Columbia/Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, has announced the upcoming release of two essential live albums from Johnny Cash, one from Denmark (1971) and another from Czechoslavakia (1978).

Johnny Cash’s Man In Black: Live in Denmark 1971 will be released as a CD and digital audio release on Friday, December 4, 2015 and is available for pre-order now. Previously commercially available only as a DVD (released in 2006), the audio will also be available in a special 2-LP set, pressed on red and white vinyl (the colors of the flag of Denmark), exclusively at independent record retailers in celebration of Record Store Day Black Friday 2015 (November 27, 2015). Cash was at a career highpoint and in the middle of 1971 when he was asked to star in his own concert special for Danish television. Lensed before a live audience on a Danish TV sound stage, Man In Black: Live in Denmark 1971 showcases his touring companions—the Tennessee Three (his backup band) June Carter Cash, the Carter Family, Carl Perkins, and the Statler Brothers—in addition to his own setlist of hits and duets (track listing below).

Johnny Cash’s historic Koncert v Praze (In Prague-Live) was recorded on-stage in Czechoslovakia on April 11, 1978, documenting the first time any music artist performing behind the Iron Curtain. This will be available worldwide as a stand-alone CD on Friday, February 5, 2016.

The taping was recorded at the Sportovní hala in Prague, where Cash was invited to perform by the Czechoslovakian government, who acted as agents, promoters and managers for the four shows. Johnny Cash and his entourage of 19 secured work permits and set off from Berlin in a small “school bus,” provided by the Czech government, to test how audiences inside the Soviet bloc would respond to American music. The result, according to the United States ambassador, did more for U.S.-Czech relations in four concerts (playing to a total of 40,000) than he could have accomplished in four years. Those historic performances (which sold out in two days) helped provide a turning point in the thawing of the Cold War. Koncert v Praze (In Prague-Live) was first released on vinyl in Czechoslovakia in 1983, pressed on the local classical label Supraphon then issued in the U.S. as part of the deluxe box set Johnny Cash: The Complete Columbia Album Collection in 2012. While a limited edition 12″ LP edition was pressed on 180 gram red translucent vinyl for Record Store Day 2015, Koncert v Praze (In Prague-Live) is being released worldwide for the first time as a stand-alone CD featuring backing from the Tennessee Three and the Carter Family on 11 songs (track listing below).

Johnny Cash Man in Black: Live in Denmark 1971 Track Listing:
“A Boy Named Sue”
“Sunday Morning Coming Down”
“I Walk the Line”
“Blue Suede Shoes” – Carl Perkins
“Matchbox” – Carl Perkins
“Me and Bobby McGee”
“Guess Things Happen That Way”
“Bed of Roses” – The Statler Brothers
“Flowers on the Wall” – The Statler Brothers
“Folsom Prison Blues”
“Darlin’ Companion” – with June Carter Cash
“If I Were a Carpenter” – with June Carter Cash
“Help Me Make It Through the Night “– with June Carter Cash
“Man in Black”
Introduction to The Carter Family
“A Song to Mama” – The Carter Family
“No Need to Worry” – with The Carter Family & The Statler Brothers
“Rock of Ages” – with The Carter Family & The Statler Brothers
“Children, Go Where I Send Thee” – with  Carl Perkins, The Carter Family & The Statler Brothers

Johnny Cash Koncert v Praze (In Prague-Live) Track Listing:
“Ring Of Fire”
“Folsom Prison Blues”
“I Still Miss Someone”
“Big River”
Cowboy Medley: “I Ride an Old Paint” / “Streets Of Laredo”
“Sunday Morning Coming Down”
“I Walk the Line”
“Last Date”
“City of New Orleans”
Railroad Medley: “Hey Porter” / “Wreck Of the Old ’97” / “Casey Jones” / “Orange Blossom Special”
“Wabash Cannonball”

Sam Hunt Plans Nashville Street Party

MCA Nashville artist Sam Hunt will host a street party in downtown Nashville Tuesday, Oct. 27. The party will be presented by Bose.

Hunt is nominated for three CMA Awards, including New Artist of the Year, Single of the Year, and Song of the Year, as well as three American Music Awards, including New Artist of the Year, Favorite Male Artist-Country, and Favorite Album-Country.

 

Scotty McCreery Earns 2016 Patrick D. Kenan Award for Vocal Health and Wellness

Scotty McCreery will be honored with the 2016 Patrick D. Kenan Award for Vocal Health and Wellness at Duke Voice Care Center’s 10th Annual World Voice Day celebration, slated for March 29.

The event will be held at the Cary Arts Center in Cary, N.C.

To keep up his demanding touring schedule, McCreery says he is careful to practice good vocal care.

“My voice is my livelihood, so taking care of it is essential,” said McCreery. “I make sure to stay as healthy as I can and not put any strain on my voice…well, unless I’m at an NC State sporting event! I also consult with my doctors regularly to make sure my vocal cords remain in great condition.” McCreery will offer an acoustic performance and share more secrets for keeping voices healthy at the event. 

“Voices are the foundation of who we are. Our voices serve to inspire us, contributing to our beliefs and values, influencing the collective history of the human race. We honor our voices on World Voice Day and the unique contribution of everyone’s voice signature,” says Duke Voice Care Center Director David Witsell, MD, MHS.

 

RaeLynn To Perform For Songs For Sound

RaeLynn will perform at the Great Georgia Air Show in Peachtree, Ga., on Oct. 31 as part of Songs for Sound, a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life of people suffering from hearing loss.

A screening vehicle will be at the event on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 to offer free auditory screenings, equipment demos and other information and giveaways to help raise hearing health awareness and offer support for veterans and their families.

RaeLynn’s debut single, “God Made Girls,” has sold over a half a million copies. Her follow-up, “For A Boy,” is now available on iTunes along with her EP release, aptly titled ME.

RaeLynn will also appear at the Songs for Sound mobile center on Oct. 31 for private meet-and-greets. Passes are available for a donation to benefit Songs for Sound at www.songsforsound.com.

 

Singer-songwriter Christy McDonald Releases “Here Comes The Night”

Christy McDonald has released the single “Here Comes The Night.” In conjunction with breast cancer awareness month, a portion of the proceeds from the song will be donated to the T.J. Martell Foundation for cancer research.

The track features former Iron Maiden member Alf Batz on guitar, as well as three-time Grammy nominee Shaun Murphy on background vocals. The track was produced by McDonald, AJ Masters and Grady Walker. Masters died of cancer in 2015, inspiring McDonald to use the song as a vehicle to give back.

[Update, 4:34 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23]: Joey+Rory have canceled the duo’s five upcoming Joey+Rory Farmhouse Concert dates, according to their website. The concert dates had been slated for Nov. 6 and 7, and Dec. 5, 12 and 19 at a concert hall located at the duo’s farm south of Nashville.

Tickets that have already been purchase for the concerts will be reimbursed. For questions regarding ticket reimbursement, contact farmhousedistribution@gmail.com.

[Original post, published at 11:01 a.m., Friday, Oct. 23]:

Joey+Rory singer Joey Feek has terminal cancer, her husband and musical partner Rory Feek revealed in a recent blog post at thislifeilive.com.

“Sometimes there just aren’t enough surgeries — or doctors — or chemotherapies — or prayers. And you have to wipe the tears from your cheeks and say the words that you were hoping to never have to say …” he writes. “Enough.”

The couple decided to stop cancer treatments after learning that Joey’s stage 4 cervical cancer has been spreading aggressively, despite daily chemotherapy and radiation treatments, as well as a recent surgery. Joey Feek was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014, not long after the couple welcomed daughter Indiana.

Before the next round of chemo was to start on this past Thursday in Atlanta, the doctors scheduled a CT scan to be done the day before. This was her first major scan since before she had the big surgery in July.  So the goal was to see how her body has responded, after the removal of the all the cancer and the first five weeks of treatment.  To make sure that there were no signs of the cancer still around.

But there was.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this…”  That’s how the conversation began.

Then the doctor explained that the scans revealed that two quarter-sized tumors have already grown back in the same area that they had been blasting daily with chemo and radiation. And that many more smaller tumors were visible all throughout the abdominal region.  She said that the cancer was aggressively spreading in spite of all they’ve been doing.

So we did what you do when the medicine isn’t working, and the doctors are at a loss…and when the ‘statistics” say you can do more chemo, but it will only buy you a little time…

We came home. Not to die. But to live.

To put our hands in each others and sit out on the back porch and watch the sun set as our sweet little baby girl plays on a blanket in front of us.  To bask in the glory of the beautiful life He’s blessed us with, and try not to question why we can’t have more of it together.  And why He is allowing this to happen.
The doctors gave us an estimate of how much time they believe that Joey has, and we both looked at the calendar that hangs by our kitchen door, then I took the calendar off the wall and threw in the trash can.

So we don’t have forever.  We’ve got right now.

And that’s enough.

The couple continues to ask for prayers from family, friends, and fans.

“One of the mantra’s that I always try to live by is to have incredibly ‘high hopes, but low expectations,’ So, even though we know we’ve reached the end of what medicine can do — and while we prepare for what God has put in front of us… Joey and I will continue to pray for a miracle. We ask for your prayers too. For a miracle. And even more so, for peace with His decision.

That is enough.

Kompass Music Signs SVRCINA

Kobalt Music Publishing’s sister company, Kompass Music, has entered into an agreement with artist/writer SVRCINA.

SVRCINA has been in Nashville’s writing community for several years. In 2009, while going by the name Molly Hunt, she was just 13 when she signed a publishing deal with AWMG Entertainment. She is working on a new EP set for release in 2016.

Kompass is a multimedia company focused on artist development, film, and television placements administered by Kobalt music worldwide.

 

Publishers Compete In COHKS Dart Tournament in Nashville

This past Wednesday, the semi-annual COHKS Dart Tournament was held at Edgefield Sports Bar and Grill in East Nashville. The five competing publishers making up the letters in COHKS include Combustion Music, Ole Rights Management, HoriPro Entertainment Group, Kobalt Music Group, and Sea Gayle Music Publishing. Each company provides two teams who compete for the holy grail of dart trophies, which was previously held by Ole.                

The tournament went into double elimination until the last two teams went head to head for the win. Sea Gayle beat out HoriPro in the final round, taking home the trophy.

 

AIMP To Host A&R Development Panel

AIMP  will welcome several top independent music publishing execs on Oct. 29 to discuss publishing and A&R development. Michael McAnally Baum, Ree Guyer Buchanan, Rusty Gaston, John Ozier, and Kos Weaver. Sea Gayle Music’s Marc Driskill will moderate the panel.

The panel will take place from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.  at ASCAP’s Connie Bradley Board Room, located at 2 Music Square West. The event is free for AIMP members, and $20 for AIMP non-members.

Fifth Third Bank has signed on as a sponsor. To register, visit aimp.org.

 

Rend Collective Launches Rend Family Records With Capitol Christian Music Group

Northern Irish folk worship band Rend Collective has announced the launch of Rend Family Records, a partnership with Capitol Christian Music Group.

The label’s first signing is Urban Rescue, a revival band from Los Angeles, fronted by Jordan Frye. Urban Rescue has released “Kaleidoscope,” the first single from its upcoming album.

“Rend Collective has always been about finding wild and colourful ways to worship God, so as Rend Family Records, we hope to shine a spotlight on artists who are redefining the landscape of musical worship,” Rend Collective shared. “We’re calling ourselves a ‘family’ on purpose, because we want this label to be another extension of the thing we call ‘church.’ Our goal is to create an environment where discipleship is valued more than the ‘next great idea,’ to be pastorally-minded instead of product-driven.”