Grand Ole Opry celebrates its 90th anniversary. Photo: Chris Hollo
This weekend, the Grand Ole Opry celebrated nine decades devoted to country music, with performances from Little Big Town, The Oak Ridge Boys, Carrie Underwood, Jeannie Seely, Larry Gatlin, Trace Adkins, members from the cast of ABC’s Nashville, and more.
Underwood’s first performance on the Grand Ole Opry stage came in June 2005, shortly after her win on American Idol. She was inducted into the Opry by fellow Oklahoman Garth Brooks, in May 2008. She returned to the Opry stage Saturday night to offer a rendition of her debut hit, “Jesus Take The Wheel,” before strapping on a guitar for her current single, “Smoke Break.” She ended with a chipper version of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.” Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts made the journey to Nashville to introduce Underwood to the Opry audience that evening.
Carrie Underwood performs “Smoke Break” at the Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo.
“My first performance was a total whirlwind,” recalled Underwood at a press conference backstage. “I had just come off of American Idol and we immediately came to Nashville, because this is where I wanted to be. Stepping out on that stage, it was like, ‘What am I doing here?’ I felt very unworthy, and still do to a certain extent, just because it is the Grand Ole Opry.”
“I was scared to death,” said Adkins of his first Opry performance. The fear was more than just the nerves of a first-timer. “There was a miscommunication and somebody thought my band was going to be here, and I thought the Opry [house] band had learned my song, and neither one of those things had happened,” he recalled. “The stage manager asked if I was going to mic my guitar, and I said, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ because I thought the band was going to play my song. I was doing ‘Every Light In The House Is On.’ He said, ‘Well, are you just going to sing a cappella?’ I said, ‘No, is the [house] band going to play?’ A friend of mine, luckily, had a copy of my CD in his truck and ran out to get it. The Opry band listened to it one time through, charted it, and went onstage and played the song perfectly. I’ll never forget that. And then I proposed to Rhonda that evening, because I didn’t think I’d ever get to come back. I thought I might as well propose while I’m here.”
Adkins, of course, has returned to the Opry stage numerous times, and was inducted as a member in 2003. Saturday evening, he offered “Ladies Love Country Boys” and a version of Don Williams’ “‘Til The Rivers All Run Dry,” to the delight of the Opry crowd. Saturday marked the second day of performances for The Oak Ridge Boys, who also appeared on the Friday night Opry (Oct. 2) to perform a rendition of “Elvira” with Little Big Town.
“Every time we come down here, it is an honor to be among these people,” said The Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall. “Minnie Pearl was one of the greatest people to walk the face of this planet and so was Sarah Cannon, I might add. Jimmy Dickens? Backstage at the Opry has not been the same since Little Jimmy Dickens has been gone. I mean, everybody wanted to be around him. Everybody wanted a piece of Little Jimmy Dickens, and it was fun to watch it. You try to carry the torch. That’s why I thought last night was so meaningful. There is always magic on the stage. When we came out onstage last night with [Little Big Town], it was a magical moment. I think the Opry is all about magic, tradition and magic. Everybody here feels that magic and tries to live up to it.”
The Oak Ridge Boys and Little Big Town display Grand Ole Opry 90th Anniversary member gifts. Photo: Chris Hollo
On Saturday, the Oaks — who will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this month — offered their evergreen hit “Elvira” as well as a rendition of “Have A Little Talk With Jesus,” from their latest album, Rock of Ages: Hymns and Gospel Favorites. Meanwhile, Nashville‘s Charles Esten, Aubrey Peeples, Chris Carmack, and Sam Palladio performed for a combined 30-minute segment of the two-hour show, a testament to the positive attention the show has brought to its namesake city and the Grand Ole Opry. The 90th Anniversary celebration will continue on Tuesday, Oct. 6 with appearances by Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Marty Stuart, and more as well as upcoming appearances by Kelsea Ballerini, Easton Corbin, Charlie Daniels Band, Loretta Lynn, Alison Krauss, Rascal Flatts, and many others.
On Nov. 28, 1925, announcer George D. Hay introduced the one-hour WSM Barn Dance, with a performance from fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson. In 1927, the show was renamed The Grand Ole Opry, and today, it is the longest-running radio broadcast in United States history.
CMA Awards Will Kick Off With Eric Church and Hank Williams Jr.
/by Craig_ShelburneEric Church and Hank Williams Jr. will open the 49th Annual CMA Awards with a premiere performance of “Are You Ready for the Country,” Williams’ first single on Nash Icon. The three-hour show will air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 4 on ABC.
This is Church’s first year to be nominated in the CMA Entertainer of the Year category. Williams won the top award in 1987 and 1988.
Church is also nominated in the Male Vocalist category, as well as Single of the Year for “Talladega,” Song of the Year for “Like A Wrecking Ball,” and Musical Event of the Year for “Raise ‘Em Up” with Keith Urban.
The song, which was written and recorded by Neil Young and later recorded by Waylon Jennings, “is the perfect narrative for the night,” said CMA Awards Executive Producer Robert Deaton. “It sets up musically everything that is going to happen for the rest of the show.”
The performance by Church and Williams will lead into the opening monologue by hosts Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.
“They have impeccable timing as hosts and then in the next segment you see them with their bands blowing the roof off the arena with an amazing performance,” said Deaton. “They are the whole package.”
“If you don’t see the first 15 minutes of the CMA Awards live, you will be grasping for straws at the proverbial water cooler the next morning,” said CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern. “It is that good and it is just the beginning of a great night of entertainment.”
Jeremy Holley, Laura Hutfless Launch Marketing Agency, FlyteVu
/by Sarah SkatesJeremy Holley
Music marketing executives Jeremy Holley and Laura Hutfless have teamed to launch FlyteVu, a full-service marketing agency.
Holley exits Warner Music Nashville where he has spent the past decade, most recently as the Sr. VP of Consumer & Interactive Marketing. Hutfless will leave her position as Music Brand Partnership Agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA).
FlyteVu officially opened Oct. 1, and offers brands a wide variety of services including strategy and planning, custom analytics, creative services, talent and property partnerships, music licensing, digital and social strategy, event activation and more.
FlyteVu will be temporarily based at the offices of CAA.
Holley was recognized as one of Billboard’s Power Player Top 40 Under 40 in 2015. He played a key role in building Warner Music Nashville and Word Entertainment’s multiple rights (360) business, overseeing all aspects of creative, digital, and strategic marketing. He has worked on strategic partnerships with Shazam and Youtube, and with brands including Pepsi, Samsung, and JCP.
Laura Hutfless
Hutfless was named to Billboard’s Power Player Top 40 Under 40 in 2012 and 2013. In her role as Music Partnership Agent at CAA, she worked with leading brands including Anheuser-Busch, AT&T, Beringer Wines, ConAgra Foods Inc, Hallmark, Dr. Pepper, Kraft, Skechers, and Mary Kay.
FlyteVu’s first employee is Whitney Byerly, who worked with Hutfless at CAA to develop cause-marketing programs connecting artists, charities and corporate brands.
Announcements on client signings and additional employee hirings will be forthcoming.
“We are both grateful to Warner and CAA for the opportunity to work with an amazing group of people, learn from inspiring leadership and help develop groundbreaking artists,” said Holley. “We understand the importance that brands and artists play on culture and want to offer solutions that create more authentic ‘music’ moments that move consumers to action.”
“Jeremy has been an amazing partner with us at Warner Music Nashville,” said WMN President and CEO John Esposito. “He has led our digital efforts, helping put WMN at the forefront of the digital space thanks to his forward thinking and creativity. I’ve been supportive of this entrepreneurial concept of his since Jeremy first came to me with the idea earlier in the year. The music industry thrives on entrepreneurs and we look forward to working with Jeremy and his new company. It will benefit all the artists at WMN. I know he will kick ass.”
“FlyteVu is a solution for brands who want to connect with consumers on a deeper level at the intersection of storytelling, music and technology,” said Hutfless. “It’s not about interrupting the pop-culture conversation with a one-off sponsorship; it’s about joining in the conversation and telling an authentic story over time. There is more opportunity for brands in the music space now than ever before, and with our 20-plus years of experience working with artists and brands, we’re excited to help them navigate the landscape and create nontraditional business solutions.”
“We are grateful to Laura for all of her great work on behalf of CAA’s clients,” said John Huie, co-head of CAA Music’s Nashville operations. “We are happy to see Laura follow her passion and thrilled that we will continue to work with her at her new venture, FlyteVu. She will always be a part of the CAA family.”
FlyteVu will be based at the offices of CAA, 401 Commerce St., Penthouse, Nashville, TN 37219, for the short term before moving into its permanent location. The mailing address will be 11 Music Circle S., Nashville, TN 37203, and phone number is (615) 942-0242. For more information on FlyteVu visit FlyteVu.com.
Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Sing at Donald Trump Event
/by Troy_Stephenson(Larry Gatlin (L) hosted a campaign for Presidential candidate Donald Trump in Franklin, Tennessee, on Sat., Oct. 3.
Larry Gatlin And The Gatlin Brothers were the special guest performers for Presidential candidate Donald Trump during his visit to Middle Tennessee on Sat., Oct. 3. In front of a packed house at The Factory in Franklin, Tennessee, the band performed the national anthem along with several of their hit songs before Trump took the stage.
“I was the MC and the brothers and I sang at the Donald Trump event over the weekend in Nashville. It was good to see my old friend, Donald,” Gatlin said. “I honored my commitment to Governor Bush and Governor Huckabee, also old friends, that I would not tell anybody who to vote for—I do not have the right to do that. I would advise everyone to do their homework. Listen, read, study, pray… then vote their hearts. GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
To see a video clip courtesy of The Tennessean, click here.
Dot Records Signs Ashley Campbell
/by Eric T. ParkerCampbell family at a 2014 documentary celebration. Pictured (L-R): Cal Campbell, Kim Campbell, Scott Borchetta (BMLG), Ashley Campbell, Shannon Campbell. Photo: Rick Diamond
Dot Records has officially announced the signing of Ashley Campbell to its artist roster. Campbell’s first single from the Big Machine Label Group imprint is titled “Remembering,” featured on the I’ll Be Me Soundtrack.
Campbell has performed alongside her father for years. During the country legend’s three-year farewell tour, the songstress acted as guitar and banjo player, keyboardist and harmony vocalist. She was also featured on the 2015 soundtrack’s “Home Again.”
Campbell is managed by TK Kimbrell at TKO Artist Management.
Dot Records includes a recording roster of superstar Steven Tyler, Maddie & Tae and rising singer/songwriters Drake White and Tucker Beathard.
Grand Ole Opry Celebrates 90th Anniversary With Star-Studded Birthday Bash
/by Jessica NicholsonGrand Ole Opry celebrates its 90th anniversary. Photo: Chris Hollo
This weekend, the Grand Ole Opry celebrated nine decades devoted to country music, with performances from Little Big Town, The Oak Ridge Boys, Carrie Underwood, Jeannie Seely, Larry Gatlin, Trace Adkins, members from the cast of ABC’s Nashville, and more.
Underwood’s first performance on the Grand Ole Opry stage came in June 2005, shortly after her win on American Idol. She was inducted into the Opry by fellow Oklahoman Garth Brooks, in May 2008. She returned to the Opry stage Saturday night to offer a rendition of her debut hit, “Jesus Take The Wheel,” before strapping on a guitar for her current single, “Smoke Break.” She ended with a chipper version of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5.” Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts made the journey to Nashville to introduce Underwood to the Opry audience that evening.
Carrie Underwood performs “Smoke Break” at the Grand Ole Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo.
“My first performance was a total whirlwind,” recalled Underwood at a press conference backstage. “I had just come off of American Idol and we immediately came to Nashville, because this is where I wanted to be. Stepping out on that stage, it was like, ‘What am I doing here?’ I felt very unworthy, and still do to a certain extent, just because it is the Grand Ole Opry.”
“I was scared to death,” said Adkins of his first Opry performance. The fear was more than just the nerves of a first-timer. “There was a miscommunication and somebody thought my band was going to be here, and I thought the Opry [house] band had learned my song, and neither one of those things had happened,” he recalled. “The stage manager asked if I was going to mic my guitar, and I said, ‘Don’t worry about it,’ because I thought the band was going to play my song. I was doing ‘Every Light In The House Is On.’ He said, ‘Well, are you just going to sing a cappella?’ I said, ‘No, is the [house] band going to play?’ A friend of mine, luckily, had a copy of my CD in his truck and ran out to get it. The Opry band listened to it one time through, charted it, and went onstage and played the song perfectly. I’ll never forget that. And then I proposed to Rhonda that evening, because I didn’t think I’d ever get to come back. I thought I might as well propose while I’m here.”
Adkins, of course, has returned to the Opry stage numerous times, and was inducted as a member in 2003. Saturday evening, he offered “Ladies Love Country Boys” and a version of Don Williams’ “‘Til The Rivers All Run Dry,” to the delight of the Opry crowd. Saturday marked the second day of performances for The Oak Ridge Boys, who also appeared on the Friday night Opry (Oct. 2) to perform a rendition of “Elvira” with Little Big Town.
“Every time we come down here, it is an honor to be among these people,” said The Oak Ridge Boys’ Joe Bonsall. “Minnie Pearl was one of the greatest people to walk the face of this planet and so was Sarah Cannon, I might add. Jimmy Dickens? Backstage at the Opry has not been the same since Little Jimmy Dickens has been gone. I mean, everybody wanted to be around him. Everybody wanted a piece of Little Jimmy Dickens, and it was fun to watch it. You try to carry the torch. That’s why I thought last night was so meaningful. There is always magic on the stage. When we came out onstage last night with [Little Big Town], it was a magical moment. I think the Opry is all about magic, tradition and magic. Everybody here feels that magic and tries to live up to it.”
The Oak Ridge Boys and Little Big Town display Grand Ole Opry 90th Anniversary member gifts. Photo: Chris Hollo
On Saturday, the Oaks — who will be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame this month — offered their evergreen hit “Elvira” as well as a rendition of “Have A Little Talk With Jesus,” from their latest album, Rock of Ages: Hymns and Gospel Favorites. Meanwhile, Nashville‘s Charles Esten, Aubrey Peeples, Chris Carmack, and Sam Palladio performed for a combined 30-minute segment of the two-hour show, a testament to the positive attention the show has brought to its namesake city and the Grand Ole Opry. The 90th Anniversary celebration will continue on Tuesday, Oct. 6 with appearances by Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Marty Stuart, and more as well as upcoming appearances by Kelsea Ballerini, Easton Corbin, Charlie Daniels Band, Loretta Lynn, Alison Krauss, Rascal Flatts, and many others.
On Nov. 28, 1925, announcer George D. Hay introduced the one-hour WSM Barn Dance, with a performance from fiddler Uncle Jimmy Thompson. In 1927, the show was renamed The Grand Ole Opry, and today, it is the longest-running radio broadcast in United States history.
Stagecoach Festival Reveals Lineup, On-Sale Date
/by Craig_ShelburneEric Church, Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan will headline the 10th annual Stagecoach Festival next year in Indio, California. The event will take place April 29 to May 1, 2016. Passes will go on sale Friday (Oct. 9).
Church will headline the April 29 lineup, with Chris Young, Sam Hunt, Emmylou Harris, Eric Paslay, Marty Stuart and more also on the bill.
Underwood will perform on April 30 following sets from The Band Perry, Dustin Lynch, John Fogerty, Chris Stapleton, Lee Ann Womack, Rodney Crowell and more.
Bryan will conclude the festival on May 1, sharing the day with Little Big Town, Joe Nichols, The Doobie Brothers, A Thousand Horses, RaeLynn and Turnpike Troubadours, among others.
General admission passes are $299. Corral reserved seating and corral standing pit passes are $899.
Weekly Register: Strong Debuts for Don Henley, George Strait, Thomas Rhett
/by Craig_ShelburneThree new albums are lined up at the top of this week’s country album chart. Don Henley and George Strait are shoulder to shoulder at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, with Thomas Rhett entering at No. 3
Henley’s Cass County arrives atop the country chart with 87K units. Featuring duets with Merle Haggard, Martina McBride, Dolly Parton, and more, the collaborative collection arrives at No. 3 overall.
Strait’s Cold Beer Conversation lands at No. 2 with 83K units. The project is an Apple and Walmart exclusive. Rhett’s Tangled Up makes a strong showing at No. 3, with 63K units.
Rounding out the top 5 are Luke Bryan’s Kill the Lights (19K) and Sam Hunt’s Montevallo (9K).
Clint Black lands at No. 13 with On Purpose, his first new album to be released in a decade, with sales of 3K. Roger Creager and Mac McAnally also make debuts on the country album chart this week.
Bryan’s “Strip It Down” remains the top country track (No. 15 overall), selling 41K. Rhett’s “Die A Happy Man” holds down the No. 2 spot (No. 25 overall). Rounding out the Top 5 country tracks are Cam’s “Burning House” (32K), Carrie Underwood’s “Smoke Break” (24K) and Keith Urban’s “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” (23K).
On the overall charts, Fetty Wap enters at No. 1 on the Top 200 with 129K units (75K) album only. Drake’s track, “Hotline Bling,” keeps its spot at No. 1 on the tracks chart with 101K sold.
Info according to Neilsen Soundscan.
Ticketmaster Revamping Early Ticket Access
/by Eric T. ParkerThe event is said to gather musicians’ managers at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn to apparently do away with the industry accepted norm of acts allowed to sell around eight percent of tickets through fan clubs, etc.
“A growing number of managers say Ticketmaster has lately been enforcing archaic rules about what counts as a fan club, making it harder for bands to obtain these tickets and work with third-party companies that specialize in these packages,” says the paper’s Ben Sisario talking to Traci Thomas, manager of Jason Isbell. “Among Ticketmaster’s more irksome requirements, several managers said, were that an artist’s website must have a chat room — which they say is an anachronism in the age of social media.
“For Ticketmaster, which last year sold $23 billion in tickets, these fan club sales represent a negligible amount of income, particularly for midlevel acts like [Isbell]. But they are part of a growing market of ticket services that Ticketmaster and Live Nation have moved into aggressively.”
So far, the paper notes complaints over fan club tickets have been mostly confined to smaller acts, with only a few managers speaking publicly.
Since its Live Nation merger in 2010, Ticketmaster has been in a state of flux in an effort to capture more revenue from the ticketing sphere.
Spotify Comes To MirrorLink-Enabled Cars
/by Jessica NicholsonMirrorLink is similar to popular devices such as Android Auto, in that it allows users to mirror the phone’s display in their car dash, using the car’s controls to operate the system.
The Spotify app is already available via Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto, as well as platforms in BMW and Ford.
Connected Car Consortium president Alan Ewing states that there are around 100 million smartphones compatible with MirrorLink, and around 20 million cars available with MirrorLink.
Charity News: Lady Antebellum, Jamey Johnson, NMPA SONGS Foundation
/by Jessica NicholsonNASH To Present Lady Antebellum Concert Supporting Children’s Miracle Network
Lady Antebellum
Cumulus’ NASH will present Hearts Unsung, a benefit concert supporting Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals nationwide. The concert is set for Nov. 9, and will feature Lady Antebellum at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville.
Tickets will be available beginning Monday, Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. at nashvillesymphony.org.
Jamey Johnson Helps Raise $112,000 For Pancreatic Cancer Research
Jamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson and friends teamed to raise more than $112,000 recently to support pancreatic cancer research. All proceeds went to the Nikki Mitchell Foundation, which is dedicated to seeking and supporting the most breakthrough data available for the early detection and cure of pancreatic cancer.
On Wed., Sept. 23, Johnson headlined a benefit show at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works that raised more than $45,000. He was joined by friends such as Shooter Jennings, Jerrod Niemann and Randy Houser. Also performing were Julie Roberts, Scotty Emerick, Naomi Cook, Jennifer Wayne, Chris Hennessee, Waylon Payne, Carters Chord, and Kevin “Frenchie” Sciou.
On Sunday, Sept. 27, Johnson returned to his home state of Alabama to host the Fourth Annual Jamey Johnson Golf Tournament, which raised about $67,000 for the foundation. The golf tournament was held at Montgomery’s Cottonwood Golf Club and quickly sold out.
The tournament was followed by a concert that raised nearly $4600 and 114 new toys for the U.S. Marines Toys for Tots. The show featured Johnson, Randy Houser, T. Graham Brown, Chris Hennessee, legendary rock bassist Chuck Garric, Jeremy Popoff of Lit, Keith Gattis, Gina Gailey, River Dan and Donica Knight, as well as Montgomery’s own upstart group dubbed The Local Band with members ranging in age from 14-17.
“I’m so grateful to my friends for donating their time to fight pancreatic cancer,” Johnson says. “This is important to me because I’ve lost so many friends to pancreatic cancer in the last few years.”
Johnson was a close friend of Nikki Mitchell, who was Waylon Jennings’ business manager for 22 years and died from pancreatic cancer in 2013 at the age of 58. He was also close with legendary songwriter Hank Cochran, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2010 at age 74.
Artists, Songwriters Team For NMPA SONGS Foundation Benefit
Among those participating are Charles Kelley, Josh Kelley, Mark Bryan (Hootie and the Blowfish), Brett James, Scott Stapp (Creed), Don Schlitz, Lee Thomas Miller, Steve Bogard, Phillip White, Rivers Rutherford, Tom Shapiro, Dan Tyminski, Lance Miller, Johnny Bulford, Jon Mabe, Chris Roberts, Jacob Davis, and Brooke Eden.
“We are thrilled to have so many incredible songwriters in town to support those who hope to follow in their footsteps,” said NMPA SONGS Foundation President David Israelite. “Today, with the decline of music sales and the rise of streaming companies who fail to pay creators fairly, it has become harder and harder to make it as a working songwriter. This Foundation will award individuals with songwriting talent and ambition with grants so that they can continue offering their craft to the culture at large.”
For more information, visit nmpa.org.