Pictured: Josh Kear (Songwriter), Marc Driskill (AIMP Exec. Dir./Sea Gayle Music), Congressman Doug Collins, Jessi Alexander (Songwriter), Darcy Anderson (Chief of Staff to Congressman Marsha Blackburn), John Barker (Copyright Society of the South Chairman of the Board/ClearBox Rights), Wynn Varble (Songwriter) / Photo: Drew Maynard
The
Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Nashville and the
Copyright Society of the South welcomed
Congressman Doug Collins (R-Georgia) to discuss his sponsorship of the
Songwriter Equality Act (SEA) on Wednesday, March 19 at The First Amendment Center.
This member-only event began with performances by hit songwriters
Josh Kear (“Before He Cheats” – Carrie Underwood, “Need You Now” –Lady Antebellum),
Jessi Alexander (“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice, “Mine Would Be You” – Blake Shelton) and
Wynn Varble (“Waitin’ on a Woman” – Brad Paisley, “A Little More Country Than That” – Easton Corbin), followed by Congressman Collins’ remarks on the legislation and a question and answer session with the audience. A reception sponsored by
ASCAP,
BMI and
SESAC followed the program.
The Songwriters Equality Act would allow a “rate court” to consider other royalty rates as evidence when establishing digital performance rates for songwriters and composers. It would also adapt a fair rate standard for mechanical reproduction.
“What has become a passion for me are those who write the lyrics. They are penning what I might not be able to say but penning something that is inherently valuable. They are penning something that has worth,” said Congressman Collins. “We’ve got to get back to an understanding that what you produce with your mind, with your heart and what you share is inherently worth the price.”
• • •
Garth Shaw, a former road manager for Kenny Rogers and indie music publisher (Singing Roadie Music Group), will launch a new monthly songwriters evening, Garth’s Night Out! at The Row Kitchen & Pub, beginning Thursday, March 20. The March 20 show will feature Wood Newton, Jimbeau Hinson, and Marc-Alan Barnette. Upcoming shows include Bobby Tomberlin and Steve Dorff on April 24, followed by Mark D. Sanders and AJ Masters on May 29.
After the first event, the free shows are scheduled for the last Thursday of every month.
Artist Updates (3/20/14)
/by Jessica NicholsonClay Walker
Clay Walker will return to Nashville on Tuesday, June 3 to host the fifth annual Chords of Hope Benefit Concert at 3rd & Lindsley. The concert will help raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis (MS) research with proceeds going to the MS Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Walker will be joined by Blaster Records’ Montgomery Gentry, as well as Broken Bow Records’ Dustin Lynch.
Doors open at 6 p.m., and the concert will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are available through Eventbrite and bandagainstms.org.
• • •
Brandy Clark. Photo Credit: Becky Fluke
The airdate for singer/songwriter Brandy Clark’s debut performance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show has changed.
The nationally syndicated television show, featuring Clark performing the song “Stripes” from her album 12 Stories, will now air on Monday, Mar. 24.
• • •
David Cook
Kris Allen and David Cook will perform at Nashville’s The Bridge Building to launch a new partnership with Soles4Souls. They will host “A Sole-ful Evening with Kris Allen & David Cook.” Guests will enjoy live music, as well as flavorful wines and bubblies, and will be invited to drop gently used shoes off as a donation to the cause.
• • •
Accompanying the release of Passion: Take It All, Passion will embark on a Spring 2014 Global Tour, making stops in Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad, Delhi, Manila, Singapore, and Honolulu.
Industry Ink (3/20/14)
/by Jessica NicholsonThe event’s performer lineup will be revealed March 28.
• • •
Panelists included singer-songwriter Sherrie Austin, Sr. VP of Creative Services for HoriPro Butch Baker, Magic Mustang Music Creative Director Juli Griffith, and SESAC Sr. Director of Writer/Publisher Relations Shannan Hatch.
Panelists shared stories of their careers in songwriting, pitching, publishing and production.
Pictured (front row, L-R): HoriPro’s Butch Baker, ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, Magic Mustang’s Juli Griffith, Sherrie Austin, WMBA Events/Education co-chair Meredith Herberg-Waldron, CMT’s Heather Dicus, WMBA Membership/Marketing co-chair Hannah Showmaker and WMBA Secretary Alison Toczylowski. (back row, L-R): WMBA Events/Education co-chair Rachel Mowl, WMBA President Raeanna Mowl, WMBA Membership/Marketing co-chair Trina Lloyd-Weidner and WMBA Vice President Makayla Telfer.
• • •
The March 2014 installment of ASCAP‘s “We Create Music” showcase series was held Wednesday, March 19 at Nashville’s The Basement. Republic Nashville artist RaeLynn, songwriter Dave Berg, and songwriter-artists Andy Albert, Joshua Fletcher, Brad Tursi, and Jamie Kent were featured during the show.
Pictured (L-R): Joshua Fletcher, Andy Albert, ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan, RaeLynn, Brad Tursi, ASCAP’s Evyn Mustoe and Ryan Beuschel, Jamie Kent, Dave Berg, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, and Tony Esterly. Photo by ASCAP’s Alison Toczylowski.
CMHoF To Celebrate Expansion With Free Outdoor Event
/by Jessica NicholsonThe event will begin at 1:15 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 15 at the corner of 5th Ave. S. and Demonbreun Street. The event will feature the Honorable Karl Dean, Board Chairman Steve Turner, Museum Director Kyle Young, as well as guest performers and Country Music Hall of Fame members.
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1987. The museum has been assembling its nearly 2 million-item collection since 1967. Using its unrivaled collection and expertise, the museum seeks to engage visitors in the breadth and depth of the country music story, in the context of local and national history.
[Updated]: Member of Cash Family Found Dead In Putnam County
/by Jessica NicholsonCourtney Jean Cash
[Update, March 25, 4:41 p.m. CT]
Courtney Jean Cash’s funeral will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Cookeville at Crest Lawn Funeral Home.
[Update, March 20, 2014, 5:07 p.m.]: According to Putnam County police, Wayne Gary Masciarella, 27, has been charged with first-degree murder of Cash, 23. Cash and Johnson met with Masciarella on Wednesday, when the meeting turned violent. Courtney Cash was stabbed to death.
• • •
[Original post, March 20, 2014, 1:00 p.m.]
Courtney Cash, the great-niece of late Country singer Johnny Cash and granddaughter of Tommy Cash, has been found dead at a residence in Putnam County, Tenn., according to Fox 17. Courtney Cash, who was 23, was found deceased inside a box. Another victim, William Johnson, is at Vanderbilt Hospital receiving treatment for a gunshot wound. A child was also found at the residence.
Tommy Cash, younger brother of the legendary singer, said, “We ask for your prayers for the Cash family at this time. Courtney and her boyfriend are beloved members of my family and like you we have a lot of questions and emotions that we are beginning to sort through today. We ask for you to respect our privacy and appreciate all the support that the public and media has always offered my family, as we handle the loss of my grand-daughter, pray for the father of my great-grand child and journey through the search for justice on this violent act. We are completely heartbroken. It is a time like this that we are grateful for our faith and trusting the loving guidance of God.”
Cause of death has not been determined, according to police. A suspect is in custody, but has not been charged.
Haggard To Be Honored With ACM Crystal Milestone Award
/by Jessica NicholsonThe award will salute Haggard for 50 years in Country music. He was the recipient of the ACM’s first Entertainer of the Year award in 1970. That win also marked the Academy’s first Triple Crown achievement; Haggard had already earned the titles of Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year award (1965) and the first of six Male Vocalist of the Year awards in 1966. Haggard has also received the ACM Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award and Poet’s award. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1994.
Past recipients of the Crystal Milestone Award include Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Gayle Holcomb, Jennifer Nettles and Taylor Swift.
Broken Bow Records will release Working Man’s Poet: A Tribute To Merle Haggard, which features new covers of some of Haggard’s biggest hits. Aldean, Brooks, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kristy Lee Cook, Ben Haggard, Randy Houser, Toby Keith, Dustin Lynch, Joe Nichols, Jake Owen, Parmalee, Thompson Square and James Wesley are included on the tribute album. The project will release in select stores and digitally on Tuesday, April 1.
WORKING MAN’S POET: A TRIBUTE TO MERLE HAGGARD
*Appears only on Walmart exclusive
Sammy Kershaw Autobiography Slated For 2014
/by Jessica NicholsonSammy Kershaw
Sammy Kershaw has signed a global book deal with VIP Ink Publishing for an official autobiography on his life and career. The book will chronicle his life from growing up in Kaplan, La. to becoming well-known Country music entertainer. Kershaw is best known for the hits “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful,” “Cadillac Style,” “National Working Woman’s Holiday” and “Third Rate Romance,” among other songs.
The currently untitled work is expected to be released in 2014.
• • •
Earl Montgomery wrote dozens of songs for Jones over the course of his career. The 300-page hardcover book includes numerous stories from the life and career of the Country legend.
CMHoF To Feature Jimmy Bowen Interview April 12
/by Jessica NicholsonProducer Playback: An Interview with Jimmy Bowen, hosted by museum writer-editor Michael McCall, will begin at 1:30 p.m. on April 12 in the museum’s Ford Theater. The program will feature a discussion of Bowen’s career as a record producer and the head of several record labels including Elektra/Asylum, Warner Bros., MCA, and Capitol. While heading MCA, he co-produced, with Reba, her breakthrough recordings for that label—“How Blue,” “Somebody Should Leave” and “Whoever’s in New England.”
In addition to Reba, Bowen produced hits for John Anderson, Suzy Bogguss, Waylon Jennings, George Strait, Mel Tillis, Conway Twitty and Hank Williams Jr., among others. He also helped guide Garth Brooks’ rise to stardom. Seating for the program is limited, and program passes are required for admittance. Watch live online at countrymusichalloffame.org/
In addition, film screenings featuring Reba will be presented on April 6 and 27. On Sunday, April 6 at 2 p.m., the museum will screen the 29th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards (1994). On Sunday, April 27, the museum will screen Leading Ladies of the Grand Ole Opry, Hosted by Reba McEntire (1989).
The screenings are free.
Visit countrymusichalloffame.org for complete admission details.
Songwriter News: Rep. Collins Discusses Legislation; Writers Night at The Row
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured: Josh Kear (Songwriter), Marc Driskill (AIMP Exec. Dir./Sea Gayle Music), Congressman Doug Collins, Jessi Alexander (Songwriter), Darcy Anderson (Chief of Staff to Congressman Marsha Blackburn), John Barker (Copyright Society of the South Chairman of the Board/ClearBox Rights), Wynn Varble (Songwriter) / Photo: Drew Maynard
The Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) Nashville and the Copyright Society of the South welcomed Congressman Doug Collins (R-Georgia) to discuss his sponsorship of the Songwriter Equality Act (SEA) on Wednesday, March 19 at The First Amendment Center.
This member-only event began with performances by hit songwriters Josh Kear (“Before He Cheats” – Carrie Underwood, “Need You Now” –Lady Antebellum), Jessi Alexander (“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice, “Mine Would Be You” – Blake Shelton) and Wynn Varble (“Waitin’ on a Woman” – Brad Paisley, “A Little More Country Than That” – Easton Corbin), followed by Congressman Collins’ remarks on the legislation and a question and answer session with the audience. A reception sponsored by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC followed the program.
The Songwriters Equality Act would allow a “rate court” to consider other royalty rates as evidence when establishing digital performance rates for songwriters and composers. It would also adapt a fair rate standard for mechanical reproduction.
“What has become a passion for me are those who write the lyrics. They are penning what I might not be able to say but penning something that is inherently valuable. They are penning something that has worth,” said Congressman Collins. “We’ve got to get back to an understanding that what you produce with your mind, with your heart and what you share is inherently worth the price.”
• • •
After the first event, the free shows are scheduled for the last Thursday of every month.
Radney Foster Sets May Release Date
/by Sarah Skates“I wanted the album to have a band feel, and to do that I knew we needed to get away from schedules and cell phones,” said Foster, who recorded at Dockside Studios in Louisiana. “When you’re sitting with the moss hanging from the trees and the bayou rolling by, you can’t help but have your songs slow down and get swampier.”
Co-producers Foster and Justin Tocket strove for a sonic difference from the first track, “Whose Heart You Wreck (Ode To The Muse),” which was recorded using found objects. “The drum kit was made up of trashcans, a piece of angle iron, and a big gear plate,” added Foster. “There were a lot of Tom Waits style atmospherics going on behind me, but I was playing a straight-up, double thumb style guitar blues, almost like Doc Watson would have done.”
Foster calls the album’s title track, “Everything I Should Have Said,” the emotional centerpiece of the record.
He will tour beginning April 4 in San Antonio, Texas, then venture overseas for a date in Scotland, before returning to the States for shows throughout the summer. Tour dates at radneyfoster.com.
Foster has written and produced songs for Randy Rogers, Jack Ingram, Kacey Musgraves, Wade Bowen, Josh Abbott, Pat Green, Cory Morrow and many others. His songs are regularly mined by superstar acts like Keith Urban (“Raining on Sunday,” “I’m In,”), Sara Evans (“Real Fine Place,” “Revival”) and the Dixie Chicks (“Godspeed”).
Artist Pics (3/20/14)
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): John & Jacob (along with their band) hang with SESAC’s Trevor Gale (second from left) and Tim Fink (second from right). Photo: Cara Pastore
• • •
Arista Nashville’s Brad Paisley caught up with Sony Music UK execs amid several international performances, including a show at the C2C (Country to Country) Festival in London on March 16, with upcoming tour dates in Norway and Sweden.
Pictured at C2C (L-R): Sony Music UK Head of Catalogue Jon Cauwood, Paisley, Product Manager Phil Connolly, and Commercial Group Marketing VP Phil Savill.
• • •
Mercury Records singer/songwriter Canaan Smith proposed to girlfriend Christy over the weekend in Florida. “Of all the blessings in my life, she’s the greatest,” Smith exclaims. “We’re so excited for everything to come.” Smith is on the road on the AT&T Country Deep Tour and working on new music for his debut project.
Canaan Smith with fiancee Christy.
• • •
Josh Turner and Blake Shelton appeared on WestwoodOne’s Country Countdown USA recently. The two discussed Shelton’s role as coach on NBC’s The Voice and their friends with songs in the Top 30 countdown.
Pictured (L-R): Josh Turner, Blake Shelton.