A producer, arranger and conductor from the “golden age” of rock ’n’ roll passed away in Nashville this week.
Chuck Sagle, whose career touched such talents as Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Tony Orlando and Bobby Darin, died at age 87 on Monday, April 13 from complications following a stroke. He worked in four of the nation’s key music centers — Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Nashville — and for such top record labels as Mercury, Epic, Reprise, Motown and ABC-Dot.
He excelled at trumpet and keyboards as a high-school student and entered the University of Illinois at age 16. He served in the Navy during World War II, entertaining the troops in the Pacific as a musician and bandleader.
Sagle graduated from college in 1950 and took a job in the A&R Department of Mercury Records, first in Chicago, then in New York. While with the company, he produced such “doo-wop” groups as The Dell-Vikings, The Danleers and The Diamonds (the 1957 No. 1 hit “Little Darlin’”). He also worked as a conductor for pop balladeer Joni James and r&b star Clyde McPhatter.
In 1958-59, he was the musical director for Don Kirshner’s Aldon Music. While there, he worked with Bobby Darin, Jack Keller and Barry Mann, among others. He arranged and conducted for Neil Sedaka (1959’s “Oh Carol” etc.) and discovered 17-year-old Carole King.
He next worked in A&R at Epic Records in New York. He signed King to the label and arranged and/or produced records for her, Roy Hamilton, Jack Jones, Link Wray, Sal Mineo, Ersel Hickey, Lenny Welch and Tony Orlando.
He also arranged and conducted on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. Sagle recorded his first solo LP, Ping Pong Percussion, in 1961.
Moving to Los Angeles in 1962, he joined Reprise Records as musical director. There, he arranged and/or produced records for the label’s Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra, Soupy Sales, The Hi-Lo’s and Les Baxter. He also recorded two more solo LPs, 1962’s Splendor in the Brass and Contrasts.
He produced jazz great Chico Hamilton in 1963 and later did arrangements for pop legend Gene Pitney and r&b queen LaVern Baker.
In 1968, he arranged and conducted “Valley of the Dolls” for the close-harmony quartet The Arbors.
He was an arranger in 1971-72 for the stellar r&b vocal group The Manhattans, notably on their LPs With These Hands and A Million to One and the top-10 r&b hit “One Life to Live.” During the same period, he served a brief stint as an arranger for Motown Records.
Sagle moved to Nashville in 1972. He arranged music for ABC-Dot (Brian Collins, etc.) and for Starday-King Records and other labels. His first love was big-band music, and he returned to that in Music City by doing arrangements for The Establishment orchestra and Jack Daniel’s Silver Cornet Band. He returned to college around 1984 to study computer programming. Sagle worked in this field for the next decade, but also taught a class on Jewish music at the West End Synagogue and composed a musical for its choir. He retired in 1994.
Charles H.”Chuck” Sagle is survived by his wife Sarah Stein, by sons Jacob and Christopher and by two grandchildren.
Services were held on Thursday, April 16, and he is buried in Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sherith Israel Congregation, 3600 West End Ave., Nashville 37205 or to Disabled Veterans of America.
LifeNotes: “Golden Age” Arranger Chuck Sagle Passes
/by Robert K OermannChuck Sagle, whose career touched such talents as Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Tony Orlando and Bobby Darin, died at age 87 on Monday, April 13 from complications following a stroke. He worked in four of the nation’s key music centers — Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Nashville — and for such top record labels as Mercury, Epic, Reprise, Motown and ABC-Dot.
He excelled at trumpet and keyboards as a high-school student and entered the University of Illinois at age 16. He served in the Navy during World War II, entertaining the troops in the Pacific as a musician and bandleader.
Sagle graduated from college in 1950 and took a job in the A&R Department of Mercury Records, first in Chicago, then in New York. While with the company, he produced such “doo-wop” groups as The Dell-Vikings, The Danleers and The Diamonds (the 1957 No. 1 hit “Little Darlin’”). He also worked as a conductor for pop balladeer Joni James and r&b star Clyde McPhatter.
In 1958-59, he was the musical director for Don Kirshner’s Aldon Music. While there, he worked with Bobby Darin, Jack Keller and Barry Mann, among others. He arranged and conducted for Neil Sedaka (1959’s “Oh Carol” etc.) and discovered 17-year-old Carole King.
He next worked in A&R at Epic Records in New York. He signed King to the label and arranged and/or produced records for her, Roy Hamilton, Jack Jones, Link Wray, Sal Mineo, Ersel Hickey, Lenny Welch and Tony Orlando.
He also arranged and conducted on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. Sagle recorded his first solo LP, Ping Pong Percussion, in 1961.
Moving to Los Angeles in 1962, he joined Reprise Records as musical director. There, he arranged and/or produced records for the label’s Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, Ethel Merman, Frank Sinatra, Soupy Sales, The Hi-Lo’s and Les Baxter. He also recorded two more solo LPs, 1962’s Splendor in the Brass and Contrasts.
He produced jazz great Chico Hamilton in 1963 and later did arrangements for pop legend Gene Pitney and r&b queen LaVern Baker.
In 1968, he arranged and conducted “Valley of the Dolls” for the close-harmony quartet The Arbors.
He was an arranger in 1971-72 for the stellar r&b vocal group The Manhattans, notably on their LPs With These Hands and A Million to One and the top-10 r&b hit “One Life to Live.” During the same period, he served a brief stint as an arranger for Motown Records.
Sagle moved to Nashville in 1972. He arranged music for ABC-Dot (Brian Collins, etc.) and for Starday-King Records and other labels. His first love was big-band music, and he returned to that in Music City by doing arrangements for The Establishment orchestra and Jack Daniel’s Silver Cornet Band. He returned to college around 1984 to study computer programming. Sagle worked in this field for the next decade, but also taught a class on Jewish music at the West End Synagogue and composed a musical for its choir. He retired in 1994.
Charles H.”Chuck” Sagle is survived by his wife Sarah Stein, by sons Jacob and Christopher and by two grandchildren.
Services were held on Thursday, April 16, and he is buried in Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Sherith Israel Congregation, 3600 West End Ave., Nashville 37205 or to Disabled Veterans of America.
Weekly Chart Report (4/17/15)
/by Troy_StephensonClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report
[Updated]: LifeNotes: Contemporary Christian Music Innovator Billy Ray Hearn Dies
/by Jessica NicholsonBilly Ray Hearn
[Update]:
Visitation for Billy Ray Hearn will take place Friday, April 24 from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at BMI, located at 10 Music Sq. E.
Funeral services will take place Saturday, April 25 at 11 a.m., at Brentwood Baptist Church, located at 7777 Concord Road, Brentwood, TN.
[Original post, Thursday, April 16, 2015]:
Billy Ray Hearn, an innovator in the Contemporary Christian music industry, has died. He was 85.
Hearn began one of Contemporary Christian Music’s first record labels, Myrrh Records (part of Word Record Co.) in the 1970s. Myrrh released the early albums from Christian star Amy Grant, among others. Hearn was the director of music promotion and music publishing for Word until 1976, when he founded Sparrow Records. The company opened a Nashville office in 1986, and in 1991, Hearn moved the entire operation to Nashville. In 1992, Hearn sold Sparrow to EMI Music.
Today, Billy Ray’s son Bill Hearn continues as president/CEO of Capitol Christian Music Group, home to Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, tobyMac, David Crowder, Chris Tomlin, and more. A division of Universal Music Group, Capitol CMG includes Capitol CMG Label Group (Sparrow Records, ForeFront Records, sixstepsrecords, and Hillsong), Capitol CMG Publishing, Motown Gospel, and Capitol Christian Distribution.
Billy Ray Hearn was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1997, and has been honored with the Gospel Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Hearns created the Martell Best Cellars Dinner, which has raised more than $2 million for the Frances Preston Labs at Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center. They also created the Sparrow Foundation, which has donated to institutions including Baylor University and New Hope Academy.
Earlier this year, Billy Ray Hearn and Bill Hearn were honored with the Frances Preston Lifetime Music Industry Achievement Award from the T.J. Martell Foundation, which battles life-threatening illnesses. He was also the founder of T.J. Martell’s Best Cellars Dinner that has raised millions of dollars across the country in support of leukemia, cancer and AIDS research.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Billy Ray Hearn accepts his Special Citation of Achievement at the 2010 BMI Christian Awards. Photo: Kay Williams/BMI
Sparrow Music Publishing Songwriting Achievement Awards presentations to Charlie Peacock, Steven Curtis Chapman, Andrae Crouch, and Michael W. Smith. Billy Ray Hearn is pictured on the right next to his son Bill Hearn.
CMT To Produce First-Ever Artist Music Video
/by Sherod RobertsonChris Janson at today’s announcement.
At an event in Nashville today (April 16), CMT announced it will finance and produce a music video for an artist—a first for the country music and entertainment network.
Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy for CMT
This endeavor will yield the music video for Chris Janson’s summer anthem, “Buy Me a Boat,” and includes plans to add the video in heavy rotation. The single shot to No. 1 on iTunes’ Country Songs Chart last month after being featured on the nationally syndicated Bobby Bones Show.
“Music discovery and connecting independent artists with fans is one of our core tenants,” said Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy for CMT. “We’re thrilled that Chris’ talents are being recognized and CMT can bring this song to life in a music video.”
Although unsigned and independent, Janson has earned opening slots for Florida Georgia Line, Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Jr., as well as over 60 appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. His prior songwriting credits include Tim McGraw’s “Truck Yeah.”
CMT, a champion of music discovery, also announced last week its first-ever Next Women of Country Tour. Meanwhile, franchises including “CMT Listen Up” and “Live @ CMT” continue to serve as a place where unsigned, indie and emerging acts can connect with new fans.
Live On The Green Music Festival Dates Announced
/by Troy_StephensonNashville’s independent radio station, Lightning 100, has announced the return of the Live On The Green Music Festival to Public Square Park in Downtown Nashville. In its seventh year, the free-to-the-public event will take place on Thursday nights, Aug. 20, 27 and Sept. 3. There will be a weekend finale on Sept. 10, 11, and 12.
The official artist lineup will be revealed on June 24. That is also the date that VIP tickets and packages will go on sale.
Fans are promised many improvements to the festival sites and entertainment.
For more information, visit www.liveonthegreen.com.
Industry Ink: Shelia Shipley Biddy, ASCAP, Ocean Way Nashville
/by Jessica NicholsonMusic executive Shelia Shipley Biddy will sign copies of her book The Music In My Rearview Mirror: My 30 Years in Music & More on April 22 from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. The signing will take place at the ASCAP Main Floor Conference Room. ASCAP is located at 2 Music Sq. W. in Nashville.
Books are available for $20 at the signing, and are available online at amazon.com.
ASCAP Showcases Track Producers in Nashville
ASCAP hosted the first Nashville “Track Producers in the Round” on Tuesday, April 14 to a standing room only crowd at The Cellar Room at The Sutler. Originally dubbed “track guys and girls in the round,” the event was the brainchild of ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan and served to highlight Nashville’s ever-growing stable of talented track producers.
Each producer was individually highlighted during the first-of-its-kind event by guest host and DJ Jesse Frasure, aka Telemitry, before a packed house of key Nashville music industry players and songwriters.
Pictured (L-R): Producers Will Weatherly, Sarah Emily Parish and Femke; special guest host and DJ Jesse Frasure; ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan; and producers Andy Albert, Jordan Schmidt and Ian Keaggy.
Belmont’s Ocean Way Studios Records Award-Winning Video Game Scores
Director of Belmont’s Ocean Way Studios Patrick McMakin says media music is fast becoming a large part of the music business and because of that, Ocean Way has opened its doors to a diverse set of projects. McMakin says media music allows the university to diversify the education it can offer to its students. “It’s made us better, because the scores are fairly large in size, and we’re working with top level composers who work with orchestra all over the world. The knowledge they have brought in our doors has allowed us to improve every aspect of how we operate Studio A technically.”
Second Batch of ACM Presenters Revealed for Sunday
/by Eric T. ParkerThose include Clint Black, Lee Brice, Kelly Clarkson, Brett Eldredge, Brantley Gilbert, Mickey Guyton, Hunter Hayes, Justin Moore, Jake Owen, Thomas Rhett, Darius Rucker, Steven Tyler, Keith Urban, Trisha Yearwood, Dwight Yoakam, Alabama, Big & Rich, Nancy O’Dell, Sofia Vergara, Reese Witherspoon, Jason Witten, Troy Aikman, Tony Romo, Beth Behrs, Miss America 2015 Kira Kazantsev, Taya Kyle, and Dr. Phil McGraw.
Previously announced performers include Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Reba, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Keith Urban, Brooks & Dunn, Florida Georgia Line, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town and Rascal Flatts. Special duets include Christina Aguilera with surprise artists as well as Nick Jonas with Dan + Shay plus Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett and Cole Swindell.
The ceremony will be co-hosted by Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8:00- 11:30 p.m. ET/delayed PT on CBS.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets to the ACM Awards sold out last spring in a record 18 minutes, but as staging changes became final for the telecast, seats have been added.
[Updated] Music Panels at Nashville Film Festival
/by Sarah Skates[Updated April 21] More panelists added to Beyond The Sync Fee and Music Makes Movies panels.
The Nashville Film Festival, which opens today (April 16), is offering four panels about music opportunities in film, TV, ads, trailers and games.
• Shoot and Score: Music in Video Games will feature Steve Schnur (EA Games) and moderator Jim Scherer (Whizbang) at Grand Victor Sound (Historic RCA Studio A), Wed., April 22 at 2 p.m.
• Music Makes Movies: Song Placement in 2015 will feature John Houlihan (Houlihan Film Music), Oliver Hild (NBC), Paul Logan (CMT), Anastasia Brown (Format Ent.), Robert Jordan (Fox Sports) and moderator Randall Foster (ole). This event will be at Warner Bros. Records Thurs., April 23 at 1:30 p.m.
• Bands and Brands: Generating Dollars and Exposure For Music in the Ad World will feature panelists Jessica Dierauer (Able Baker), Aaron Mercer (Wool & Tusk), Patrick Buchanan (Ignition Creative), Craig Currier (Peer Music) and moderator Jim Scherer. This panel will be at Warner Bros. Records on Thurs., April 23 at 3 p.m.
• Beyond the Sync Fee, featuring Shelby Kennedy (Tunecore), Brandy Campbell (Rhapsody), Charles Alexander (Out of the Box), Craig Currier (Peer Music) and moderator Devon DeVries, will be held at ASCAP, Fri., April 24 at 3 p.m.
Details on the panels at www.nashvillefilmfestival.org.
The Sam Bush documentary will world premiere at the NaFF.
There are numerous music films showing at the film festival. A few highlights include:
• Country: Portraits of an American Sound, The history and culture of country music through the lens of the photographers Les Leverett, Leigh Weiner, Henry Horenstein, Henry Diltz, Raeanne Rubenstein, David McAlister and Michael Wilson. Cast: Rosanne Cash, Roy Clark, Merle Haggard, Lyle Lovett, Charley Pride, LeAnn Rimes, Kenny Rogers, Tanya Tucker, The Band Perry, Keith Urban. World Premiere.
• Heartworn Highways Revisited, A new community of singer-songwriters whose work is heavily influenced by the “Outlaw” artists is presented in the 1976 documentary Heartworn Highways. Cast: David Allan Coe, Guy Clark, Bobby Bare Jr. Shelly Colvin, Andrew Combs.
• Revival: The Sam Bush Story. Cast: Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Chris Thile, The Avett Brothers, Bela Fleck, Del McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, John Oates. World Premiere
See a complete list of music films here.
Bridgestone Free Film Day is Monday, April 20 at the Nashville Film Festival. Tickets must be reserved at www.nashvillefilmfestival.org or at the festival box office at Green Hills while supplies last.
Music Business Association To Hold Inaugural Artists, Management, Touring Town Hall
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Town Hall will highlight topics including the artist’s role in creating a development and marketing plan for their music and live performances, how to use fan clubs and VIP packages to introduce new sources of revenue, and how new digital services can assist with direct-to-fan sales, tour promotion, and more. It will end with a Digital Marketing Mixer, in which artists, managers, label staffers, students, and more will have a chance to discuss these new revenue streams and how they can work together to engage fans and maximize sales.
“We noticed the development of the direct-to-fan commerce channel for artists, especially on tour, and this Town Hall will illuminate those opportunities for our attendees and explain how they can best incorporate these into their overall marketing plan,” said James Donio, President of Music Biz. “In addition to standard ticket sales, artists can now easily offer access to meet-and-greets, special merch packages, and more through new digital services that make direct-to-fan sales a snap. We hope this program will start a dialogue in the broader music business about how artists, management, and touring can work together to maximize the sales impact of this synergy.”
Admission to the Artists, Management & Touring Town Hall is included in the registration price for the full Music Biz 2015 event. Tickets can also be purchased separately on EventBrite at a special rate of $99 for one-day passes.
The agenda for the Town Hall is below:
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM
The Empowered Artist
The new music industry now requires artists at the early stage of their careers to formulate their own development and marketing plan to create enhanced awareness to move their careers forward. This session will look at how artists can knowledgeably approach this challenge and empower themselves, as well as the evolving role of the artist, manager, and the “team” that artists should aim to assemble to help move their music business forward.
· Moderator: Dave Kusek, New Artist Model/Digital Cowboys
· Gerald Moss, Entertainment One Distribution US
1:45 PM – 2:30 PM
Fan Clubs/VIP Packages: Old School or Great Fan Experience
Years ago, every act had a fan club and offered “VIP packages” to fans for an increased cost. These fan clubs collected important fan data, and these acts knew a great deal about their spur fans and what they wanted. Today, few acts have fan clubs. They rely on third-party companies to handle their fans and their email lists. These acts are not taking advantage of the fans’ desire for a greater experience — an experience for which they are willing to pay top dollar. We will discuss the pros and cons to both artist and fan and the replacement of simple things like early tickets and T-shirts to sitting on stage or fly-aways.
· Moderator: Nick Lippman, Lippman Entertainment
· Dan Berkowitz, CID Entertainment
· James Blades, McGhee Entertainment
· Eddie Meehan, Wonderful Union
· Zeeshan Zaidi, Ticketmaster
2:30 PM – 3:15 PM
Digital Tool Kit: Effective Music Marketing in 2015
The digital era has changed the way business is done in every industry and the music business is no exception. This panel will go through real world tools and tips to help effectively manage and market the music of your artist. From how to manage music files to the best sites to market music to the masses while collecting valuable data. Sites and topics covered will be SmartURL.it, populr.me, Bandsintown, ArtistGrowth, E4M campaigns, Email management, etc.
· Charles Alexander, Outside the Box Music
· Jon Romero, Vector Management
· Alec Steinfeld, C3 Management
3:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Digital Marketing Mixer
Calling all artists, managers, junior label staffers, students, and more! Here’s your chance to mix and mingle with professionals behind the digital marketing tools of the future that can take you or your artist’s career to the next level. Confirmed participants include ArtistGrowth, Bandposters, Dart, Populr.me, and Tunespeak.
· Moderator: Jon Romero, Vector Management
Lady Antebellum Tour Bus Catches Fire En Route To ACMs
/by Jessica NicholsonPhoto: Lady Antebellum via social media
Lady Antebellum‘s trip to Dallas for this weekend’s Academy of Country Music Awards caught a snag when the bus carrying Lady A vocalist Hillary Scott, her husband Chris Tyrell, the band’s tour manager, and driver caught fire this morning. Fellow Lady Antebellum members Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood were not on board the bus.
Scott posted a photo of the charred bus to social media, along with a note reassuring fans that they are fine.
“Hey guys, we had a crazy morning on the way to Dallas today. Our bus tire caught on fire and we had to evacuate very quickly. EVERYONE IS SAFE AND SOUND. It was me, my husband, our tour manager, and driver. Thanking God for our safety and the safety of all of those who helped put this fire out and keep us safe. Love you all!!!! ~hillary”
According to the local Garland CBS affiliate, the bus driver stopped after a rear tire blew out, and everyone evacuated. The bus then burst into flames. No other cars were involved in the event.