The Hillbenders
People are always asking me what I’m listening to.
Well, in recent weeks, some of the coolest new records have been coming from bluegrassy acts like Donna Ulisse, The Cox Family, Dailey & Vincent, Ron Block and The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band.
Unquestionably the best of these is Gone Like the Cotton by The Cox Family. It isn’t traditional bluegrass, since several tracks feature drums, piano, steel or electric guitar. But it the Disc of the Day, whatever you call it.
The DisCovery Award goes to The Hillbenders for their audacious reimagining of a rock-music classic.’
THE HILLBENDERS/Pinball Wizard
Writer: Pete Townsend; Producer: Louis Jay Meyers; Publisher: Fabulous/Spirit One, BMI; Compass (track)
-You read that correctly. The Hillbenders are on the bluegrass charts with The Who’s “Pinball Wizard.” Not only that, the whole album is a reinterpretation of the classic Tommy, billed now as “a Bluegrass Opry.” The vocals work surprisingly well. The banjo accompaniment takes a little getting used to.
RON BLOCK/Smartville
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; RB (track)
-The longtime Union Station banjo man has a new solo instrumental CD titled Hogan’s House of Music. It kicks off with this lively, bouncing ditty that has a built-in smile. Guests on various tracks on the album include Stuart Duncan, Alison Krauss, Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, Adam Steffey and Tim Crouch. Highly recommended.
RALPH STANLEY, BUDDY MILLER AND JIM LAUDERDALE/I Am the Man, Thomas
Writers: Larry Sparks/Ralph Stanley; Producers: Buddy Miller/Jim Lauderdale; Publishers: Zap, BMI; Cracker Barrel/Red
-This patriarch’s new CD finds him collaborating with country stars such as Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner and Lee Ann Womack, bluegrass celebrities like Del McCoury and Ricky Skaggs and even rock stars Elvis Costello and Robert Plant. On this rousing gospel chestnut, co-producers Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale harmonize with gusto.
DONNA ULISSE/Hard Cry Moon
Writers: Donna Ulisse/Rick Stanley; Producer: Bryan Sutton; Publishers: Uncle Hadley/Pop ‘N Paw, ASCAP; Hadley Music
-Ulisse’s new CD is No. 1 on the Roots Music Report chart and No. 3 on the Euro Americana chart. I can certainly hear why. Its title tune is a mournful, melodic ballad with a gently caressing lead vocal and some gorgeous harmony singing from Jerry Salley and Rick Stanley. Heart melting.
DAILEY & VINCENT/We’re All Here To Learn
Writers: Karen Staley/Jamie S. Dailey; Producer: none listed; Publishers: Bluegrassambassador/Hobo Lizard, BMI; Pillar
-This award-winning group’s debut live CD is a Cracker Barrel exclusive. Recorded at a concert in a Virginia performing arts center, the set opens with this uplifting, inspirational and hard-driving performance. The bluegrass ensemble is backed by The George Mason University Student Orchestra. The sound is majestic.
THE TENNESSEE MAFIA JUG BAND/Lester’s Loafin’ Lounge
Writers: Mike Webb; Producer: Eric Heatherly; Publishers: none listed, BMI; TMJB (track)
-This good-time string band is a perennial favorite on Marty Stuart’s RFD-TV series. Its new CD’s title tune is about a real place that’s situated near Goodlettsville, Tenn., where good food and pickin’ parties abound. Owner “Lonesome” Lester Armistead passed away last year. This album and this song are dedicated to him. Fear not: Tennessee Mafia Jug Band member Mikey Armistead now maintains the Lounge’s traditions. If you can’t make the trip there, get this CD, and you’ll have a taste of its hearty cheer.
MIKE AULDRIDGE, JERRY DOUGLAS, ROB ICKES/The Three Bells
Writers: Jean Villard/Bert Reisfeld; Producers: Mike Auldridge/Jerry Douglas/Rob Ickes; Publisher: Southern, ASCAP; Rounder (track)
-This trio won the Instrumental Recorded Performance award at the International Bluegrass Music Awards earlier this month. No wonder: The three greatest Dobro masters of our lifetime are all on the same record together. Heaven sounds something like this.
LORRAINE JORDAN & CAROLINA ROAD AND THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS/Runnin’ Water
Writers: The Kentucky Headhunters; Producers: Josh Goforth/Lorraine Jordan; Publishers: Them Young Boys/ I.B. Headed, no performance rights listed; Pinecastle (track)
-Jordan and her Carolina Road boys have titled their new CD Country Grass. It features them collaborating with John Conlee, Lee Greenwood, T.G. Sheppard, Eddy Raven, Crystal Gayle and the late Jim Ed Brown and Lynn Anderson, among others. They are midway up the Bluegrass Unlimited chart with this rip-roaring, lickety-split outing with The Kentucky Headhunters. Yee-hah!
THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS/American Girl
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Lumenhouse
-The Infamous Stringdusters’ new Undercover five-song EP entered the Billboard bluegrass chart at No. 1. It features the group reinterpreting the songs of Johnny Cash (”Big River”), Bob Dylan (”Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”), Jimmy Webb (”Highwayman”) and, yes, Pink Floyd (”Fearless”). Their version of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” has a pinched-nose lead vocal, woozy fiddle lines and slightly sour harmonies. But the long instrumental ride at the song’s end is outstanding.
THE COX FAMILY/Gone Like The Cotton
Writers: Sidney Cox/Suzanne Cox; Producer: Alison Krauss; Publisher: ANSALLY/Marla, BMI; Rounder (track)
-Let me just state up front that I adore this group. The title tune of its new CD is a wistful waltz about loved ones who have passed away. The blood-harmony trio voices on the choruses are lump-in-throat listening ecstasy. Elsewhere on the set are cool reworkings of songs made famous by The Louvin Brothers (”Cash on the Barrelhead”), Bread (”Lost Without Your Love”) and Crystal Gayle (”I’ll Get Over You”). The album, by the way, is a completion of one that they began recording for Asylum back in 1998. Good music is truly timeless.
Metro Nashville Seeks Public Input on Music Row Design Plan
/by Jessica NicholsonThe survey is available at surveymonkey.com. The survey will close at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5.
The Metropolitan Nashville Planning Commission voted in February 2015 to recommend deferral or disapproval of any rezoning request on Music Row for the next 12-18 months, to allow time for development of a design plan for that community. Since then, the Planning Department, the National Trust, the Music Industry Coalition and other community, business, and historic preservation organizations have been researching neighborhood issues and reaching out to the public to begin finding common ground on Music Row’s future.
The plan currently being developed could be presented to the Planning Commission in March 2016.
Approximately 50 community members participated in a public discussion of Music Row’s future on Oct. 26, at the first of four public meetings the Metro Planning Department is hosting to gather input on a design plan for the Music Row area.
That plan will guide the Planning Department’s and the Planning Commission’s actions on future development. Subsequent meetings will take place on Nov. 10, Dec. 2, and Jan. 11. All will take place from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the community room at Midtown Hills police precinct, located at 1443 12th Ave. S.
MusicRowPics: Alexandra Demetree
/by Jessica NicholsonAlexandra Demetree performs for MusicRow staffers.
Over the past year, female artists such as Kelsea Ballerini, Maddie & Tae, Cam, Jana Kramer, and Mickey Guyton have found room on the country charts alongside Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood.
Newcomer Alexandra Demetree hopes to add her name to that list.
The Jacksonville, Fla., native co-wrote two of the five songs on her latest EP, released under SSM Nashville.
“I don’t remember not singing. I started singing Christmas carols at the age of 2 for my grandmother’s bridge group,” she recalls of her earliest involvement in music. She pursued a performing career throughout her childhood, and later entered Northwestern University with a double major in music theater and economics. She continued notching career milestones with performances at Carnegie Hall and the South African Consulate, as well as a national anthem performance at the Toyota Gator Bowl and a performance for former First Lady Barbara Bush. She co-wrote and recorded the single, “Lay It On Me,” with fellow SSM Nashville artist and former The Bachelorette cast member Wes Hayden.
Demetree, alongside guitarist Jason Roller, offered an acoustic preview of her music for the MusicRow staff, including the ballad “Hopeless,” and one of her co-written tunes, “Pick Me Up.” “It’s kind of a girl’s perspective at bar,” said Demetree. “From a girl’s perspective sometimes, it’s like, ‘He’s been looking at me the entire night, so why won’t he come talk to me and have a conversation?’ So that inspired this song.”
Her current single, “Outta My Head,” was produced by Bobby Huff and penned by Mark and Cherie Oakley, two of the co-writers behind Reba’s hit, “Turn On The Radio.”
“I loved that song when I heard it,” Demetree said of “Outta My Head.” “It talks about a situation I feel that everyone has been in. A friend had sent it to me a long time ago, and it was actually stuck in my spam folder. Later, I was cleaning out my email, I found it and listened to it, and was like, ‘Wow, I love this song. How did I miss this?’ We got in the studio a week later and recorded it.”
Demetree recently released a video for “Outta My Head.” The acoustic performance clip was directed by Brian Harstine, and shot in a warehouse in Nashville’s Germantown district.
“Outta My Head” sits at No. 59 this week on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Chart.
Alexandra Demetree with MusicRow staffers.
Sam Hunt Celebrates Successful Year with Nashville Street Party
/by Eric T. ParkerSam Hunt’s Nashville street party on October 28, 2015. Photo: Steven Worster
A well-groomed Sam Hunt threw a free, 85-minute street party in downtown Nashville yesterday (October 28) in the alcohol-approved corridor between the Omni Hotel and the Music City Center.
Over 10,000 fans held up cell phones and selfie sticks, even sitting on each other’s shoulders to remember the event. Hunt even attracted attention from the convention and pool levels of the Omni who peered down at the free extravaganza. Prime views from the patios of Bajo Sexto and Barlines were not as full as expected, as the streets bled over with onlookers during the show.
At 6:30 p.m. the event started with “Raised On It,” “Ex to See,” “Leave the Night On,” and “Single For The Summer.”
“This party is to celebrate our first record put out a year ago, yesterday,” said Hunt. “It is also a homecoming. I haven’t been home and it feels good to be back.”
That first album, Montevallo, has sold over 800,000 copies in a year’s time and was celebrated this week with the reissue of Hunt’s independent mix-tape, Between The Pines. Hunt brought supporter and blogger Katelyn Carter to the stage to thank her for helping get the word out early on.
“We put out Between The Pines for free online and Katelyn mailed out copies from her own pocket,” said Hunt, who gave her white roses on stage. “You are the reason we were able to get on the radar of labels.”
Sam Hunt runs through the crowd at his October 28th street party. Photo: facebook.com/samhuntmusic
Music continued with the Hunt-written songs of Keith Urban (“Cop Car”), Kenny Chesney (“Come Over”), and Billy Currington (“We Are Tonight”).
Hunt’s guitarist Tyrone Carreker joined the singer for covers of Bonnie Raitt (“I Can’t Make You Love Me”), Reba (“Fancy”), Trisha Yearwood (“She’s In Love With The Boy”), Mariah Carey (“Always Be My Baby”), Destiny’s Child (“Say My Name”), Cyndi Lauper (“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”), Whitney Houston (“I Wanna Dance With Somebody”), and Deana Carter (“Strawberry Wine”).
Surprise guest Cam was invited to the stage to sing her impeccable song “Burning House” as the audience sang in unison.
Fans found a view as music continued with Hunt’s original “Speakers,” “Take Your Time,” “House Party,” “I Met A Girl,” “Make You Miss Me,” “Saturday Night,” and “Break Up In A Small Town.”
Sponsored by Bose, there was said to be free beer from additional event sponsor Anheuser-Busch.
DISClaimer: The Cox Family, The Hillbenders Offer Some of The Best in Bluegrass
/by Robert K OermannThe Hillbenders
People are always asking me what I’m listening to.
Well, in recent weeks, some of the coolest new records have been coming from bluegrassy acts like Donna Ulisse, The Cox Family, Dailey & Vincent, Ron Block and The Tennessee Mafia Jug Band.
Unquestionably the best of these is Gone Like the Cotton by The Cox Family. It isn’t traditional bluegrass, since several tracks feature drums, piano, steel or electric guitar. But it the Disc of the Day, whatever you call it.
The DisCovery Award goes to The Hillbenders for their audacious reimagining of a rock-music classic.’
THE HILLBENDERS/Pinball Wizard
Writer: Pete Townsend; Producer: Louis Jay Meyers; Publisher: Fabulous/Spirit One, BMI; Compass (track)
-You read that correctly. The Hillbenders are on the bluegrass charts with The Who’s “Pinball Wizard.” Not only that, the whole album is a reinterpretation of the classic Tommy, billed now as “a Bluegrass Opry.” The vocals work surprisingly well. The banjo accompaniment takes a little getting used to.
RON BLOCK/Smartville
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; RB (track)
-The longtime Union Station banjo man has a new solo instrumental CD titled Hogan’s House of Music. It kicks off with this lively, bouncing ditty that has a built-in smile. Guests on various tracks on the album include Stuart Duncan, Alison Krauss, Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, Adam Steffey and Tim Crouch. Highly recommended.
RALPH STANLEY, BUDDY MILLER AND JIM LAUDERDALE/I Am the Man, Thomas
Writers: Larry Sparks/Ralph Stanley; Producers: Buddy Miller/Jim Lauderdale; Publishers: Zap, BMI; Cracker Barrel/Red
-This patriarch’s new CD finds him collaborating with country stars such as Dierks Bentley, Josh Turner and Lee Ann Womack, bluegrass celebrities like Del McCoury and Ricky Skaggs and even rock stars Elvis Costello and Robert Plant. On this rousing gospel chestnut, co-producers Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale harmonize with gusto.
DONNA ULISSE/Hard Cry Moon
Writers: Donna Ulisse/Rick Stanley; Producer: Bryan Sutton; Publishers: Uncle Hadley/Pop ‘N Paw, ASCAP; Hadley Music
-Ulisse’s new CD is No. 1 on the Roots Music Report chart and No. 3 on the Euro Americana chart. I can certainly hear why. Its title tune is a mournful, melodic ballad with a gently caressing lead vocal and some gorgeous harmony singing from Jerry Salley and Rick Stanley. Heart melting.
DAILEY & VINCENT/We’re All Here To Learn
Writers: Karen Staley/Jamie S. Dailey; Producer: none listed; Publishers: Bluegrassambassador/Hobo Lizard, BMI; Pillar
-This award-winning group’s debut live CD is a Cracker Barrel exclusive. Recorded at a concert in a Virginia performing arts center, the set opens with this uplifting, inspirational and hard-driving performance. The bluegrass ensemble is backed by The George Mason University Student Orchestra. The sound is majestic.
THE TENNESSEE MAFIA JUG BAND/Lester’s Loafin’ Lounge
Writers: Mike Webb; Producer: Eric Heatherly; Publishers: none listed, BMI; TMJB (track)
-This good-time string band is a perennial favorite on Marty Stuart’s RFD-TV series. Its new CD’s title tune is about a real place that’s situated near Goodlettsville, Tenn., where good food and pickin’ parties abound. Owner “Lonesome” Lester Armistead passed away last year. This album and this song are dedicated to him. Fear not: Tennessee Mafia Jug Band member Mikey Armistead now maintains the Lounge’s traditions. If you can’t make the trip there, get this CD, and you’ll have a taste of its hearty cheer.
MIKE AULDRIDGE, JERRY DOUGLAS, ROB ICKES/The Three Bells
Writers: Jean Villard/Bert Reisfeld; Producers: Mike Auldridge/Jerry Douglas/Rob Ickes; Publisher: Southern, ASCAP; Rounder (track)
-This trio won the Instrumental Recorded Performance award at the International Bluegrass Music Awards earlier this month. No wonder: The three greatest Dobro masters of our lifetime are all on the same record together. Heaven sounds something like this.
LORRAINE JORDAN & CAROLINA ROAD AND THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS/Runnin’ Water
Writers: The Kentucky Headhunters; Producers: Josh Goforth/Lorraine Jordan; Publishers: Them Young Boys/ I.B. Headed, no performance rights listed; Pinecastle (track)
-Jordan and her Carolina Road boys have titled their new CD Country Grass. It features them collaborating with John Conlee, Lee Greenwood, T.G. Sheppard, Eddy Raven, Crystal Gayle and the late Jim Ed Brown and Lynn Anderson, among others. They are midway up the Bluegrass Unlimited chart with this rip-roaring, lickety-split outing with The Kentucky Headhunters. Yee-hah!
THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS/American Girl
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Lumenhouse
-The Infamous Stringdusters’ new Undercover five-song EP entered the Billboard bluegrass chart at No. 1. It features the group reinterpreting the songs of Johnny Cash (”Big River”), Bob Dylan (”Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”), Jimmy Webb (”Highwayman”) and, yes, Pink Floyd (”Fearless”). Their version of Tom Petty’s “American Girl” has a pinched-nose lead vocal, woozy fiddle lines and slightly sour harmonies. But the long instrumental ride at the song’s end is outstanding.
Writers: Sidney Cox/Suzanne Cox; Producer: Alison Krauss; Publisher: ANSALLY/Marla, BMI; Rounder (track)
-Let me just state up front that I adore this group. The title tune of its new CD is a wistful waltz about loved ones who have passed away. The blood-harmony trio voices on the choruses are lump-in-throat listening ecstasy. Elsewhere on the set are cool reworkings of songs made famous by The Louvin Brothers (”Cash on the Barrelhead”), Bread (”Lost Without Your Love”) and Crystal Gayle (”I’ll Get Over You”). The album, by the way, is a completion of one that they began recording for Asylum back in 1998. Good music is truly timeless.
MusicRow Launches First Podcast Episode With Merle Haggard
/by Craig_ShelburnePhoto: Myriam Santos
MusicRow is launching a new podcast series with the first episode featuring an interview with Merle Haggard.
Sponsored by SunTrust Bank’s Sports & Entertainment Group, the MusicRow Podcast is hosted by Sherod Robertson, the publication’s owner and publisher. In the first installment, the iconic Country Music Hall of Fame member talks about his true feelings toward hippies, recalls his friendship with Johnny Cash, and reveals the first song he’d want a new fan to hear.
Asked where he gets his drive, Haggard replies, “I’ve got a young wife who actually loves me, who is in love with me. She is a full-time nurse and should have a degree in homeopathic methods of healing. She has kept me young at heart and, you know, if I just try a little bit, I feel really good and I give her all the credit. She has changed my life and she’s sobered me up and made me a worthwhile citizen.”
Also in the the podcast, longtime industry figure Hazel Smith explains Haggard’s towering presence in country music history.
Or click here to listen in iTunes.
About the MusicRow podcast:
From Nashville’s leading music industry trade publication, The MusicRow Podcast features in-depth conversations with artists and the key industry members behind their music. Hosted by MusicRow Magazine Publisher Sherod Robertson, the series offers unique perspectives from iconic legends and rising talent to key decision makers and gatekeepers in the Nashville music industry.
MusicRow Job Opening: Graphic Design/Production Manager
/by Craig_ShelburneJob Requirements
• Degree/Education in graphic design
• Demonstrated proficiency in Adobe InDesign and Photoshop is required
• Experience utilizing WordPress is preferred
• Strong organizational skills
• Dependability is a must
• 1-3 years job experience is preferred
• Creative and technical ability to do editorial layout and design
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience with Final Cut Pro, GarageBand, and Illustrator is preferred but not required
• Must have strong project management skills, be deadline-driven and enjoy working with a team
• Microsoft Office suite skills are required
Job Duties
• All aspects of Layout and Design for both print publication and online websites
• Management of all advertisements (both print and online)
• Sending daily news emails
• Photography/Video of Events and Artist Visits (including video editing)
• Other duties (i.e., archiving files, creating plaques, radio chart, and more)
Send resume (with salary requirement/range) and online portfolio to jobs@musicrow.com
Candidates must be eligible to work in the US for any employer.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Keith Urban Exhibit To Open At Country Music Hall Of Fame And Museum
/by Troy_StephensonKeith Urban will be the subject of an exhibition at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Keith Urban So Far… will open on Nov. 20 and run through May 2016. It will follow Urban’s path to Nashville and include a wide array of historic and priceless memorabilia from Urban’s collection, including his 1989 Fender Custom Shop 40th Anniversary Telecaster named “Clarence” and Levinson Blade electric guitar played by Urban on his first No. 1 song, “But for the Grace of God.” The shirt worn on the cover of his self-titled 1999 debut album will sit alongside handwritten song manuscripts, awards, and other documents from Urban’s scrapbooks of his childhood and teens.
“This exhibit allows the museum to highlight the career of one of country music’s top entertainers today,” said Carolyn Tate, Senior Vice President of Museum Services. “Keith Urban is a tremendously talented artist, and we’re thrilled to share the story of his hard-earned success with our visitors.”
Visit countrymusichalloffame.org for more details about the exhibit.
Opry Goes Pink Supports Breast Cancer Awareness
/by Craig_ShelburneKacey Musgraves flips the switch on the Grand Ole Opry’s signature barn backdrop, turning it pink, at the 7th Annual “Opry Goes Pink” show.
In support of breast cancer awareness, Kacey Musgraves and many other country artists performed at the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday (Oct. 27) . Musgraves had the honors of flipping a giant light switch, turning the Opry’s signature backdrop pink.
Opry members Terri Clark, Montgomery Gentry, Lorrie Morgan and Jeannie Seely were also on the Tuesday night’s Opry lineup, as were Cassadee Pope and Nashville actress Clare Bowen.
The evening kicked off with Women Rock For The Cure representatives cutting a pink ribbon and leading a pink carpet walk into the Grand Ole Opry House for the show. The group is made up of breast cancer survivors and members of their support networks. They were followed by fans on the carpet, all pledging to support the fight against the disease.
Women Rock For The Cure is a Nashville-based 501(c)(3) organization committed to connecting and supporting young women facing breast cancer. Founded in 2007, the organization works to build awareness and provide outreach programs through the power of the entertainment industry.
The Opry donated $5 from every ticket to the show sold between Sept. 22 and Oct. 27 to Women Rock For The Cure.
Members of the Women Rock For The Cure board members walk the pink carpet prior to the 7th Annual Opry Goes Pink show. Pictured (L-R): WRFTC Board Member Adie MacKenzie, WRFTC Board Member & Survivor Jessi Pruitt, WRFTC Co-Founder Rebekah Lee Beard, WRFTC Co-Founder Liz Lee Schullo, WRFTC Co-Founder & President Jensen Sussman, WRFTC Board Member Michelle Tigard Kammerer and WRFTC Board Member Jenny Ciali
Spirit Music Nashville Signs Songwriter/Producer Jay Brunswick
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (front row, L-R): Daniel Hill (President, Spirit Music Nashville), Jay Brunswick, Noah McPike (Almon & McPike). Back Row (L-R): Carrie Gallo (Creative Dir., Spirit), Bradley Collins (BMI),Brian Bradford (Dir. Admin., Spirit), Billy Lynn (VP Creative, Spirit).
Spirit Music Nashville has signed songwriter/producer Jay Brunswick to an exclusive global publishing agreement, as announced today by Daniel Hill, President, Spirit Music Nashville. “Jay is an extremely talented songwriter/producer, as his many artist co-writers already know,” said Hill. “We are proud that he chose Spirit Music Nashville as his publishing home, and look forward to sharing huge successes with him in the future.” “I am honored and blessed to be a part of such an amazing team of publishers and staff here at Spirit Music. Daniel, Billy, Carrie, and the Nashville Staff are hands down some of the best in the business,” said Brunswick. “I’ve been waiting eleven years to find a home of this magnitude for my music, I look forward to our future together and want to thank them all again for believing in what I do.” Brunswick was born and raised in New Castle, Pa. At the age of 20 he began writing songs and playing bars and honky-tonks across the country. In 2004, relocated to Nashville. Since that time over 40 artists have tapped into his catalog, with Parmalee, Lindsay Ell, and Backroad Anthem already recording Brunswick co-writes in 2015. Recently, Spirit also acquired the StyleSonic catalog, bringing another four No. 1 country hits to its portfolio as well as over fifteen Top 20 country songs spanning the last decade. The company also recently signed hit songwriter Chris Wallin, whose credits include Kenny Chesney’s “Don’t Blink,” and Tim Montana, who co-wrote “This Beard Came Here to Party” with ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons.
Carrie Underwood To Headline ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve’
/by Jessica NicholsonCarrie Underwood.
Carrie Underwood will ring in a new year as headliner for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2016. The celebration will be held in front of approximately 1 million fans in New York City’s Times Square, just before the ball drops to welcome in 2016. American Idol host Ryan Seacrest will once again host the celebration
The program will air on Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than New York’s Times Square, one of the most magical places in the world, to ring in the New Year,” Underwood said in a statement. “It’s going to be a memorable night, and I can’t wait to celebrate with the world!”
“The first time I heard Carrie sing, I knew she would be a superstar, and each year she continues to dominate the charts,” added Seacrest. “I can’t wait to see her rock Times Square and ring in 2016 as our headliner.”