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Randy Travis to Release “Greatest Hits” March 17

Warner Bros. Records is set to release a Randy Travis greatest hits album on March 17. I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis is a 32-track collection featuring two previously unreleased tracks and including the many hits of Travis’ extensive career, including “Forever and Ever Amen,” “Three Wooden Crosses,” and the album’s […]

Virgin Stores Shuttering Completely

Virgin Entertainment Group North America (VEGNA), owner of the Virgin Megastores as well as three other retail outlets, is expected to close this summer. The company has been working on shuttering its Virgin Megastores in New York City and San Francisco for months. Other retail spaces in Orlando, Denver and Los Angeles will follow soon, […]

Emerson Drive, Management Part Ways

MusicRow has learned that Canadian/Nashville-based band Emerson Drive has split ways with Big Ride Management. The act had been with Big Ride, headed by Gerry Leiske, for many years, including during its mega-No. 1-hit, “Moments” in 2007. Earlier this year, Emerson Drive, on Midas Records, joined forces with the Valory Music Co. The band’s new […]

Sugarland Sets Tour Dates Through Fall

Sugarland has scheduled more than 30 dates for its upcoming run, opening April 10 in hometown Atlanta. The 2009 leg of the duo’s successful Love On The Inside Tour is supporting its platinum-selling third album of the same name. Joining them on the road will be Mercury Nashville labelmate Billy Currington, RCA recording artist Jake […]

SESAC Celebrates Christian Award Winners

SESAC honored Jason Ingram as its 2008 Christian Songwriter of the Year during ceremonies held Monday (2/23) at Nashville’s Sambuca Restaurant. The performing rights organization also named Peertunes Ltd., Grange Hill Music, and Windsor Way Music as 2008 Christian Publishers of the Year. Ingram realized extraordinary success last year with his song “Give Me Your […]

GAC Web Series Highlights Randy Houser

This week GACTV.com premiered the first of its exclusive webisodes featuring Universal Records South’s Randy Houser. The 8-part weekly series, titled The Road Home, follows the rising artist during a trip to his homestate of Mississippi where he visits his old school, childhood home, and the nightclub where he got his start. New webisodes will […]

Gill Named Honorary Prof., Wraps Artist Residency

Vince Gill has had a busy week. On Tuesday night (2/24) he concluded his residency at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and on Wednesday he was recognized as an honorary professor by the College of Mass Communication at Middle Tennessee State University. The final night of his sold-out three-show stint as the Country Music […]

Parties Fete “Don’t” Songwriters

Many in the music industry spent Tuesday afternoon (2/24) celebrating Billy Currington’s recent No. 1 hit, “Don’t.” Parties at BMI and ASCAP marked the occasion for the song’s co-writers Jim Beavers and Jonathan Singleton. It is the pair’s second trip to the top of charts together; they also co-wrote Gary Allan’s “Watching Airplanes.”

Outsourcing Service Propel Music Opens

Longtime A&R executive Peter Robinson and former publishing executive Alex Heddle have opened Propel Music, which will offer creative outsourcing for music publishing companies, songwriters, and others in the music industry. The company currently provides song pitching and writer management for Jeff Cohen, Greg Crowe, Jenn Schott, Lila McCann and Evie Nicole. Robinson started his […]

Americana DISClaimer (2/25/09)

They may call this genre “Americana,” but the Disc of the Day comes from overseas this time. Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicholson have a current CD called Rattlin’ Bones that is a must-own for anyone in love with soulful, mountain-soaked music. My other two favorites in this listening session both came from veterans. It sure […]

Country DISClaimer (2/20/09)

All I have to say is, “wow.” I can’t remember the last time so many records deserved a Disc of the Day award. How to choose between Alan Jackson’s sweet/sad acoustic ballad, The Zac Brown Band’s groove-a-thon, Wynonna’s celestial performance, Love and Theft’s dizzy pop confection, Dierks Bentley’s party platter and Jefferson Ross’s brilliant songwriting? […]

Gershon To Head Warner/Chappell Nashville

Tracy Gershon has joined Warner/Chappell Music in the newly created position of Senior Vice President and Head of A&R, Nashville. After more than twenty years in the music business, she most recently spent three years as Vice President, A&R at Warner Bros. Records Nashville, working with artists including Big & Rich, Faith Hill, and Blake […]

New Procedures For Election to the Country Music Hall of Fame

Updated 2/27: From the CMA “We received several questions about the criteria for the Modern Era and Veterans Era categories from the original release that went out on 2/25/09. After consulting with the Chairman and Co-Chairman of the CMA Awards & Recognition Committee, we have corrected and updated these two paragraphs to what is written below.” […]

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