Dustin Lynch To Perform For “CMT Empowering Education”

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Dustin Lynch will share some of his experiences from higher education as well as perform music from his debut album at a reception for “CMT Empowering Education,” this Wed., Sept 19 in Washington, D.C.

Held at the National Cable and Telecommunications Association building, Lynch’s appearance will follow a panel discussion and reception at 6 pm. CMT Empowering Education is a comprehensive educational campaign that provides an online resource aiming to provide education and resources to remove commonly perceived obstacles for further learning. Individualized action plans can be created on the organization’s website, here.

Artists offering support for the initiative include Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley and Lionel Richie.

First Performer Added to “Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!”

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Maroon 5 is the first act announced to perform on The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night. Two-time Grammy winner LL Cool J returns to host the one-hour special, which takes place for the first time at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN on Wednesday, Dec. 5.

The show will announce nominations in several categories as well as feature performances by past Grammy winners and/or nominees. Additional performers and presenters will be announced shortly.

The Grammy Nominations Concert Live!! will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network Dec. 5 from 10 – 11 p.m. ET/PT (9 p.m. CT)

NSAI Hosts World’s Largest No. 1 Party

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The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) hosted its annual World’s Largest No. 1 Party yesterday (9/17) at Regions Bank Music Row, co-sponsored by Frost Specialties, Inc. and The Recording Academy. The organization presented No. 1 plaques to Nashville’s hit songwriters and honored several notable individuals for their contributions to the music industry.

Ninety-seven songwriters were honored for their work on 46 songs across multiple genres (full list below). US Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante was also on hand for the presentations, along with NSAI President Lee Thomas Miller, Executive Director Bart Herbison, and Bluebird Cafe GM Erika Wollam-Nichols.

Heavy rain forced the event to move from its usual tented parking lot location to the Regions Bank lobby on the roundabout, which might have been facilitated by NSAI’s Stephen Foster Award recipient Lisa Harless, Sr. VP of Regions Bank’s Entertainment and Sports Division. Regions is also a top sponsor of NSAI’s annual Tin Pan South festival.

The Maggie Cavender Award, named for NSAI’s late first executive director, was presented to restauranteur Randy Rayburn, who owns Sunset Grill, Midtown Cafe and Cabana. Rayburn has been a longtime supporter of NSAI and helped the organization manage food and beverage operations of the Bluebird when it assumed ownership in 2008.

The President’s Award was presented to veteran music publisher Pat Higdon, owner of Patrick Joseph Music and former Universal Music Publishing executive. “Pat has been a mentor and friend to songwriters he has signed throughout the years and a source of wisdom and advice to all songwriters,” said Lee Thomas Miller. “He was an obvious choice to receive this honor.”

The Community Ambassador Award went to Doak Turner, editor of the Nashville Muse and host of “Third Sunday” gatherings for singers and songwriters. Prior to moving to Nashville, Turner was a coordinator of NSAI’s Charlotte, NC Chapter.

Also being honored were Douglas Corner Cafe owner Mervin Louque, who has operated his club for 25 years, and Hall of Fame songwriter Kenny O’Dell, the longest-serving board member in NSAI history, who recently stepped down.

No. 1 songs and songwriters honored: (artists listed in parentheses)
“A Woman Like You” – Phil Barton, Johnny Bulford, Jon Stone  (recorded by Lee Brice)
“All Your Life” – Brian Henningsen, Clara Henningsen  (recorded by The Band Perry)
“Alone With You” – Catt Gravitt, J.T. Harding, Shane McAnally  (recorded by Jake Owen)
“Am I The Only One” – Jim Beavers, Dierks Bentley, Jon Randall  (recorded by Dierks Bentley)
“Banjo” – Tony Martin, Wendell Mobley, Neil Thrasher  (recorded by Rascal Flatts)
“Barefoot Blue Jean Night” – Dylan Altman, Eric Paslay, Terry Sawchuk  (recorded by Jake Owen)
“Country Must Be Country Wide” – Mike Dekle, Colt Ford, Brantley Gilbert  (recorded by Brantley Gilbert)
“Crazy Girl” – Lee Brice, Liz Rose  (recorded by Eli Young Band)
“Dirt Road Anthem” – Colt Ford, Brantley Gilbert  (recorded by Jason Aldean)
“Drink In My Hand” – Eric Church, Michael P. Heeney, Luke Laird  (recorded by Eric Church)
“Drink On It” – Jessi Alexander, Rodney Clawson, Jon Randall  (recorded by Blake Shelton)
“Drunk On You” – Rodney Clawson, Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins  (recorded by Luke Bryan)
“Eyes Open” – Taylor Swift  (recorded by Taylor Swift)
“Fly Over States” – Michael Dulaney, Neil Thrasher  (recorded by Jason Aldean)
“God Gave Me You” – Dave Barnes  (recorded by Blake Shelton)
“Good Girl” – Chris Destefano, Ashley Gorley, Carrie Underwood  (recorded by Carrie Underwood)
“Here For A Good Time” – Dean Dillon, Bubba Strait, George Strait  (recorded by George Strait)
“Home” – Brett Beavers, Dierks Bentley, Dan Wilson  (recorded by Dierks Bentley)
“I Don’t Want This Night To End” – Rhett Akins, Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Ben Hayslip  (recorded by Luke Bryan)
“If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” – Dallas Davidson, Rob Hatch, Brett Jones  (recorded by Justin Moore)
“If I Die Young” – Kimberly Perry  (recorded by The Band Perry)
“If This Was A Movie” – Martin Johnson, Taylor Swift  (recorded by Taylor Swift)
“Just A Kiss” – Dallas Davidson, Dean Haywood, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott  (recorded by Lady Antebellum)
“Keep Me In Mind” – Zac Brown, Nic Cowan, Wyatt Durrette  (recorded by Zac Brown Band)
“Knee Deep” – Coy Bowles, Zac Brown, Wyatt Durrette, Jeffrey Steele  (recorded by Zac Brown Band w/ Jimmy Buffett)
“Let It Rain” – David Nail, Jonathan Singleton  (recorded by David Nail)
“Long Hot Summer” – Richard Marx, Keith Urban  (recorded by Keith Urban)
“Love’s Gonna Make It Alright” – Al Anderson, Chris Stapleton  (recorded by George Strait)
“Made In America” – Toby Keith, Bobby Pinson, Scott Reeves  (recorded by Toby Keith)
“Mr. Know It All” – Ester Dean, Brett James, Dante Jones, Brian Seals  (recorded by Kelly Clarkson)
“Ours” – Taylor Swift  (recorded by Taylor Swift)
“Over You” – Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton  (recorded by Miranda Lambert)
“Reality” – Kenny Chesney, Brett James  (recorded by Kenny Chesney)
“Red Solo Cup” – Brett Beavers, Jim Beavers, Brad Warren, Brett Warren  (recorded by Toby Keith)
“Remind Me” – Chris DuBois, Kelley Lovelace, Brad Paisley  (recorded by Brad Paisley w/ Carrie Underwood)
“Somethin’ ‘Bout A Truck” – Dan Couch, Kip Moore  (recorded by Kip Moore)
“Sparks Fly” – Taylor Swift  (recorded by Taylor Swift)
“Springsteen” – Eric Church, Jeff Hyde, Ryan Tyndell  (recorded by Eric Church)
“Take A Back Road” – Rhett Akins, Luke Laird  (recorded by Rodney Atkins)
“Tattoos On This Town” – Michael Dulaney, Wendell Mobley, Neil Thrasher  (recorded by Jason Aldean)
“Tomorrow” – Frank Myers, Anthony L. Smith, Chris Young  (recorded by Chris Young)
“Tonight, Tonight” – Evan “Kidd” Bogart, Ryan Follese, Emanuel Kiriakou, Nash Overstreet, Lindy Robbins  (recorded by Hot Chelle Rae)
“Wanted You More” – Matt Billingslea, Dennis Edwards, Jason Gambill, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, Jonathan Long, Hillary Scott  (recorded by Lady Antebellum)
“We Owned The Night” – Dallas Davidson, Dean Haywood, Charles Kelley  (recorded by Lady Antebellum)
“You” – Luke Laird, Chris Young  (recorded by Chris Young)
“You Gonna Fly” – Preston Brust, Chris Lucas, Jaren Johnston  (recorded by Keith Urban)

Stoney Creek Adds to Promotion Team

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Stoney Creek Records has announced the addition of Samantha Borenstein to the staff as West Coast Regional Promotion Manager. She succeeds Stacy Rogers, who stepped down from her position in August.

Borenstein was most recently with City of Hope in Los Angeles, and has spent time working with Jordin Sparks’ management team as well as the Celebrity Fight Night Foundation.

She begins her new role Sept. 24 and will be based in Scottsdale, AZ. Congratulate her here.

Early Ratings For “CMA Music Festival” TV Special

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Carrie Underwood performs at the 2012 CMA Music Festival. Photo: CMA

Last night’s (9/17) CMA Music Festival television special was a showcase of country’s hottest talent. Unfortunately, the ratings were a little cooler than last year, but landed almost on par with the 2010 installment. Hosted by Luke Bryan and Kimberly Perry, the 2012 show averaged 6.2 million viewers, sliding ABC into third place among the major networks, according to preliminary data from Zap2It.

The country extravaganza was stacked against mega hit The Voice, which led into the series premiere of the much-hyped drama Revolution. These programs secured the night for NBC with an average of 12.8 million viewers.

In the 8 PM/ET hour CMA Music Festival drew 6.6 million, dropped to 6.1 million at 9 PM, and then to 5.96 million at 10 PM.

TV ratings aren’t the only indicator of a successful broadcast, next week’s Soundscan report could reflect a post-show glow.

In 2011, the festival special aired Aug. 14, a month earlier and on a Sunday night. That drew an average audience of 7 million viewers. It came in second place most of the night, and moved into first place during the final hour.

In 2010 the show lunged into third place on Wed., Sept. 1 with about 6 million viewers.

The 2009 installment on Mon., Aug. 31 won the night with 7.8 million viewers, but ran against repeats across the board.

 

Rascal Flatts Receive Hollywood Star

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Rascal Flatts with Guest Speaker David Foster

Rascal Flatts was in Hollywood, CA on Monday (9/17) to receive the Walk of Fame’s 2,480th star from the city’s Chamber of Commerce.

Songwriter David Foster, who will receive his own star in 2013, was invited to say a few words about the trio. “When I first put on ‘Prayin’ For Daylight,’ I knew they were going to be a force to be reckoned with,” said Foster. “I think they are just getting started. Thank you for always giving so much.”

The three artists each thanked their family, DeMarcus joked the band had received the recognition because they had appeared as guests in an episode of CSI; not from music. “I feel this means we should retire, but we have a lot left to do,” said DeMarcus. “We’ll be around for a long time.”

“Growing up in the middle of nowhere in Pitcher, Oklahoma, we had to make it somewhere,” Rooney said, reflecting on his childhood. “My mom said ‘if you don’t go you’ll never know.’ That springboard is why I am here today.”

“When you’re a kid growing up, standing in front of your mirror with a Goody comb, you can’t even dream this big. Thanks to manager Clarence Spalding and Scott Borchetta and Big Machine Records. The only reason we do it today is because of you, the fans. We enjoy telling your story.”

Watch the full presentation here.

Following the appearance, the trio visited The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, performing the new single, “Come Wake Me Up.”

Big & Rich Return With ‘Hillbilly Jedi’

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Big & Rich released its first studio album in four years today (9/18), titled Hillbilly Jedi.

The Warner Bros. release includes two songs co-written with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, and the duo’s latest top 15 single, “That’s Why I Pray.”

Big & Rich will be on FOX & Friends tonight, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday (9/19) and CMT Insider this weekend.

Hillbilly Jedi track listing: 
1. Born Again
2. Cowboyz
3. That’s Why I Pray
4. Lay It All On Me
5. Last Words
6. Rock The Boat
7. Can’t Be Satisfied
8. Get Your Game On
9. Cuz I Play Guitar
10. Cheat On You
11. Never Far Away
12. Hillbilly Jedi Medley

Big & Rich recently visited WSOC Radio. Pictured (L-R): DJ Stout PD WSOC, Big Kenny, Rick McCracken MD WSOC, John Rich

Paisley to Debut New Single Late Thursday

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Brad Paisley will release the first single from his upcoming album on Thursday (9/20) at 11 pm/CT. No title has been provided for the single or album, which will be the followup to his 2011’s This Is Country Music.

Paisley is slated to play the iHeartRadio Music Festival at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday, September 22 so it is possible fans attending (or streaming the event online) will get to hear a live debut of the new song. Other performers at the multi-genre festival include Green Day, Jason Aldean, Rihanna, Miranda Lambert, Taylor Swift, No Doubt, Bon Jovi and more. The shows begin Friday (9/21) at 7 pm/PT. More info here.

Following the iHeartRadio festival, Paisley will return to the road with his Virtual Reality Tour 2012, with stops scheduled in Jacksonville (9/27), Tampa (9/28), and West Palm Beach (9/29). The Band Perry and Scotty McCreery will play the main stage, and the Virtual Opry stage will feature Love and Theft, Kristen Kelly, and Jana Kramer.

Arista Hires National Promotion Coordinator

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Jenny Shearin has been named National Promotion Coordinator, Arista Nashville. Lesly Tyson, VP National Promotion, made the announcement and Shearin will begin her new Nashville-based role in the next few weeks.

“Jenny has been an outstanding part of the Sony Nashville team for two-and-a-half years,” shares Tyson. “I am thrilled to bring her on board with Arista Nashville promotion and know she will be an outstanding addition to our crew.”

A Northern Virginia native, Shearin most recently was Tickets & Itineraries Coordinator for Sony Music Nashville. Shearin is a graduate of The University of North Carolina Wilmington and holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Belmont University. She first joined Sony Music Nashville as an intern in the Sales department in May 2010.

Performers Set For LM Dale Franklin Awards

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Rodney Crowell and Little Big Town

Rodney Crowell and Little Big Town will perform at the Wed., Oct. 17 Dale Franklin Awards ceremony, where they will offer musical tributes to the evening’s honorees Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill and Randy Owen. The event at the War Memorial Auditorium will be hosted by popular nationally syndicated radio host Blair Garner. Additionally, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean will receive the Brian Williams Ambassador Award.

Crowell, who is experiencing success with current album Kin, is a longtime friend of Gill. They met in the late ’70s when Crowell was in Emmylou Harris’ Hot Band and heard a 19-year-old Gill singing a song Crowell wrote onstage at L.A.’s Troubadour. Not long after, Crowell invited Gill to join his backing band, the Cherry Bombs. They continue to play together in the Notorious Cherry Bombs.

Little Big Town released its fifth studio album, Tornado, earlier this month to praise from critics and fans alike. The album’s first single “Pontoon” has sold over a million downloads.

The Dale Franklin Awards cocktail supper and silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Legislative Plaza. The show begins at 7:30 pm. Tickets for balcony seating and the cocktail supper are $175, or $50 for the show only. Tables on the main floor are sold out. To purchase tickets, click here. Use promo code SHOWONLY (case sensitive).