Lee Brice: From Proposals To Periscope

Lee Brice closed Chicago’s third annual Windy City Smokeout on Sunday, July 12, with a 90-minute set capped off by the on-stage proposal of a young couple while Brice sang “I Don’t Dance.”

Randy Rogers Band and Brett Young were among the numerous other artists who took the stage during the Smokeout, and Wade Bowen played the official after party at Joe’s.

Pictured (L-R): Enzo DeVincenzo, Red Light/377 Management; Brett Young, Artist, Universal Republic;
Risha Rodgers, William Morris Entertainment; Lee Brice; Ed Warm, Windy City Smokeout;
Wade Bowen and Randy Rogers. Photo: Chase Lauer, The Lookout Collective

Taylor Swift With Four No. 1 Radio Airplay Plaques

Before Taylor Swift took the stage on Saturday night at MetLife Stadium on The 1989 World Tour, she was honored for chart accolades for her 1989 Big Machine album from her label President/CEO Scott Borchetta. The critically acclaimed album has produced four No. 1 hit singles on the Billboard Radio Airplay charts for songs “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Style” and “Bad Blood.”

Pictured (L-R): BMLG’s David Nathan, Republic Records’ Monte Lipman, BMLG’s Scott Borchetta, Taylor Swift, Republic Records’ Charlie Walk and Republic Records’ Gary Spangler. Photo: Big Machine Records

Trisha Yearwood At CMHoF

On Thursday, July 9, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (CMHoF) presented a special afternoon program featuring Trisha Yearwood. During an intimate and casual Q&A with the CMHoF’s Peter Cooper, Yearwood discussed her career, legacy, former job as a CMHoF tour guide, and her current exhibit. After the conversation, Yearwood treated a packed CMA Theater to a performance of some of her hits as well and some fan favorites, requested by audience members.

Pictured (L-R): Vector Management’s Ken Levitan, producer Garth Fundis, Trisha Yearwood, musician Johnny Garcia, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Peter Cooper, and musician Steve Cox. Photo: Jason Davis/Getty Images

The Canadian Country Music Association has announced the nominees for the 2015 CCMA Awards, and Gord Bamford leads the pack with six nods, including Male Artist of the Year, Single and Songwriter of the Year, Video, Producer of the Year, and Fan’s Choice. Dean Brody also boasts six nominations for Fans Choice, Album, Male Artist, Single, Songwriter, and Video of the Year.

Brett Kissel and Dallas Smith each racked up an impressive four noms. Kissel is up for Male Artist of the Year, Single, Video, and Interactive Artist of the Year, while Smith received nods for Fans Choice, Male, Album, and Single of the Year. Jason Blaine is up for Songwriter, Video, and Producer of the Year, while Tim Hicks received nods for Album, Male Artist, and Interactive Artist of the Year. Duo High Valley also landed noms for Album, Group or Duo, and Interactive Artist of the Year, and Jess Moskaluke is up for Female Artist, Album, and Single of the Year.

Eight out of the 34 awards will be presented on the CCMA broadcast, which will air Sunday, Sept. 13 on CBC-TV at 8 p.m. NT with an encore airing on CMT (Canada) at 10 p.m. ET. The event is part of Canadian Country Music Week, taking place Sept. 10-13 in Halifax, NS.

Kings of Leon

The Kings of Leon will help Nashville ring in the New Year in a big way by headlining the free Jack Daniels Bash on Broadway.

The event has continuously grown since it began seven years ago and last year drew a record crowd of over 130,000, resulting in $17 million in direct visitor spending, 22,000 hotel rooms booked, and national exposure for the city on ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve broadcast.

“The purpose of this event is to bring in significant direct visitor spending to Nashville and to market the brand of Music City, and it has been increasingly successful each year on those fronts,” said Ken Levitan, chair of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Center board of directors and president of Vector Management, home to the Kings. “With the Kings headlining this year, our opportunity to grow both of those areas—particularly with an international audience—is significant.”

The NCVC is logistically planning for 150,000 fans on Broadway, the largest crowd size ever for a Nashville concert and the largest Music City New Year’s Eve event to date.

“I can think of no place I’d rather play New Year’s Eve than at home with 100,000 of my closest friends,” said Kings of Leon’s Nathan Followill about the burgeoning event.

Luke Bryan and buddies are beach bound again this January when year two of his Crash My Playa concert/vacation event takes place Jan. 22-26 in Riviera Maya, Mexico. The all-inclusive concert vacation features four nights of concerts, two headlined by Bryan and the other two by Dierks Bentley and Cole Swindell. Other artists on the bill for the country fiesta include Brett Eldredge, Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch, and Chris Stapleton.

Bryan once again partners with CID Presents for this ultimate fan experience, where fans can choose from three tropical resorts and receive royal treatment all weekend long including all-inclusive food and drink, 24-hour concierge service, offsite excursions, an official Crash My Playa merchandise package, and more. For more information on the beach bash, visit www.crashmyplaya.com.