BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 440
Pictured (L-R): ASCAP President Paul Williams and ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Josh Kear. Photo: Ed Rode and Frederick Breedon.
This year’s 51st ASCAP Country Awards marked the kick-off of the
100th anniversary of America’s first performance-rights organization, and what a night it was.
The gala, staged at the Music City Center on Monday (Nov. 4), had it all – glamor, cuisine, live music, fashion, fellowship, emotion, décor and stars. Chief among the last named was
George Strait, who was given the prestigious ASCAP Founder’s Award. What’s more, stars
Alan Jackson, Lee Ann Womack and
Garth Brooks saluted him in song.
“I never dreamed I would ever have a night like this,” said King George. “Amazing. One hundred years is a long time,” he said with a chuckle, referring to ASCAP’s anniversary. “That’s about when I signed with ASCAP. I just wanna say, I’m totally honored by this. What great songwriters you are. Thank you so much for sending all those songs all those years. A good song always sticks with you.”
He should know. Strait has had 60 No. 1 hits, more than anybody else in country music. He’s also in the Country Music Hall of Fame, yet is still nominated as a CMA Entertainer of the Year this year. Oh, and he is a real Country artist.
Other songwriting celebs who earned awards at the banquet included
Dierks Bentley, Angaleena Presley, Jessi Alexander, Tom Gossin of
Gloriana, Brad Paisley and
David Lee Murphy.
Josh Kear was announced as ASCAP’s 2013 Country Songwriter of the Year. Throughout his acceptance speech, Josh paused to gain control over his emotions. He was sweetly moving as he thanked his cowriters, the publishers who’ve supported him, his parents and his wife and daughter.
“I wrote my first song when I was 13,” said Josh. “I’m 39 now. I’ve been writing songs basically every day since then. By the time I was 16 and knew what ASCAP was, this is what I wanted,” he added, referring to his award. He choked up, then apologized. “Sorry – This is kind of unbelievable….I’m overwhelmed.”
George Strait and ASCAP’s Paul Williams
Josh and collaborator
Chris Tompkins co-wrote “Drunk On You,” which tied for Country Song of the Year. Singer
Luke Bryan showed up to congratulate them. The other Song of the Year was
Neil Thrasher’s “How Country Feels.” Its singer,
Randy Houser, was also in the house. Warner-Chappell Music was ASCAP’s country Publisher of the Year.
The gala was sprinkled with music. The sensationally gifted
Brandy Clark began the banquet with a bluesy and soulful “Get High,” accompanied by acoustic pickers. The song can be found on her outstanding
12 Stories CD.
The top five ASCAP country songs of the year were all performed. Each was introduced by an up-and-coming artist.
Brothers Osborne presented
Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins singing “Drunk on You.”
Dan & Shay introduced
Randy Houser, Wendell Mobley & Neil Thrasher performing “How Country Feels.”
Leah Turner introduced
Shane McAnally singing “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.”
Cassadee Pope presented
Eric Paslay, whose version of “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” got a standing ovation.
Raelynn introduced
Gloriana & Josh Kear doing “(Kissed You) Good Night.”
Taking the stage at various times to collect ASCAP honors were
Ashley Gorley, Ben Glover, Ben Hayslip, Chris DeStefano, Chris DuBois, Chris Farren, Trevor Rosen, Hillary Lindsey and
Jeremy Stover, among others. Applauding heartily were
Brett James, Casey James, Allen Shamblin, Fred Knobloch, Wayland Holyfield, Desmond Child, Alyssa Bonagura, Jay DeMarcus & Joe Don Rooney of
Rascal Flatts, Rivers Rutherford, Mayor Karl Dean, Buddy Cannon, Jo Walker-Meador, Greg Bates and
Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley & Dave Haywood.
The cavernous grand ballroom of the Music City Center glowed like a candle-lit cathedral. Tables were draped in ebony fabric with centerpieces of clustered red roses and white hydrangeas. The stage was flanked with white curtains that were lit in various hues throughout the presentations. A new/retro ASCAP logo was projected in honor of the impending 100th anniversary, which actually takes place on Feb. 13, 2014.
Schmoozing among the tables as we took our seats were
Jon Randall Stewart, John Esposito, John Huie, John Grady, John Briggs, Michael Knox, Mike Sebastian, Mike Vaden, Mike Hollandsworth, ASCAP award winner
Mark Bright, Mark Wright, Mark Ford, Mark D. Sanders, Eddie DeGarmo, Eddie Bayers & Lane Brody, Robert Ellis Orrall, Rob Beckham, Bob Reagan, Dave Pomeroy, David Corlew, Pat Finch, Patrick Clifford, Doug Johnson, Doug Casmus, Dan Hill, Dan Keen and
Dan Harrell.
The first course was baby mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, candied pecans, carrot strips and dried cranberries drizzled with tarragon vinaigrette. The main course was beef tenderloin, grilled shrimp, steamed green beans and polenta au gratin casserole squares. Dessert was Neopolitan mousse with white-chocolate discs topped by raspberry syrup. Not only is the Music City Center catering kitchen excellent, the wait staff was wonderfully attentive.
Garth Brooks honors George Strait at the ASCAP Country Awards in Nashville. Photos by: Ed Rode and Frederick Breedon.
and
Hank Adam Locklin dined and dished.
Looks we liked included
Lisa Harless in a clingy, floor-length, magenta gown.
Melanie Howard had on a tux jacket, knotted pearls, a lace-trimmed blouse and high boots.
Hope Fisher glided by, escorted by hubby
Pete Fisher, and looking stunning in a black gown with a lace top, rusched-fabric hips and a train.
Craig Wiseman wore a floral shirt – what else is new?
Mega-talent
Gretchen Peters was in a gray velvet jacket over a peach-hued blouse with shiny embroidery. Her Planned Parenthood benefit, co-starring K.T. Oslin, is at the Rutledge on Thursday.
Liz Hengber was as cute as a pixie in her glittering gold brocade top over black tights and booties.
Terri Walker, accompanied by
Jeff Walker, was in a fabulous silver-and-black sequined evening jacket.
Georgia Middleman wore black lace over an alabaster gown.
“This is always how I spend my birthday, with my closest friends and George Strait,” quipped
Tinti Moffatt.
ASCAP’s guest list for her included
Clay Myers, Randy Wachtler, Ralph Murphy, Tom Long, Tom Roland, Tim Hunze, Lisa Konicki, Kerry O’Neil, Rusty Jones, Blake Chancey, Steve Buchanan, Kevin Lamb, B.J. Hill, Bill Denny, Robin Palmer, Celia Froelig, Kos Weaver, Frank Rogers and, oh heck, everybody you’ve ever met in the music business.
On stage, ASCAP songwriter
Pat Alger gave a shout-out to the organization and the other industry institutions and individuals who donated the funds to create The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame’s gallery, stairway of songwriter hits and songwriter square at the Music City Center.
At various times, our hosts-with-the-mosts at the podium were
LeAnn Phelan & Michael Martin, Paul Williams, Mike Sistad, John Titta and other ASCAP honchos. The bottom line is, those folks really know how to stage a gala.
All photos by Ed Rode and Frederick Breedon.
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Robinson Promoted To Executive Director at Johnny Cash Museum
/by Jessica NicholsonSydney Robinson
The Johnny Cash Museum‘s founder Bill Miller has announced that Sydney Robinson, formerly Director of Museum Marketing and Social Media, has been promoted to Executive Director of Business Development and Marketing for the museum.
“During her tenure with us, Sydney has proven to be a dynamo in reaching out and helping the museum enter into crucial and important strategic business alliances with a variety of partnerships which strengthen all areas of our operations,” says Miller. “She has passionately embraced the vision I have shaped for the organization, and I am confident that I could not have made a better choice than her to oversee and execute in these critical areas.”
Robinson’s duties will include building visitor counts to the museum through a variety of initiatives, developing revenue streams through ancillary uses of the museum’s facilities, overseeing sponsorship outreach, creating marketing and advertising strategies and working with the museum’s public relations firm, PLA Media. Robinson reports directly to museum founder Miller.
Bobby Karl Works The ASCAP Country Awards
/by Bobby KarlBOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 440
Pictured (L-R): ASCAP President Paul Williams and ASCAP Songwriter of the Year Josh Kear. Photo: Ed Rode and Frederick Breedon.
This year’s 51st ASCAP Country Awards marked the kick-off of the 100th anniversary of America’s first performance-rights organization, and what a night it was.
The gala, staged at the Music City Center on Monday (Nov. 4), had it all – glamor, cuisine, live music, fashion, fellowship, emotion, décor and stars. Chief among the last named was George Strait, who was given the prestigious ASCAP Founder’s Award. What’s more, stars Alan Jackson, Lee Ann Womack and Garth Brooks saluted him in song.
“I never dreamed I would ever have a night like this,” said King George. “Amazing. One hundred years is a long time,” he said with a chuckle, referring to ASCAP’s anniversary. “That’s about when I signed with ASCAP. I just wanna say, I’m totally honored by this. What great songwriters you are. Thank you so much for sending all those songs all those years. A good song always sticks with you.”
He should know. Strait has had 60 No. 1 hits, more than anybody else in country music. He’s also in the Country Music Hall of Fame, yet is still nominated as a CMA Entertainer of the Year this year. Oh, and he is a real Country artist.
Other songwriting celebs who earned awards at the banquet included Dierks Bentley, Angaleena Presley, Jessi Alexander, Tom Gossin of Gloriana, Brad Paisley and David Lee Murphy.
Josh Kear was announced as ASCAP’s 2013 Country Songwriter of the Year. Throughout his acceptance speech, Josh paused to gain control over his emotions. He was sweetly moving as he thanked his cowriters, the publishers who’ve supported him, his parents and his wife and daughter.
“I wrote my first song when I was 13,” said Josh. “I’m 39 now. I’ve been writing songs basically every day since then. By the time I was 16 and knew what ASCAP was, this is what I wanted,” he added, referring to his award. He choked up, then apologized. “Sorry – This is kind of unbelievable….I’m overwhelmed.”
George Strait and ASCAP’s Paul Williams
Josh and collaborator Chris Tompkins co-wrote “Drunk On You,” which tied for Country Song of the Year. Singer Luke Bryan showed up to congratulate them. The other Song of the Year was Neil Thrasher’s “How Country Feels.” Its singer, Randy Houser, was also in the house. Warner-Chappell Music was ASCAP’s country Publisher of the Year.
The gala was sprinkled with music. The sensationally gifted Brandy Clark began the banquet with a bluesy and soulful “Get High,” accompanied by acoustic pickers. The song can be found on her outstanding 12 Stories CD.
The top five ASCAP country songs of the year were all performed. Each was introduced by an up-and-coming artist. Brothers Osborne presented Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins singing “Drunk on You.” Dan & Shay introduced Randy Houser, Wendell Mobley & Neil Thrasher performing “How Country Feels.” Leah Turner introduced Shane McAnally singing “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.” Cassadee Pope presented Eric Paslay, whose version of “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” got a standing ovation. Raelynn introduced Gloriana & Josh Kear doing “(Kissed You) Good Night.”
Taking the stage at various times to collect ASCAP honors were Ashley Gorley, Ben Glover, Ben Hayslip, Chris DeStefano, Chris DuBois, Chris Farren, Trevor Rosen, Hillary Lindsey and Jeremy Stover, among others. Applauding heartily were Brett James, Casey James, Allen Shamblin, Fred Knobloch, Wayland Holyfield, Desmond Child, Alyssa Bonagura, Jay DeMarcus & Joe Don Rooney of Rascal Flatts, Rivers Rutherford, Mayor Karl Dean, Buddy Cannon, Jo Walker-Meador, Greg Bates and Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley & Dave Haywood.
The cavernous grand ballroom of the Music City Center glowed like a candle-lit cathedral. Tables were draped in ebony fabric with centerpieces of clustered red roses and white hydrangeas. The stage was flanked with white curtains that were lit in various hues throughout the presentations. A new/retro ASCAP logo was projected in honor of the impending 100th anniversary, which actually takes place on Feb. 13, 2014.
Schmoozing among the tables as we took our seats were Jon Randall Stewart, John Esposito, John Huie, John Grady, John Briggs, Michael Knox, Mike Sebastian, Mike Vaden, Mike Hollandsworth, ASCAP award winner Mark Bright, Mark Wright, Mark Ford, Mark D. Sanders, Eddie DeGarmo, Eddie Bayers & Lane Brody, Robert Ellis Orrall, Rob Beckham, Bob Reagan, Dave Pomeroy, David Corlew, Pat Finch, Patrick Clifford, Doug Johnson, Doug Casmus, Dan Hill, Dan Keen and Dan Harrell.
The first course was baby mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, candied pecans, carrot strips and dried cranberries drizzled with tarragon vinaigrette. The main course was beef tenderloin, grilled shrimp, steamed green beans and polenta au gratin casserole squares. Dessert was Neopolitan mousse with white-chocolate discs topped by raspberry syrup. Not only is the Music City Center catering kitchen excellent, the wait staff was wonderfully attentive.
Garth Brooks honors George Strait at the ASCAP Country Awards in Nashville. Photos by: Ed Rode and Frederick Breedon.
Earle Simmons, Alison DeMarcus, Sherod Robertson, Teresa George, James Dean Hicks, Susan Meyers, Andrew Kintz, Jewel Coburn, Chris Oglesby, Barry Coburn, Becky Harris, Ron Stuve, Diane Pearson, Garth Fundis, Capucine Monk, Woody Bomar, Debbie Carroll and Hank Adam Locklin dined and dished.
Looks we liked included Lisa Harless in a clingy, floor-length, magenta gown. Melanie Howard had on a tux jacket, knotted pearls, a lace-trimmed blouse and high boots. Hope Fisher glided by, escorted by hubby Pete Fisher, and looking stunning in a black gown with a lace top, rusched-fabric hips and a train. Craig Wiseman wore a floral shirt – what else is new?
Mega-talent Gretchen Peters was in a gray velvet jacket over a peach-hued blouse with shiny embroidery. Her Planned Parenthood benefit, co-starring K.T. Oslin, is at the Rutledge on Thursday.
Liz Hengber was as cute as a pixie in her glittering gold brocade top over black tights and booties. Terri Walker, accompanied by Jeff Walker, was in a fabulous silver-and-black sequined evening jacket. Georgia Middleman wore black lace over an alabaster gown.
“This is always how I spend my birthday, with my closest friends and George Strait,” quipped Tinti Moffatt.
ASCAP’s guest list for her included Clay Myers, Randy Wachtler, Ralph Murphy, Tom Long, Tom Roland, Tim Hunze, Lisa Konicki, Kerry O’Neil, Rusty Jones, Blake Chancey, Steve Buchanan, Kevin Lamb, B.J. Hill, Bill Denny, Robin Palmer, Celia Froelig, Kos Weaver, Frank Rogers and, oh heck, everybody you’ve ever met in the music business.
On stage, ASCAP songwriter Pat Alger gave a shout-out to the organization and the other industry institutions and individuals who donated the funds to create The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame’s gallery, stairway of songwriter hits and songwriter square at the Music City Center.
At various times, our hosts-with-the-mosts at the podium were LeAnn Phelan & Michael Martin, Paul Williams, Mike Sistad, John Titta and other ASCAP honchos. The bottom line is, those folks really know how to stage a gala.
All photos by Ed Rode and Frederick Breedon.
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CMT Expands 'Next Women of Country' with Nashville Event
/by Eric T. ParkerPictured (L-R, seated): Rachel Farley, Lauren Alaina, Danielle Bradbery, Ashley Monroe, Holly Williams; (L-R, standing): Kacey Musgraves, Jana Kramer, Angaleena Presley, Sarah Darling, Rose Falcon, Kristen Kelly, Sarah Zimmermann (Striking Matches), Cassadee Pope, Kelleigh Bannen. Photo: Rick Diamond/WireImage
CMT SVP Music Strategy Leslie Fram hosted an industry gathering for the network’s Next Women of Country franchise on Monday, Nov. 4 at The Farm House, a new restaurant in Nashville’s downtown Encore Building. First introduced in January 2013, the CMT franchise is dedicated to showcasing the new generation of signed and unsigned female artists across CMT platforms and at nextwomen.cmt.com.
Several music row executives, including Scott Borchetta (President and CEO, Big Machine Label Group), John Esposito (President and CEO, Warner Music Nashville), John Grady (President, I.R.S. Nashville) and Mike Dungan (Chairman and CEO, UMG Nashville) brought up-and-coming female artists for a one-song acoustic performance, including Danielle Bradbery, Ashley Monroe, Holly Williams and Lauren Alaina. Bradbery was announced as the newest addition to the CMT franchise, to include more than a dozen taped performances throughout the year on CMT, CMT Pure and CMT.com.
“Many of Country music’s most memorable voices belong to its strong women, and I’m honored to stand behind the rising stars like the talented ladies present today,” said Fram. “Signed and unsigned, these women are making their careers happen on their own terms, and CMT is proud to introduce them to a new generation of fans.”
Dungan highlighted three women on his roster, including Kacey Musgraves whose “astute observationalist” song lyrics helped earned her six CMA Award nominations this year; Kelleigh Bannen, who spent three weeks in a development deal before the label executive signed her to a full deal; and Alaina, saying, “I’d put her vocal up against any of the greatest singers in our genre.” Alaina performed “Same Day Different Bottle” after noting: “I’ve grown a lot as a person since I started writing songs three years ago after Idol.”
Grady, who runs double duty at Crush Management, introduced Monroe after mentioning, “I would be the antithesis of Dungan’s ‘astute observationalist.’ I’ve been told it’s near impossible to break females, and my roster includes [Kristen Kelly, Monroe and Striking Matches].” Monroe performed her Warner album’s title-track “Like A Rose.” “We have an album that pushes the boundaries,” said Esposito of Monroe’s Vince Gill-produced album. “Leslie [Fram] changed the game for us.” The Warner executive cited the “profound” impact CMT has made on the careers of Jana Kramer and Sheryl Crow.
Holly Williams, now managed by Fusion’s Daniel Miller, performed her title-track “The Highway” with her musician husband Chris Coleman. “Holly makes her own videos,” said Fram. “CMT will soon premiere a video for ‘The Highway.'”
Borchetta, who was a part of CMT’s first docu-series with Cassadee Pope, said, “I’ve never been afraid to take on the dragons of breaking a female artist.” The executive who helped launch the careers of Reba and Trisha encouraged the ladies to be strong, loud, and true to themselves. With Pope in the audience, Bradbery performed “Heart of Dixie” on behalf of the Big Machine Label Group.
Also in attendance were Sarah Darling, Angaleena Presley, Rachel Farley, Musgraves, Bannen, Kramer, Rose Falcon, and Sarah Zimmermann (Striking Matches).
CMT’s current video playlist is nearly half female, with a handful of emerging artists from the Next Women of Country franchise including Brandy Clark, who will be featured as part of its upcoming Listen Up series, that showcases artists on the verge of breaking out.
Elizabeth Lyons – #PartyRules
/by contributorLyons released two brand new singles this summer “Jeep!,” a fun, feel-good cool track anyone who loves Jeeps is sure to love she co-wrote with producer Matt Nolen former keyboard player for John Fogerty and “#PartyRules,” co-written with Dan Swinimer. Both songs loved & purchased by fans which was shown by the two singles both charting on iTunes right along with many label driven singles. Lyons’ work hard-play hard motto and love of life shine through on the new tracks. Multi-talented she plays both piano and guitar in her performances differentiating her from many of her country female counterparts.
“Jeep!” and “#PartyRules” are the anticipated follow-ups to Lyons’ highly successful self-titled EP (all six songs co-written by Lyons), which was released in November 2012. The debut EP was an All-Time Best Seller under $8 on iTunes and continues to remain on the National iTunes Albums chart. The EP charted at #42 on the National Country Album iTunes chart in less than 24 hours and remained in the top 200 for a week, and on December 6, 2012, the EP debuted as #10 on Billboard’s Heatseekers East North Central chart.
Lyons’ debut single, “Everything Tonight,” which she co-wrote in 2012 with producer Matt Nolen and Grammy-nominated songwriter Ryan Tyndell, charted #96 on the MusicRow chart also on iTunes. The video for the track, which was directed by Mason Dixon, (who produced Jake Owen’s “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” and “The One That Got Away,”) charted at #8 on iTunes Top Country Music Videos chart and #18 on iTunes Top Videos chart for all genres. “Everything Tonight” has been played on Sirius XM Channel 56 The Highway On the Horizon. Featured as a Top 30 song of the week. Lyons has sold over 75,000 downloads of her music online to date and has had over 8,000 streams on Sound Cloud, which is impressive for an indie artist! While an amazing singer/songwriter/artist she has shown her smart entrepreneurial business side that effectively knows how to market her music and ultimately sell records. She is the full package: a true emerging leader in the music industry. Most importantly, loves and connects to her fans.
Nekst.biz To Debut Top 60 Country Songwriter Chart
/by Jessica NicholsonThe weekly chart will rank Country songwriters based on a proprietary algorithm that draws upon airplay, digital track sales and streaming. The Top 60 Country Songwriter chart will also incorporate a social media function that enables the posting and sharing of each writer’s chart position across various social media outlets.
Total weekly points earned by each song will be evenly split by its number of co-writers.
“When we envisioned NEKST,” says HitShop President Skip Bishop, “we wanted to create an information source that would be of value to the industry. Publishing is the bedrock of Nashville’s music industry so when the idea of a songwriter chart surfaced, we jumped on it immediately.”
HitShop’s digital department head Tim Gerst assembled a team of designers and programmers to create the software and presentation for the new chart. “We wanted this to reflect the evolving nature of our industry,” says Gerst. “So it was essential to factor streaming and track sales into the formula.”
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Gets Country Music Lineup
/by Jessica NicholsonTo kick off the holiday season, more than 8,000 participants will march through the streets of Manhattan at the sound of the time-honored words “Let’s Have a Parade(TM).” Against a backdrop of more than 3.5 million spectators and more than 50 million viewers nationwide, the parade’s signature elements, including its giant balloons, floats of fantasy, performers and the one-and-only Santa Claus, will ring in the holiday season with unrivaled celebration.
Also joining the festivities this year are the Big Apple Circus, Kristin Chenoweth, Cherokee National Youth Choir, Chica and the gang from Sprout, Cirque du Soleil(R), Gavin DeGraw, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots with thecast of Sesame Street, Fifth Harmony, Goo Goo Dolls, Ariana Grande, Jack Hannah, Megan Hilty, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings, Sandra Lee, Cher Lloyd, Austin Mahone, Mannheim Steamroller, Miss America 2014 Nina Davuluri, NFL legends Bart Oates, Amani Toomer and Hines Ward, NHL legends Cam Neely and Mike Richter, Debby Ryan, Richard Simmons, and The Summer Set.
Enhancing the Parade’s signature entertainment will be the Radio City Rockettes(R) helping to kick-off the holidays, along with performances from Broadway’s best musicals including Matilda, Motown: The Musical, and more.
“For millions of families each year, Thanksgiving Day isn’t complete without tuning in to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Doug Vaughan, Executive VP, Special Programs and Late Night, NBC Entertainment. “We are thrilled to once again broadcast this national celebration to kick off the holiday season.”
This year the line-up features 15 giant character balloons; 37 large scale novelty/ornament balloons, balloonicles, balloonheads and trycaloons; 30 floats; 1,600 cheerleaders and dancers; 900 clowns; 11 marching bands; and a host of celebrity performers.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade begins Thursday, Nov. 28 at 9 a.m. (all time zones).
ASCAP Kicks Off 100-Year Birthday Celebration
/by Lorie HollabaughASCAP’s 1914 Charter Members
ASCAP is celebrating its 100th birthday and marking the amazing milestone by launching an interactive “100 Years, 100 Days” website today (Tuesday, Nov. 5), celebrating the organization’s rich musical history. The site, ascap100.com, includes a timeline of the performing rights organization’s history, and each day leading up to ASCAP’s birthday during the campaign a new year will be unveiled with a bevy of photos, facts, and milestones that happened during that timeframe. A Spotify embed of an important song or musical work and the modern day impact of ASCAP’s historic achievements is also included for each year.
The site will also debut a short Michael Marantz-directed film, Why We Create Music, that provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process of songwriters and composers as they collaborate on an original score. Amy Grant, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood, Bill Withers, and Ne-Yo are just a few of the ASCAP members interviewed for the new film.
“Since ASCAP is its songwriter, composer and music publisher members, this is an exciting opportunity to honor and thank the men and women whose music has moved the world for 100 years,” said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams. “ASCAP’s story began with a group of visionary leaders coming together to build a sustainable future for music creators and music lovers alike. The ASCAP100 site shows how our unwavering commitment to that mission is as strong today as it has been throughout our incredible history.”
Bentley's “Miles & Music For Kids” Raises Money For Children’s Hospital
/by Michael_SmithDierks Bentley
On Sunday, Oct. 3, Dierks Bentley held his successful “Miles & Music For Kids” in downtown Nashville. Thousands attended the singer’s post-ride concert, which helped raise over $307,000 for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
“Every year, the support from the fans for these events catches me off-guard,” said Bentley. “I shouldn’t be surprised because the country music community is the first to open their wallets to help out, but this year they were lined up before the sun was even up. I have my buddies Luke Bryan, Jake Owen, Easton Corbin, Brett Eldredge, Chase Rice and Storme Warren to thank for spending their Sunday afternoon with us and making it the best year yet!”
Bentley’s event has visited seven cities across the U.S. and raised more than $2.5 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in the event’s eight-year history.
For more information, visit dierks.com.
Royalty Exchange Opens Nashville Office
/by Jessica NicholsonSullivan, who joins Royalty Exchange as VP of East Coast Sales and Acquisitions, began his industry career as a musician and producer. Sullivan then started and ran entrepreneurial ventures from Nashville to L.A., including two music publishing companies. He also launched college rock label Carlyle Records in Nashville and Amsterdam, and was in-house producer and studio manager for Sixteenth Avenue Sound.
“I am very excited to be a part of the visionary team at Royalty Exchange,” said Sullivan. “This opportunity will allow me to provide a very safe, transparent new funding source to our creative community as well as all royalty stream holders across a wide spectrum of sources, helping them strengthen their current businesses, launch new ventures or simply take care of their families.”
In 1997, Sullivan co-founded the online start-up Tappedinto.com, which became Streamlogics, dealing in webcasting and streaming video. Sullivan led global business development for the company which resulted in a profitable sale in 2009 to Thomson Reuters. He was most recently Sr. Director at Nashville-based Global Eyes Entertainment.
“We are very lucky to add Preston Sullivan to the Royalty Exchange team,” said Sean Peace, Royalty Exchange founder and CEO. “His remarkable range of experience will be invaluable to our company, our clients, and our future development.”
The Nashville office can be reached at 615-405-3103 or preston@royaltyexchange.com.
Rosen Re-Signs Publishing Deal
/by Jessica NicholsonTrevor Rosen
Wrensong and Reynsong, along with partner Smacktown Music (Shane McAnally), has re-signed songwriter Trevor Rosen.
Rosen’s hit songs include “Better Dig Two” (The Band Perry), “Neon” (Chris Young) and “Fade Into You” (ABC’s Nashville). Rosen won an NSAI “Songs I Wish I Had Written” honor for “Better Dig Two,” as well as five American Country Awards nominations for the tune.
He has cuts in 2013 on albums by Jake Owen, Dierks Bentley, Scotty McCreery, Craig Morgan and Randy Rogers Band.