Zac Brown performs at BamaJam 2012. Photo courtesy BamaJam.
Festival season is in full swing, and thousands of country music fans flocked to Enterprise, Alabama over the weekend for BamaJam 2012.
Tim McGraw and Eric Church performing. Photo courtesy BamaJam
After a one year hiatus the popular BamaJam festival, now with Pepsi onboard as a sponsor, returned to BamaJam Farms in southeast Alabama June 14-16. The event offered dual music stages for constant musical entertainment and the all-star lineup included Tim McGraw, Zac Brown Band, Kid Rock, Eric Church, Alan Jackson, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, NEEDTOBREATHE, Yelawolf, Casey James, Gov’t Mule, Ronnie Milsap and more. The grounds also offered camping, ATV Trails, and a water park.
A series of severe storms interfered with the schedule on Thursday night (6/14) and forced several performers, including Broken Bow up-and-comer Dustin Lynch, to cancel their sets. But when he heard about two fans who drove from Virginia just to see him, Lynch turned his tour bus around and gave them a special private performance of “Cowboys and Angels.” Check it out here. Thursday evening headliners Eric Church and Tim McGraw went on and performed as planned after the weather cleared.
Nail Covers Adele on VEVO
/by Caitlin Rantala“When my manager called me to tell me, I thought it was funny,” said Nail. “We did the video just for friends who’d heard me sing the song backstage, and wanted to have access to it. It’s a great song – and it brings so many things out of you as a vocalist, so I wanted to make sure the visuals lived up to it, but I never thought anyone would pay attention to it. I certainly didn’t expect it to turn into something like this…”
“Someone Like You” will be featured on VEVO’s front page all day. It will also be cycling through playlists on the entire country roster on YouTube. You can view the video here.
Industry Pics: AIMP, Lambert, ACM
/by Sarah SkatesAIMP Power Lunch
Fifth Third Bank’s Music and Entertainment Division hosted an AIMP (Association of Independent Music Publishers) power luncheon on Mon., June 11 at The Tavern restaurant in Nashville. Attendees included AIMP officers, founding members, music supervisors and Fifth Third Bank personnel.
(L-R): Front Row: Amy Rosen (Grey NY); Cheryl Martin (Fifth Third); Sarah Gavigan (Sarah Gavigan Music). Back Row: Debbie Zavitson (Zavitson Music Group); Karen Macmillian (Nettwerk Music Group); Dianna Maher (Moraine Music Group); Brad Peterson (Fifth Third); Philip Feemster (Fifth Third); John Melillo (Melillo Music); Craig Currier (peermusic). Photo: Jill Napier
Lambert Celebrates 1 Million Twitter Followers
RCA Nashville artist Miranda Lambert recently surpassed one million Twitter followers, a milestone few country artists have reached. Sony Music Nashville Chairman/CEO Gary Overton (left) and Sony Music Nashville Manager of Digital Marketing Copeland Isaacson (right) presented her a plaque backstage before her show at LP Field during the CMA Music Festival Show.
Photo: Blu Sanders
Claudia Lee Visits ACM
The Academy of Country Music welcomed singer/actress Claudia Lee to the office while she was in Los Angeles recently. Lee is best known for her past role on hit TV show Zeke and Luther on Disney XD, and currently is featured on the CW’s Hart of Dixie. While at the Academy she performed her single “3 Leaf Clover” and signed up for professional ACM membership, as part of the Academy’s complimentary one-year membership offered to support emerging artists.
(L-R): Michelle Goble, ACM Senior Vice President, Membership & Events, Claudia Lee. Photo: Michel Bourquard/ACM
BamaJam Brings Out the Fans
/by FreemanZac Brown performs at BamaJam 2012. Photo courtesy BamaJam.
Festival season is in full swing, and thousands of country music fans flocked to Enterprise, Alabama over the weekend for BamaJam 2012.
Tim McGraw and Eric Church performing. Photo courtesy BamaJam
After a one year hiatus the popular BamaJam festival, now with Pepsi onboard as a sponsor, returned to BamaJam Farms in southeast Alabama June 14-16. The event offered dual music stages for constant musical entertainment and the all-star lineup included Tim McGraw, Zac Brown Band, Kid Rock, Eric Church, Alan Jackson, Sheryl Crow, Willie Nelson, NEEDTOBREATHE, Yelawolf, Casey James, Gov’t Mule, Ronnie Milsap and more. The grounds also offered camping, ATV Trails, and a water park.
A series of severe storms interfered with the schedule on Thursday night (6/14) and forced several performers, including Broken Bow up-and-comer Dustin Lynch, to cancel their sets. But when he heard about two fans who drove from Virginia just to see him, Lynch turned his tour bus around and gave them a special private performance of “Cowboys and Angels.” Check it out here. Thursday evening headliners Eric Church and Tim McGraw went on and performed as planned after the weather cleared.
Don Williams Album Coming Tomorrow
/by Sarah SkatesWSM’s Bill Cody kicked off today on his “Coffee, Country, and Cody” show with an interview with Garth Fundis who produced the new album as well as numerous other projects by the Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. Cody will also air excerpts from a sit-down interview with Williams recorded earlier this year.
Throughout the day, listeners will have the opportunity to hear all tracks from And So It Goes and be able to win copies of it and the accompanying commemorative Hatch Show Print.
“Don Williams has been a core WSM artist his entire career, so it’s only natural that the station where his hits live premieres his newest album,” WSM Operations Manager Joe Limardi said. “We can’t wait to share the classic Don Williams sound on this new CD with our audience!”
The on-air content can also be heard at www.wsmonline.com.
Radney Foster Revisits “Del Rio”
/by FreemanFoster made his solo artist debut with the original Del Rio collection, which featured the hits “Just Call Me Lonesome,” “Nobody Wins,” and “Easier Said Than Done.” The new album aims to reinvent the original with a looser feel and updated acoustic arrangements.
“This time everyone was in the same room, with live takes with no fixes and no headphones,” says Steve Fishell, who produced the original Del Rio and played guitars on Revisited. “We have all new tempos and new grooves.” In addition to Fishell, guests on the new collection include Dixie Chick Martie McGuire (fiddle), Jon Randall Stewart (guitar), Glenn Fukunaga (doghouse bass), and Michael Ramos (keyboard).
Pre-orders of Revisited are available here. For tour dates, check here.
Law Group Celebrates Turning One
/by Sherod Robertson(L-R): Country Artist Lorrie Morgan and Attorney Jason Turner
Attorney Jordan Keller shares childhood stories of spinning in his father's Herman Miller chair, now proudly featured in his office.
Located in the stylish Terrazzo building, the law firm of Keller, Turner, Ruth, Andrews, Ghanem & Heller celebrated its first anniversary in style by opening the firm’s contemporary dwellings to a packed house earlier this month.
Looking more like a modern penthouse than a law office, the space provided the perfect place for attendees to mix and mingle while celebrating the firm’s one year milestone.
Offerings made to party goers included a full bar, margaritas, and fabulous food including a chocolate cupcake tower with each cake donned with miniature chocolate guitars.
Attorneys Jordan Keller, Jason Turner, TD Ruth, Chris Andrews, Jennifer Ghanem and Jaime Heller started their full-service entertainment law firm last year to provide transactional and litigation services for entertainment and sports, as well as real estate, corporate, tax and estate planning.
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Grand Ole Opry Celebrates Most Loyal Fan
/by Eric T. ParkerEckhart will mark 40 years without having missed a single weekend of Opry performances, and the Opry plans to celebrate during the show by honoring him with its first-ever Opry Fan Award along with other surprises while he and his family enjoy performances from the Opry’s front row.
“None of us can imagine looking out on a weekend Opry performance and not seeing Paul in the crowd,” said Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher. “We hope to make this Saturday night’s show his most memorable yet!”
Eckhart began his Opry streak the day he and his family moved from Northeastern Pennsylvania to Nashville, visiting the Opry that night before his family unpacked. Paul credits the Opry as having played a pivotal role in his happy marriage, because while Eckhart spent his weekends at the show, his wife went to play bingo.
“Every Opry show has been special, each one has been different, and every single one of them has been entertaining,” Eckhart said. “I can’t imagine having spent my weekends anywhere else.”
Industry Ink (6/15/12)
/by FreemanThe 2012 Songwriters Hall of Fame 43rd Annual Induction and Awards Gala took place last night (6/14), celebrating some of songwriting’s greatest talents. At the ceremony Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Seger, Don Schlitz, Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones and Jim Steinman were all inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Special awards were given to Bette Midler (Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award); Ne-Yo (Hal David Starlight Award); Lance Freed (Abe Olman Publisher Award); Mike Stoller (Towering Song Award for “Stand By Me”); Ben E. King (Towering Performance Award); and a posthumous Pioneer Award to Woody Guthrie. Performers included Meatloaf, Constantine Maroulis, Patti Russo, Seger, Valerie Simpson, Kenny Rogers, Schlitz, Steve Miller, Lightfoot, and Cheyenne Jackson. The organization also saluted the late Frances Preston and her devotion to the craft of songwriting.
Don Schlitz (L) with Kenny Rogers. Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images
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Q Prime South's John Peets
Nashville-based Q Prime South, led by manager John Peets, is currently celebrating the rare feat of having two No. 1 songs simultaneously top the charts of two different formats for the second time this year. Eric Church’s “Springsteen,” which topped MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart a few weeks back, is currently the No. 1 country song on the Billboard/BDS and Mediabase country charts, and The Black Keys’ “Gold On The Ceiling” is currently the No. 1 song on the Billboard/BDS and Mediabase alternative charts. Early in 2012, The Keys’ “Lonely Boy” topped the alternative charts at the same time as Church’s “Drink In My Hand.”
Melanie Wetherbee
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Melanie Wetherbee has exited her position as Manager with McGhee Entertainment Nashville. She had served with the company for five years. Wetherbee is currently looking for her next opportunity and can be reached at 615-364-4908 or at melanie.wetherbee@gmail.com.
Photo Friday (6/15/12)
/by FreemanLady Antebellum and GAC met up at LP Field during CMA Music Festival last week to present a check for $5,000 to Nashville’s W.O. Smith Music School. The organization has been providing 50 cent music lessons to middle Tennessee’s underserved children for over 25 years.
(L-R): GAC President Ed Hardy, Lady A’s Charles Kelly, Hillary Scott, Dave Haywood and W.O. Smith Board President Tony Conway.
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Republic Nashville’s Greg Bates journeyed to Tampa, FL to film the music video for his debut single “Did It For The Girl.” Bates’ friends and team members from label, management, radio, and video crew paused on the shore to celebrate and have a little beach time.
(L-R): Front Row – WQYK PD Mike Culotta, Director Brian Lazzaro, Greg Bates and BMLG EVP Jimmy Harnen; Middle Row – Gina Ketchum, Republic Nashville’s Megan Knutson, Manager Martha Earls, Nicole Flammia and Eric Williams; Back Row – Kim Goddard, Crew Members and Roger Pristole
ACM Lifting Lives Teams With Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, ZBB
/by Sarah SkatesThe program, which is now live, gives fans access to great seats in sold-out sections at the same or better prices than they will find elsewhere. The difference is that the purchase through Tickets-for-Charity is supporting ACM Lifting Lives and other organizations, rather than ticket resellers.
In addition to ACM Lifting Lives, tickets will support a range of charities selected by each artist. For example, Zac Brown Band tickets and “Eat & Greet” Charity Packages are also benefiting Camp Southern Ground, an inclusive camp he started where typically developing children attend alongside children with special needs.
Keith’s concerts will benefit the USO and the Toby Keith Foundation, which helps Oklahoma families with children who are battling illnesses.
Proceeds from Paisley’s partnership will go to St. Jude Target House, a place for families while their children are receiving medical treatments.
More country artists are expected to join the platform throughout the year. Fans can learn more and get tickets now at www.TicketsforCharity.com/ACMLiftingLives.