Sony/ATV Signs Andy Wills
Sony/ATV has signed songwriter Andy Wills to an exclusive publishing agreement.
Wills is also affiliated with Torrez Music Group.
He is an accomplishede writer who penned Jerrod Niemann’s current single “Blue Bandana” which is rocketing up the country charts. “Blue Bandana” has set a new benchmark for Neimann, earning him the best country radio impact week of his career.
Pictured (L-R) Nathan J. Drake, Dickinson Wright PLLC; Alex Torrez, Torrez Music Group; Andy Wills; Terry Wakefield, Sony/ATV Music Publishing; Derek Crownover, Dickinson Wright PLLC.
Change The Conversation Visits SOURCE
SOURCE, an organization of women music executives in Nashville, held its monthly members luncheon at ASCAP on July 23, 2015, and welcomed the founders of Change the Conversation as guest speakers.
On hand to speak were CMT Sr. VP Music Strategy Leslie Fram, Rounder Records VP A&R Tracy Gershon and MTSU Recording Industry Department Chair and journalist Beverly Keel. They started Change the Conversation to advocate the factual feminine advantages inside the entertainment community through information, shared successes and exposing misconceptions.
(L-R): Tracy Gershon, Leslie Fram and Beverly Keel
Music Pub Works Visits Washington DC
Music Pub Works senior executives Denise Zavitson and Jill Napier recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to present the company’s proprietary publishing software to the United States Copyright Office.
MPW, a subsidiary of Zavitson Music Group, is a cloud-based web application that provides a streamlined approach to managing all aspects of cataloging, registering, pitching, and revenue collection for songs.
Zavitson and Napier demonstrated the software’s capability of tracking copyrighted material from artistic inception to the point of revenue generation, as well as its Application Program Interface (API) capabilities. While in D.C., Zavitson and Napier also had meetings with Representative Marsha Blackburn’s office, the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Music Publishers Association.
Pictured at the U.S. Copyright office (L-R): Michelle Choe, Denise Zavitson, Sarang Damle, Steve Ruwe, Jill Napier, Rick Marshall, and John Riley
Lifenotes: Singer Audrey Auld
/by Sarah SkatesPhoto from Audrey Auld’s official Facebook page.
Singer-songwriter Audrey Auld-Mezera, a one time Nashvillian, died on Sunday, Aug. 9 following a battle with cancer. She was 51 and had been living in California.
The Australia native’s full-length solo debut The Fallen was nominated for Best Country Album by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). During her career she also received a second ARIA nomination.
Auld worked with musicians including Bill Chambers, Kieran Kane, Fred Eaglesmith, Mary Gauthier, Dale Watson, Kasey Chambers, and Carrie Rodriguez. Auld’s music was used on television shows Justified, Longmire, NCIS: New Orleans and The Good Guys.
In recent years she hosted songwriting workshops for inmates in San Quentin Prison. Her final album, Hey Warden, was inspired by those experiences and released earlier this year.
She is survived by husband, Mez Mezera. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Songwriter News: Hits From The Hall, SNG Signing, Belmont
/by Sarah SkatesHits From The Hall at City Winery
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) will host its third Hits From The Hall show on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at City Winery Nashville. Hall of Fame members Gary Burr (“Nobody Wants To Be Lonely”) and Roger Cook (“Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress”) will be joined by special guest Josh Kear (“Need You Now”) for the 6:30 p.m. show. Tickets are $20 for downstairs seating; $30 for limited upstairs VIP seating. All seats are reserved and may be purchased beginning Thursday, Aug. 13, at citywinery.com/nashville or by contacting the venue at (615) 324-1010.
SNG Signs Marianne Allison
SNG Music has signed artist/songwriter Marianne Allison to an exclusive global publishing agreement.
The Ocean Springs, MS native was nominated for Country Female Artist of the Year in 2015 by New Music Weekly and has had two No. 1 singles on Indie World Country Record Report. She has also had television and film sync success and won multiple international songwriting competitions, including The John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
Pictured (L-R) standing: Gary Reamey (Partner), Erin Kidd (Dir. of Promotion & Administration), Steve Leslie (Partner), and seated: Marianne Allison
Belmont University’s Songwriter’s Association announces its new leadership board for the 2015-2016 school year, comprised of students Emma Place, Ashleigh Smith, Casey Cattie and Allie Herring. BUSA’s purpose is to unite all student songwriters into one community while providing learning and performance opportunities.
NSAI recognizes BUSA as one of its chapters. BUSA seminars in the past have included talks from Tom Douglas, Cole Taylor, Jimmy Robbins, Luke Laird, Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby and many more.
Dan + Shay Find Right Kind Of Crazy for Fall Tour
/by Lorie Hollabaugh“We are PUMPED to hit the road this fall with a newly designed set list and light show!” said Smyers. “And we’re really excited to have our good friend Kelsea Ballerini on a handful of the dates. As always, we look forward to meeting as many fans as possible at the shows. See y’all out there!”
Dan + Shay’s Just The Right Kind of Crazy Tour dates:
Oct. 1 – Headliners Music Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
Oct. 2 – Rave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Oct. 3 – LC Pavilion WCOL Fest, Columbus, Ohio
Oct. 4 – Penn State, University Park, Pennsvlvania
Oct. 8 – The Mann Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania*
Oct. 9 – The Emporium, Patchogue, New York*
Oct. 10 – The National, Richmond, Virginia*
Oct. 11 – The Fillmore, Silver Spring, Maryland*
Oct. 15 – Mill City Nights, Minneapolis, Minnesota*
Oct. 16 – The Blue Note, Columbia, Missouri
Oct. 18 – The Intersection, Grand Rapids, Michigan*
Oct. 21 – UCF Arena, Orlando, Florida
Oct. 22 – University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida
Oct. 23 – Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida*
Oct. 24 – Iron City, Birmingham, Alabama*
*Denotes dates with Kelsea Ballerini as special guest
Tracy Lawrence Radio Show Scores Syndication
/by Troy_StephensonTracy Lawrence
Tracy Lawrence’s radio show, Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence, will make it syndicated debut at 12 p.m. CT, Sunday, Aug. 16 on Nashville’s WSM-AM.
The three-hour show, produced by Silverfish and syndicated through Compass Media Networks, features hits from the 1980s, ‘90s and early 2000s, interviews and special guests (which have previously included Reba McEntire, John Anderson, and more), contests, prizes and audience interaction through calls and social media.
“I’m so excited about WSM picking up my show,” Lawrence said. “It is such a huge thing for the show to be heard not only in Nashville but through all of our affiliates around the country. I started hosting ‘Honky Tonkin’’ in January with the desire to keep more of the traditional country sound alive with an emphasis on honky-tonk music. I feel that there is such a huge demand from the fans for this [type of programming], and with WSM picking up the show, it really validates that point. Let’s keep it country.”
Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence has secured more than 30 stations in its first six months of existence.
“Tracy Lawrence is one of the core artists of our format who can genuinely reach out to his fans and constantly builds an audience that is loyal and true to him,” said Dean Warfield, program director for 650 AM WSM.
Lawrence has over a dozen radio hits (“Sticks and Stones,” “Alibis,” “Texas Tornado,” “Time Marches On,” “Paint Me A Birmingham,” “Find Out Who Your Friends Are”), and over 13 million albums sold. He does almost 100 live appearances each year.
Industry Pics: Sony/ATV, SOURCE, Music Pub Works
/by Sarah SkatesSony/ATV Signs Andy Wills
Sony/ATV has signed songwriter Andy Wills to an exclusive publishing agreement.
Wills is also affiliated with Torrez Music Group.
He is an accomplishede writer who penned Jerrod Niemann’s current single “Blue Bandana” which is rocketing up the country charts. “Blue Bandana” has set a new benchmark for Neimann, earning him the best country radio impact week of his career.
Pictured (L-R) Nathan J. Drake, Dickinson Wright PLLC; Alex Torrez, Torrez Music Group; Andy Wills; Terry Wakefield, Sony/ATV Music Publishing; Derek Crownover, Dickinson Wright PLLC.
Change The Conversation Visits SOURCE
SOURCE, an organization of women music executives in Nashville, held its monthly members luncheon at ASCAP on July 23, 2015, and welcomed the founders of Change the Conversation as guest speakers.
On hand to speak were CMT Sr. VP Music Strategy Leslie Fram, Rounder Records VP A&R Tracy Gershon and MTSU Recording Industry Department Chair and journalist Beverly Keel. They started Change the Conversation to advocate the factual feminine advantages inside the entertainment community through information, shared successes and exposing misconceptions.
(L-R): Tracy Gershon, Leslie Fram and Beverly Keel
Music Pub Works Visits Washington DC
Music Pub Works senior executives Denise Zavitson and Jill Napier recently traveled to Washington, D.C. to present the company’s proprietary publishing software to the United States Copyright Office.
MPW, a subsidiary of Zavitson Music Group, is a cloud-based web application that provides a streamlined approach to managing all aspects of cataloging, registering, pitching, and revenue collection for songs.
Zavitson and Napier demonstrated the software’s capability of tracking copyrighted material from artistic inception to the point of revenue generation, as well as its Application Program Interface (API) capabilities. While in D.C., Zavitson and Napier also had meetings with Representative Marsha Blackburn’s office, the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Music Publishers Association.
Pictured at the U.S. Copyright office (L-R): Michelle Choe, Denise Zavitson, Sarang Damle, Steve Ruwe, Jill Napier, Rick Marshall, and John Riley
‘MusicRow’ Exclusive: Pete Fisher Leads Opry’s 90 Year Tradition
/by Eric T. ParkerPete Fisher. Photo: Chris Hollo.
In 1999 Pete Fisher joined the Opry’s leadership team with a focus on maintaining the brand’s cultural significance. Sixteen years later, his efforts have paid off.
MusicRow outlines those achievements in an in-depth print piece, found in the 2015 Artist Roster. The Opry Vice President/General Manager goes into further detail about star inductions and the memories he treasures most from his experiences.
“During my tenure here, we’ve inducted Mel Tillis, Charlie Daniels, the Del McCoury Band, Ralph Stanley, The Oak Ridge Boys,” recalls Fisher to MusicRow during a recent visit to his Opryland offices. “Contemporary-wise it’s been Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Darius Rucker, and Old Crow Medicine Show, whose music ties back to the late ‘20s on the Opry.
“Opry membership has always been determined by the management of the time. I believe I’m the seventh manager in the Opry’s history. With that comes varying philosophies from the way it might have been done previously.
“It’s basically a decision Steve Buchanan and I make. The factors we considers are divided into two pieces. One is career accomplishment: artists who have achieved and sustained a respectable level of success. We almost have to think what a name will mean 20 years down the road in country music. The other piece is more the intangible: the emotional or relationship. When the artist is here as a guest performer, do we really see a genuine emotional connection to what the Opry is and what it stands for? It’s not about who’s the biggest name in country music, or who loves the Opry the most or how many times they have performed as a guest artist. It’s kind of a combination.”
Surviving over a decade and a half of time backstage saw Fisher literally paddling through murky waters, during the 2010 Nashville flood, and helming the reemergence of the now 90 year old institution.
“The memories I’ll treasure the most are probably the one-on-one interactions with people like Jimmy Dickens or Porter Wagoner and Jim Ed Brown,” he sums. “Nothing touches that for me. Those are precious memories.”
Pick up your copy of the MusicRow Artist Roster to read more on the Opry’s 90th Anniversary celebration and what to expect in the future.
Stork Watch: Jana Kramer, Cassie and Charles Kelley
/by Lorie HollabaughCharles Kelley and Cassie McConnell Kelley
Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and wife Cassie McConnell Kelley are expecting their first child in February, McConnell Kelley announced on her womanista.com website Friday morning.
The couple had been trying to conceive for years and visited a fertility specialist who found they had a one percent chance of conceiving a child naturally. “We are so happy we can hardly stand it,” she wrote. “Like, ecstatic and I’m crying even as I type those words! (It’s) a journey that I want to share here at Womanista because I know there are a lot of women out there who have walked the road of a fertility struggle and we can all grow, heal, and understand each other better through our shared experience,” she said.
• • • •
Pictured (L-R): Michael Caussin, Jana Kramer Photo: Bev Moser
Jana Kramer and husband Michael Caussin are expecting a baby early next year.
The happy couple announced the news to People magazine today, with Kramer saying, “Being a mom will be the greatest job I’ll ever have. I feel like the luckiest girl alive to be on this journey with the love of my life. We are beyond thrilled to be entering the path of parenthood together. Words cannot describe how happy and blessed we feel to become parents.” The two got engaged last December and were married in Charlottesville VA on May 22.
Carrie Underwood Makes RIAA History With 28 Million Mark
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Randy Goodman, Underwood, and RIAA Chairman & CEO Cary Sherman. Photo: Alan Poizner
Carrie Underwood’s latest Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) gold and platinum certifications for her new single, “Little Toy Guns” (gold digital certification) and “Before He Cheats” (quintuple platinum) have put her in some impressive company. The new certifications make her the current top country artist on the RIAA’s Digital Single Ranking, with certifications of 28 million across 20 songs, and place her among the top 5 females in the history of the digital single program, alongside superstars Rihanna and Katy Perry.
With her smash “Before He Cheats” selling 5 million downloads, Underwood becomes one of only five country artists in RIAA history to achieve that sales level with a digital single.
Two singles from Underwood’s latest CD Greatest Hits: Decade #1, have achieved heavy metal status already, with “Little Toy Guns” going gold and “Something In The Water” reaching platinum status earlier this year.
Luke Bryan Takes Manhattan on ‘Kill The Lights’ Media Blitz
/by Lorie HollabaughLuke Bryan performs an exclusive event for Citi cardmembers in New York.
Luke Bryan kicked off a bevy of media appearances in the Big Apple last week to help launch his latest CD Kill The Lights. Last Thursday night (Aug. 6) he began his New York City media blitz with an exclusive iHeartRadio album release party live from the iHeartRadio Theater with host Bobby Bones that was broadcast on-air to iHeartMedia country stations and streamed online across station websites and iHeartRadio.com.
On Thursday Bryan also partnered with Target on the #LukeBox project, where fans and celebrities including Lionel Richie, Little Big Town, and Willie Robertson submitted over 40,000 song requests on Twitter using #LukeBox. In turn, Bryan and songwriters Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Jody Stevens wrote 25 original songs on the spot. For the finale, Bryan performed an acoustic version of “Way Way Back” from his new CD. Fans who purchase the album at Target stores and at Target.com will receive an exclusive deluxe edition with three bonus tracks.
On release day, Friday, Aug. 7, he performed for Good Morning America’s 2015 Summer Concert Series in Central Park where he debuted new single “Strip It Down.” Bryan wrapped up the day with a sold-out concert for Citi cardmembers and fans at Irving Plaza which was streamed live on the Live Nation Channel on Yahoo. (For more on Citi’s music initiatives, pick up the new issue of MusicRow, featuring Bryan on the cover.)
To round out the weekend coverage, on Sunday, Bryan’s Kill The Lights CD cover appeared on the hood of Brad Keselowski’s Miller Lite #2 car at the Watkins Glen race. He’ll appear on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon tonight to perform his new single and chat about the album.
Bryan partners with Target for #LukeBox.
Bryan and fans at the Citi concert.
Borchetta To Ride ‘Idol’ To Finish
/by Eric T. ParkerScott Borchetta
For the second year Big Machine Label Group founder/pres./CEO Scott Borchetta will join FOX’s American Idol as mentor, MusicRow has confirmed. This will be the 15th and final season of the program.
“I have every intention of working with the team to develop a great new talent to land on Big Machine Records/Universal,” notes Borchetta to USA Today.
Keith Urban is also slated to return for the fourth year as a judge on Idol, in addition to Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick Jr. Ryan Seacrest will serve as host, a role he has filled throughout the duration of the enterprise.
In addition to searching for the final Idol, FOX notes the January 2016 farewell events will pay tribute to the past 14 seasons of contestants and the millions of fans who tweeted, texted and championed their Idols.
Big Machine signed season 14 winner Nick Fradiani.
Borchetta is repped by CAA.