WMN Promotes Hendricks To Exec. VP, A&R

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Scott Hendricks

Scott Hendricks


Warner Music Nashville has promoted Scott Hendricks to Exec. VP, A&R.
Hendricks will oversee the development of new talent and existing signings by helping to identify songs, songwriters and producers, as well as provide A&R resource and creative support, on behalf of WMN. Hendricks previously served as Sr. Vice President, A&R, and will continue to report to John Esposito, President & CEO, Warner Music Nashville.
“I’m honored to be named Executive Vice President of A&R at the greatest country music label on the planet,” said Hendricks. “To be able to work alongside such smart people like Espo and Peter Strickland—and of course tremendous talent like Blake Shelton and Hunter Hayes, just to name two—is an absolute treat. I’m very proud of all that we’ve accomplished together and I look forward to many more years of continued success.”
“Scott Hendricks is one of the most skilled and special music men I’ve ever met. To have the pleasure of working with Scott is an honor,” said Esposito. “He is responsible for some of the greatest modern country music and continues to demonstrate his ability for finding stars and producing hits, time and time again.”
Hendricks joined Warner Music Nashville in 2007, as the head of its A&R department, coordinating the musical efforts of Blake Shelton, Hunter Hayes, Brett Eldredge and Jana Kramer, among others. Hendricks has been a longtime producer for Shelton, producing 11 consecutive No. 1 singles, two platinum and two gold albums.
To date, Hendricks has produced 93 Top 10 hits, with 55 of those going all the way to No. 1. He has helped 16 different artists to the top 10, and 10 of whom have reached No. 1. Hendricks has won six trophies from the Academy of Country Music and two from the Country Music Association as the producer of such hits as Brooks & Dunn’s “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” John Michael Montgomery’s “I Swear,” Alan Jackson’s “Don’t Rock The Jukebox” and Blake Shelton’s collaboration with Trace Adkins, “Hillbilly Bone.” He also won an Emmy for his production of Hank Williams Jr.’s “Monday Night Football” theme.

Eric Church Welcomes Dwight Yoakam For Tour

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Keith Urban's Fourth Annual We're All For The Hall Benefit Concert

Eric Church


Eric Church will launch the North American leg of The Outsiders World Tour on Sept. 11 in Bossier City, La. The trek’s 31 arena dates will include stops at Madison Square Garden, Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio), Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia), the Sprint Center (Kansas City, Mo.), the Arena at Gwinnett Center (Atlanta), Thompson-Boling Arena (Knoxville, Tenn.), and FedExForum (Memphis, Tenn.), among others.
Tickets for the shows will go on sale beginning April 18.
Dwight Yoakam will join Church for every show, along with alternating opening acts Brothers Osborne, Brandy Clark and Halestorm.
Church promises fans a high-tech, 360 degree view at each tour stop. A limited number of VIP tickets will be available for each show. Each VIP ticket includes seating in the first 15 rows or in the general admission pit, an invitation to a pre-show party at The Outsiders Joint, a two-song acoustic pre-show performance by Church, a limited edition show poster, and a dedicated VIP concert concierge.
The first leg of the tour will take place throughout September through December in the U.S. and Canada and is exclusively promoted by Louis Messina of The Messina Group/AEG Live.
The Outsiders World Tour North American dates:
Sept. 11 | Bossier City, La. | CenturyLink Center*
Sept. 13 | St. Louis, Mo. | Scottrade Center*
Sept. 16 | Minneapolis, Minn. | Target Center*
Sept. 17 | Des Moines, Iowa | Wells Fargo Arena*
Sept. 18 | Omaha, Neb. | CenturyLink Center*
Sept. 25 | Louisville, Ky. | KFC Yum! Center*
Sept. 26 | Charleston, W.Va. | Charleston Civic Center*
Sept. 27 | Greensboro, N.C. | Greensboro Coliseum*
Oct. 9 | Grand Rapids, Mich. | Van Andel Arena*
Oct. 10 | Cleveland, Ohio | Quicken Loans Arena*
Oct. 11 | Pittsburgh, Pa. | Consol Energy Center*
Oct. 16 | Charlottesville, Va. | John Paul Jones Arena**
Oct. 17 | New York, N.Y. | Madison Square Garden**
Oct. 18 | Philadelphia, Pa. | Wells Fargo Center**
Oct. 23 | Manchester, N.H. | Verizon Wireless Arena**
Oct. 24 | Uncasville, Conn. | Mohegan Sun**
Oct. 25 | Uncasville, Conn. | Mohegan Sun**
Oct. 30 | Knoxville, Tenn. |Thompson-Boling Arena**
Oct. 31 | Memphis, Tenn.| FedExForum**
Nov. 1 | Tulsa, Okla. | BOK Center**
Nov. 13 | London, Ont. | Budweiser Gardens**
Nov. 14 | Hamilton, Ont. | FirstOntario Centre**
Nov. 15 | Ottawa, Ont. | Canadian Tire Centre**
Nov. 20 | Green Bay, Wis. | Resch Center
Nov. 21 | Peoria, Ill. | Peoria Civic Center***
Nov. 22 | Evansville, Ind. | The Ford Center***
Dec. 5 | Kansas City, Mo. | Sprint Center
Dec. 6 | Sioux Falls, S.D. | Denny Sanford Premier Center***
Dec. 11 | Atlanta, Ga. | The Arena at Gwinnett Center***
Dec. 12 | Lexington, Ky. | Rupp Arena***
Dec. 13 | Birmingham, Ala. | BJCC Arena***
All dates with special guest Dwight Yoakum
*denotes Brothers Osborne
**denotes Brandy Clark
***denotes Halestorm

Address Book Updates (4/8/14)

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nash logo111Cumulus‘ NASH campus is up and running at 506 2nd Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37210. The NASH campus will house America’s Morning Show, American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks, Nash Nights Live with Shawn Parr, and Country Weekly (soon to be renamed NASH).

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rolling stone country111Rolling Stone Country‘s Nashville office has set up shop at 1510 16th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37212. Beville Dunkerley is serving as Sr. Editor. She previously founded Country music website theboot.com, and her career includes time as a news writer and producer for Nashville’s CBS affiliate.

Industry Ink (4/8/14)

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Ryan Huie

Ryan Huie


The Ryan Huie Fund has been set up in memory of Ryan Huie, son of Dawn and CAA’s John Huie, and brother of Jason Huie. Ryan Huie grew up in Franklin, Tenn., attended Walnut Grove Elementary, Brentwood Academy and graduated from Pepperdine University.
He worked at Outback Concerts, then joined the Agency Coalition. Most recently, he was involved in starting a new music management company.
In lieu of flowers, the Ryan Huie Fund will benefit MusiCares. Make a donation here.

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destiny nashville1Destiny Nashville is accepting applications for a General Manager position. Seeking a music industry professional with a minimum 3-5 years experience, and the vision to help the company meet/exceed goals and get to the next level. Interviews begin April 21.
For more information on the position, visit destinynashville.com.

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The Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum presented Pete Anderson: California Country’s Second Generation on Saturday, March 22. Anderson discussed his career, including his collaborations with Dwight Yoakam that helped re-establish the Bakersfield Sound as a force on country radio. He also performed songs from the Bakersfield repertoire and from his latest release, Bird Above Guitarland.

Pictured (L-R): are Billy Burnette, Gary Swan, Pete Anderson, Curatorial Director Mick Buck, Lael Eccard and Gary Morse.

Pictured (L-R): are Billy Burnette, Gary Swan, Pete Anderson, Curatorial Director Mick Buck, Lael Eccard and Gary Morse.

Azoff MSG Acquires 50 Percent Stake in Burns Entertainment

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Irving Azoff

Irving Azoff


Azoff MSG Entertainment (AMSGE), the joint venture between Azoff Music Management and the Madison Square Garden Company, has acquired a 50 percent stake in celebrity and music procurement firm Burns Entertainment. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
For over 44 years, Burns Entertainment has represented many consumer brands, working to match them with celebrities and licensing music for advertising campaigns and promotions. Burns has worked globally on behalf of companies including Unilever, Dr. Pepper, Snapple Group, Beam Global, Audi, Sprint and hundreds of others.
“We are thrilled to have Burns as part of the AMSGE family,” said Irving Azoff, CEO of Azoff MSG Entertainment. “Bob Williams, Doug Shabelman, and Marc Ippolito have built a globally recognized business and we are looking forward to helping take it to new heights.”
AMSGE recently acquired a 50 percent stake in Pop2Life (P2L), an experiential marketing and music agency that specializes in branded entertainment, social experiences, and unique promotions.
 
 

Walmart Reportedly Planning To Reduce CD Shelf Space

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walmartThe United States’ largest CD retailer, Walmart, reportedly plans to reduce the amount of shelf space devoted to CDs by 40 percent beginning in May, reports Billboard.
The retail giant will supposedly offset sales losses by displaying CDs more prominently in the electronics/entertainment department of its stores.
The cutback in product will likely make it even more difficult for newcomer artists’ product to be placed on the retailer’s shelves nationwide, as Walmart relies on an array of new and recent titles, as well as catalog product from established artists.
Label sources estimate that Walmart’s average inventory will decline from approximately 3,500 titles to around 2,100.

Country Stars Earn RIAA Certifications

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RIAASeveral Country stars received sales awards from The Recording Industry Association of America last month.
Digital Single Awards are now based on song sales and on-demand streams.
Earning their first Platinum single certifications were Republic Nashville singer-songwriter Cassadee Pope for “Wasting All These Tears,” and Warner Music Nashville rising star Cole Swindell for “Chillin’ It.”
Tallying three-times Platinum was Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” (Capitol Nashville).
Welcoming their first Gold song certifications were Christian musician Britt Nicole for “Gold” (Sparrow) and California-bred country crooner Jon Pardi for “Up All Night” (Capitol Records Nashville).
Florida Georgia Line earned two RIAA Platinum song awards for popular tracks “’Round Here” and “Stay” plus a Gold song award for “This Is How We Roll” (Republic Nashville).
Labelmate Brantley Gilbert earned Platinum certifications for “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do” and “Country Must Be Country Wide,” and a Gold award for “Bottoms Up.”
The highly successful WOW Christian and gospel music enterprise secured two new Gold albums in March: WOW Hits 2014 (Sparrow Joint Venture) and WOW Gospel 2011 (RCA Inspiration).

Hirings, Promotion At Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum

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Amy Holm

Amy Holm


Joe Chambers, Founder and CEO of Nashville’s Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, has announced a round of hirings and a promotion at the organization.
Amy Holm joins as Director of Public Relations. Holm moved to Nashville from Bellingham, Wash. where she attended Western Washington University and earned degrees in Journalism/Public Relations and History.
Holm can be reached at amy@musicianshalloffame.com or (615) 244-3263 Ext. 111
 
Tyler Hancock

Tyler Hancock


Tyler Hancock has been added as Director of Special Events. Hancock is a Belmont University graduate and comes to the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum from Premier W.E.D. And Corporate Board Member.
Hancock can be reached at tyler@musicianshalloffame.com or (615) 244-3263 Ext. 118
 
Blake Chambers

Blake Chambers


Blake Chambers joins as Operations Manager and is responsible for the day to day operation of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum.
Chambers can be reached at blakemhof@gmail.com or (615) 244-3263 Ext. 115
 
Jay McDowell

Jay McDowell


In addition, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum’s Multimedia Curator, Jay McDowell, is promoted to Multimedia/Assistant Museum Exhibit Curator where his responsibilities will also include assisting in acquiring museum exhibits and artifacts and historical research of exhibits and artifacts.
McDowell can be reached at jay@musicianshalloffame.com or (615) 244-3263 Ext. 117

NMPA Adds Renzer To Board

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nmpaThe National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) has named music and entertainment executive David Renzer to the organization’s board, effective immediately. Renzer is the chairman of Spirit Music Group.
“David has been in the publishing business for over a quarter of a century, and was at the forefront of shepherding our industry through the transition to the digital age,” said Irwin Z. Robinson, chairman of the NMPA Board.
Prior to joining Spirit, Renzer served as chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). Major signings include the catalogs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Justin Timberlake, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, U2, and Mary J. Blige. He began his career at Zomba Music Publishing.
“The strength of our organization comes from the commitment of Board members to the songwriting and publishing community,” said NMPA president and CEO David Israelite. “David’s leadership and experience is a tremendous asset to our organization.”

Artist Updates (4/8/14)

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RD_PeaceLove111Ronnie Dunn releases his latest solo album, Peace Love and Country Music Tuesday (April 8). The project, produced by Dunn and Jeff Balding, marks Dunn’s second project as a solo artist on his own Little Will-E Records, in partnership with e-commerce retailer Country Outfitter.
Dunn took part in writing six of the 14 songs on Peace Love and Country Music, including three he wrote by himself, “Let’s Get The Beer Joint Rockin’,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Country in Texas.”
The physical edition of Peace Love and Country Music is available exclusively at Country Outfitter, at countryoutfitter.com. Digital editions are available at all digital retailers.

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bmi-logo1111featuredBMI and Starbucks have teamed for a series of songwriter showcases in Texas. The first songwriter showcase in the series will feature Lee Thomas Miller (“You’re Gonna Miss This” and “In Color”), and Billy Montana (“Suds In The Bucket,” and “Hard To Love”).

The series will run from April 30 through May 2. Performances begin at 7 p.m. at Starbucks-Colonnade at 9811 Interstate 10 W., San Antonio, Texas.

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needtobreathe111NEEDTOBREATHE will visit The Ellen Degeneres Show on April 18, and then the Late Show with David Letterman on April 23 in support of their new album, Rivers In The Wasteland. The project will debut Tuesday, April 15 on Atlantic Records.

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Emmylou Harris, singer-songwriter and animal activist, was recently awarded by national animal welfare organization Best Friends Animal Society, in recognition of her work to protect animals.
Following her concert at Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, Marc Peralta, executive director of Best Friends-Los Angeles, presented Harris with an award. “Emmylou Harris is a longtime friend to animals in need, exemplifying the Best Friends spirit that every pet deserves a second chance. Emmylou has given many dogs and cats that second chance at a great new life and is a powerful ally in the fight to save them all,” Peralta said.

Pictured (L-R): Greg Siegel, Sr. VP, Live Nation; Rick Merrill, general manager, Wiltern Theatre; Emmylou Harris; Marc Peralta, executive director, Best Friends – Los Angeles; and Amy Wolf, celebrity and entertainment relations manager, Best Friends Animal Society.

Pictured (L-R): Greg Siegel, Sr. VP, Live Nation; Rick Merrill, general manager, Wiltern Theatre; Emmylou Harris; Marc Peralta, executive director, Best Friends – Los Angeles; and Amy Wolf, celebrity and entertainment relations manager, Best Friends Animal Society.