ACM Lifting Lives Receives $1 Million Donation After 2015 ACM Events

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Pictured (L-R): Academy of Country Music Officers Duane Clark (Treasurer), Ben Vaughn (Vice President), Ken Tucker (President), Paul Barnabee (Chairman), Paul Moore (Parliamentarian) and Tiffany Moon (Secretary).

Pictured (L-R): Academy of Country Music Officers Duane Clark (Treasurer), Ben Vaughn (Vice President), Ken Tucker (President), Paul Barnabee (Chairman), Paul Moore (Parliamentarian) and Tiffany Moon (Secretary).

The Academy of Country Music (ACM) has announced a record $1 million donation to ACM Lifting Lives on behalf of the artists who participated in the record-setting 50th anniversary of the ACM Awards in April and ACM Presents: Superstar Duets in May.

Combined, both CBS-TV broadcasts reached 22.4 million viewers, with the former setting a Guinness World Record for the most -attended live awards telecast in history at more than 70,252 at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

“ACM Lifting Lives has done so much in the past several years with the monies raised from ACM television specials and Aawards Sshow-related events,” said Duane Clark, ACM Board Treasurer. “As a Board, we’re proud to support the good work of ACM Lifting Lives – and it’s our way of thanking the artists. They donate their time and talents to make it possible for us to raise money and continue the good work of improving lives through the power of music.”

ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic arm of the ACM, funds everything from disaster relief and helping communities in need, to music education in schools and music camps for those with disabilities, to supporting programs that use music therapy as a means to help our veterans and wounded warriors, while providing grants to help them ease back into life.

DISClaimer: Top-Notch Singers Reign Supreme

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Keith Urban post

Keith Urban

Today’s field of airplay contenders is a crowded one.

Old Dominion, Drake White, Chris Stapleton, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan are all on hand, jostling for position. Leading the pack is Keith Urban, who has the Disc of the Day.

The DisCovery Award goes to a band that has evidently been on the road for 15 years, hence the title of its forthcoming January album, Fifteen. The advance single features the characteristic harmony singing of Green River Ordinance.

CHRIS LANE/Fix
Writers: Sarah Buxton/Jesse Frasure/Abe Stoklasa; Producer: Joey Moi; Publishers: Round Hill Works/Big Loud Proud Crowd/Bux Tone Music/Rio Bravo Music, Inc./Telemitry Productions/Year of the Dog; BMI/ASCAP; Big Loud (CDX)
-It ain’t all that “country.” It is quite catchy and bouncy.

KEITH URBAN/Break On Me
Writers: Jon Nite/Ross Copperman; Producers: Nathan Chapman/Keith Urban; Publishers: EMI April/Jon Mark Nite/EMI Blackwood/Songs By Red Room, ASCAP/BMI; Capitol/Hit Red
-Echoey droplets of sound fall around his aching ballad vocal. A simply beautiful record, one that explains why this guy is a superstar.

LUKE BRYAN/KAREN FAIRCHILD/Home Alone Tonight
Writers: Jody Stevens/Cole Taylor/Jaida Dreyer/Tommy Cecil; Producers: Jeff Stevens/Jody Stevens; Publishers: Sony ATV Tree/Universal/Red Vinyl/Words & Music/Sixteen Stars, BMI/ASCAP; Capitol
-Cool contemporary lyrics. Hooky melody. Admirably crunchy production.

Green River Ordinance

Green River Ordinance

GREEN RIVER ORDINANCE/Red Fire Night
Writers: Green River Ordinance; Producer: Rick Beatto; Publishers: Green River Ordinance 2015, admin Kobalt Music Publishing; GRO (track)
-The lead vocal is rather ordinary, but when they sing together, the harmonies are outstanding. This band works constantly, opens for loads of country stars and has had music placements on more than 60 TV shows.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Heartbeat
Writers: Carrie Underwood/Zach Crowell/Ashley Gorley; Producer: Zach Crowell; Publishers: Carrie-Okie/External Combustion/Songs of Southside Independent/Who Wants to Buy My Publishing/Atlas/Combustion Engine/Sadie’s Favorite Songs/WB, BMI/ASCAP; Arista/19 (track)
-Disappointingly dull. Considering what a superb singer she is, it doesn’t have much of a tune. Sam Hunt sings harmony.

TOWN MOUNTAIN/Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
Writers: Garcia/Hunter; Producer: Town Mountain; Publisher: none listed; TM
-This band covers Grateful Dead songs, country-style. The result is delightfully refreshing and utterly charming.

OLD DOMINION/Snapback
Writers: Matthew Ramsey/Trevor Rosen/Brad Tursi; Producer: Shane McAnally; Publisher: Carrot Seed Songs/Smackville Music/Smack Songs LLC; adm by Kobalt Songs Music Publishing. ReHits Music, Inc./Smacktown Music, a division of Smack Blue, LLC/Smack Songs LLC/Unfair Entertainment; adm by ReHits Music, Inc.; Songs of Big Deal/Wooden Ships Publishing; adm by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC; ASCAP; RCA (track)
-Very exciting. The jittery backbeat and rapid-fire lyric delivery carry you irresistibly forward. The whoa-whoa shouts are made for singing along. The finale electric guitar solo is sensational. The newcomers go two for two.

ROBBY JOHNSON/Hate Me Tonight
Writers: Jason Massey/Ryan Griffin/Mark Carson; Producer: James Stroud; Publisher: none listed; Contrast Music
-Nicely done. He sings with clear, direct force, and the production supports him at every turn. Worth your spins.

DRAKE WHITE/Livin’ The Dream
Writers: Tom Douglas/Jaren Johnston/Luke Laird; Producers: Ross Copperman/Jeremy Stover; Publishers: Sony ATV Tree/Tomdouglasmusic/Sony ATV Harmony/Texa Rae/Luke Laird Songs of Universal/Creative Nation, BMI/ASCAP; Dot
-The fact that this excellent performer isn’t a major star is a complete mystery to me. Here is yet another fine single from him, full of heart and energy and warmth. He sings of the joys of a simple life where having love is better than having material wealth. The track is rhythm happy. I remain a huge fan.

CHRIS STAPLETON/Nobody To Blame
Writers: Chris Stapleton/Barry Bales/Ronnie Bowman; Producers: Dave Cobb/Chris Stapleton; Publishers: WB Music Corp./House of Sea Gayle Music, admin. by ClearBox Rights; Quackhead Music; Sony/ATV Tree Publishing; ASCAP/BMI; Mercury (track)
-His relationship is busted, and he’s wailing the blues about it. And wail, he can. This man is a singin’ HOSS.

Bob DiPiero Joins Kobalt Music Publishing

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Pictured (L-R): Jody Williams, VP, Writer Publisher Relations, BMI; Bob DiPiero; Whitney Daane, SVP Creative, Kobalt Music Publishing; Stephanie Cox, VP Creative, Kobalt Music Publishing. Photo: John Russell

Pictured (L-R): Jody Williams, VP, Writer Publisher Relations, BMI; Bob DiPiero; Whitney Daane, SVP Creative, Kobalt Music Publishing; Stephanie Cox, VP Creative, Kobalt Music Publishing. Photo: John Russell

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Bob DiPiero has joined Kobalt Music Publishing, under a worldwide administration agreement in which Kobalt will administer and provide global creative services for DiPiero’s current and future works.

Pop stars Meghan Trainor, Ariana Grande and Who Is Fancy performed one of DiPiero’ cuts, “Boys Like You,” Monday night (Nov. 21) on Dancing With The Stars. The single was co-written by DiPiero, Jason Gantt, and artist Fancy.

“I am so excited to write this new chapter of my career with the 21st century cutting-edge of Kobalt,” DiPiero said. “The cash flow transparency that Kobalt offers to a songwriter is unparalleled in our industry. No black boxes here. I am also a big fan of the powerful ladies at Kobalt Nashville. Whitney Daane is a warrior for songwriters. I have always hoped to work with Laura Wright Alexander, and Stephanie Cox and I go all the way back to the Little Big Town music group. I feel blessed and inspired to write songs the whole world will sing along with.”

Whitney Daane, Senior Vice President of Creative (Nashville) at Kobalt said, “We are so excited to have Bob joining our global roster. He represents the best of the past, present and future of country music; his enthusiasm for his craft, for supporting young artists and for life in general is infectious, and we are thrilled to be working with him creatively, not only in Nashville but around the world!”

DiPiero has had more than 1,000 of his songs recorded. He has penned a No. 1 country single in each of the past four decades, beginning with 1983’s “American Made,” recorded by The Oak Ridge Boys. He has amassed 15 No. 1 hits, and is an inductee in the Nashville Walk of Fame.

Among his other awards are 50 BMI “Million-Air” Awards, multiple Songwriter of the Year awards and two consecutive Triple Play awards for three No. 1 songs within a 12-month period. DiPiero is the originator of the CMA Songwriters Series and has served as its host for 10 years, bringing Nashville’s songwriters and artists throughout the United States and overseas to Belfast, Dublin, London and Paris. Most recently, the CMA presented DiPiero with their CMA Chairman’s Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the music industry and songwriting community.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing Adds High Valley’s Brad Rempel

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Pictured (L-R): Troy Tomlinson, Sony/ATV Nashville; Abbey Adams, Sony/ATV Nashville; Brad Rempel; Josh Van Valkenburg, Sony/ATV Nashville; Jason Turner, Keller Turner Ruth Andrews & Ghanem, PLLC; Danny Strick, Sony/ATV New York.

Pictured (L-R): Troy Tomlinson, Sony/ATV Nashville; Abbey Adams, Sony/ATV Nashville; Brad Rempel; Josh Van Valkenburg, Sony/ATV Nashville; Jason Turner, Keller Turner Ruth Andrews & Ghanem, PLLC; Danny Strick, Sony/ATV New York.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has signed Brad Rempel, of country duo High Valley, to a publishing agreement. Atlantic Records/WMN recently signed the duo to a record deal.

High Valley is comprised of Brad and his brother, Curtis. High Valley released an album titled County Line on Canadian label Open Road in 2014. They won the Canadian CMA Award for Group or Duo of the Year in 2015.

In Pictures: Chris Young, Michael Ray, Allie Louise, William Michael Morgan

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Sony Music Nashville, Sony/ATV Music Publishing Celebrate Chris Young’s “I’m Comin’ Over”

Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman and Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville President/CEO Troy Tomlinson head up the smiling faces toasting the No. 1 airplay success of Chris Young’s “I’m Comin’ Over” outside the Sony/ATV office. The song was co-written by Josh Hoge, Young, and Corey Crowder.

Pictured (standing, L-R): Sony/ATV’s Dale Dodson, Terry Wakefield, Duff Berschback, and Tom Luteran; Goodman; Sony Music Nashville’s Steve Hodges and Ken Robold; Tomlinson; and Sony Music Nashville’s Taylor Lindsey, Jim Catino, Lesly Simon, Margaret Tomlin, Keith Gale, and Angie Magill; and (seated, L-R): Sony/ATV’s Abbey Adams, Hannah Williams, Ed Williams, and Josh Van Valkenburg.

Pictured (standing, L-R): Sony/ATV’s Dale Dodson, Terry Wakefield, Duff Berschback, and Tom Luteran; Goodman; Sony Music Nashville’s Steve Hodges and Ken Robold; Tomlinson; and Sony Music Nashville’s Taylor Lindsey, Jim Catino, Lesly Simon, Margaret Tomlin, Keith Gale, and Angie Magill; (seated, L-R): Sony/ATV’s Abbey Adams, Hannah Williams, Ed Williams, and Josh Van Valkenburg.

 

Michael Ray, StubHub Support Student Musicians

Michael Ray performs for students at Hunters Lane High School in Nashville.

Michael Ray performs for students at Hunters Lane High School in Nashville. Photo: Devin Williams/StubHub

StubHub and The Mr.Holland’s Opus Foundation surprised nearly 600 students and staff of Nashville’s Hunters Lane High School with an instrument donation valued at $39,000 along with a special performance by country artist, Michael Ray.

 

Allie Louise Launches First Radio Tour

Pictured (L-R): Kayla McKenzie, On Air Personality (WJMQ-FM), and Allie Louise

Pictured (L-R): Kayla McKenzie, On Air Personality (WJMQ-FM), and Allie Louise

Allie Louise (Sixth Beat Productions), is setting the stage for the release of her self-titled debut EP. The sixteen-year-old launched her first radio tour and set out on its first leg to introduce her current single, “Perfect Storm,” from the six-song project, due in mid-January with producers Eddie Gore, John Jaszez and Doug Kahan.

William Michael Morgan Celebrates SiriusXM “The Highway” Success

Pictured (L -R): Jimmy Wayne, Storme Warren (Sirius XM) and William Michael Morgan

Pictured (L -R): Jimmy Wayne, Storme Warren (Sirius XM) and William Michael Morgan

William Michael Morgan stopped by Sirius XM recently to talk with Storme Warren about his debut single “I Met a Girl” hitting No. 1 on “The Highway” countdown.

SiriusXM Names Best of 2015

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ericchurch

Eric Church

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Taylor Swift. Photo: Taylor Swift Facebook.

SiriusXM has announced its Best of 2015, and several artists with ties to Music City are among the highest rankings.

Eric Church and Taylor Swift were named among the SiriusXM Artists of the Year, alongside Adele, Calvin Harris, and The Weeknd.

SiriusXM Breakthrough Artists of the Year includes Old Dominion, as well as Elle King, Jidenna, Kygo, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats.

Garth Brooks ranks alongside Janet Jackson and Giorgio Moroder for SiriusXM “Welcome Back” Artists of the Year.

New Sony Nashville artist Maren Morris is named alongside Daya, Declan McKenna, Nothing But Thieves, and Tory Lanez as SiriusXM Artists To Watch in 2016.

These selections were determined by members of the SiriusXM music curation team and were driven by subscriber feedback.

“We are thrilled to recognize this group of extraordinary artists who have struck an emotional chord with our subscribers and helped expand the boundaries of music in 2015,” said Steve Blatter, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Music Programming, SiriusXM. “Our year end music lists are based on regular feedback from our community of more than 29 million subscribers across America and demonstrate our  commitment to music discovery.”

Old Dominion

Old Dominion

MarenMorris

 

Garth Brooks

Garth Brooks

 

 

Watershed Music Fest Announces Two Consecutive Weekends

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The Watershed Music and Camping festival has announced that the 2016 festivities will take place over two consecutive weekends. The country festival will take place July 29-31 and Aug. 5-7 at The Gorge in George, Washington. Both weekends will feature the same lineup of soon-to-be announced headliners.

“Watershed was the very first festival we launched four years ago,” said Brian O’Connell, President of Live Nation Country Touring. “Thinking back to when we started we had no idea how quickly it would take off.  The fans who we now know as ’Shedders have become very important to us on this journey. We’ve been listening to their feedback and adding a second weekend seemed like the next logical move. It’s hard to describe the unique vibe you feel at Watershed, it’s such a special and awe-inspiring event and now more people will have the opportunity to see what it’s all about.”

Watershed received a nomination for “Festival of the Year” by the Academy of Country Music and has been named a “must-see” summer festival by Country Weekly, Entertainment Weekly and Rolling Stone.

More information, including full lineup and on-sale dates, will be announcing in the coming weeks. Visit watershedfest.com for details.

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Sponsors and Investors Announced for Project Music’s 2016 Accelerator

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ProjectMusic16

Project Music has revealed a comprehensive list of sponsors and investors to support its 2016 Accelerator. The program will feature industry heavyweights joining the investor group to help provide mentorship in addition to $47,000 in funding for each startup chosen to participate.

Title sponsors the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC) and the Country Music Association.

Platinum sponsors include YouTube and LaunchTN. Silver Sponsors & Donors include Avenue Bank; BMI; DevDigital; Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy; Patterson Intellectual Property Law; and Rock Paper Scissors, Inc. Gold sponsors are Anderson Benson Insurance, Belmont University Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, Linda and Doug Howard, Music Business Association, and Beth Lee and Thom Oliphant.

Partners for 2016 are Flo Thinkery, Baker Donelson, Sherrard & Roe, LBMC and American Music Water.

Investors for the coming year are Broken Bow Label Group, RCA recording artist Chris Young, Galante Entertainment, Landscape Capital, Maverick, Red Light Management, Shopkeeper Management, Sony/ATV, Beth Lee and Thom Oliphant, Universal Music Group, Vector Management, and Warner Music Group.

“The Project Music Accelerator investors for year 2 represent virtually every aspect of the music industry,” notes Heather McBee, Program Director of Project Music. “The group includes artists, managers, labels, publishers and others, showing support for the goal of identifying opportunities to grow and advance the industry, not only in providing funding, but also illustrating support for the program and the startups that will emerge.”

Total applicants grew by nearly 55 percent over 2015, drawing from 19 states in addition to 25 percent of applications coming from outside the U.S., as Argentina, Australia and Azerbaijan.

“Year two of Project Music is leading the charge to define Nashville as THE city for music-minded entrepreneurs to start, launch and grow their businesses,” states Stuart McWhorter, Nashville Entrepreneur Center CEO & President. “The depth of the 2016 Investor and Sponsor groups, coupled with applicants’ diverse hometowns reflect the program’s growth as it becomes known as the premier global destination for music tech entrepreneurship.”

Project Music 2016 Accelerator starts Jan. 31, 2016 at the EC with participants revealed in mid-December.

Country Now Releases Holiday Classics On YouTube Channel

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Country Now, YouTube’s dedicated country music channel, has begun to air holiday classics performed by artists such as Frankie Ballard, Sara Evans, Tracy Lawrence, Natalie Stovall and The Drive and Charlie Worsham. Viewers will also hear from Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, Hunter Hayes, and Love and Theft as they reveal what they want for Christmas. The videos were mostly shot during sessions of Country Now’s “Live From Blackbird.”

Holiday content is available on the Country Now YouTube Channel, including music from Tracy Lawrence (“Cold Beer”), Sara Evans (“At Christmas”), Frankie Ballard (“Run Rudolph Run”), Natalie Stovall & The Drive (“Mary Did You Know”), Charlie Worsham (“Santa Claus Is Coming To Town“), and more.

Americana Honors & Awards Set For Australia Broadcast

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The Americana Honors & Awards will be featured on Australia’s Country Music Channel (CMC), as a special broadcast highlighting performances from this year’s event. The program will debut on CMC at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25, with encore broadcasts airing each day until Nov. 30.

Stateside, ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival 2015 will air on PBS in the United States this week, in the Austin City Limits timeslot nationwide.

Recorded live at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium in September, The Americana Music Association’s 14th Annual Honors & Awards ceremony is a best-in-show of Americana music.

EPISODE SETLIST
Robert Randolph featuring The Fairfield Four and the McCrary Sisters “Rock My Soul”
Don Henley “Praying for Rain”
Rhiannon Giddens “Waterboy” featuring Hubby Jenkins
Jason Isbell “Something More Than Free”
Lee Ann Womack “Don’t Listen to the Wind”
Shakey Graves with Esmé Patterson “Dearly Departed”
John Hiatt “Long Time Comin’”
The Lone Bellow “Then Came the Morning”
Keb’ Mo’ “How Blue Can You Get”
Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White “Over in the Glory Land”
Buddy Miller with Marc Ribot “Cold, Cold Heart”
Los Lobos “Will the Wolf Survive”