Nashville’s music industry gathered under a balmy sky on Tuesday (May 13) at Owen Bradley Park on Music Row to celebrate the Recording Academy’s 16th annual Grammy Block Party.

Warner Music Group’s For King and Country captured the attention of all who gathered, making the most of their brief set by offering “Fine Fine Life” and “Light It Up” while performing in the middle of the industry throng, standing on chairs, and even climbing on production rigging.
The band, fronted by brothers and Australia natives Joel and Luke Smallbone, now calls Nashville home. “We love Australia, but Nashville-Franklin, Tennessee is definitely home now, so this is sort of a home crowd audience,” Joel Smallbone said.
After engaging the crowd in an a cappella rendition of “Amazing Grace,” they concluded with their 2012 hit “Proof Of Your Love.”
Industry stalwart Jim Lauderdale offered several musical gems, including the Buddy Miller-penned “Hole In My Head,” and welcomed Randy Kohrs for “Halfway Down” and “King of Broken Hearts,” a song he dedicated to Gram Parsons and George Jones. “Halfway Down” was penned by Lauderdale and became a hit for Patty Loveless in 1995.

The evening’s entertainment factor kicked up another several notches thanks to Martina McBride, who brought a color-coordinated horn section and superb background singers for the set, which included soul covers from McBride’s recent chart-topping project Everlasting. McBride was clearly right at home on covers of “Wild Night,” “In The Basement” “My Babe” “Come See About Me,” and Pink’s “Perfect,” as well as a rendition of her own 2001 hit “When God-Fearin’ Women Get The Blues.” The flawless production kept McBride’s powerful voice at the center of the musical spiral, and her revered vocal captured the audience with her signature ballad “A Broken Wing.”
As the industry crowd dined on burgers, hot dogs and drinks, two surprise guests for the evening offered samples of their music. Lennon & Maisy (best-known for their roles on ABC’s Nashville) enchanted the industry audience with their family harmonies and polished stage presence, offering “A Life That’s Good,” while Brandy Clark thrilled the crowd with her smart songwriting on “Stripes” and “Hold My Hand.”

Kacey Musgraves’ all too short set included her breakout hit “Merry Go ‘Round” and “Follow Your Arrow.”
The music-filled evening closed with sets from Chris Young and rock band Vintage Trouble. “I’m lucky to have gotten to do so many things in my career,” Young said. “One of my favorites is the Grammy nomination,” referring to his 2010 nomination in the Best Male Country Vocal Performance category for “Gettin’ You Home.”
The Recording Academy’s Nashville chapter is the organization’s third largest in the nation, and is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Singer-songwriter Holly Williams and her husband, Chris Coleman, are thrilled to announce they’re expecting their first child this fall.
“We are so ecstatic to have this little miracle coming!!!” Williams says. “The baby will become quite the road dog experiencing all the amazing places we get to go as musicians on the road. This will be the first grandbaby for the family, Mom and Dad are unbelievably excited and ready to spoil the little one!”

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CMT will host the cable premiere of For The Love of Music: The Story of Nashville on Wednesday, May 21 at 10 p.m. E.T., featuring previously unreleased interview footage of Keith Urban. The one-hour documentary delves into the story of Nashville as told by the musicians, songwriters, producers and artists who work in the city.
The full list of artists featured in For The Love of Music: The Story of Nashville includes: Jessi Alexander, Bill Anderson, The Black Keys, Eric Church, The Civil Wars, Billy Cox, Steve Cropper, Trent Dabbs, Charlie Daniels, Gabe Dixon, Duane Eddy, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Ben Folds, Peter Frampton, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Damien Horne, Brett James, JEFF the Brotherhood, Kris Kristofferson, Kings of Leon, Manuel, John McBride, Martina McBride, Tim Nichols, Jon Randall, Rivers Rutherford, Tommy Sims, Michael W. Smith, Amy Stroup, Keith Urban and Marty Stuart.

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Trisha Yearwood offered the commencement address at Young Harris College in Georgia on Saturday (May 10). Young Harris College was Yearwood’s first alma mater; she earned her associate’s degree in business administration in 1984, and later finished her bachelor’s degree at Nashville’s Belmont University in 1987.
After her speech, Yearwood was awarded an honorary doctorate of music degree from the college.
“Claim your happiness. Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you,” the singer told students. “Be happy and you will attract happy.”

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The K-LOVE Fan Awards has announced that current Dancing With the Stars® contestant Candace Cameron Bure, as well as American Music Award Winner, ASCAP’s reigning Christian Music Songwriter of the Year and GRAMMY®-nominee Matthew West will host the K-LOVE Fan Awards on Sunday, June 1 at the Grand Ole Opry House.
Key performers on the show will include Chris Tomlin, Hillsong UNITED, Steven Curtis Chapman, MercyMe, Francesca Battistelli and more.

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The Wild Feathers will appear on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers Wednesday evening (May 14) at 12:35 p.m. ET/11:35 p.m. CT on NBC.
The Nashville based rock quintet will perform “Left My Woman,” from their self-titled debut album.

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Singer-songwriter James House made his Opry debut on May 3. House, who has written such hits as “A Broken Wing,” “Ain’t That Lonely Yet” and “In a Week or Two,” released a new CD on April 29, and stepped onto the hallowed Opry stage four days later.
House’s newest CD release, Broken Glass Twisted Steel, features his own versions of the aforementioned songs as well as new material. He begins a sold out 16-city tour of the UK in July.

Vector Management’s Ken Levitan, Andy Mendelsohn, C3 Presents, Kings of Leon and chef Jonathan Waxman kicked-off opening day of ticket sales for the Sept. 20-21 second annual Music City Food + Wine Festival at Nashville’s Peg Leg Porker yesterday (May 13).

Mayor Karl Dean welcomed the industry gathering, giving kudos to Levitan’s community involvement, noting his A+, tremendous work as a Nashville citizen.
“We are looking forward to building upon the success of the inaugural year with more chefs from Nashville and across the South,” Waxman continued. “The food should be even more exciting and diverse this year.”
Over 30 tasting sessions, cooking demonstrations, book signings and panel discussions are planned from national and local culinary experts, including Trisha Yearwood, for September afternoons at Public Square Park. A Harvest Night evening dinner will again bring signature dishes to the Walk of Fame Park. Music will pair with the evening’s dishes, curated by Kings of Leon.

Ticket options include Single Day Passes ($150 per person), Harvest Night Pass ($225 per person) or All-In Pass ($500 per person). A full cooking demo schedule will be released in June. Panelists and moderators will be announced in July. The Grand Taste schedule will be available in August. A lineup of musical guests will be revealed in summer.
Read MusicRow‘s recap of the 2013 events here.
Chefs planned to attend September’s events include:
Sean Brock (Husk) and Lisa Donovan (Buttermilk Road & Husk Nashville)
Kahlil Arnold (Arnold’s Country Kitchen)
Roderick Bailey (The Silly Goose)
Matt Bolus (404 Kitchen)
Carey Bringle (Peg Leg Porker)
Tyler Brown (Capitol Grille)
Larry Carlile (Silo)
Trey Cioccia (The Farm House)
Daniel Dillingham & George Harvell (Loveless Café)
Matt Farley (The Southern Steak & Oyster)
Jay Flatley (Tavern)
Sarah Gavigan (Otaku South)
Robert Grace (Kayne Prime)
Josh Habiger (Pinewood Social)
Hal M. Holden-Bache (Lockeland Table)
John Lasater (Hattie B’s Hot Chicken)
Andrew Little (Josephine)
Pat Martin (Martin’s BBQ)
Todd Alan Martin (The Treehouse)
Margot McCormack (Marché & Margot Café & Bar)
Trevor Moran (Catbird Seat)
Arnold Myint (Suzy Wongs, PM, blvd)
 Deb Paquette (Etch)
James Peisker & Chris Carter (Porter Road Butcher)
Nick Pellegrino (Mangia Nashville)
Charles Phillips (1808 Grille)
Giovanni Francescotti(Giovanni Ristorante)
Barclay Stratton (Merchant’s Restaurant)
Tandy Wilson (City House)
Karl Worley (Biscuit Love Truck)
Celebrity chefs include:
Aarón Sánchez
Michael Symon
Tyler Florence
Andrew Zimmern
Regional chefs include:
North Carolina’s Ashley Christensen
Memphis’ Michael Hudman & Andy Ticer
South Carolina’s Mike Lata
Texas’ Tim Love
New Orleans’ Alon Shaya
Louisville’s Levon Wallace
Masaharu Morimoto
Jonathan Waxman
Frank Stitt
Amanda Freitag

Reba McEntire took an opportunity yesterday morning (May 13) to welcome a crowd of impressionable Middle Tennessee youth to the CMA Theater at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where her All the Women I Am exhibit is nearing conclusion (June 22).
Titled All Access: Reba McEntire, 700 privileged pupils from Apollo Middle School, Cameron Middle School, Cane Ridge High School, Coopertown Middle School, I.T. Creswell Middle Arts Magnet School, John Early Museum Magnet Middle School, Smyrna Middle School, Watertown Elementary School and homeschool students were able to question the queen of Country during a 90-minute program, aimed at providing students a way to interact and work with world-class musicians and artists.
Addressing a largely post-millennial audience, McEntire treated the crowd with adapted anecdotes from “the good ole days,” which her grandson refers to as “the nineteen’s.” Some students were more familiar with her career history than others. One student mistakenly thought the Reba TV show originated on CMT (where it currently airs), but others recalled her 1994 appearance as A.J. Ferguson in Little Rascals.
McEntire, who presumed she would have been a second grade school teacher had stardom not panned out, reminisced of the lessons she has gained through the life she ended up leading. “One thing I learned growing up on a cattle ranch was how to take direction,” she said. “I learned the same thing playing sports. I wasn’t a good basketball player, but I learned from taking direction. And when I started doing the [Reba] TV show, that’s one thing the directors always said: ‘Reba works hard, and she takes direction well.’ So that’s what I’ve learned.
“Whatever you do in life, just remember that it takes a great team,” McEntire said, mentioning all the family members and associates who helped her along the way and continue to boost her career today. “That team is what gets you where you are. I didn’t get here by myself. It takes lots and lots of help.”
On finding her own voice, McEntire commented that her mother told her, ‘There’s only one Dolly [Parton], there’s only one Loretta [Lynn], you have got to be Reba.’”

Students engaged with inquisitive questions about life on a tour bus (answer: she prefers a jet), how to handle nerves on stage (be prepared), the most outrageous thing that has happened on stage (ripping her britches over a stage monitor), and her favorite Country artist (Dolly Parton).
Even more pertinent questions were aimed at adolescent curiosities–what inspired her to become a singer (attention), were her parents supportive of a singing career (yes), how does she deal with stress (walk outside), and how difficult was it to leave parents for the road (hard, until you make friends with band and crew).
Afterwards, classes were able to view the museum exhibits.