Warner/Chappell Music has signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with up-and-coming Canadian country singer/songwriter Aaron Goodvin. Goodvin’s first full length album, Brand New World, released in 2012, reached the iTunes Top 5 Canadian Country Charts and he has placed highly-anticipated upcoming cuts for Luke Bryan and Scotty McCreery.
Front Row: BJ Hill (WC), Noah McPike (Almon Law), Goodvin, Blain Rhodes (WC); Back Row: Alicia Pruitt (WC), Ben Vaughn (WC), Phil May (WC), Matt Michels (WC)
• • •
Darryl Worley
has signed
Darryl Worley for exclusive Booking Representation. Worley has topped the charts with singles including “I Miss My Friend,” “Awful, Beautiful Life” and “Have You Forgotten.”
• • •
“Larry’s Country Diner,” the popular down-home television show that airs on RFD-TV (as well as FamilyNet), has signed a deal with its newest corporate sponsor, Springer Mountain Farms. Georgia-based and family-owned Springer Mountain Farms was the first poultry producer to gain the endorsement of the American Humane Association for the implementation of an antibiotic-free and vegetarian diet for its livestock.
“Springer Mountain Farms is pleased to sponsor Larry’s Country Diner. The show embodies our core values and celebrates an era of great family-friendly entertainment,” said Springer Mountain’s President, Gus Arrendale.
Springer Mountain Farms joins current sponsors farm equipment manufacturer and supplier Tarter Farm & Ranch Equipment, PFI — America’s Western Store “Boot Daddy” and vintage-style radio and jukebox manufacturer Crosley.
Upcoming performances on “Larry’s Country Diner” include John Anderson (April 4), Dailey & Vincent (April 11), The Quebe Sisters (April 18) and Riders in the Sky with Wilford Brimley (April 25).
• • •
Finalists have been selected for the annual Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, hosted by MerleFest 2013. Now in its 21st year, the contest is an extraordinary opportunity for aspiring writers to have their original songs heard and judged by a panel of music industry professionals, under the direction of this year’s volunteer contest chairperson, Grammy®-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale. MerleFest 2013 takes place from April 25-28 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, N.C.
Writers of the following 12 songs, selected from over 700 entries, will compete on the Austin Stage in Alumni Hall at MerleFest on Friday, April 26, at 2 p.m.
Bluegrass
Aaron Burdett (Saluda, N.C.) – “Magpie”
John Cloyd Miller (Asheville, N.C.) – “Cloud of Dust”
Todd Grebe (Nashville, Tenn.) – “Master of My Destiny”
Gospel/Inspirational
Melody Walker (San Francisco, Calif.) – “Black Grace”
Lorraine Jordan (Garner, N.C.) – “Judgment Day”
Kelsi Robertson Harrigill (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) – “Just Any Moment”
Country
Daniel Davis (Bristol, Va.) – “Homesick”
Eliot Bronson (Atlanta, Ga.) – “Sad Town”
Michaela Anne Miller (Brooklyn, N.Y.) – “Lift Me Up”
General
Ryan Tanner (Nashville, Tenn.) – “Days to Think of You”
Justin Wade Tam (Nashville, Tenn.) – “Cold Chicago”
Ben Roberts (Nashville, Tenn.)- “Gold ”
Each of the 12 finalists will enjoy admission and lodging for three nights at MerleFest, and will receive a mentoring session with Jim Lauderdale. In addition, the first place winners will receive a performance slot on the Cabin Stage on Friday of the festival.Distinguished songwriters Matraca Berg, Lynda Dawson and Chris Smither will be among the judges that determine this year’s winners.
Net proceeds from the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest help support the Wilkes Community College Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship. Since its inception the scholarship has awarded over $36,000 to 75 deserving students.
Joey+Rory Partner with Kraft Foods
/by Jessica NicholsonPhoto credit: Nick Salter
Joey+Rory has partnered with Kraft Foods for a number of events this year, including sponsorship of the ACM Awards and involvement in Walmart’s Fighting Hunger Together initiative.
Leading up to the 48th Annual ACM Awards, Kraft will sponsor the ACM Expo (April 5-7, 2013) at The Orleans Hotel and Casino as part of the Academy of Country Music’s “The Week Vegas Goes Country” events. Joey+Rory will visit the Kraft booth on Saturday, April 4 from 4 – 5 p.m. to sign autographs and debut “Enough,” an exclusive song they wrote for the Fighting Hunger Together initiative.
Fans can also visit the Kraft booth for a chance to win special giveaways, including a VIP trip for two to Nashville. This special vacation package includes a three-night hotel stay, breakfast or lunch at Joey + Rory’s restaurant, Marcy Jo’s Mealhouse, and a backstage pass to several landmark Nashville attractions including the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, among others.
Kraft will also serve as title sponsor of the ACM Kraft Country Kitchen (the food area at the ACM Expo), where the company will sample Kraft products and inform consumers about their work with Feeding America and the Walmart Fighting Hunger Together initiative.
Iconic Kraft brand characters Mr. Peanut and Kool-Aid Man, will join the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile in an appearance at the ACM Expo and the ACM Kraft Country Kitchen.
The duo is committed to the Kraft campaign and partnership with Walmart’s Fighting Hunger Together initiative. The couple will also work with Kraft beyond ACM week events. Future events include cooking demos from Marcy Jo’s Mealhouse (Joey’s restaurant outside Nashville – visit marcyjos.com for more information) that will air on BetterTV. Joey will shoot a grilling theme “cooking demo” in late April in Eagle Rock, Mo. for Better Homes and Gardens, Kraft and Weber Grills.
Industry Ink (4-2-13)
/by Jessica NicholsonWarner/Chappell Music has signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with up-and-coming Canadian country singer/songwriter Aaron Goodvin. Goodvin’s first full length album, Brand New World, released in 2012, reached the iTunes Top 5 Canadian Country Charts and he has placed highly-anticipated upcoming cuts for Luke Bryan and Scotty McCreery.
Front Row: BJ Hill (WC), Noah McPike (Almon Law), Goodvin, Blain Rhodes (WC); Back Row: Alicia Pruitt (WC), Ben Vaughn (WC), Phil May (WC), Matt Michels (WC)
• • •
Darryl Worley
The Bobby Roberts Company has signed Darryl Worley for exclusive Booking Representation. Worley has topped the charts with singles including “I Miss My Friend,” “Awful, Beautiful Life” and “Have You Forgotten.”
• • •
“Springer Mountain Farms is pleased to sponsor Larry’s Country Diner. The show embodies our core values and celebrates an era of great family-friendly entertainment,” said Springer Mountain’s President, Gus Arrendale.
Springer Mountain Farms joins current sponsors farm equipment manufacturer and supplier Tarter Farm & Ranch Equipment, PFI — America’s Western Store “Boot Daddy” and vintage-style radio and jukebox manufacturer Crosley.
Upcoming performances on “Larry’s Country Diner” include John Anderson (April 4), Dailey & Vincent (April 11), The Quebe Sisters (April 18) and Riders in the Sky with Wilford Brimley (April 25).
• • •
Writers of the following 12 songs, selected from over 700 entries, will compete on the Austin Stage in Alumni Hall at MerleFest on Friday, April 26, at 2 p.m.
Bluegrass
Aaron Burdett (Saluda, N.C.) – “Magpie”
John Cloyd Miller (Asheville, N.C.) – “Cloud of Dust”
Todd Grebe (Nashville, Tenn.) – “Master of My Destiny”
Gospel/Inspirational
Melody Walker (San Francisco, Calif.) – “Black Grace”
Lorraine Jordan (Garner, N.C.) – “Judgment Day”
Kelsi Robertson Harrigill (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) – “Just Any Moment”
Country
Daniel Davis (Bristol, Va.) – “Homesick”
Eliot Bronson (Atlanta, Ga.) – “Sad Town”
Michaela Anne Miller (Brooklyn, N.Y.) – “Lift Me Up”
General
Ryan Tanner (Nashville, Tenn.) – “Days to Think of You”
Justin Wade Tam (Nashville, Tenn.) – “Cold Chicago”
Ben Roberts (Nashville, Tenn.)- “Gold ”
Each of the 12 finalists will enjoy admission and lodging for three nights at MerleFest, and will receive a mentoring session with Jim Lauderdale. In addition, the first place winners will receive a performance slot on the Cabin Stage on Friday of the festival.Distinguished songwriters Matraca Berg, Lynda Dawson and Chris Smither will be among the judges that determine this year’s winners.
Net proceeds from the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest help support the Wilkes Community College Chris Austin Memorial Scholarship. Since its inception the scholarship has awarded over $36,000 to 75 deserving students.
Kacey Musgraves On 'CBS Sunday Morning'
/by Sarah SkatesPhotographer Credit: Kelly Christine Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves will be the subject of a profile this week on CBS Sunday Morning. The venerable show followed the 24-year-old singer/songwriter to locations in Nashville and her home state Texas for the segment.
The episode will air April 7, the same day Musgraves will attend the Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, where she is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and Video of the Year.
On April 10 Musgraves will perform the television debut of next single “Blowin’ Smoke” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. (Check local listings for time and network).
Written by Musgraves, Shane McAnally and Luke Laird, “Blowin’ Smoke” is the follow up to her top 10 hit “Merry Go ‘Round.”
Mercury Nashville released her critically lauded debut album Same Trailer Different Park on March 19. It entered at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart with over 43,000 units sold. She is the first solo female artist in five years to accomplish this feat with a debut release.
Musgraves is currently on the road with Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Nation stadium tour.
New West Records Partners With Alternative Distribution Alliance
/by Jessica NicholsonADA will now provide exclusive digital and physical distribution services in the US for all releases from the label’s roster of artists. Forthcoming releases include The Low Highway from Steve Earle & The Dukes (and Duchesses) and Patty Griffin’s American Kid. New West Records has been distributed by ADA worldwide (with the exception of the U.S. and Canada) since 2011.
George Fontaine, President and CEO of New West Records, said, “ADA is well-regarded throughout the music industry for its ability to deliver above-and-beyond results for independent labels. We take pride in the immense talent of our roster and look forward to providing them further opportunities to expand their offerings through this partnership with ADA.”
“New West Records is one of the revered independent record labels out there,” added Ari Taitz, Sr. VP, Independent Distribution and Strategic Development, WEA and ADA. “It’s a dynamic label with an unwavering long-term commitment to nurturing legendary artists and discovering the best new talent in indie rock, country and folk music. New West is home to one of the most enviable rosters in all of music, and we look forward to working with them to develop their success even further.”
“From John Hiatt and Richard Thompson to The Whigs and Tom Morello–all of us at ADA are enormous fans of New West’s releases,” said David Orleans, President, ADA. “George Fontaine and his team consistently discover and deliver some of the greatest music in the world, and have been at it for two decades now. It’s a great honor to be working with a label of this caliber.”
Cal IV Entertainment Adds Creative Manager
/by Jessica NicholsonCarrie Gallo
Cal IV Entertainment has added Carrie Gallo to its staff as Creative Manager. Gallo is responsible for pitching the songs of current Cal IV writers, Dylan Altman, Jim Collins, Rose Falcon and Eric Paslay, as well as the extensive back catalog. Gallo was formerly creative director at Zavitson Music Group, and is a graduate of Belmont University.
Cal IV Entertainment is a successful independent music publishing, production, and artist management company. Founded in 1998, the Cal IV catalog features 23 No. 1 copyrights, numerous Top 10 singles, and multiple GRAMMY, CMA and ACM Awards nominations.
Gallo can be reached at 615-321-2700 or at carrie.gallo@cal4.com.
Boots and Hearts Music Festival Adds Fourth Night, Performers
/by Caitlin RantalaThe kick off party will take place Thursday night with a performance from Emerson Drive and Hicks. Organizers want to ensure fans know that this fourth night is included free of charge for anyone that has purchased a three-day general admission ticket. Although the full schedule has yet to be released, Republic Live has confirmed that Jason Aldean and Dean Brody will be performing on Friday, Rascal Flatts and The Band Perry on Saturday and Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley on Sunday.
Ticket prices will remain at $229.99 exclusively at www.bootsandhearts.com and day tickets will not be released as planned, while Republic Live continues to work with the municipality, venue, and local officials to secure additional camping options.
“We’re constantly analyzing ways we can make Boots and Hearts an even better experience,” said Shannon McNevan, Managing Director, Partner, Republic Live. “It only took one stroll through the campgrounds last year on Thursday night to realize we had a large portion of our fan base that had four nights of party in them.”
Mark Your Calendar–April 2013
/by Eric T. ParkerEric Paslay
Single Releases
April 1
Casey James/The Good Life/19-BNA
Kacey Musgraves/Blowin’ Smoke/Mercury
Lucas Hoge/Should’ve Loved/WeBlast-Animal House
Lisa Torres/Get A Little Lonesome/Render
Angela Hesse/Which One of You Boys/Ash Records
Shanna Strassberg/Has Anybody Seen My Heart?/UnStuck Records
April 8
Pistol Annies/Hush Hush/RCA Nashville
Little Big Town/Your Side of the Bed/Capitol Nashville
Lisa Torres/Get A Little Lonesome/Render
April 15
Carrie Underwood/See You Again/19-Arista
Hayden Panettiere/Hypnotizing/Big Machine
Rachel Holder/Five Days/Curb
Chris Cagle/Dance Baby Dance/BPG
Casey Donahew Band/Whiskey Baby/Almost Country Entertainment
April 22
Jared Ashley/Last Train to Memphis/Blaster
Eric Paslay/Friday Night/EMI Nashville
April 25
Steve Richard/Keep On Rollin’/Force MP
April 29
IMAJ/Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner/Triomphe Records
April 1-6
Tin Pan South
April 3
AIMP’s “Music in Film and TV – What works, what doesn’t and the latest trends in placing music” at Cabana
April 5
NARM, presented at Belmont University from digitalmusic.org, Belmont and The Copyright Forum
April 5-7
The ACM Experience
April 6
ACM Lifting Lives Celebrity Golf Classic at TPC Las Vegas
April 7
48th Annual ACM Awards from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.
April 9
Nashville Symphony Spring Fashion Show at Schermerhorn Symphony Center
April 16
We’re All for the Hall, at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena
April 15-21
Juno week in Regina and Moose Jaw
April 18-25
Nashville Film Festival at Regal Green Hills Cinema
April 21
2013 Juno Awards broadcast live from Regina’s Brandt Centre on CTV
April 27
St. Jude Country Music Marathon & ½ Marathon
April 2
The Band Perry/Pioneer/Republic Nashville
Gretchen Wilson/Right On Time/Redneck Records
April 9
Brad Paisley/Wheelhouse/Sony Nashville [Interactive book and Cracker Barrel special edition CD released simultaneously]
Eric Church/Caught In The Act: Live/EMI Records
Paul Anka/Duets/Legacy
April 16
Kim Richey/Thorn In My Heart/Yep Roc Records
Willie Nelson & Family/Let’s Face The Music and Dance/Legacy Recordings
Steve Earle & The Dukes (and Duchesses)/The Low Highway/New West Records
April 23
Tate Stevens/Tate Stevens/Syco Music-RCA Nashville
Steve Martin and Edie Brickell/Love Has Come For You/Rounder Records
Lori McKenna/Massachusetts
Mike Aiken/Captains & Cowboys/Northwind Records
April 30
Kenny Chesney/Life On A Rock/Blue Chair-Columbia Nashville
LeAnn Rimes/Spitfire/Curb Records
Collin Raye Inks New Management, Booking Deals
/by Jessica NicholsonGreg Burns and Collin Raye
Collin Raye has signed a booking representation agreement with Brand Entertainment Agency (BEA). “Collin Raye is the perfect addition to our client roster,” notes Greg Burns, President of Brand Entertainment Agency. “No one can forget his hits like ‘In this Life’ and ‘Love Me,’” Burns adds.
Raye joins a growing roster that also includes Baillie & The Boys, Andy Griggs, Anita Cochran, Billy Dean, Jamie O’Neal, Moe Bandy, Restless Heart, Tim Rushlow, Ty Herndon and Sweethearts of the Rodeo. Burns can be reached at 615-562-3726 Ext. 2 or at greg.burns@brandentagency.com
Prior to signing with BEA, Raye also secured new management with Jenn Giroux of Cradle Concepts. Giroux can be reached at 513-293-6762 or at Jenngiroux9@gmail.com
Raye is geared to release That’s My Story: The Undefeated Life of Collin Raye, as well as his new album which will feature the legendary songs of Glen Campbell.
Bertelsmann Completes Full Acquisition of BMG
/by Sarah SkatesBertelsmann founded BMG in 2008 with a resolutely digital and service-oriented business approach. In association with KKR, it grew to become the world’s fourth-largest music rights business.
Music publishing veteran Kos Weaver recently joined BMG as Executive Vice President, overseeing Nashville operations. He reports directly to Laurent Hubert, President, Creative and Marketing at BMG Chrysalis North America.
BMG administers more than one million song rights, including works by Busbee, Darrell Brown, Darrell Scott, Gordie Sampson, Hillary Lindsey, Jeff Stevens, Jim McCormick, Jimmy Ritchey, Rodney Crowell, Will Hoge and many more.
BMG is focusing on growing its recorded music division and recently entered an agreement to acquire Sanctuary Records from Universal Music.
Bertelsmann is an international media company whose core divisions encompass television (RTL Group), book publishing (Random House), magazine publishing (Gruner + Jahr), services (Arvato), and printing (Be Printers) in some 50 countries.
Jewel Partners with ACM Lifting Lives for ACM Awards Performance
/by Jessica NicholsonKelly, who wrote “Fill A Heart” for the Child Hunger Ends Here campaign to bring the story of hunger to life, will introduce Jewel’s performance to the audience. This marks the fifth consecutive year of performances that have highlighted worthy causes and provided support on behalf of their beneficiaries during the live awards telecast.
The 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday (April 7) beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
“I’m so honored to perform this year’s ACM Lifting Lives moment and support ConAgra Foods’ Child Hunger Ends Here campaign. It’s an important cause I hold near and dear to my heart, and this is a wonderful way to give back and raise awareness. Tori wrote such a beautiful song, and I hope it serves as a wakeup call to everyone about how widespread a problem this is in the United States,” said Jewel.
“The Academy has been dedicated to improving lives through the power of music for forty years, and this is the fifth year we’ve included an ACM Lifting Lives moment in the ACM Awards. We are proud to partner once again with ConAgra Foods to bring together a memorable performance to viewers at home, and remind them about some serious issues that Americans face on a daily basis,” said Hannah Martin, Manager, ACM Lifting Lives. “It’s an honor to have Jewel and Tori contribute their talents to this cause, and to help raise awareness for the nearly 17 million children who live in food insecure homes today.”