Jody Gerson. Photo: Austin Hargrave
Universal Music Group (UMG) has appointed
Jody Gerson as Chairman and CEO of the company’s music publishing division, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), effective
January 1, 2015. Gerson, who has served as co-president of Sony/ATV Publishing since 2008, will be based at UMPG’s headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., and will report to UMG Chairman and CEO,
Lucian Grainge. She will succeed
Zach Horowitz, who, as previously
reported, has stepped down from his role as UMPG Chairman and CEO.
Grainge said, “Jody Gerson is simply one of the best music publishers in the business, and we are thrilled that she will be bringing her creativity, savvy and vast experience to UMPG. Jody represents a new breed of music industry leadership, with a keen understanding of the evolving role of music publishers in the digital era and a track record of artist successes that places her among all-time greats. I’m excited for what we will accomplish together.”
Grainge continued, “On behalf of everyone at the company, let me extend our profound gratitude to Zach for his adept stewardship of UMPG and his decades of service to UMG. His versatility as an executive and leader is extremely rare and we wish him only the best.”
Gerson’s first signing at Sony/ATV Music Publishing was then-unknown singer-songwriter
Lady Gaga. She also played a part in the careers of
Enrique Iglesias, Mac Miller, Pitbull, RedOne, Shakira and Pharrell Williams, among others. Gerson’s career began at Chappell music (Warner/Chappell’s predecessor). After six years at Chappell, Gerson joined EMI as head of the company’s east coast publishing division. In 1996, she signed a 15-year-old
Alicia Keys, who went on to sell more than 10 million albums nationwide. Gerson signed
Norah Jones in 2003.
Additionally, Gerson served as a producer of the successful films
Drumline and
ATL. She is currently serving as executive producer for
Drumline 2 for VH1.
Industry Ink: CMA Songwriters Series, CMT's Leslie Fram, MusicMaster
/by Jessica NicholsonThe CMA Songwriters Series visited Chicago this week for a night of stories and songs at Joe’s Bar. Songwriter and CMA board member Bob DiPiero hosted and performed alongside Monty Powell, Striking Matches, and Charlie Worsham.
Pictured (L-R): CMA Board member Bob DiPiero, Charlie Worsham, Sarah Zimmermann and Justin Davis of Striking Matches, and Monty Powell backstage at the CMA Songwriters Series Wednesday, July 30 at Joe’s Bar in Chicago. Photo: Matt Marton / CMA
• • •
Leslie Fram
CMT Sr. VP of Music Strategy Leslie Fram will be the keynote speaker for Nashville Lifestyles‘ Women In Business event, to be held Thursday, Aug. 26, beginning at 11:30 a.m. at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Tickets are $50, and full table ticketing options are available (10 for $500) by contacting lkeally@nashvillelifestyles.com.
Individual tickets are available at ticketsnashville.com.
• • •
Additional new hires include Jeff Schroeder as Senior Technical Consultant for onsite installation, technical documentation, and automation interface expertise and Lorie Robers as Senior Accountant.
RIAA: July 2014 Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum Certs
/by Jessica NicholsonMulti-platinum Single Certifications:
Luke Bryan, “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”– 3x platinum
Platinum Single Certifications:
Kacey Musgraves, “Merry Go Round”
Jerrod Niemann, “Drink To That All Night”
Jake Owen, “Beachin'”
Paramore, “Ain’t It Fun”
Gold Single Certifications:
Dierks Bentley, “Drunk On A Plane”
Brett Eldredge, “Beat of the Music”
Tyler Farr, “Whiskey In My Water”
The Fray, “Love Don’t Die”
Miranda Lambert & Carrie Underwood, “Somethin’ Bad”
Kacey Musgraves, “Follow Your Arrow”
Joe Nichols, “Yeah”
Chris Young, “Who I Am With You”
Phillips, Craig & Dean, “Revelation Song”
Multi-Platinum Album Certifications:
Florida Georgia Line, Here’s To The Good Times–2x platinum
Gold Album Certifications:
Eric Church, The Outsiders
Miranda Lambert, Platinum
Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer, Different Park
Paramore, All We Know Is Falling
George Strait, Love Is Everything
The Band Perry Promotes Safe Driving With School Concert
/by Troy_StephensonThe Band Perry
The Band Perry is teaming up with State Farm to offer teens a chance to win a private concert for their high school as part of the “Celebrate My Drive” campaign. The program is designed to encourage safe driving in high schools across the United States and Canada.
Through Oct. 7, administrators at U.S. and Canadian high schools can register to participate in the program. Teens and community members can commit to safe driving once a day every day from Oct. 15-24 in support of their favorite high school. Two grand prize winning schools will receive a private concert from The Band Perry. The 100 high schools with the most online safe driving commitments will win a grant award of $25,000 or $100,000.
“Getting a driver’s license is a major milestone in a young adult’s life, and The Band Perry is the perfect partner to help celebrate it,” said Leif Roll, Marketing Vice President for State Farm. “Teens, in particular, connect with music in a major way, so it only makes sense to partner with one of the biggest acts in music to celebrate this new generation of teen drivers. As a leader in auto safety, we feel Celebrate My Drive has proved to be a positive way to help educate teens and their parents about teen driver safety.”
For more information and to register, visit www.celebratemydrive.com.
Blake Shelton Preps Eleventh Studio Album
/by Eric T. ParkerProduced by Shelton’s longtime collaborator and award-winning producer Scott Hendricks, the CMA’s four-time reigning Male Vocalist of the Year will release the lead single from the album in the coming weeks.
Recently breaking his own record for most consecutive No. 1’s at Country radio (12 in a row, 17 overall), Shelton is currently on his Ten Times Crazier Tour 2014, which culminates on the west coast this fall.
Bringing Back the Sunshine is exclusively available for pre-order now at Walmart.com.
Ben Folds To Leave RCA Studio A
/by Jessica NicholsonBen Folds
Nashville-based musician Ben Folds told fans via social media today (Aug. 1) that he will be leaving 30 Music Square West, home RCA Studio A, once his lease ends in November. Folds has been a tenant in the building for 12 years.
The building that houses RCA Studio A was purchased recently by Bravo Development, and has been the center of heated controversy between Folds, purchaser Tim Reynolds of Bravo Development, and the Atkins and Bradley estates (previous owners of the property). In June industry and community members gathered at 30 Music Square West to discuss the importance of preserving the Music Row area’s older buildings where much of Nashville’s music industry was created.
Folds’ letter reads:
Jody Gerson Appointed Chairman, CEO of UMPG
/by Jessica NicholsonJody Gerson. Photo: Austin Hargrave
Universal Music Group (UMG) has appointed Jody Gerson as Chairman and CEO of the company’s music publishing division, Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), effective January 1, 2015. Gerson, who has served as co-president of Sony/ATV Publishing since 2008, will be based at UMPG’s headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., and will report to UMG Chairman and CEO, Lucian Grainge. She will succeed Zach Horowitz, who, as previously reported, has stepped down from his role as UMPG Chairman and CEO.
Grainge said, “Jody Gerson is simply one of the best music publishers in the business, and we are thrilled that she will be bringing her creativity, savvy and vast experience to UMPG. Jody represents a new breed of music industry leadership, with a keen understanding of the evolving role of music publishers in the digital era and a track record of artist successes that places her among all-time greats. I’m excited for what we will accomplish together.”
Grainge continued, “On behalf of everyone at the company, let me extend our profound gratitude to Zach for his adept stewardship of UMPG and his decades of service to UMG. His versatility as an executive and leader is extremely rare and we wish him only the best.”
Gerson’s first signing at Sony/ATV Music Publishing was then-unknown singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. She also played a part in the careers of Enrique Iglesias, Mac Miller, Pitbull, RedOne, Shakira and Pharrell Williams, among others. Gerson’s career began at Chappell music (Warner/Chappell’s predecessor). After six years at Chappell, Gerson joined EMI as head of the company’s east coast publishing division. In 1996, she signed a 15-year-old Alicia Keys, who went on to sell more than 10 million albums nationwide. Gerson signed Norah Jones in 2003.
Additionally, Gerson served as a producer of the successful films Drumline and ATL. She is currently serving as executive producer for Drumline 2 for VH1.
Date Set For 62nd Annual BMI Country Awards
/by Jessica NicholsonBroadcast Music, Inc. will celebrate top Country songwriters during the company’s 62nd annual BMI Country Awards, set for Tuesday, Nov. 4 at BMI’s Nashville offices. BMI will honor the Country Songwriter, Song and Publisher of the Year, and salute the writers and publishers behind the past year’s 50 most-performed songs from BMI’s Country catalog.
They will also honor the BMI Icon Award, the organization’s highest honor, which is given to “songwriters who have had a unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” This year’s recipient of the BMI Icon award will be announced in coming weeks.
In 2013, the 61st annual BMI Country Awards honored Dean Dillon as a BMI Icon; Dillon has penned numerous songs for artists including George Strait, who has recorded more than 50 of Dillon’s songs during his career. Additionally, Rodney Clawson was named Country Songwriter of the Year, while Troy Verges‘ and Hunter Hayes‘ co-written tune “Wanted” earned the Song of the Year title. Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville was honored as Publisher of the Year in 2013.
Mark Your Calendar – August 2014
/by Eric T. ParkerAugust 5
CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock airs at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
August 5-6
BMI will host Sync THIS! Events will be private except Aug. 6 High Watt performance
August 10
The Teen Choice Awards air on Fox, beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
August 12
Artist Roster print magazine street date
August 14
Live On The Green at the Public Square Park in downtown Nashville
August 18
28th annual Music Row Ladies Golf Tournament at Old Natchez Country Club in Nashville
August 21
August 22
CMA second ballot due 5pm CT
August 24
MTV’s Video Music Awards air live from the Forum, in Inglewood, CA
August 26
Nashville Lifestyles Women in Business with keynote from Leslie Fram, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Schermerhorn Symphony Center
August 28
Live On The Green at the Public Square Park in downtown Nashville
August 4
Thomas Rhett/Make Me Wanna/Valory
Maggie Rose/Girl In Your Truck Song/RPME
Lucas Hoge/Flip Flops/Reviver Records
Jamie Jones/Soulshine/Render
Alexandra Kay/No More/Nettwork
Elisa Grace/Sweet Memories/Edgehill Nashville
August 11
Jake Owen/What We Ain’t Got/RCA Nashville
Native Run/Good On You/Show Dog-Universal
Lindsay Ell/Shut Me Up/Stoney Creek
Grayson Rogers/Party Rocker/HMG
August 18
Tyler Farr/A Guy Walks Into A Bar/Columbia Nashville
Montgomery Gentry/Headlights/Blaster
Jared Blake/Stomp/Skiddco Records
Michael Scott/Radio Song/Saba Records
Pawnshop Kings/Love Like Jesus/Sony Music
August 25
Stevie Lee Woods/California Girls Have Gone Country/Krazy Town Records
Ray Scott/Drinkin’ Beer/deciBel Nashville
J. Michael Harter/Holy Cowgirl/GMV Nashville-Anozira Records
August 5
Sunny Sweeney/Provoked/Thirty Tigers
LeAnn Rimes/Dance Like You Don’t Give a …Greatest Hits Remixes/Curb
Billy Joe Shaver/Long In The Tooth/Lightning Rod-Thirty Tigers
August 12
Sam Hunt/X2C [four-track preview]/MCA Records Nashville
August 19
Various/Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Mötley Crüe/Big Machine Records-Motley Records-Eleven Seven Music
Chase Rice/Ignite The Night/Columbia Nashville-Dack Janiels
Joel Crouse/Even The River Runs/Show Dog-Universal Music
Randy Travis/Influence Vol. 2: The Man I Am/Warner Bros.
Amy Grant/In Motion: The Remixes/Sparrow Records
August 26
Brad Paisley/Moonshine In The Trunk/Arista Nashville
I.R.S. Records Signs Muddy Magnolias
/by Jessica NicholsonMuddy Magnolias
I.R.S. Records, helmed by John Grady, has signed duo Muddy Magnolias. Composed of Brooklynite Jessy Wilson and Texan Kallie North, the duo blends Country sounds with funk, jazz and r&b. They also have considerable songwriting chops; Wilson has penned songs for Fantasia and John Legend.
The duo met when BMI’s Wardell Malloy introduced Wilson to BMI’s Clay Bradley. Bradley then introduced Wilson to North and a duo was born.
I.R.S. Records also represents Striking Matches and recordings from the late Cowboy Jack Clement.
Weekly Chart Report (8/01/14)
/by Troy_StephensonClick here or above to access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report