(L-R): Cooper Samuels, Asst. VP/Music & Entertainment Private Client Banker, Avenue Bank; April Britt, Sr. VP/Chief People Officer, Avenue Bank; Ron Cox, Sr. VP/Dir. of the Music & Entertainment Division, Avenue Bank; Judi Turner, Communications & Events Manager, Leadership Music; Sarah Cates, Sr. Dir.of Curb College Initiatives, Belmont University; Debbie Schwartz Linn, Executive Director, Leadership Music; Andy Moats, EVP/Chief Credit Officer and General Bank Group Director, Avenue Bank.
Avenue Bank’s
Ron Cox, Sr. VP/Dir. of the Music & Entertainment Division, presented a check to Leadership Music’s Executive Director,
Debbie Schwartz Linn for $4,000 yesterday (July 29) in support of the educational organization.
Cox, who serves as the adjunct professor, joined other Avenue Bank team members to write, develop and teach the curriculum for a 15-week class offered to Belmont students called, “Personal Finance and Banking in the Music Industry.” Fees required to be paid by Belmont to the adjunct professor of record were accumulated and gifted back to the industry with this donation to Leadership Music.
Cox shared, “With Belmont’s presence and impact in the music industry through the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, we found a unique way to pool our synergies together. We continually receive very positive reviews from the class because we cover a wide variety of subject matter from personal budgeting, saving and investing, buying a home, starting a business, entrepreneurship, touring, publishing and many other relevant topics associated with personal and business finance within the music industry. We are proud of our partnership with both Belmont and Leadership Music, and it how this class is a picture of the true community spirit within our music industry.”
• • •
Al Brake
PLA Media has added Country artist
Al Brake to its roster. “Being a rock and roll devotee, I love his spin on Country music with rock infusion. PLA is poised to take Al’s success in the Canadian marketplace worldwide,” says
Pam Lewis, President PLA Media.
The Canadian singer-songwriter earned two honors from Indie Music Channel in 2013 for Best Country Producer and Best Country Recording. He recently released the single, “Hot Pink Lady” to radio. Brake began playing guitar at age 8, and later added bass, mandolin and drums to his repertoire. When he isn’t touring or recording, he is with his wife and four children at their home in Canada.
• • •
SESAC’s Ellen Truley and husband, actor Todd Truley welcomed New York City entrepreneur and City Winery CEO Michael Dorf to Nashville during a reception held at the event space in advance of the establishment’s opening. City Winery, located at 609 LaFayette Street, is set to open in a 30,000-square-foot space on Oct. 1. It will also be the site of the Americana Music Association’s Honors & Awards VIP After Party on Sept. 17. City Winery also has locations in New York, Chicago, and Napa Valley, Calif.
Pictured (L-R): City Winery’s Michael Dorf, SESAC’s Ellen Truley and actor Todd Truley.
[Updated]: Jake Owen To Host ACM Honors
/by Jessica Nicholson[Original post, July 30, 2014]:
Toby Keith, Kris Kristofferson, Dean Dillon, Ronnie Milsap, Paul Moore, Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts, Buck Owens (posthumously), Jack Clement (posthumously), Steve Buchanan, and Bob Beckham (posthumously) are the Special Awards honorees for the upcoming eighth annual ACM Honors, to be held Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Ryman Auditorium.
The ACM Honors is an evening of musical tribute performances and award presentations celebrating non-televised special honorees and winners from the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, held earlier this year.
Industry Awards winners will include Brian O’Connell of Live Nation, Nicole More of Neste Event Marketing, as well as Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater (Austin, Texas), Billy Bob’s Texas (Forth Worth), Bridgestone Arena (Nashville), Grand Ole Opry House (Nashville), Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, Conn.), and Mohegan Sun Wolf Den (Uncasville, Conn.).
Shane McAnally will be honored as Songwriter of the Year. Merle Haggard was presented with the ACM Crystal Award for his 50 years in Country music during the 49th annual ACM Awards.
Tickets are priced at $40.00 and will go on sale Friday, Aug. 1 at 10 a.m. ET. ACM Professional and A-list members can purchase tickets through a special pre-sale beginning at 10 a.m. CT on Wednesday, July 30, available at the Ryman box office and at ticketmaster.com. Country fans can sign up for the ACM A-list free at acmcountry.com.
Industry Ink: ACM Lifting Lives, BubbleUp
/by Jessica NicholsonMercury Nashville artist Scotty McCreery visited William Morris Endeavor with a group of ACM Lifting Lives series participants from the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. The day began with a performance at Nashville’s Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. The group then hopped on McCreery’s tour bus to ride to the WME offices. They were joined by WME Nashville co-head Rob Beckham and Lytle Management Group president John Lytle for a discussion on the music business.
• • •
Sony Music Nashville’s Carrie Underwood helped unveil the new video boards at EverBank Field this past Saturday, July 26. The new video boards are the largest in the world, measuring 60 feet high by 362 feet wide.
Pictured (L-R): Carrie Underwood and WQIK/Jacksonville PD Cindy Spicer
• • •
Davis Mallory
Digital Marketing and web development company BubbleUp has added Davis Mallory to its sales team. He joins BubbleUp from UMG’s Astralworks, where he was involved in digital marketing campaigns and project management for artists including Kylie Minogue, Empire of the Sun, David Guetta, and Swedish House Mafia.
Headquartered in Woodlands, Texas, BubbleUp has had a 10-year presence in Nashville.
“Nashville will remain a focus as BubbleUp continues its relationships with current artists such as Luke Bryan and Zac Brown Band”
Prior to Astralwerks, Mallory, a graduate of Florida’s Stetson University, served as a business development representative for IBM Cognos business affiliate Brightstar Partners.
• • •
Arista Nashville’s Brad Paisley welcomed a select group of radio and industry to Southern California on July 23 for an exclusive listening event previewing his upcoming August 25 album, Moonshine in the Trunk.
Pictured (L-R, front row): Arista Nashville’s Jeri Cooper and Lauren Thomas, Paisley, Sony Music SYNCHSHOP’s Michelle Belcher and Delly Ramin, Sony Television’s Tony Scudellari, independent music supervisor Frankie Pine, ABC-TV’s Dawn Soler, and Sony Music Nashville’s Sarah Westbrook. (Center row): Danny Montana (WIL), Jules Riley (KVOO), Tonya Campos (KKGO), Lesly Tyson (Arista), Becky Brenner (Albright & O’Malley & Brenner), Gary Overton (Sony), Erik Johnson (KXKT), Ali O’Connell (Arista), Michele Chase (WGNE), Tina Ferguson (KRTY), Paul Barnabee (Sony), Adam Smith (VEVO), Anne Helton (Country Aircheck), and Tim Richards (KMLE). (Back row): Sony’s Allen Brown, Paisley band member and album associate producer Kendal Marcy, John Sigler (Arista), Eddie Haskell (KYGO), Nate Deaton (KRTY), Brandon O’Brien (WUSH), Andy Elliott (Arista), Steve Geofferies (KNIX), Dave Daniels (KSNI), Whitney Allen (The Big Time with Whitney Allen) and partner Gerrit, Jon Watkins (KEGA), Paisley’s album co-producer Luke Wooten, Jay Daniels (KXLY), Mike O’Malley (Albright & O’Malley & Brenner), Bob Foglia (Sony), RJ Curtis (All Access), Lon Helton (Country Aircheck), and Joe Patrick (Tunecom). Photo: Ben Enos
Rounder Records Signs Trigger Hippy
/by Jessica NicholsonTrigger Hippy, founded by Black Crowes drummer and Nashville resident Steve Gorman, features dual vocals from Joan Osborne and Black Crowes member Jackie Greene. Nashville guitarist and session player Tom Bukovac (who co-produced the album with the band) and bassist Nick Govrik round out out Trigger Hippy. The band was signed by industry veteran Tracy Gershon.
The band’s debut album will debut Sept. 30 on Rounder. The band is slated for a show at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley on Aug. 3.
Nashville Music Roundup: ASCAP at the Bluebird
/by Jessica Nicholson• • •
• • •
SuretoneLIVE.com is partnering with The Stomp to livestream each show. For more information, visit thestompnashville.com.
Wes Vause Named Sr. VP, Publicity at WMN
/by Jessica NicholsonWes Vause
Wes Vause has been named Sr. VP, Publicity, WMN, effective October 2014. Vause will oversee all publicity for Warner Music Group’s Country and Christian divisions, which include Atlantic, Elektra, Warner Bros., LoudMouth, and Word Entertainment.
He joins from Sony Music Nashville, where he was VP, Media. He is based in Nashville, and will report to John Esposito, President and CEO, WMN.
“Wes is a veteran publicist and artist champion who’s had a big hand in helping many top talents develop into superstars,” said Esposito. “Passionate and enterprising, I look forward to Wes helping us continue to break extraordinary artists and build long-term careers.”
Vause joined Sony Music Nashville in 2000 as Director of Media and climbed the ranks to Vice President. Over the course of his 14 year tenure at Sony, Vause helped grow the career of Kenny Chesney. Vause has also been instrumental in the success of Miranda Lambert, among many others.
Prior to Sony, Vause held positions at Asylum and Polydor Records. Vause is a member of the Country Music Association, as well as the Academy of Country Music, and is an alumnus of Leadership Music, Class of 2010. Vause graduated from Belmont University with a degree in Music Business, and currently resides in Nashville, TN.
Sam Hunt's 'X2C' To Release Aug. 12
/by Jessica NicholsonHunt has also garnered songwriting credentials with “Come Over,” (Kenny Chesney), “We Are Tonight” (Billy Currington), and “Cop Car” (Keith Urban). Hunt co-wrote all tracks on X2C, which was produced by Zach Crowell and Shane McAnally.
“I’m can’t wait to share a few early tracks from the album,” says Hunt. “We’ve been having so much fun with the music out on the road and I’m excited to get this music out to our fans.”
X2C Track Listing:
1. Leave The Night On (Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne)
2. Ex To See (Sam Hunt, Josh Osborne, Matt Ramsey)
3. House Party (Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Jerry Flowers)
4. Breakup In A Small Town (Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally)
RED Distribution To Launch 'Ten Bands, One Cause' Initiative
/by Jessica NicholsonRed Distribution has launched ‘Ten Bands, One Cause,’ a retail initiative to support National Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. Ten bands will reissue titles on Sept. 30 on pink vinyl for the cause, which sponsor’s Gilda’s Club NYC.
Kellie Pickler, Jason Isbell, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, In This Moment, Courtney Barnett, Against Me!, Nothing, Temples, Lucius, and Me First & The Gimme Gimmes will all reissue titles as part of the project. Limited edition pink vinyl copies will be shipped to retailers nationwide, and $1 of every unit shipped will sponsor Gilda’s Club NYC. Among those titles are Pickler’s The Woman I Am, and Isbell’s Southeastern.
Gilda’s Club NYC is a non-profit created in memory of Gilda Radner, an original cast member of Saturday Night Live. Radner died from ovarian cancer in 1989.
Brooks, Yearwood Put Malibu Home on the Market
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Malibu, Calif. beach house owned by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood have put their Malibu, Calif. beach house on the market, according to zillow.com. The property, which they purchased in 2008 for $4.95 million, sits on more than half an acre, and features four bedrooms, and three-and-a-half bathrooms.
Industry Ink: Avenue Bank, PLA Media, SESAC
/by Jessica Nicholson(L-R): Cooper Samuels, Asst. VP/Music & Entertainment Private Client Banker, Avenue Bank; April Britt, Sr. VP/Chief People Officer, Avenue Bank; Ron Cox, Sr. VP/Dir. of the Music & Entertainment Division, Avenue Bank; Judi Turner, Communications & Events Manager, Leadership Music; Sarah Cates, Sr. Dir.of Curb College Initiatives, Belmont University; Debbie Schwartz Linn, Executive Director, Leadership Music; Andy Moats, EVP/Chief Credit Officer and General Bank Group Director, Avenue Bank.
Avenue Bank’s Ron Cox, Sr. VP/Dir. of the Music & Entertainment Division, presented a check to Leadership Music’s Executive Director, Debbie Schwartz Linn for $4,000 yesterday (July 29) in support of the educational organization.
Cox, who serves as the adjunct professor, joined other Avenue Bank team members to write, develop and teach the curriculum for a 15-week class offered to Belmont students called, “Personal Finance and Banking in the Music Industry.” Fees required to be paid by Belmont to the adjunct professor of record were accumulated and gifted back to the industry with this donation to Leadership Music.
Cox shared, “With Belmont’s presence and impact in the music industry through the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, we found a unique way to pool our synergies together. We continually receive very positive reviews from the class because we cover a wide variety of subject matter from personal budgeting, saving and investing, buying a home, starting a business, entrepreneurship, touring, publishing and many other relevant topics associated with personal and business finance within the music industry. We are proud of our partnership with both Belmont and Leadership Music, and it how this class is a picture of the true community spirit within our music industry.”
• • •
Al Brake
PLA Media has added Country artist Al Brake to its roster. “Being a rock and roll devotee, I love his spin on Country music with rock infusion. PLA is poised to take Al’s success in the Canadian marketplace worldwide,” says Pam Lewis, President PLA Media.
The Canadian singer-songwriter earned two honors from Indie Music Channel in 2013 for Best Country Producer and Best Country Recording. He recently released the single, “Hot Pink Lady” to radio. Brake began playing guitar at age 8, and later added bass, mandolin and drums to his repertoire. When he isn’t touring or recording, he is with his wife and four children at their home in Canada.
• • •
SESAC’s Ellen Truley and husband, actor Todd Truley welcomed New York City entrepreneur and City Winery CEO Michael Dorf to Nashville during a reception held at the event space in advance of the establishment’s opening. City Winery, located at 609 LaFayette Street, is set to open in a 30,000-square-foot space on Oct. 1. It will also be the site of the Americana Music Association’s Honors & Awards VIP After Party on Sept. 17. City Winery also has locations in New York, Chicago, and Napa Valley, Calif.
Pictured (L-R): City Winery’s Michael Dorf, SESAC’s Ellen Truley and actor Todd Truley.
BMI And iBiquity Form "HD Radio Artist Spotlight"
/by Troy_StephensonThe program is designed to grow new artists and help established acts with tour support out on the road.
HD Radio enables radio stations to create new broadcast channels on HD2 and HD3. The first artists to be featured on “HD Radio Artist Spotlight” are Charlie Worsham, Jon Pardi, Ashley Monroe, Due West, and Muddy Magnolias.
“iBiquity Digital has been an outstanding partner of BMI through their support of our songwriter festivals and broadcaster events,” says Mason Hunter, BMI Executive Director-Strategic Partnerships & Business Development. “The HD Radio Artist Spotlight furthers our relationship by providing another avenue for talents like Ashley Monroe, Jon Pardi, Charlie Worsham, and others to be heard and connect with Country music fans!”
For more information, be sure to visit bmi.com or hdradio.com.