Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductions

Rosanne Cash, of Notable Music and Downtown Music Publishing, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Sunday night (Oct. 11). Cash joins a diverse group of legendary Nashville songwriters, including Chuck Berry, Garth Brooks and her late father, Johnny Cash. Johnny and Rosanne Cash have made history as the first father-daughter duo to be inducted to the Hall of Fame, founded in 1970.

Rodney Crowell inducted Rosanne into the Hall of Fame, following performances by Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, and John Leventhal, Rosanne’s husband and fellow Downtown songwriter.

Mark James, Even Steven, and Craig Wiseman were also inducted at the 45th annual gala awards dinner at Nashville’s Music City Center.

 

Songwriter and Big Loud Shirt founder Craig Wiseman said he achieved a bucket list milestone with his induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

 

ASCAP hosted an intimate reception to celebrate its 2015 GMA Dove Award nominees on Monday (Oct. 12). The private event was held at ASCAP’s Nashville headquarters and toasted a plethora of ASCAP songwriters, producers and publishers.

ASCAP member Jonathan McReynolds, nominated for Gospel Artist of the Year, performed at the party with a lovely introduction from ASCAP’s VP of Membership (Rhythm & Soul) Nicole George-Middleton. Also in attendance were ASCAP singer/songwriters Erica Campbell (Mary Mary) and husband Warryn Campbell, William McDowell, Disciple (band), Brian Courtney Wilson and Motown Gospel recording artist Janice Gaines. ASCAP’s EVP Membership John Titta and Nashville Director of Strategic Services, Kele Currier were also on hand.

 

Carrie Underwood Celebrates ‘CMT Instant Jam’ Concert Premiere

“Smoke Break” singer Carrie Underwood recently performed a surprise concert for CMT Instant Jam, at Atlanta music venue Variety Playhouse. The concert will premiere Sat., Oct. 17 at 10 p.m. ET on CMT.

 

Aaron Watson Visits Academy of Country Music

The Academy of Country Music welcomed Aaron Watson to the office while he was in Los Angeles. Watson performed songs from his latest album, The Underdog, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s country album chart in February.

The show that made country music famous is celebrating 90 years of great country music. Among those slated to appear in October are Little Big Town, Old Crow Medicine Show, Carrie Underwood, The Oak Ridge Boys, Miranda Lambert, Alan Jackson, Alison Krauss, Loretta Lynn, and more. Heard on the Opry’s flagship radio station 650 AM WSM and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, fans worldwide tune in via opry.com and the Opry’s mobile app. Today the Opry’s digital content reaches millions of fans each week via social media, YouTube, AT&T U-verse Country Deep’s My Opry Debut series, and other platforms.

The Grand Ole Opry is featured on the cover of MusicRow‘s 2015 Publisher Issue, available now.

Exclusive editorial for the magazine includes a profile on legendary music executive Tim DuBois. A publisher roundtable gathers peermusic’s Michael Knox, Wrensong’s Ree Guyer Buchanan, Big Machine Music’s Mike Molinar, and UMPG’s Kent Earls to talk about the state of the industry. Carlin Nashville reveals how the company mines its catalog to generate sync revenue. Women in music’s Change the Conversation touches on the movement and its purpose. THiS Music’s Rusty Gaston provides insight into the tips/tricks of songplugging.

Additionally, songwriters are profiled in MusicRow‘s signature Writers Notes series. Those include Mercury’s Chris Stapleton, Warner Bros.’ Charlie Worsham, Major Bob’s Cary Barlowe, BMG’s Hillary Lindsey, ole’s Phil O’Donnell, and Sony/ATV’s Jon Nite.

Click here to purchase a copy, or receive a free copy with a yearly subscription.

Keith Urban to Jam with John Mellencamp on CMA Awards

Keith Urban and John Mellencamp will perform together during “The 49th Annual CMA Awards” airing live Wednesday, Nov. 4 (8:00-11 PM/ET) from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on ABC.

Urban’s “Raise ‘Em Up” featuring Eric Church is nominated for Musical Event, a category Urban has won three times: “Start A Band” with CMA Awards host Brad Paisley (2009), “Highway Don’t Care” with Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift (2013), and “We Were Us” with fellow nominee Miranda Lambert (2014).

Nelson Postpones, Cancels Tour Dates Due To Illness

Willie Nelson recently postponed the start of his 2015 Django and Jimmie Tour with Merle Haggard, due to “feeling under the weather,” according to his Facebook page. The tour’s launch date on Thursday, (Oct. 15) at Florence, S.C., is rescheduled for April 6, 2016. Friday’s performance in Roanoke, Va., has been rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 19. This Saturday’s show in Reading, Pa., has been canceled.

Nelson is slated to return to the tour on Sunday for the American Roots Music and Arts Festival in Raleigh, N.C.

Artists Named for ‘Sam’s Place’ Series at the Ryman

Steven Curtis Chapman will host the fall return of Sam’s Place-Music for the Spirit at the Ryman Auditorium on Sunday, Nov. 8. The shows will run one Sunday per month through May. The lineup for Nov. 8 includes EmiSunshine, Jeremy Camp, Jimmy Wayne, Natalie Grant, and TLC stars The Willis Clan.

Additional artists performing during the series for upcoming dates include Chonda Pierce, Chris Tomlin, Dave Barnes, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Hunter Hayes, Love and Theft, Matt Maher, Plumb, Rend Collective, Ronnie Milsap and more who will be announced throughout the run.

Portions of the Ryman concerts will be used to produce a one-hour radio show set to air monthly on the K-LOVE radio network in 2016. K-LOVE can be heard locally in Nashville on 97.1 FM.

“Sam’s Place – Music for the Spirit” dates: November 8, January 10, February 14, March 6, April 10 and May 1. For more information visit ryman.com/samsplace

Mark Collie Joins Cast of ‘Nashville’

Country entertainer, actor and filmmaker Mark Collie joined the cast of the ABC drama Nashville as a guest star for a multi-episode arc beginning on the Oct. 14 episode. Collie’s character Frankie, a musical talent and recovering alcoholic, is described as follows:

Frankie is rough around the edges, and it shows. Frankie is rock solid in working the program — so much so that being a bar owner poses no problem to his sobriety. After bottoming out 20 years ago and getting sober, Frankie stopped pursuing his dreams of becoming a star and instead focused on helping others make their dreams come true by opening a small performance venue. Of course, Frankie manages to perform there as often as possible, too. But tough economic times are pushing the bar toward bankruptcy… and when longtime friend steps in with a financial lifeline and a big renovation, jealousy starts to brew and temptation becomes harder to resist.

Marshall Tucker Band To Release ‘Live in the UK 1976’ 

 

Chris Young has revealed the track listing for his forthcoming album, I’m Comin’ Over, which will be released on Nov. 13. Chris Young fans were able to get a first look at the list through a social media campaign.

I’m Comin’ Over features 11 new songs, nine of which Young co-wrote. The project also features several special guests, including Vince Gill on “Sober Saturday Night” and “Think Of You,” a duet with Cassadee Pope. Young took the helm on the new project, co-producing for the first time along with Corey Crowder.

“Making this record, it just feels different,” Young said. “Nothing changed for the sake of change. It changed because it was the right way to go. This is the first time I’ve co-produced. Half the songs on the record were written by me, Corey (Crowder) and Josh (Hoge). That became the nucleus of this record, and that was really different for me.”

I’m Comin’ Over – track listing:
1. “Heartbeat”- Chris Young, Corey Crowder, Josh Hoge
2. “I’m Comin’ Over”- Chris Young, Corey Crowder, Josh Hoge
3. “Think Of You” (Duet with Cassadee Pope) – Chris Young, Corey Crowder, Josh Hoge
4. “You Do The Talkin’” Cary Barlowe, Corey Crowder, Liz Rose
5. “I Know A Guy”- Benjy Davis, Brett Tyler
6. “Alone Tonight”- Chris Young, Corey Crowder, Josh Hoge
7. “Sunshine Overtime”- Chris Young, Corey Crowder, Jeremy Stover
8. “Sober Saturday Night” (feat. Vince Gill)- Chris Young, Brad Warren, Brett Warren
9. “Underdogs”- Chris Young, Corey Crowder, Josh Hoge
10. “Callin’ My Name”- Chris Young, Corey Crowder, Jonathan Singleton
11. “What If I Stay”- Chris Young, Johnny Bulford, Josh Hoge