artist Updates: Joey + Rory, Scotty McCreery, Willie Nelson
/by Craig_ShelburneJoey + Rory Plan Deluxe Edition of Cracker Barrel CD
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store and Joey+Rory have partnered for a deluxe CD edition of Hymns & Stories That Are Important To Us, which will be available at all locations on Feb. 12. In addition to the duo’s seventh studio album, the deluxe package includes never-before-seen photos of Joey + Rory and their family, a magnet, lyrics, excerpts and stories from Rory’s blog, “This Life I Live,” and a closer look into the couple’s journey creating this album together.
Cracker Barrel will donate $1 of the retail sales price of each deluxe package sold while supplies last to the Loeys-Dietz Syndrome Foundation.
Scotty McCreery Will Sing National Anthem at AFC Game
Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery will perform the National Anthem at the American Football Conference (AFC) Divisional Playoff Game held at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Saturday, Jan. 16. The game, which will air live on CBS at 4:35 PM ET (3:35 PM CT), will pit the New England Patriots against the Kansas City Chiefs.
McCreery is a die-hard Patriots fan who performed for the team members and their guests at their “Welcome to Arizona Party” last year prior to the team winning the 2015 Super Bowl.
Willie Nelson Schedules New Album of Standards
Willie Nelson‘s new album of pop standards, Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, will be released on Feb. 26 by Legacy Recordings. Among the 11 Gershwin classics are two duets: “Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off” with Cyndi Lauper and “Embraceable You” with Sheryl Crow. Other selections include “But Not For Me,” “Somebody Loves Me,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” “I Got Rhythm,” “Love Is Here To Stay,” “They All Laughed,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” and the immortal title track.
The album of pop standards, penned by legendary songwriting duo George and Ira Gershwin, follows the selection of Nelson as the 2015 recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The first country artist ever to receive the distinguished Gershwin Prize, Nelson was honored in November with a two-day celebration in Washington D.C., culminating in a star-studded tribute concert scheduled for broadcast on PBS on Jan. 15.
Vince Gill Chosen For Guitar Center’s RockWalk
/by Craig_ShelburneVince Gill will be inducted into the RockWalk at Guitar Center’s flagship location on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles on Feb. 4. Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh will introduce Gill and speak about his accomplishments at the ceremony.
As the newest RockWalk inductee, Gill’s handprints will reside alongside musicians and innovators such as Eric Clapton, George Martin, Jimmy Page, Iron Maiden, Carlos Santana, Johnny Cash, Van Halen, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Korn, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, B.B. King, Stevie Wonder, Run-D.M.C., Queen, Linkin Park and many others.
“It is an absolute honor to be chosen by my peers to be inducted into Guitar Center’s RockWalk. I’ve always been grateful to be able to spend my life doing what I love to do, and to be recognized in such a monumental way—cemented next to the legendary artists reflected on the RockWalk—is a moment I could never have imagined when I picked up that very first guitar,” said Gill, who spent time in Los Angeles as a fledgling musician in the 1970s.
“Over the course of his decades-spanning career, Vince Gill has become a fixture in country music and beyond. Not only is he a legend in the music world with 20 Grammys and countless other accolades, but he has also forged a meaningful career as a humanitarian, producer and collaborator. These, among other attributes, are what make Vince Gill the perfect example of the type of artist we intend to honor with Guitar Center’s RockWalk,” said Jake Cheung, manager of music marketing and artist relations at Guitar Center.
Gill will release Down to My Last Bad Habit, his first new album in five years, on Feb. 12.
Bonnaroo Performance Lineup To Be Announced Jan. 19 on ‘Conan’
/by Jessica NicholsonBonnaroo’s much-anticipated announcement of its 15th anniversary lineup will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 19, exclusively on TBS’ Conan, airing at 11 p.m. ET/10 p.m. CT. This year’s edition of Bonnaroo will showcase more than 150 musicians, bands, and comedians performing across 12 stages during the four-day event, slated for June 9-12 at Great Stage Park. The 700-acre Great Stage Park is located 60 miles south of Nashville in Manchester, Tennessee.
Bonnaroo’s milestone 15th anniversary will be celebrated with the addition of several new amenities and infrastructure improvements. For the first time, the site will feature its own permanent water line, allowing for the installation of more than 400 permanent toilets, hundreds of permanent shower stalls (35 percent of the total shower stalls onsite), and a large number of water filling stations installed throughout the site.
Bonnaroo began in 2002; over the past 15 years more than 1,600 artists and 150 comedians have performed at Bonnaroo.
Ringside: A Fight For Kids Announces Participants In 12th Annual ‘Rumble On The Row’
/by Troy_StephensonRCA Nashville Director, National Promotion Josh Easler will face EMI Director, Regional promotion Chris Fabiani. And Jon Andolina, Director of Tour Marketing/Sponsorships for Jake Owen, will take on Arista regional Rusty Sherrill.
The evening event will include gourmet dining, sounds by DJ KO, surprise celebrity guests, a silent auction with numerous one-of-a-kind items, and boxing featuring two “Rumble on the Row” and three additional amateur bouts.
The annual Ringside: A Fight for Kids event supports The Charley Foundation, the Nashville non-profit organization that provides assistance to disable and underprivileged children served by medical, recreational and care groups throughout Middle Tennessee.
“Ringside’s ‘Rumble on the Row’ bouts are always the most anticipated and this year’s match-ups will be fierce competitions,” said Carolyn Miller, founder and chairman of The Charley Foundation, who produces the annual event. “I am so grateful to these four gents for their commitment to train and help raise funds for this event which will directly help impact the lives of so many local children in need.”
For tables and tickets, visit charleyfoundation.org.
Industry Members Celebrate Chris Young’s Latest Chart-topper
/by Sherod RobertsonPictured (L-R): Ben Vaughn, Warner/Chappell; Jody Williams, BMI; Bradley Collins, BMI; Troy Tomlinson, Sony/ATV; Hannah Williams, Sony/ATV; Josh Hoge; Shannan Hatch, SESAC; Chris Young; Corey Crowder; Larry Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald Hartley; Bill Simmons, Fitzgerald Hartley; Mike Sistad, ASCAP; Steve Hodges, Sony Music Nashville
Industry members, friends and family gathered yesterday evening (Jan. 11) at Nashville’s The Cannery Ballroom for a No. 1 celebration honoring RCA Nashville artist Chris Young‘s title track single, “I’m Comin’ Over.” The song held the top spot for a three-week run in 2015.
Written by Young (BMI), Corey Crowder (ASCAP) and Josh Hoge (SESAC), the lead single has reached RIAA Platinum status and is Young’s 7th No. 1 song and first as a producer.
BMI’s Bradley Collins welcomed guests and set the stage for the festivities before Sony Nashville’s Steve Hodges and Keith Gale started the accolades. Avenue Bank’s Ron Cox presented a contribution on behalf of the tunesmiths to T. J. Martell Foundation while Ashley Silver took a turn to honor the writers from Country Radio Broadcasters.
ASCAP’s Mike Sistad touted that Crowder was celebrating his first No. 1 as a writer and producer while everyone agreed this would not be his last. Warner/Chappell’s Ben Vaughn continued the celebration and in partnership with Liz Rose Music handed out original Rob Hendon paintings to each of the writers. SESAC’s Shannan Hatch gave kudos to Hoge who was also celebrating his first No. 1 song. Sony ATV’s Troy Tomlinson bragged on Hoge and Young before Collins proudly added his respect and excitement for Young’s achievements.
Then it was the writers’ turns.
Pictured (L-R): Josh Hoge (SESAC), Chris Young (BMI), Corey Crowder (ASCAP). Photo: Alan Poizner
Hoge quickly admitted, “I’m very nervous” and shared his remembrance of starting out in the music business working at Dreamworks and running the mailroom stating, “That’s when it all started.” “I’m a firm believer in not forgetting where you come from,” shared Hoge before giving an emotional thanks to his co-writers adding, “We share more than just writing songs.”
Crowder took the stage next, offering sincere gratitude to a long list of recipients including his wife, Laney, family, musicians, Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, Sony, ASCAP, Duane Hobson, and his co-writers. Crowder met co-writer Hoge 10 years ago and admitted, “It’s cool to see our friendship come full circle.” With Hoge being the one to initially introduce him to Chris Young, Crowder told Young, “Thanks for taking a chance on me.”
“This is obviously a very big song for me,” Young admitted to the excited crowd. “I needed this. I really did.” Young expressed his appreciation to his co-writers saying, “Both of these guys are emotional guys and you have to write from your heart.” His thanks included those to Sony Music, Huskins-Harris, WME, and Sony ATV, among others. “I’m very proud to have made this song with Corey and Josh,” added Young. “This is my seventh No. 1, and seven is my lucky number ever since I was a little kid. I truly am lucky and very blessed.”
Randy Goodman (via video recording) gave a “hearty congratulations” as he was on a business trip in New York and unable to attend. Goodman also took the opportunity to remind guests of ACM voting and that Chris Young deserves the male vocalist nod stating, “This is a guy whose time has come.”
LifeNotes: Gospel Great, Former BMI Exec Joe Moscheo Dies
/by Robert K OermannJoe Moscheo. Photo: The Joe Moscheo Fund/Giveforward.com
Gospel Music Hall of Fame member Joe Moscheo was known to thousands of music industry folks due to his membership in The Imperials and his long tenure as an executive at BMI. Moscheo, 78, passed away around 10 p.m. on Monday night, Jan. 11, reported The Imperials on a Facebook posting. He was a musician, a manager, an executive, a producer, a songwriter and an author.
Moscheo was born to Italian immigrants in Albany, New York in 1937. He first went on the road in 1960 when he joined the gospel group The Harmoneers. Within a year, he had moved on to perform with The Prophets. In the fall of 1964, he joined The Imperials as a singer, keyboard player and arranger. He also wrote several songs for the group.
This version of The Imperials regularly performed with Elvis Presley in Las Vegas in 1969-72. Between 1966 and 1971, The Imperials also appeared on a number of Presley’s recordings. Moscheo revisited this phase of his career in his 2007 book The Gospel Side of Elvis. He also produced the PBS TV documentary He Touched Me: The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley. It became a DVD in 2002.
The Imperials also backed such entertainers as Jimmy Dean, Pat Boone, Roy Clark and Carol Channing. The group won the first of its many awards from the Gospel Music Association in 1969. In 1972, The Imperials became gospel’s first interracial group.
In 1978, Moscheo left his performing career behind and was hired by BMI. He was the organization’s Vice President of Special Projects for the next 16 years. In 1982 and 1983 he served two terms as the President of the Nashville chapter of the Recording Academy. In the mid-1990s, Moscheo formed his own management company. He worked with BeBe & CeCe Winans, Michael English, Wynonna and others.
He was hired by First Union Bank in June 1996 to establish its Entertainment Division. Moscheo retired from First Union in 2003. He became a consultant to the music company MCS America and assumed its presidency in 2004. Moscheo was a member of the founding council of Leadership Music. He also served as both president and board member of the W.O. Smith Community Music School and of the Gospel Music Association.
He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2007. This was actually his second induction, for he was also voted into the Hall as a member of The Imperials in 1998.
He continued to make appearances relating to Elvis and The Imperials until his retirement in 2014. Moscheo suffered from a degenerative neurological disease. He was moved into an assisted living facility last year and a GiveForward account called the Joe Moscheo Fund was set up for his care. He underwent emergency surgery and was hospitalized in late December.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.