Church Brings Blood, Sweat & Beers To The Masses

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Photo: Jeff Mintline

Eric Church has long been a touring favorite, and his recent successes are helping take his live productions to exciting new places.

Tomorrow, his Blood Sweat & Beers Tour with Brantley Gilbert is playing a sold-out Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, followed by stops in Binghamton, NY; Reading, PA, and Atlantic City, NJ. Just a few weeks away is Church’s May 19 show at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, which marked the artist’s 21st sold-out concert of this tour. Church will also preach to the hometown congregation May 5 when the tour hits Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and he’s been added to the lineup for BamaJam 2012 taking place June 14-16 in Enterprise, AL.

Blood, Sweat & Beers kicked off Jan. 19 in Fort Smith, AR and has been averaging 7,500 tickets sold per show. See full Church dates here.

In slightly more surreal lineups, Church is the only country artist scheduled to play the rock and metal friendly Orion Music + More festival June 23-24 at Bader Field in Atlantic City. The festival was created by Metallica, who will headline both nights and play their classic albums The Black Album and Ride The Lightning in their entirety. In addition to Church, other performers include Kentucky rockers Cage the Elephant, Memphis favorites Lucero, Suicidal Tendencies, Modest Mouse, The Gaslight Anthem, Titus Andronicus, The Sword, Liturgy, Black Tusk, Torche, Sepultura, and more. Info here.

Church will also return to late night television, when he performs on NBC’s Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Monday, March 19.

Laurel Kittleson Joins Big Machine

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The Big Machine Label Group has announced Laurel Kittleson as A&R Coordinator, effective immediately.

Kittleson’s responsibilities including assisting with timelines, budgets, screening songs, and maintaining the master asset catalog for the label group’s roster, which includes Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry, Eli Young Band, Reba, and The Mavericks, among others. She will report directly to BMLG VP, A&R Allison Jones.

Previously, Kittleson served as Assistant for Show Dog-Universal Music President, Mark Wright. She was also previously personal assistant to Rivers Rutherford and spent time working with Elevation Music Publishing.

Kittelson replaces previous A&R Coordinator, Shea Fowler.

Congratulate her here.

HoriPro Inks Two Writers

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HoriPro Entertainment Group has signed Michael Gresham and Jill Spencer to an exclusive co-publishing deal through Gresham and Spencer’s company Brand Music Group.

(L-R) standing: Butch Baker, Tim Stehli, Amy Hendon Scott, Lee Krabel, Dave Hall, Raeanna Mowl, Carrie Wilkins; seated: Jill Spencer, Michael Gresham

 

Hats Across The Row Parade to Benefit Minnie Pearl Foundation

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Hats Across the Row, a benefit for The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation (MPCF), will be held Tues., April 17 at 3 p.m. on Music Row. The event includes a parade down 16th & 17th Aves. S. with Kerry Collins and his motorcycle gang, the Hillwood High School Marching Band, antique Mini Coopers, and an array of stilt walkers, hula-hoopers and Minnie Pearl look-a-likes. Festivities will conclude with a party at Major Bob Music (1111 17th Ave. S.).

The event launches a year of celebration for The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation, marking Minnie Pearl’s 100th birthday, and the organization’s 25 years of service.

Music Row businesses can support Hats Across the Row by placing signs in front of their offices. Signs are available for a $50 donation here.

The MPCF is also collecting “Minnie Moments.” The campaign features stories from the clients, survivors and caregivers who have used MPCF’s services, as well as memories from celebrities and fans of Minnie Pearl. Share a “Minnie Moment” here.

Artist Growth and BMI Partner to Aid Performing Artists

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Music management app Artist Growth and BMI have announced a partnership to help musicians simplify the process of collecting performance royalties. BMI affiliates will now be able to register for royalties using any Artist Growth-equipped mobile device as soon as they finish playing a show.

BMI writers are being offered a free six-month trial of Artist Growth, which launched in Nashville in January 2012 with the goal of providing an entire toolkit for managing a music career. In coming months, BMI Live participants will be able to submit performances and set lists through Artist Growth as well.

“Artist Growth is an innovative new digital platform that presents exciting possibilities for BMI performing songwriters to manage and organize their schedules and tour support,” said Jody Williams, BMI VP Writer/Publisher Relations. “We look forward to offering access to Artist Growth to all BMI-affiliated writers, and working closely with their team to offer greater digital integration with BMI’s groundbreaking BMI Live program.”

During SXSW, Artist Growth also announced partnerships with CD Baby, Americana Music Association, PledgeMusic, Folk Alliance, NYU Steinhardt’s Music Business Program, Belmont University and more.

Swift Tops “Money Makers” List

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Touring was a big boost to the bottom line for artists including Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift leads Billboard’s 2012 list of “Top 40 Money Makers.” The blonde superstar made about $35.7 million last year according to the magazine’s estimates, more than any other act in any genre. U2 followed closely with earnings of about $32 million, and Kenny Chesney‘s $29.8 million landed him at No. 3 on the list. Country artists scored 11 of the 40 slots.

The data is based on net U.S. income from touring, sales, and publishing. Not included is income from sponsorships, merch, or synch deals. See the complete list and more on the methodology here.

By comparison, similar rankings from Forbes magazine include sponsorship and endorsement deals and are based on gross income. See those here.

Billboard’s Country Money Makers
1. Taylor Swift, $35.7 million
2. U2, $32.1 million
3. Kenny Chesney, $29.8 million
9. Jason Aldean, $13.4 million
15. Toby Keith, $10.4 million
18. Rascal Flatts, $9.6 million
19. Tim McGraw, $9.3 million
21. Brad Paisley, $8.6 million
26. Lady Antebellum, $6.7 million
27. Keith Urban, $6.6 million
34. Sugarland, $5.6 million

IBMA Announces 2012 Leadership Bluegrass Graduates

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The International Bluegrass Music Association's 13th Leadership Bluegrass class at Bone McAllester Norton on March 10, 2012. L-R: (Row 1) Ronnie Norton, Denise Hitchcock, Sharon White, Jamie Katz, Sonya Cotton, Jimmy Bowen, Laurie Dashper, Casey Campbell. (Row 2) Russell Johnson, Martha Stracener Dantzic, Kimberly Williams, Rick Lang, Jennifer Strickland, Lisa Jacobi, Denise Jarvinen; (Row 3) Bob Altschuler, Gene Skinner, Claire Lynch, Daniel Routh, Tony Watt, Ross Pomerenk. (Row 4) Gerald Jones, Michael McLain, Chris Teskey, Chris Oliver. Photo: Stephanie Taylor

The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced the 2012 graduating class of Leadership Bluegrass.

Leadership Bluegrass, now in its 13th year with more than 300 alumni, is a three-day program that examines the challenges and opportunities facing the music. Related leadership issues and networking experiences are also available.

This year, Leadership Bluegrass was facilitated by Trisha Tubbs and hosted at Nashville’s BMI and Bone McAllester Norton PLLC, March 8-10. Individuals selected to participate in the program represent a cross section of the global industry. For information on the next Leadership Bluegrass class, contact Nancy Cardwell.

Leadership Bluegrass Class of 2012:

Bob Altschuler; Dyer Switch Band, Thirteen Feet of Bluegrass, Educator
Jimmy Bowen; Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe
Casey Campbell; Belmont University student/Musician
Sonya Robles Cotton; The Louisville Bluegrass Music Association
Martha Stracener Dantzic; Quicksilver Productions
Laurie Dashper; Music City Roots, Bluegrass Underground
Denise Hitchcock; BlueHighways TV
Lisa Jacobi; Steel String Session, Lisa Affordable Websites
Denise Jarvinen; Boston Bluegrass Union, Traditional Music Foundation
Russell Johnson; Grass Cats, Red Sock Publishing, The Comfort Zone Recording Studio, New Time Records
Gerald Jones; AcousticMusicCamp.com
Jamie Katz; PineCone, The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, Inc
Rick Lang; Haley Anna Music, BMI
Claire Lynch; The Claire Lynch Band
Michael McLain; Belmont University
Ronnie Norton; Lonesome Highway
Chris Oliver; Infinity Luthiers
Ross Pomerenk; Acoustic Sound/ Wintergrass
Daniel Routh; Nu-Blu, Red Squared Audio
Gene Skinner; Great Stuff Radio Network
Jennifer Strickland; Jenny Lynn Publishing, Rural Rhythm Records
Chris Teskey; WAMU’s Bluegrass Country
Tony Watt; TheBluegrassUniversity.com, Boston Bluegrass Union
Sharon White; The Whites
Kimberly Williams; East Public Relations, The Expedition Show

Belmont Students to Experience SXSW For Class Credit

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A select group of Belmont University upperclassmen will get a unique opportunity to learn by immersing completely in the hustle of SXSW. Fifteen BU students are headed to Austin this week for the annual music conference and festival, which runs March 13-18.

The trip is part of an experiential learning course offering from Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, and participating students will receive one hour of credit. Students will be required to complete a series of course objectives that include identifying and networking with executives, learning about industry trends, and discovering emerging new artists. Following the conference, the Belmont students will write a paper and make a presentation to faculty to recount what they learned.

“As an innovative college in the field of music business, Belmont University views SXSW as an opportunity for our students to use this preeminent industry conference as a giant classroom,” said Dan Keen, faculty advisor and instructor for the course. “Our goal is to equip our students attending the event with the tools, strategy and mindset to come away from the experience with ideas, concepts and inspiration that they can immediately apply to the realization of their career goals and dreams. Oh, and we hope they immerse themselves in some amazing new music as well!”

SXSW offers numerous industry events, panels, and networking opportunities at Austin Convention Center during the daytime. After hours, over 2,000 artists from across the globe will showcase for attendees. Among the conference highlights are the keynote speech from Bruce Springsteen, and artist Gloria Gaynor discussing legislation that will allow artists to reclaim their copyrights after 35 years.

AMA and Blackberry Farm Partner For Benefit

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The Americana Music Association has partnered with Smoky Mountain luxury resort Blackberry Farm to bring a unique musical experience to its guests on March 24, featuring the talents of Rodney Crowell and Mary Gauthier. The event will benefit the Americana Music Association.

Crowell, a Grammy winner and AMA Lifetime Achievement honoree, has just finished production of a new album with Emmylou Harris due out in fall. Gauthier is an acclaimed songwriter whose work has been praised in Rolling Stone, New York Times and more.

Blackberry Farm is situated on 9,200 acres in East Tennessee, and has been voted as the No. 1 resort in North America for 2011 by Travel + Leisure magazine. It is also home to a culinary program headed by Grand Chef, Relais & Chateaux Joseph Lenn and an award-winning wine cellar.

Gibson Adds Global EVP

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Bob Weissburg

Gibson Guitar Corp. has tapped Bob Weissburg to serve as Global Executive Vice President. The new position was created as part of the company’s expansion into the consumer electronics arena. He will report directly to Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz.

Weissburg most recently worked as President of Sales and Marketing for the Americas for D&M Holdings. In that role, he oversaw the activities of Denon, Marantz, Boston Acoustics, McIntosh and D&M Professional products. Prior to D&M, he held several senior positions at Sony, including President of the Consumer Sales Group and Senior Vice President of strategic planning for sales.

In recent months Gibson has been growing its consumer electronics initiatives. The company created a pro audio division through the acquisition of the Stanton Group, which is comprised of KRK Systems, Cerwin-Vega! and Stanton DJ. Gibson then formed a strategic partnership with consumer audio leader Onkyo Corporation. The two companies also launched a joint venture to develop consumer audio products.