Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Mark Mason, BMI’s Jody Williams, BMI’s Penny Gattis, Kallie North (Muddy Magnolias), Will Hoge, Jessy Wilson (Muddy Magnolias), BMI’s Clay Bradley, BMI’s Perry Howard, and BMI’s Mason Hunter.
What better way to announce a CMA Music Fest stage lineup than with a music-filled party in Nashville?
BMI and the CMA announced this year’s BMI Tailgate Party lineup with a performance-packed celebration at BMI Nashville’s lobby yesterday (April 29). Two artists who will perform on the upcoming stage, Will Hoge and female duo Muddy Magnolias, were on hand to give attendees an early look at what to expect during CMA Music Festival, which takes place June 11-14.
Also slated for the BMI Tailgate Party stage are Rhett Akins, Sammy Arriaga, Bri Bagwell, Tucker Beathard, Hannah Blaylock, Danielle Bradbery, Kane Brown, DJ DU, Josh Dorr, Haley Georgia, Chris Lane, Sonia Leigh, Maren Morris, Mitch Rossell, Caitlyn Smith, Sundy Best, Emi Sunshine, Mitchell Tenpenny, and Charlie Worsham.
Kallie North and Jessy Wilson of Muddy Magnolias held everyone’s attention during the reveal celebration with their high-energy set, confident vocals and, at-times Tina Turner-esque stage moves. The duo gave one of their earliest performances, as a then-unsigned act, at last year’s CMA Music Festival. Since then, they have joined forces with John Grady-led I.R.S. Records and are working on their debut project with Butch Walker.
Hoge held court with a more earthy, but equally enticing set that included cuts from his 10th studio album, Small Town Dreams. The heart-tugging “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like That Anymore” was particularly crowd-pleasing. He welcomed Muddy Magnolias back to the stage to offer backing vocals on “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” the 2012 hit co-written by Hoge and Eric Paslay, which was recorded by Eli Young Band.
Hoge is ready to pour the lessons he’s learned from his years of performing into a top-notch BMI Tailgate Party show. “Over two years of doing these country fairs and festivals, I tried to really cater to make everything as traditionally country as I can,” recalled Hoge. “That continued to flop, so the more that we got more into the middle of what I do, which is some country, some pop and some rock, all those different things, the better the crowds reacted. For me, it will be a mix of all the sounds I grew up listening to as a native Nashvillian—rock, soul, gospel, country and everything else. We’ll throw it all out there and see what happens.”
“Our music is fusion,” Wilson said of Muddy Magnolias’ brand of tunes. “We came here to be country music songwriters, but when we started writing together and became a duo, all of our influences came into play. We’ll keep it high-energy and rockin’.”
The BMI Tailgate Party takes place nightly on the LP Field south lawn from 4 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. CT, just prior to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field.
Will Hoge performs during the BMI Tailgate Party lineup announcement at BMI.
Muddy Magnolias perform during the BMI Tailgate Party lineup announcement.
Ladies Night Out on Miranda Lambert’s Fall Tour
/by Sarah SkatesMiranda Lambert is leading an all-female line-up this fall, on her Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars Tour.
The reigning ACM and CMA Female Vocalist of the Year recently thrilled audiences across the country with her Certified Platinum Tour, including her sold-out show at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
On the upcoming outing, she will be joined again by RaeLynn, whose gold-certified single “God Made Girls” made her a fan favorite on Lambert’s recent tour. Also performing on select dates will be Ashley Monroe, whose new single “On To Something Good” follows her No. 1 duet with Blake Shelton, “Lonely Tonight.” Rounding out the bill are exciting new faces Clare Dunn and Courtney Cole. RaeLynn and Dunn were named to MusicRow’s 2015 Next Big Thing list.
Lambert says, “I really support female artists in any genre, especially country music right now. I’ve taken girls on tour for a long time and I want to continue to do that because I feel like I can give them a platform.”
Complete list of tour dates at mirandalambert.com.
Industry Pics: Nash Icon Records, Bill Anderson, Provident Label Group
/by Jessica NicholsonReba Celebrates Chart-Topping Success
Nash Icon Records artist Reba celebrated her latest album’s second week atop the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with a private SiriusXM listener event at the Loveless Barn just outside of Nashville. During the evening, she was presented with a plaque from her Nash Icon Records/Big Machine Label Group family to honor her album Love Somebody as the first release and first No. 1 for the label imprint.
During the event, Reba performed a mix of classics such as “Fancy” and “The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia,” as well as new material from Love Somebody, including “Going Out Like That,” “Love Somebody,” and “Until They Don’t Love You.” The performance will air on SiriusXM’s Prime Country and The Highway over Memorial Day Weekend.
Members of the Big Machine Label Group staff attended the special performance to help celebrate Reba’s second consecutive week with the No. 1 Country album.
Bill Anderson Honored For Songwriting Milestone
Bill Anderson recently added to his illustrious list of songs recorded by and released by top artists, with the tune “Country” from Curb Recording artist Mo Pitney. The song gave Anderson the distinction of having an entry on the country charts for seven straight decades. Anderson’s diverse career has included time as a singer, songwriter, television host, radio personality and author.
He was recently signed by Webster Public Relations for pr representation.
Pictured (L-R): Publicist Kirt Webster, Bill Anderson & Anderson’s Manager Lee Willard (Straight 8 Entertainment).
Building 429 Hits Sales Milestones
CCM group Building 429 notched a career milestone, hitting one million in single sales. The group’s label Provident Label Group honored the group with a plaque presentation, as Provident’s Sr. VP Dean Diehl praised the group for its accomplishment.
“Building 429 has an uncanny ability to identify big ideas that connect with our core market at a deep level,” said Diehl. “Great songs are the lifeblood of any artist’s career and as we celebrate what the group’s past hits have done, all I can say is, wait until you hear what’s next!”
Pictured (Back row, L-R): Nina Woodard, Blaine Barcus, Andrew Patton, Ben Brown, JoAnna Illingworth, Jimmy Wheeler, Amanda Snyder, Provident Label Group. (Front row, L-R): Aaron Branch, Jason Roy, Jesse Garcia, Michael Anderson, Building 429
Weekly Chart Report (5/1/15)
/by Troy_StephensonClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report
Peach Pickers To Host 2nd Annual ‘Georgia On My Mind’ Concert
/by Troy_StephensonThe Peach Pickers (Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson) will present the 2nd Annual “Jameson Irish Whiskey Presents Georgia On My Mind” on Tuesday May 12 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
The concert benefits the Georgia Music Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports programs of music preservation, education and outreach.
Pictured (L-R): Hayslip, Akins, Davidson
Collectively, the Peach Pickers have written more than 60 No. 1 hits.
During the inaugural event last year, Georgia natives Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan performed.
“Onstage and backstage, there was such a camaraderie and connection because it was truly about Georgia and how much it means to all of us,” expressed Davidson, who also serves as chair of the Georgia Music Foundation. “We’ve all been so inspired by our home state and mostly rural communities, but especially by all the musicians from Georgia who came before us.”
This year, the list of special guests includes Tyler Farr, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell, Lauran Alaina, Four Wheel Drive, JAMP Masters, Kevin Kinney, and Maggie Rose.
Tickets are $49.50 and $39.50 and available at ryman.com.
Love And Theft Take ‘Whiskey On My Breath’ To Radio
/by Sarah SkatesLove And Theft has tapped the newly-formed Thirty Tigers promo team to work current single “Whiskey On My Breath.” With an impact date of May 18, the title track to the duo’s third album is already gaining traction at SiriusXM The Highway.
Stephen Barker-Liles and Eric Gunderson have had previous hits “Angel Eyes” and “Runaway.”
Previously signed to Sony Music Nashville, Love And Theft is releasing new album Whiskey On My Breath, via their own label, Hate And Purchase Music.
Additionally, the duo will host the 2015 JDRF Golf Classic at the Governor’s Club in Brentwood, Tenn. on Monday, May 18. Longtime supporters of the tournament, Love And Theft have recruited fellow musicians to join them, including Craig Campbell, Bucky Covington, Eric Paslay, and Will Hoge.
Love And Theft are Vector Management artists.
Grooveshark Shuts Down Operations
/by Jessica NicholsonGrooveshark is ceasing operations, after its parent company Escape Media agreed to a legal settlement with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Warner Music Group. The settlement includes the termination of all operations, wiping its computer servers of all the record labels’ music, and surrendering ownership of its website, mobile apps, and intellectual property.
Grooveshark founders Josh Greenberg and Sam Tarantino acknowledged creating and operating an infringing music service. Escape Media has agreed to financial penalties if the terms of the settlement are not followed.
“Despite the best of intentions, we made very serious mistakes,” Grooveshark said in a statement on its website. “We failed to secure licenses from rights holders for the vast amount of music on our service. That was wrong. We apologize.”
The statement also named several affordable alternatives, including Spotify, Deezer, Google Play, Beats Music, Rhapsody, and Rdio.
In a statement, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) said, “This is an important victory for artists and the entire music industry. For too long, Grooveshark built its business without properly compensating the artists, songwriters and everyone else who makes great music possible. This settlement ends a major source of infringing activity.”
Performers Announced For BMI Tailgate Party at CMA Music Festival
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): BMI’s Mark Mason, BMI’s Jody Williams, BMI’s Penny Gattis, Kallie North (Muddy Magnolias), Will Hoge, Jessy Wilson (Muddy Magnolias), BMI’s Clay Bradley, BMI’s Perry Howard, and BMI’s Mason Hunter.
What better way to announce a CMA Music Fest stage lineup than with a music-filled party in Nashville?
BMI and the CMA announced this year’s BMI Tailgate Party lineup with a performance-packed celebration at BMI Nashville’s lobby yesterday (April 29). Two artists who will perform on the upcoming stage, Will Hoge and female duo Muddy Magnolias, were on hand to give attendees an early look at what to expect during CMA Music Festival, which takes place June 11-14.
Also slated for the BMI Tailgate Party stage are Rhett Akins, Sammy Arriaga, Bri Bagwell, Tucker Beathard, Hannah Blaylock, Danielle Bradbery, Kane Brown, DJ DU, Josh Dorr, Haley Georgia, Chris Lane, Sonia Leigh, Maren Morris, Mitch Rossell, Caitlyn Smith, Sundy Best, Emi Sunshine, Mitchell Tenpenny, and Charlie Worsham.
Kallie North and Jessy Wilson of Muddy Magnolias held everyone’s attention during the reveal celebration with their high-energy set, confident vocals and, at-times Tina Turner-esque stage moves. The duo gave one of their earliest performances, as a then-unsigned act, at last year’s CMA Music Festival. Since then, they have joined forces with John Grady-led I.R.S. Records and are working on their debut project with Butch Walker.
Hoge held court with a more earthy, but equally enticing set that included cuts from his 10th studio album, Small Town Dreams. The heart-tugging “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like That Anymore” was particularly crowd-pleasing. He welcomed Muddy Magnolias back to the stage to offer backing vocals on “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” the 2012 hit co-written by Hoge and Eric Paslay, which was recorded by Eli Young Band.
Hoge is ready to pour the lessons he’s learned from his years of performing into a top-notch BMI Tailgate Party show. “Over two years of doing these country fairs and festivals, I tried to really cater to make everything as traditionally country as I can,” recalled Hoge. “That continued to flop, so the more that we got more into the middle of what I do, which is some country, some pop and some rock, all those different things, the better the crowds reacted. For me, it will be a mix of all the sounds I grew up listening to as a native Nashvillian—rock, soul, gospel, country and everything else. We’ll throw it all out there and see what happens.”
“Our music is fusion,” Wilson said of Muddy Magnolias’ brand of tunes. “We came here to be country music songwriters, but when we started writing together and became a duo, all of our influences came into play. We’ll keep it high-energy and rockin’.”
The BMI Tailgate Party takes place nightly on the LP Field south lawn from 4 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. CT, just prior to the Nightly Concerts at LP Field.
Will Hoge performs during the BMI Tailgate Party lineup announcement at BMI.
Muddy Magnolias perform during the BMI Tailgate Party lineup announcement.
2015 Mayoral Music Industry Forum Set For May
/by Jessica NicholsonModerated by MTSU Dean of the College of Mass Communication Ken Paulson, the roundtable discussion will include mayoral candidates Megan Barry, Charles Robert Bone, David Fox, Bill Freeman, Howard Gentry, Jeremy Kane, and Linda Eskind Rebrovick.
The private event is open only to members of the CMA, Leadership Music, The Recording Academy (Nashville Chapter), and the Music City Music Council.
The event will include a meet & greet reception with the candidates in the grand foyer immediately following the forum. The forum will include complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.
Tyler Farr Celebrates Gold Single, Release Week In NYC
/by Sarah SkatesTyler Farr performs his gold song “A Guy Walks Into A Bar” on NBC’s “Today.” Photo: Courtesy Today
Tyler Farr is in the middle of a jam-packed release week celebrating his new album, Suffer In Peace. The Missouri native performed an intimate concert for CMT’s Listen Up and visited NBC’s Today, where hosts surprised him with a plaque to commemorate the RIAA Gold certification of the album’s lead single “A Guy Walks Into A Bar.” Farr also performed the hit song live in the studio and chatted with hosts—did you know he’s an opera singer? (see video below).
He topped off street day (April 28) with a special album release concert for fans at New York City’s Irving Plaza.
Farr travelled to Detroit and Chicago for more appearances and will finish the week in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, May 2 at the iHeartRadio Country Festival.
For his second album for Columbia Nashville, Farr re-teamed with producers Jim Catino and Julian King who helmed his 2013 debut hit Redneck Crazy. Among the highlights on Suffer In Peace is a duet with Farr’s friend, Jason Aldean.
The Recording Academy Aligns Advocacy, Member Services Divisions
/by Jessica NicholsonNancy Shapiro, who previously led the Member Services group, has been appointed to lead high-priority Academy initiatives across all divisions as the Senior Vice President of Special Projects.
Daryl P. Friedman, who has led the Academy’s advocacy work on Capitol Hill for more than a decade, has been promoted to the newly created position of Chief Industry, Government & Member Relations Officer. In his role, Friedman also developed the GRAMMY Creators Alliance, a high profile coalition of leading artists, songwriters, and producers; GRAMMYs in my District, a grassroots nationwide advocacy day; and the Managers’ Think Tank, a brain trust of leading music managers.
“There are inherent synergies between our Member Services and Advocacy groups,” said Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. “For 30 years, Nancy has grown the Academy’s presence through her work in launching many of its chapters and establishing professional development programs for local music makers. This evolution builds upon Nancy’s work by providing our members a conduit to shape the future of the industry for the collective good of the music community.
“Daryl is an industry veteran who started at the chapter level, so he not only understands how to serve the needs of our local music communities, but his experience working with other leaders in the industry and lawmakers on the hill enable him to bridge an important gap by elevating the voices of local members to the national level,” continued Portnow.
The Academy plans to work closely with members at each of the Academy’s 12 regional chapters to help elevate music rights issues and educate lawmakers on the professional lives and challenges of the music makers in their districts.