Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw will hit the road together in 2012 for their Brothers of the Sun Tour. The 19-date stadium tour includes stops at Nashville’s LP Field, Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field, Dallas’ Cowboys Stadium, Detroit’s Ford Field and New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
Brothers of the Sun will be the first time in 10 years that Chesney and McGraw have toured together. The reunion will kick off June 2 in Tampa, FL and will feature stadium shows on weekend dates at venues across the country. Brothers of the Sun will also feature special guests Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Jake Owen.
“Tim and I have been great friends since we first toured together, and I can’t wait to get back on the road with him,” Chesney said. “He’s one of my closest friends in music and in life, and I know this tour is going to be something special.”
“Our friendship was forged on the road, so it’s going to be a blast heading out with Kenny again,” said McGraw. “We’ll be having as much fun on stage as the fans will be having in the audience.”
Tickets for the Dallas, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, East Rutherford, Detroit and Foxboro shows will go on sale Saturday, Dec. 3 through Ticketmaster. On-sale info for the remaining dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
2012 Brothers of the Sun Tour Dates:
Sat. June 2 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium
Sun. June 3 – Atlanta, GA – Georgia Dome
Sat. June 9 – Dallas, TX – Cowboys Stadium
Sun. June 10 – Kansas City, MO – Arrowhead Stadium
Sat. June 16 – Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field
Sat. June 23 – Nashville, TN – LP Field
Sun. June 24 – Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium
Sat. June 30 – Pittsburgh, PA – Heinz Field
Sun. July 1 – Cincinnati, OH – Paul Brown Stadium
Sat. July 7 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
Sun. July 8 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Field
Sat. July 14 – Anaheim, CA – Angel Stadium
Sat. July 21 – Denver, CO – Sports Authority Field at Mile High
TBA – Indianapolis, IN – Lucas Oil Stadium
TBA – Cleveland, OH – Cleveland Browns Stadium
Sat. August 11 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
Sun. August 12 – Washington, DC – FedExField
Sat. August 18 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field
Sat. August 25 – Foxboro, MA – Gillette Stadium
Singled Out (11/14/11)
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Hall of Fame To Honor Wayne Carson
/by Caitlin RantalaKnown as a musical triple-threat, Carson is an award-winning songwriter, producer and musician. His songs span the R&B, pop and country charts with hits such as “Always on My Mind,” “She’s Actin’ Single (I’m Drinkin’ Doubles),” “Soul Deep” and “The Letter.” Artists including Brenda Lee, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Elvis Presley, Ike and Tina Turner and many more have recorded Carson’s compositions.
The 90-minute program, hosted by Museum Editor Michael Gray, will include recordings, photos and film clips from the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive. Carson will sign autographs immediately following the program.
The Poets and Prophets series honors songwriters who have made significant contributions to country music history. Previous Poets and Prophets honorees have included Bill Anderson, Matraca Berg, Bobby Braddock, Jerry Chesnut, Hank Cochran, Dean Dillon, Jerry Foster, Dallas Frazier, Red Lane, John D. Loudermilk, Bob McDill, Roger Murrah, Dan Penn, Curly Putman, Don Schlitz, Whitey Shafer, Jeffrey Steele, Norro Wilson and Craig Wiseman.
Photo Spread: Artists Around Nashville
/by Eric T. Parker(L-R) Ben Kitterman (Lewis’ band), Bill Catino (R&J Records), Lewis, Stroud & Derek Simon (R&J Records)
Aaron Lewis celebrated his gold-selling debut country single “Country Boy” in style the night of the CMA Awards (11/9). Lewis remains in Nashville to work on a follow-up album with producer James Stroud, expected in early 2012.
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(L-R) Nick Paranjape (Fox 17 Morning News Anchor), Alex Denis (Fox 17 Traffic Reporter), Wicks, Kelly Sutton (Tennessee Morning Host) and Craig Edwards (Fox 17 Morning Meteorologist)
Chuck Wicks visited local Nashville affiliate Fox 17 “Tennessee Mornings” to talk about his St. Jude concert at Nashville’s 3rd and Lindsley tonight (11/14). Wicks also treated viewers to two previously unreleased songs, “Whole Damn Thing” and “She Gets To Me.”
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(L-R) Blaine Bishop, Craig Morgan
Craig Morgan with Tennessee Titans Legend Blaine Bishop before singing the national anthem at the Titans game on Sunday, Nov. 6.
Bentley Sets Album Release Date, Hometown Show
/by Caitlin RantalaBentley will play a special album release show in Nashville at the historic Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 2. Fans can purchase tickets beginning this Friday, Nov. 18 at 10:00 AM/CT at the Ryman box office, on ryman.com and through all Ticketmaster locations.
“My home is in Nashville with my family, my home is on the road with our fans and my home is definitely in country music,” said Bentley. “This album is more than a year’s worth of writing, recording and testing out material on the road in front of our hard core fans. The end result is an album that runs through all the types of country songs and sounds I enjoy singing and playing. I can’t wait to share it with the fans!”
Bentley will perform “Home” on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon this Thursday, Nov. 17 at 11:35 PM/CT. “Home” follows the album’s first single, “Am I The Only One,” which recently became Bentley’s eighth career number one hit.
Bentley wraps the first leg of his headlining Country & Cold Cans Tour this weekend with shows in Nampa, ID (11/16), Bozeman, MT (11/17), Rapid City, SD (11/18) and Denver, CO (11/19). The tour will pick up in Feb. 2012 with dates already scheduled in Canada and Australia. For more information and a full list of tour dates, visit www.dierks.com.
Hirings: Mullins, DeSalvo, Brown
/by FreemanShelly Mullins
Shelly Mullins has joined Webster & Assoc. Public Relations as Sr. Director/Media & Marketing, where she will oversee corporate brand management, publicity and marketing. Most recently Marketing Director for Cumulus Nashville, Mullins previously worked with Webster & Associates in 1999 before leaving to work with Shop At Home television in 2003. She later moved on to work as a publicist for Kaleidoscope Media before she joining Cumulus. Congratulate her here.
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Nashville School of Law (NSL) has added music industry veteran Ramona P. DeSalvo to its faculty as an intellectual property law instructor. Most recently, her varied experience includes running a private practice, operating her own Vision Management, working for firm King & Ballow, and teaching law at Middle Tennessee State. She is a graduate of UC-Berkeley and obtained her doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Cincinnnati College of Law.
“Nashville School of Law is delighted to welcome such a dynamic attorney to our faculty,” said Judge Joe Loser, Jr., Dean of Nashville School of Law. “Ms. DeSalvo’s vast expertise in intellectual property and entertainment law, along with her diverse roles in the music business, will bring invaluable insight to our students.”
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Darin Lashinsky, CEO of National Shows 2 (NS2), has announced the addition of Tahnee Brown to the team’s marketing department, where she will promote NS2 shows. Her previous work experience includes time with AEG Live, Knitting Factory Entertainment and House of Blues.
“I am very excited to have Tahnee working with us. Tahnee is bringing a wealth of marketing experience that covers all genres and crosses the entire US,” says Lashinsky.
A Washington native, Brown graduated from Central Washington University in 2005 with a degree in Business Administration. Reach her here.
Events: Pinsons Open Cafe; Whitelaw’s Music Placement Session
/by contributorThe following topics will be covered: Overview, Do You Qualify, Copyrights, Publishing, Master Rights, Splits, Broadcast Quality, Mixes You Need, Film and TV Lingo, Who’s Who, Contracts, Synch Fees and Money Generated, What’s Realistic to Expect, Buy Outs, Instrumentals vs Songs with Vocals, Movie Showings, Re-Runs, Foreign Country Placements, DVD Sales, Soundtracks, How to Pitch Your Songs to Film and TV, Pitch Communications, The Best and Most Lucrative Time to Pitch to Film and TV, Where to Start and Sharing Contacts.
The casual event will also be complimented with finger foods and drinks. It will be held at Nashville Demo Studio, located on 515 East Iris Drive Nashville, TN 37204.
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Their new snack shack, located at 30 Music Square West Suite 101, will be open regularly from 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Lucy’s will serve fresh soups, stews, homemade sandwiches, entree specials and a variety of other snacks.
Lucy’s also delivers to Music Row and caters events. To place a future order with Lucy’s call 615-410-1311.
BMG Chrysalis Signing Announcement
/by MichelleKylie Sackley
BMG Chrysalis recently signed hit singer songwriter Kylie Sackley. She spent a few years touring her native Australia and was honored with the Country Music Association of Australia’s new artist award before deciding to focus solely on her songwriting and move to Nashville.
Sackley has two Top 5 singles to her name, including LeAnn Rimes’ “Nothin’ ‘Bout Love Makes Sense” and Faith Hill’s “Sunshine and Summertime.” She also penned the Alan Jackson single “It’s Just That Way” and has a cut on Jackson’s upcoming album titled “She Don’t Get High.’’
Spika Borchetta Honored For Fashion Designs
/by Sarah SkatesSandi Spika Borchetta with three of her most revered designs during her induction into the Tennessee State Museum Costume and Textile Institute.
Sandi Spika Borchetta, Vice President of Creative for the Big Machine Label Group, was inducted into the Tennessee State Museum Costume and Textile Institute on Friday night (11/11) for her work as a stylist and fashion designer. Along with three other 2011 inductees, she was honored at a special event entitled “Sparkle & Twang” at Nashville’s Loveless Barn where three of her most celebrated gown designs were on display.
At Big Machine Sandi oversees the visual and design elements for the label’s star-studded artist roster. She plays a crucial role in managing the aesthetics of all music videos, photography and product packaging for such talented entertainers as Reba, Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts and Martina McBride.
With more than two decades of experience in the music industry, she has designed fashions for and/or styled such artists as Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, LaToya Jackson and The Band Perry. Most notably, Spika Borchetta designed the cream gown Swift wore in her 2009 award-winning “Love Story” music video. She also designed Reba’s striking “Red Dress,” worn during the 1993 CMA Awards which is now a part of the permanent collection at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.
Chesney and McGraw Reunite For Tour
/by Caitlin RantalaBrothers of the Sun will be the first time in 10 years that Chesney and McGraw have toured together. The reunion will kick off June 2 in Tampa, FL and will feature stadium shows on weekend dates at venues across the country. Brothers of the Sun will also feature special guests Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Jake Owen.
“Tim and I have been great friends since we first toured together, and I can’t wait to get back on the road with him,” Chesney said. “He’s one of my closest friends in music and in life, and I know this tour is going to be something special.”
“Our friendship was forged on the road, so it’s going to be a blast heading out with Kenny again,” said McGraw. “We’ll be having as much fun on stage as the fans will be having in the audience.”
Tickets for the Dallas, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, East Rutherford, Detroit and Foxboro shows will go on sale Saturday, Dec. 3 through Ticketmaster. On-sale info for the remaining dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
2012 Brothers of the Sun Tour Dates:
Sat. June 2 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium
Sun. June 3 – Atlanta, GA – Georgia Dome
Sat. June 9 – Dallas, TX – Cowboys Stadium
Sun. June 10 – Kansas City, MO – Arrowhead Stadium
Sat. June 16 – Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field
Sat. June 23 – Nashville, TN – LP Field
Sun. June 24 – Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium
Sat. June 30 – Pittsburgh, PA – Heinz Field
Sun. July 1 – Cincinnati, OH – Paul Brown Stadium
Sat. July 7 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field
Sun. July 8 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Field
Sat. July 14 – Anaheim, CA – Angel Stadium
Sat. July 21 – Denver, CO – Sports Authority Field at Mile High
TBA – Indianapolis, IN – Lucas Oil Stadium
TBA – Cleveland, OH – Cleveland Browns Stadium
Sat. August 11 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium
Sun. August 12 – Washington, DC – FedExField
Sat. August 18 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field
Sat. August 25 – Foxboro, MA – Gillette Stadium
New York No. 1 For Country Album Sales
/by adminNew York City is the No. 1 market for country music albums according to new data released by Nielsen SoundScan which measures 2011 YTF through Oct. 30. Los Angeles and Dallas-Fort Worth are second and third largest markets respectively. Over 31.8 million country albums have been purchased during the measured period.
Eric Weinberg, Nielsen President Entertainment sates, “New York owes its top spot more to population than popularity. When looking at music sales by genre, the South and Midwest stayed true to their country roots. Music lovers in Charleston-Huntington, W.V., were the most likely to buy country albums, and Nashville holds the number five spot in this list. Nashville residents were nearly twice as likely to buy country albums as the general U.S. population.”
Surprisingly, New York, is the only top media market to not have its own country radio station. Country currently ranks fourth among top selling genres behind Rosck, R&B and Alternative.