Thomas Rhett

CMA To Reveal Performance Pairings on One-of-A-Kind Wednesdays

Thomas Rhett will team up with rock band Fall Out Boy to perform during The 49th Annual CMA Awards, airing live Wednesday, Nov. 4 (8:00-11 PM/ET) from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on the ABC Television Network.

One-of-a-kind collaborations are a hallmark of Country Music’s Biggest Night and this year that tradition continues with pairings that will be announced on “one-of-a-kind” Wednesdays, leading up to the big night.

Thomas Rhett is a nominee in the New Artist of the Year category.

CMA previously announced the collaboration of Eric Church with Hank Williams, Jr., as well as performances by CMA Awards co-hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

The final CMA Awards ballot will be sent to eligible voting members tomorrow (Oct. 8). It closes Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 6:00 PM/CT.

BMI Hosts Stage At Austin City Limits Music Festival

Rising artists rocked the BMI stage at Austin City Limits Music Festival last weekend in Austin, Texas. Muddy Magnolias, comprised of BMI songwriters Kallie North and Jessy Wilson, took the stage on Oct. 4 to perform latest single, “American Woman.”

Pictured (L-R): Third Generation’s Clay Bradley, BMI songwriter and Muddy Magnolias member Jessy Wilson, BMI songwriter Sarah Davidson, CAA’s Lindsey Myers, BMI songwriter and Muddy Magnolias member Kallie North, and BMI’s Mark Mason.

Sony/ATV and Belmont University Continue All Access Program

The Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business at Belmont University will again partner with Sony/ATV Music Publishing for the “All Access” program. Students will have the opportunity to have two songs reviewed by the Sony/ATV Music Publishing Creative Team, which will select students to perform their songs live for the Sony/ATV team at a showcase.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing SVP of Nashville A&R Josh Van Valkenburg said, “Sony/ATV is incredibly proud to continue this partnership with Belmont. We saw and heard some amazing talent last year, and actually signed one of the students who performed! Belmont continues to be an innovative educational leader by developing opportunities like All Access, and we feel confident we will receive even more impressive submissions from Belmont students this year.”

James I. Elliott, Chair of Songwriting in the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, added, “This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to have their music heard by Troy Tomlinson, Josh Van Valkenburg and the Sony/ATV Creative Team. We look forward to the process and have high hopes that Sony/ATV Music Publishing will discover some future hit makers at Belmont.”

Music Biz To Honor Redeye Distribution

The Music Business Association (Music Biz) will present its Independent Spirit Award to Redeye, a leading physical and digital distributor and label services provider. The presentation will take place on Tuesday morning, May 17, during the Awards Breakfast of the Music Biz 2016 convention at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel in Nashville.

Founded in 1996 in Haw River, NC, by Tor Hansen, with Glenn Dicker joining as a partner soon after, Redeye got its start in the independent music scene of the Southeast U.S. Early Redeye-distributed artists include John Mayer and Shawn Mullins, who both went on to become Platinum-selling artists. Nearly two decades later, Redeye has grown into an international music company with more than 70 employees and offices across the U.S. and overseas.

Three music-related startups have been chosen to participate in The TENN, an accelerator program for graduates of Tennessee’s network of entrepreneur centers, presented by Launch Tennessee.

The program will begin Oct. 21 when the companies have the opportunity to attend Launch Tennessee’s board meeting and meet with the mentors they will be working with during the program. This is followed by training in The Rockefeller Habits, as well as networking trips and training days on topics including marketing, financial management, and operations.

Remix Hits – Nashville – Project Music: Remix Hits turns licensed hit songs into software to aid music creators in the sampling/remix process, along with an automated licensing system that instantly determines royalty splits upon upload.

KaraoQ – Nashville – Project Music: KaraoQ develops technologies that enhance how people interact and engage in venues by digitizing the antiquated karaoke experience for nightlife enthusiasts.

Sing and Spell – Knoxville – MediaWorks: Sing and Spell has created an animated, musical program that teaches pre-preschoolers alphabet letter basics through lessons and original songs.

Additional products selected as part of The Tenn include:

Branch Technology – Chattanooga – GIGTANK: Branch Technology combines freeform 3D printing technology, large scale industrial robots and conventional construction materials to create buildings without design limits.

DivorceSecure – Memphis – StartCo: DivorceSecure is a workflow and collaboration platform for divorce attorneys to automate and streamline the intake process, create a negotiation strategy based on the clients’ preferences.

Innovasan – Knoxville – CO.LAB: Innovasan has created the only technology solution for affordable, sustainable and safe on-site treatment of fluid medical waste in hospitals, surgery centers and other medical treatment facilities.

LendMed – Memphis – StartCo: LendMed’s platform provides hospitals a controlled environment for borrowing and lending medical supplies, allowing them to initiate requests, approve requests, and keep an itemized accounting system of debts.

Preteckt – Memphis – StartCo: Preteckt predicts vehicle breakdowns before they happen through hardware that is placed into the vehicle’s sensor data, which extracts over 16,000 signals in real-time.

“We look forward to working with this diverse group of early-stage companies who are all outstanding graduates and representatives of Tennessee’s network of entrepreneur centers,” said Charlie Brock, CEO of Launch Tennessee. “The TENN program will offer them another level of support with increased exposure as well as networking opportunities to investors, mentors and potential customers.”

The TENN is sponsored by UBS, a global financial services firm with a presence across Tennessee, including the UBS Business Solutions Center Nashville which opened in the spring of 2014.

Music industry non-profit healthcare advocate Music Health Alliance is offering health insurance information for music industry members, via a series of free seminars over the course of the next four months. The programs are designed to inform and empower the music community, including self-employed professionals, and those covered under their employer’s policy.

The seminars will answer questions including: What are the new health insurance options? Am I eligible for a subsidy? Who is eligible for free insurance? Where do I get care if I can’t afford insurance?

The series begins Oct. 13 at NARAS. Those interested can RSVP to Shelia Shipley-Biddy at shelia@musichealthalliance.com to attend the free “Get Covered” Seminars.

Open enrollment begins Nov. 1.

Dates/Times for Music Health Alliance Seminars:

Music Health Alliance Get Covered 101 for Senior Music Professionals:

Oct 13: 1-3pm Get Covered 101 For Senior Professionals/Medicare & More at NARAS (1904 Wedgewood Ave. Nashville, TN 37212)
Oct 27: 2-4pm Get Covered 101 For Senior Professionals/Medicare & More at Music Health Alliance (2021 Richard Jones Rd. Suite 160 Nashville, TN 37215)
Dec 7: Last Day To Change Medicare Plan

Music Health Alliance Get Covered 101 for Music Professionals:
Oct 20: 2-4p Get Covered 101 For Music Professionals at NARAS (1904 Wedgewood Ave. Nashville, TN 37212)
Nov 1: Open enrollment begins
Nov 10: 2-4p Get Covered 101 For Music Professionals at NARAS (1904 Wedgewood Ave. Nashville, TN 37212)
Nov 17: 2-4p Get Covered 101 For Music Professionals at ASCAP (2 Music Square W. Nashville, TN 37203)
Jan 12: 2-4p Get Covered 101 For Music Professionals at NARAS (1904 Wedgewood Ave. Nashville, TN 37212)
Jan 19: 2-4p Get Covered 101 For Music Professionals at BMI (10 Music Square E. Nashville, TN 37203)
Jan 31: Last day to enroll or change health insurance

Miranda Lambert receives a star on the Music City Walk of Fame. Photo: Donn Jones.

Miranda Lambert, the late Johnny Cash, Steve Cropper and E.W. “Bud” Wendell were honored yesterday (Oct. 6) with stars on Nashville’s  Music City Walk of Fame.

Lambert is a five-time reigning CMA and six-time reigning ACM Female Vocalist of the Year and a GRAMMY winner with four Albums of the Year. Her fifth album, Platinum, debuted at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 Album Chart and Billboard’s Country Albums Chart. Friend and fellow recording artist Dierks Bentley was on hand to honor Lambert.

Cropper has co-written some of music’s biggest classics, including “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” with friend Otis Redding. He is also an accomplished producer, working with the likes of Wilson Pickett, John Mellencamp and John Prine, and masterful guitar player, having toured with Neil Young and Jimmy Buffett. He was also an original member of the Blues Brothers Band. Cropper has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Wendell is one of Nashville’s foremost hospitality executives, having served as vice president of WSM and general manager of the Grand Ole Opry and Opryland theme park. He ultimately served as president and CEO of Gaylord Entertainment, overseeing the launch of the Nashville Network, acquisition of Country Music Television, expansion of the Opryland Hotel, renovation of the Ryman Auditorium and opening of the Wildhorse Saloon. The Country Music Hall of Fame’s Peter Cooper was in attendance to honor Wendell.

Cash is among the few artists to sell more than 90 million records. The country music icon is a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Country Music Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He has earned 17 GRAMMY awards, including in 2004 for Best Short Form Video for his cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt.” Cash’s siblings Tommy Cash and Joanne Cash Yates were on hand to honor the late singer-songwriter.

Pictured (L-R): Tommy Cash, Steve Cropper, Miranda Lambert, E.W. “Bud” Wendell, Joanne Cash Yates. Photo: Donn Jones

Pictured (L-R): Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert. Photo: Donn Jones

Steve Cropper. Photo: Donn Jones

Pictured (L-R): Peter Cooper, E.W. “Bud” Wendell. Photo: Donn Jones