Bandit Records To Release George Jones Gospel Collection

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georgejones_amazinggrace_cov1Bandit Records is set to release George Jones – Amazing Grace on Sept. 10, two days before what would have been Jones’ 82nd birthday. Jones, a partner in Bandit Records, recorded the gospel songs with producer Billy Sherrill in 2002 with the exception of one track, “Great Judgment Morning,” which was produced by Brian Ahern in 1994.
The songs produced by Sherrill are from the final studio sessions between Jones and Sherrill. It also marks Jones’ first entire Gospel project.
“Great Judgment Morning” was recorded during a session for his 1994 album The Bradley Barn Sessions. Assembled that day were friends such as Waylon Jennings, Jessi Colter, Travis Tritt, Ricky Skaggs, Marty Stuart and Connie Smith who all added their vocals to the gospel favorite. Jones’ rendition of the classic hymn “Amazing Grace” was used during the video/bio segment of his Kennedy Center Honors Induction in 2008.
Jones passed away on April 26, 2013 surrounded by family and friends.

MCA Releases Gill & Franklin’s 'Bakersfield,' Announces Website, Tour

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bakersfield album11With today’s (July 30) release of Vince Gill and Paul Franklin’s album Bakersfield, a 2013 tour has been announced in addition to an interactive promotional website for the MCA Nashville project: roadtobakersfield.com.
Updated weekly, the newly created website is designed to draw fans into the Bakersfield milieu with music and videos from Gill, a Country Music Hall of Famer, and Franklin, a 19-time recipient of MusicRow’s steel guitar musician award. Additionally, users are able to upload, decorate, and share photos with period garb from either Owens’ band, the Buckaroos, or Haggard’s band, the Strangers.
Gill and Franklin’s full-band tour is set between August to November, with an obligatory Bakersfield, Calif. stop on Oct. 25. Full dates listed below.
Gill and Franklin cover five songs from each artist, paying homage to their distinctive West Coast honky-tonk sound. Order your copy here.
Meanwhile, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Bakersfield Sound exhibit is scheduled to run through the end of 2013 in Nashville.
Gill and Franklin’s Bakersfield Tour:
Aug. 8                         Niagara Falls ON
Aug. 9                          Malone, NY
Aug. 10                        Cohasset, MA
Aug. 11                        Westhampton Beach, NY
Aug. 22                        Halifax, NS
Aug. 23                       Moncton, NB
Aug. 24                        Moncton, NB
Aug. 25                        Sydney, NS
Aug. 27                        Kingston, ONT
Aug. 28                        Syracuse, N.Y.
Sept. 6                         Springfield, Ohio
Sept. 7                         Wisconsin Dells, Wis.
Sept. 8                         Kansas City, Mo.
Sept. 28                       Hillsdale, Mich.
Sept. 29                       Louisville, Ky.
Oct. 10                        Shippensburg, Pa.
Oct. 11                        Windsor, Ont.
Oct. 12                        Zanesville, Ohio
Oct. 20                       Niceville, Fla.
Oct. 24                        Mesa, Ariz.
Oct. 25                        Bakersfield, Calif.
Oct. 26                        Turlock, Calif.
Oct. 27                        Carmel, Calif.
Oct. 29                        Redding, Calif.
Oct. 30                        Santa Rosa, Calif.
Nov. 1                         Visalia, Calif.
Nov. 2                         Palm Desert, Calif.
Nov. 3                         Tucson, Ariz.

Song Factory Adds Six Writers

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song factory logoIndependent music publishing company Song Factory has signed six new songwriters to the roster, including Bart Butler, Dillon Carmichael, Olivia Rudeen, Nathan Christopher, Terry Lee Palmer and Larry McCoy.
Butler has produced several artists and has cuts by Kevin Fowler, Johnny Bush, Johnny Rodriquez, Clay Walker, Dierks Bentley, Mark Wills, Thomas Rhett and Jon Pardi.
Carmichael moved to Nashville in 2012 to pursue a career in music full-time. He is an accomplished artist and is the nephew of country music artists Eddie and John Michael Montgomery.
Colorado-born Rudeen recently graduated from The University of Denver with a degree in Music Industry Studies. She has shared the stage with a variety of acts including  DeVotchKa and American Idol winner Lee DeWyze.
Christopher is an artist from Canada who has written with Bobby Pinson, Kendell Marvel and Rivers Rutherford.
Houston-native Palmer attended both Middle Tennessee State University and Austin Peay State University for Music Studies. He has been playing guitar on the road with Capitol artist Jon Pardi since 2013 and recently signed a publishing co-venture with Pardi and the Song Factory.
McCoy moved to Nashville from Oklahoma in 1993 and landed a record deal with RCA a month later. After that deal ended he spent the next several years playing guitar for artists Brian White, Joe Diffie, Eddie Money and Ray Stevens. McCoy has cuts by Thomas Rhett, James Wesley and Ray Stevens.
Song Factory was established in 2008 as the shared vision of Jennifer Johnson and Jim Kaufman. For more information, visit songfactorymusic.com.

Big Machine Label Group Takes Over The Brickyard 400

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Big Machine Label Group showcased the talents of several artists on its star-studded roster at last weekend’s Brickyard 400 Presented by Big Machine Label Group race. Laura Bell Bundy, Justin Moore, Cassadee Pope and The Cadillac Three all performed during the event, held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Pope (winner of season 3 of NBC’s The Voice) performed the national anthem prior to the race. Bundy offered her rendition of “America The Beautiful,” in addition to a set of her own tunes, including her current single “Two Step.” Big Machine Music songwriter Dustin Lynch also performed a set of his hits, including “Cowboys and Angels.”

Justin Moore gets an enthusiastic crowd response during his performance at the Brickyard 400.

Justin Moore gets an enthusiastic crowd response during his performance at the Brickyard 400.


Laura Bell Bundy performs her single "Two Step" on the Brickfest stage.

Laura Bell Bundy performs her single “Two Step” on the Brickfest stage.


Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta, Cassadee Pope, and members of The Cadillac Three at the Brickyard 400.

Pictured (L-R): Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston, Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta, Cadillac Three’s Kelby Ray and Neil Mason, and Cassadee Pope.


Pictured (L-R):

Pictured (L-R): Cadillac Three’s Kelby Ray, Laura Bell Bundy, Justin Moore, Cassadee Pope, Cadillac Three’s Jaren Johnston and Neil Mason.


Big Machine Label Group artists and reps get ready to kiss the bricks.

Big Machine Label Group gets ready to kiss the bricks.


Pictured (L-R): Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta with Brickyard 400 winner Ryan Newman.

Pictured (L-R): Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta with Carl Edwards.

The Mavericks To Tape PBS Concert Special

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The Mavericks. Photo: Mark Tucker

The Mavericks. Photo: Mark Tucker


After spending 10 days touring in the UK, The Mavericks will visit Nashville to tape IN TIME Live, a concert event named after the group’s recent album In Time, for PBS. The taping is open to the public and will be held at Nashville’s Marathon Village on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. It will air on PBS in December.
Tickets are on sale for $20-$25 and can be purchased here.
After visiting Music City, The Mavericks will continue their tour in Canada.

Columbia Nashville Adds To Artist Roster

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Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Gary Overton, Columbia Nashville artist Leah Turner, Sony Music Nashville A&R exec Jim Catino. Photo Credit: Brian Kaplan

Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Gary Overton, Columbia Nashville artist Leah Turner, Sony Music Nashville A&R exec Jim Catino. Photo Credit: Brian Kaplan


Columbia Nashville has added 26-year-old singer-songwriter Leah Turner to the label’s artist roster.
The deal came as Turner’s official birthday wish, as Leah turned 26 yesterday (July 29). Currently writing and recording her debut album, Turner’s first single under Columbia Nashville will be her co-penned track “Take the Keys,” which is slated for an Oct. 7 radio release.
The single can be previewed here.

NPR's 'Song Travels' Features Chris Young

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chris young A.M1NPR‘s Song Travels has featured its first country artist. Chris Young took a recent musical journey with entertainer Michael Feinstein. Taped last year in Los Angeles, Young explores his musical past, present and future during the one-hour program, recounting how music and the art of songwriting have shaped his journey.
The program features performances of Young’s hits “You” and “Gettin’ You Home.” He also joins Feinstein for an impromptu performance of the 1960’s song “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.” A stream of the broadcast can be heard here.
Past guests on the program include Bette Midler, Liza Minelli, Mark O’Connor, and David Hyde Pierce.
Young’s fourth album, A.M., is available for pre-order today.

New Title For SESAC's Justin Levenson

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Justin Levenson

Justin Levenson


SESAC has promoted Justin Levenson to the position of Director, Licensing Operations. Levenson will be responsible for reviewing the productivity and efficiency of SESAC’s Licensing department utilizing systematic and measurable processes to ensure alignment with SESAC’s Organizational goals. Levenson, who has been with SESAC for over 12 years, previously served as Manager, Licensing Operations.
“Justin has proven himself to be a creative and valuable member of the Licensing department,” said Bill Lee, SESAC’s Senior Vice President, Licensing Operations. “There are many exciting new initiatives in the future and we are confident Justin’s contribution to SESAC’s continuing growth will be significant.”
Levenson is a Leadership Music alumnus and is on the Board of Directors for WO Smith Community Music School as well as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame Troubadour Society Advisory Board and Strategic Outreach Committee Chair. He is a Library of Congress Board Member and is currently President of the Nashville Emerging Leader program (NEL).

Clear Channel Communications Names President, CFO

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clear-channelCC Media Holdings, Inc. has added Richard J. Bressler as President and Chief Financial Officer of CC Media Holdings, Inc. and Clear Channel Communications, Inc., and Chief Financial Officer of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc., reporting to Chairman and CEO Robert Pittman, effective immediately.
Bressler has served as CFO of Time Warner and Viacom, and Managing Director at Thomas H. Lee Partners. As a member of Thomas H. Lee Partners, one of the two private equity firms that completed an acquisition of Clear Channel in 2008, Bressler has been Director of CC Media Holdings and Clear Channel Communications since then. He will continue to hold both positions and has been involved in the company as a member of the CC Media Holding board’s operating committee.
Bressler succeeds Tom Casey, who served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of CC Media Holdings, Inc., Clear Channel Communications and Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. from 2010.

APA Adds Agent

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Travis Wolfe

Travis Wolfe


Travis Wolfe has joined APA‘s Nashville headquarters as agent, according to Steve Lassiter, Senior Vice President/Partner of APA. Wolfe, who was formerly with Paradigm, will focus his efforts on the firm’s expanding corporate and special events division. Most recently, Wolfe was named one of the 2012 Emerging Talent Agent of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association (IEBA).
Prior to Paradigm, Wolfe began his career in artist management for Country artist Neal McCoy, while also owning a small production company specializing in college and festival events. He went on to work in sales at TBA Global, where he helped orchestrate and book talent for special event clients such as State Farm, Jackson Hewitt and Accenture.