Pictured (L-R): Vector Management’s Ken Levitan, Trisha Yearwood, and Carolyn Tate, Senior Vice President of Museum Services at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Chapter 499
You might have met her when she was a Belmont student.
Or you might have met her when she was a tour guide at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
You might have met her when she was the receptionist at MTM Records. Or you might have met her when she was singing demos for the songwriters and publishers on Music Row.
You might have met her when she was singing with Pat Alger & The Algerians at Douglas Corner Café. Or you might have met her when she was a hopeful newcomer at MCA Records.
She tells me that I met her on at least three of those occasions. I don’t remember. “Was I nice?” I asked. “Oh, yes, always,” she assures me. Thank goodness for that.
What I do remember is that the first time I heard her on MCA, I called her “Goddess.” To her face. And that is what I have called her ever since.
And Goddess she was, at the opening of her new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.
Trisha Yearwood during media interviews for her Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum preview. Photo: Momentsbymoser
“You were invited because you are my friends and my family,” Trisha Yearwood told the attendees at the opening party on Tuesday evening (6/30). “You supported me from the beginning.
“Those of you who’ve known me for a long time know that I am not a cryer. But I am so emotional, so bear with me. I am so honored. From having been a tour guide here, I have such respect for the people who work here.
“I’m kind of in a daze….The power of music is why we’re here,” she added, referring to the exhibit’s title, The Song Remembers When. She thanked that song’s composer, Hugh Prestwood. Also thanked was Jon Ims, who wrote her breakthrough hit, “She’s In Love With the Boy.”
She singled out “the first Garth,” producer Garth Fundis, as well as “the second Garth,” husband Garth Brooks, with whom she is now on a record-shattering national concert tour. Both were in the party crowd.
“Our Queen for a Day is Miss Trisha Yearwood,” said museum vice president Carolyn Tate. “She owns one of music’s most expressive and powerful voices.”
Trisha Yearwood Matel Barbie.
Tate added that Yearwood is now a multi-media phenom with her own cookbooks, TV cooking show, kitchenware line, acting credits and, now, her own namesake “Shero” Barbie Doll. OMG: I must have one.
“Enjoy the exhibit,” said Goddess.
We did. It includes mementos from her “Georgia Peach” childhood, including tragic early promo photos and a 45 r.p.m. record funded by her dad. She collected Elvis records as a kid and got an autograph, both of which are illustrated.
She came to Nashville in 1995 to attend Belmont. This is documented, as well. Awards, sheet music and costumes are displayed, including outfits from her roles on JAG and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Gorgeous gowns, including her fabulous wedding dress, are on display.
The exhibit concludes with stuff relating to her new status as a Southern-cuisine diva. Her Emmy-winning cooking TV show is a spin off from her displayed cookbooks and has spawned the also displayed kitchenware, cookware and the like.
Jen Falco, Eric Parker, Allie Brooks and members of Yearwood’s inner circle comprised the younger element of the attending multitude. Regular column fabulons working the room included Chuck Dauphin, Charlie Monk, Chris Horsnell, Bruce Hinton, Scott Borchetta, Bob Paxman, Maurice Miner, Mark Miller, Dave Pomeroy, Donna Hughes and Deborah Evans-Price.
Grammy-wining graphics queen Virginia Team hasn’t been seen at a Music Row party in ages. “I had to come,” she explained. “She is one of the greatest singers, ever.” Or as I put it, “Goddess.”
Yearwood’s own Grammys were admired by Steve Buchanan, Earle Simmons, Jeff Walker, Jane Braddock, Ken Levitan, the Frist Foundation’s Peter Bird, Harold Bradley, Tom Roland, real-estate maven Phil Ryan, Lisa Harless, Rusty Jones, Peter Cooper and Dave Pomeroy, among a throng of others.
All hail the Goddess.
Yearwood’s wedding dress she wore when marrying Garth Brooks, designed by Sandi Spika. Photo: Moments by Moser
New Virgin Hotel to Break Ground by Fall
/by Lorie HollabaughVirgin Hotel
Image courtesy of BLUR Workshop
Work on a new Virgin Hotel located by 17th and Division near the Music Row Roundabout will begin by October, according to a story in Nashvillepost.com.
The hotel will include 240 rooms and suites as well as 15 residential penthouses.
D.F. Chase will be the general contractor for the project and the team will use Atlanta-based architecture firm BLUR Workshop for the design. Early renderings show two different buildings, with the tallest of the two rising 13 stories and about 160 feet. The hotel will reportedly feature a centerpiece bar, a live entertainment venue, an outside veranda with views of the city skyline, a rooftop pool, a gym, a wellness center, and 14,000-square-feet of meeting space.
“With Virgin Hotels Chicago now open and bustling, we’re thrilled to reveal our plans for our next property, Virgin Hotels Nashville,” Raul Leal, CEO of Virgin Hotels, said in a press release. “Partnering with BLUR Workshop and interior design firm MarkZeff has enabled us to incorporate our musical heritage and playful tone of voice into this new building, bringing something entirely different to the Nashville hotel scene.”
The hotel is slated to open in fall 2016.
Bobby Karl Works Trisha Yearwood’s Hall of Fame Exhibit Preview
/by Bobby KarlPictured (L-R): Vector Management’s Ken Levitan, Trisha Yearwood, and Carolyn Tate, Senior Vice President of Museum Services at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
Chapter 499
You might have met her when she was a Belmont student.
Or you might have met her when she was a tour guide at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
You might have met her when she was the receptionist at MTM Records. Or you might have met her when she was singing demos for the songwriters and publishers on Music Row.
You might have met her when she was singing with Pat Alger & The Algerians at Douglas Corner Café. Or you might have met her when she was a hopeful newcomer at MCA Records.
She tells me that I met her on at least three of those occasions. I don’t remember. “Was I nice?” I asked. “Oh, yes, always,” she assures me. Thank goodness for that.
What I do remember is that the first time I heard her on MCA, I called her “Goddess.” To her face. And that is what I have called her ever since.
And Goddess she was, at the opening of her new exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.
Trisha Yearwood during media interviews for her Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum preview. Photo: Momentsbymoser
“You were invited because you are my friends and my family,” Trisha Yearwood told the attendees at the opening party on Tuesday evening (6/30). “You supported me from the beginning.
“Those of you who’ve known me for a long time know that I am not a cryer. But I am so emotional, so bear with me. I am so honored. From having been a tour guide here, I have such respect for the people who work here.
“I’m kind of in a daze….The power of music is why we’re here,” she added, referring to the exhibit’s title, The Song Remembers When. She thanked that song’s composer, Hugh Prestwood. Also thanked was Jon Ims, who wrote her breakthrough hit, “She’s In Love With the Boy.”
She singled out “the first Garth,” producer Garth Fundis, as well as “the second Garth,” husband Garth Brooks, with whom she is now on a record-shattering national concert tour. Both were in the party crowd.
“Our Queen for a Day is Miss Trisha Yearwood,” said museum vice president Carolyn Tate. “She owns one of music’s most expressive and powerful voices.”
Trisha Yearwood Matel Barbie.
Tate added that Yearwood is now a multi-media phenom with her own cookbooks, TV cooking show, kitchenware line, acting credits and, now, her own namesake “Shero” Barbie Doll. OMG: I must have one.
“Enjoy the exhibit,” said Goddess.
We did. It includes mementos from her “Georgia Peach” childhood, including tragic early promo photos and a 45 r.p.m. record funded by her dad. She collected Elvis records as a kid and got an autograph, both of which are illustrated.
She came to Nashville in 1995 to attend Belmont. This is documented, as well. Awards, sheet music and costumes are displayed, including outfits from her roles on JAG and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman. Gorgeous gowns, including her fabulous wedding dress, are on display.
The exhibit concludes with stuff relating to her new status as a Southern-cuisine diva. Her Emmy-winning cooking TV show is a spin off from her displayed cookbooks and has spawned the also displayed kitchenware, cookware and the like.
Jen Falco, Eric Parker, Allie Brooks and members of Yearwood’s inner circle comprised the younger element of the attending multitude. Regular column fabulons working the room included Chuck Dauphin, Charlie Monk, Chris Horsnell, Bruce Hinton, Scott Borchetta, Bob Paxman, Maurice Miner, Mark Miller, Dave Pomeroy, Donna Hughes and Deborah Evans-Price.
Grammy-wining graphics queen Virginia Team hasn’t been seen at a Music Row party in ages. “I had to come,” she explained. “She is one of the greatest singers, ever.” Or as I put it, “Goddess.”
Yearwood’s own Grammys were admired by Steve Buchanan, Earle Simmons, Jeff Walker, Jane Braddock, Ken Levitan, the Frist Foundation’s Peter Bird, Harold Bradley, Tom Roland, real-estate maven Phil Ryan, Lisa Harless, Rusty Jones, Peter Cooper and Dave Pomeroy, among a throng of others.
All hail the Goddess.
Yearwood’s wedding dress she wore when marrying Garth Brooks, designed by Sandi Spika. Photo: Moments by Moser
Production Music Association Establishes The Mark Awards
/by Lorie HollabaughNamed in honor of the late Andy Mark, a music library owner/founding member of the PMA, the Mark Awards will recognize the very best in production music in 17 categories. The PMA has assembled an independent group of industry professionals from TV networks, ad agencies, promo departments, trailer companies, and licensing organizations to facilitate the submissions, judging, and final selection of the winners. Entries for submissions for the first annual Mark Awards are open to both PMA and non-PMA members. For details on the submissions process, visit pmamusic.com.
“Production music has long been the sonic lifeblood of so many audiovisual productions, ranging from television programs to promotional campaigns to major theatrical releases,” said Nashville based PMA Executive Director Hunter Williams. “With its proliferation across the gamut of media productions and distribution channels, companies responsible for the contribution of production music to the creative process have never before had their own awards event. These people and companies are truly worthy of long-overdue recognition—thus the establishment of the Mark Awards.”
Founded in l997, the Production Music Association (PMA) is the leading advocate and voice of the production music community, with over 675 members, including publishers, composers, and industry professionals.
American Eagle Awards Land In Nashville For First Time
/by Lorie HollabaughKris Kristofferson is among the American Eagle Award honorees.
The National Music Council’s 32nd Annual American Eagle Awards are coming to Nashville July 11 during the NAMM Convention. This marks the first time the awards have been held in Music City.
This year’s celebration will honor Kris Kristofferson, Charley Pride, Jim Lauderdale, manager Jim Halsey, and producer/director Sherman Halsey for their long-term contribution to America’s musical culture and heritage. A special award will also be presented to the Nashville Mayor’s Office, Metro Nashville Public Schools, the CMA, and the Country Music Foundation recognizing the Music Makes Us arts education initiative. Rosanne Cash, The Oak Ridge Boys, John Oates and Jack Ingram will pay tribute musically to this year’s honorees during the awards ceremony.
Tickets to the noon awards presentation are free with a $10 NAMM day pass for July 11, and will be available on site at the Nashville Music City Center. The VIP luncheon that follows is also a ticketed event but is open to the public, and proceeds from that will benefit the Council’s Music Education and Creator’s Rights Advocacy Programs.
For 75 years the NMC has served as a forum for free discussion of music affairs and challenges and is comprised of nearly 50 national music organizations. For more information, schedules and luncheon registration information, go to www.musiccouncil.org.
Past American Eagle Award recipients include Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Clive Davis, Van Cliburn, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Lena Horne, Roy Clark, Stephen Sondheim, Sesame Street, and VH1 Save the Music Foundation.
Mark Your Calendar–July 2015
/by Eric T. ParkerJuly 9-11
NAMM at the Nashville Music City Center
July 11
The National Music Council’s 32nd Annual American Eagle Awards during the NAMM Convention
July 16
CMA Awards first ballot closes 6:00 p.m. CT
July 22
WHO KNEW event
July 14
Bucky Covington/Happy Man [EP]
July 17
Alan Jackson/Angels and Alcohol/EMI Records Nashville
Moonshine Bandits/Blacked Out/Backroad-Average Joes
July 21
The Cains/The Cains [digital EP]
July 24
Ashley Monroe/The Blade/Warner Bros.
Sarah Ross/Calm Before The Storm [EP]/Average Joes Entertainment
July 6
Cam/Burning House/Arista Nashville
Lindsay Lawler/Goodbye Go/Red River Girl Music
Scott Hooper/Our Children’s Future/Rudder Records
July 13
Scotty McCreery/Southern Belle/Mercury Nashville
Ashley Campbell/Remembering/Dot Records
James Otto/Somewhere Tonight/Blaster Records
Clark Manson/Track 9/ole Music
Boone/Summer Girls/Supergroup Records-Nine North-Turnpike Music-Edgehill Nashville
Bobby Wills/Crazy Enough/Willing Nashville
Gord Bamford/When Your Lips Are So Close
July 14
John Clark Blackwell feat. Susie McEntire/Daddy’s Hands/Blackwell Music Group
July 20
Kelsea Ballerini/Dibs/Black River Entertainment
Striking Matches/Miss Me More/I.R.S. Nashville
Blair Mathews/Ride/StoneyHill Records
Brandon Holland/Blame It On The Whiskey
July 27
Kayla Adams/Burn A Little Colder/SSM Nashville
Artist Pics: Dustin Lynch Gets RIAA Plaque, Chris Young Visits ACM, ASCAP Hosts Showcase
/by Kelsey_GradyDustin Lynch Surprised With Platinum Plaque
Broken Bow’s Dustin Lynch was surprised by the RIAA on Friday afternoon (June 26) with a Platinum plaque for his multi-week No. 1 single “Where It’s At.”
Lynch served as a special guest panelist alongside RIAA Chairman & CEO Cary Sherman and Broken Bow VP of Promotion Lee Adams for the first “RIAA Live” event of summer 2015 at its D.C. headquarters. The audience of music industry and political tastemakers was also treated to an acoustic performance.
“What a dream come true!” shared Lynch. “I have an incredible team of people that believe in me and my music and work so hard and spend time away from their families…this is theirs as much as mine. Big thanks to everyone at country radio that believed in this song and chapter 2 of my music!”
Dustin Lynch and RIAA Chairman & CEO Cary Sherman. Photo: Daniel Swartz
Chris Young Visits The Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music welcomed RCA Nashville recording artist Chris Young to the office while he was in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, Young previewed songs from his upcoming fifth studio album to be released this fall. The lead single, “I’m Comin’ Over,” is currently climbing the charts.
Pictured (L-R): Paul Barnabee, SVP, Marketing, Sony Music Nashville; Chris Young; Tiffany Moon, ACM Exec.VP /Managing Director; Bob Romeo, ACM CEO; Larry Fitzgerald, Manager, Fitzgerald Hartley Company. Photo: Courtesy of the ACM
ASCAP Hosts June “We Create Music”
ASCAP hosted the June edition of “We Create Music,” its monthly multi-genre showcase held at The Basement. Featured performers included Courtney Drummey, NYC-based singer-songwriter Owen Danoff, Bear Creek Brothers, Kris Hitchcock and Kirsten Arian.
Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Ralph Murphy, Kris Hitchcock, Kirsten Arian, Owen Danoff, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Courtney Drummey, Bear Creek Brothers’ Dylan Wright and Kevin Vermillion, and ASCAP’s Robert Filhart
Justin Timberlake Invests $4 Million in Leiper’s Fork Property
/by Eric T. ParkerJessica Biel with husband Justin Timberlake.
Justin Timberlake‘s Los Angeles-based certified public accountant (Michael S. Dreyer of Dreyer Robbins & Associates) was listed as the trustee of a $4 million swath of land near Leiper’s Fork, Tenn., according to The Tennessean.
Philanthropist and preservationist, Aubrey Preston, was listed as seller of the 126.63 acre parcel, from his 244 acres of Williamson County property.
This news comes after Timberlake’s mother and stepfather, Paul and Lynn Harless, paid $2.83 million for a 10,000-square-foot home in Brentwood, Tenn. in December 2014. That home was purchased from Randy Wachtler President/CEO of Warner/Chappell Production Music.
Timberlake, who is married to actress Jessica Biel and recently celebrated the birth of their son Silas Randall, spoke with The Tennessean in late 2013, saying he has friends in the Williamson County area, and that he spends more time in Nashville than people realize.
The land is said to be subject to a conservation agreement through The Land Trust for Tennessee, which generally limits development, notes reporter Getahn Ward for the paper.
Canaan Smith Seeks ‘Hardworking Heroes’ in Georgia Boot Campaign
/by Lorie HollabaughCanaan Smith
Canaan Smith and footwear maker Georgia Boot are teaming up this summer and fall in a new social media campaign.
Giveaways, private shows, Georgia Boots, and meet and greets will be awarded throughout Smith’s tour this year in conjunction with the release of his debut Mercury Nashville project, Bronco.
Beginning in July, the Hardworking Hero campaign will invite consumers to submit a picture of nomination via social media and the GeorgiaBoot.com website. Smith will also appear in marketing materials for the company as well as pairing with Georgia Boot partner Clint Bowyer Racing for special promotions and events.
“I’m excited to partner with Georgia Boot because I admire their reach to the heart of America through products people rely on daily,” said Smith. “My goal has always been for those same authentic, everyday people to relate to my music because it is grounded in great storytelling from real-life experiences.”
Publishing Ink: Major Bob/Tree Vibez, HoriPro/True Bearing, Warner/Chappell
/by Sarah SkatesMajor Bob Music Partners With Tree Vibez Music
Jordan Schmidt
Major Bob Music has announced a creative partnership with Tree Vibez Music, the publishing company recently formed by Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard. Through the partnership, they have signed flagship songwriter and producer Jordan Schmidt.
“As a multi-genre focused company, we are very excited about this partnership with Tree Vibez and Jordan,” said Jesse Frasure, VP of Major Bob Music, Inc. “With a background of pop and hip hop and an understanding of the Nashville songwriting craft we are excited to be a part of building his brand.”
Sarah Allison Turner Signs with HoriPro and True Bearing
Pictured (front row L-R): Kelly Donley, attorney, Safford Motley; Sarah Allison Turner; Courtney Crist, Hori Pro; (back row): ASCAP’s Robert Filhart; and Hori Pro’s Butch Baker, Lee Krabel, Tim Stehli; and True Bearing’s Blake Chancey
ASCAP songwriter Sarah Allison Turner has signed a joint publishing deal with HoriPro Entertainment and True Bearing Entertainment.
True Bearing Entertainment is owned by producer Blake Chancey (The Dixie Chicks, Montgomery Gentry, Little Big Town, Waylon Jennings, Mary Chapin Carpenter).
Originally from Bluefield, West Virginia, Turner graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Music Business from Middle Tennessee State University in 2014. She was selected to be a part of ASCAP’s Guidance from Publishers for Songwriters (GPS) program in 2013.
Warner/Chappell Signs Sam Hatmaker
Warner/Chappell recently signed 16-year-old Knoxville native Sam Hatmaker to a publishing agreement.
Sam Hatmaker
Luke Bryan Maps Seventh Annual Farm Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughThis marks the seventh consecutive year Bryan has done the mini-tour, which continues to grow in popularity each year. Last year more than 150,000 fans attended the eight farm dates, breaking the previous year’s record.
A portion of proceeds from the 2015 Farm Tour go to local college scholarships for students from a farming family in the communities where Bryan appears.
Bryan’s major Kick The Dust Up tour visits Nashville’s Vanderbilt Stadium on July 11.
Farm Tour 2015 dates:
Sept. 3 – M&J Farms – Fort Wayne, IN
Oct. 1 – Talon Farm and Winery – Lexington, KY
Oct. 2 – Maple Lane Farms – Knoxville, TN
Oct. 3 – Culler Farms – Columbia, SC
Oct. 7 – Holtcamp Farms – Starkville, MS
Oct. 8 – Twin Creeks Farm – Tuscaloosa, AL
Oct. 9 – Midway at Central Park – Macon, GA
Oct. 10 – MJ Taylor Farms – Valdosta, GA