From Randy Travis' first photo shoot with Warner Bros. in 1986
Country stalwart
Randy Travis is planning a duets album to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his career. The Warner Bros. Records release,
Anniversary Celebration, will include guests
Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney, Don Henley, Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley,
Carrie Underwood and
Kristin Chenoweth. Coming June 7, the album offers new songs in addition to re-makes of many of Travis’ hits (complete track listing below).
Travis has career sales totaling in excess of 20 million records.
“Randy Travis changed the landscape of country music when he arrived on the scene 25 years ago,” said
John Esposito, Warner Music Nashville President & CEO. “It is a testament to Randy’s impact in country music that his friends have joined him to celebrate his legacy and his future on Anniversary Celebration.”
His
website chronicles his rise to stardom through video, photos and other multimedia elements.
Track listing
1. Everything and All featuring Brad Paisley
2. A Few Ole Country Boys featuring Jamey Johnson
3. Forever and Ever, Amen featuring Zac Brown Band
4. He Walked On Water featuring Kenny Chesney
5. T.I.M.E. featuring Josh Turner
6. Love Looks Good On You featuring Kristin Chenoweth
7. Better Class of Losers/She’s Got The Rhythm (And I Got The Blues) medley feat. Alan Jackson
8. More Life featuring Don Henley
9. Can’t Hurt A Man featuring Tim McGraw
10. Promises featuring Shelby Lynne
11. Is it Still Over? featuring Carrie Underwood
12. Road To Surrender featuring Kris Kristofferson & Willie Nelson
13. Diggin’ Up Bones featuring John Anderson
14. Someone You Never Knew featuring Eamonn McCrystal
15. Too Much featuring James Otto
16. Didn’t We Shine featuring George Jones, Lorrie Morgan, Ray Price, Connie Smith, Joe Stampley & Gene Watson
Photo Collage
/by Sarah SkatesAlison Krauss and Dan Tyminski visited the CMT Top 20 Countdown yesterday (4/4) to talk about the first Alison Krauss & Union Station album in seven years, set for release April 12. During the taping Krauss and company had to retreat to a designated tornado shelter, but eventually got to discuss the new album Paper Airplane with CMT host Evan Farmer. See this episode Friday and Saturday (4/8 and 4/9) at 10AM/CT.
(L-R): Evan Farmer, Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski. Photo: Amber McSwain
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Revered hitmakers Steve Cropper and Jeffrey Steele headlined BMI’s 2011 Tin Pan South show on Thurday night (3/31) at Nashville’s Hard Rock Cafe. Steele, who has written more than 80 top ten hits, kicked the night off, and Stax-bred icon Cropper followed, backed by Steele and his ace band.
Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Bradley Collins and Jody Williams, Jeffrey Steele, BMI’s David Preston, Steve Cropper, and BMI’s Mary Loving.
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Kobalt Nashville helped songwriter Shane McAnally celebrate his first No. 1 recently. Co-written with JT Harding, “Somewhere With You” was recorded by Kenny Chesney, marking the artist’s 21st chart-topper.
Pictured at the party co-hosted by ASCAP and BMI at Cabana are (L-R): Kobalt client Shane McAnally; Kobalt Nashville’s Sr. VP Creative Whitney Daane; JT Harding; and Little Blue Egg’s Robin Palmer. Photo credit: Ed Rode
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Photographer Alan Mayor submitted this shot from his old files: Gov. Ned Ray McWherter wearing Willie Nelson pigtails. McWherter died yesterday (4/4) at age 80, and Mayor remembers the late politician as “always fun to be around.”
Ned McWherter, photo by Alan Mayor
Randy Travis Records Star Duets For "Anniversary Celebration"
/by Sarah SkatesFrom Randy Travis' first photo shoot with Warner Bros. in 1986
Country stalwart Randy Travis is planning a duets album to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his career. The Warner Bros. Records release, Anniversary Celebration, will include guests Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney, Don Henley, Alan Jackson, Jamey Johnson, George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and Kristin Chenoweth. Coming June 7, the album offers new songs in addition to re-makes of many of Travis’ hits (complete track listing below).
Travis has career sales totaling in excess of 20 million records.
“Randy Travis changed the landscape of country music when he arrived on the scene 25 years ago,” said John Esposito, Warner Music Nashville President & CEO. “It is a testament to Randy’s impact in country music that his friends have joined him to celebrate his legacy and his future on Anniversary Celebration.”
His website chronicles his rise to stardom through video, photos and other multimedia elements.
Track listing
1. Everything and All featuring Brad Paisley
2. A Few Ole Country Boys featuring Jamey Johnson
3. Forever and Ever, Amen featuring Zac Brown Band
4. He Walked On Water featuring Kenny Chesney
5. T.I.M.E. featuring Josh Turner
6. Love Looks Good On You featuring Kristin Chenoweth
7. Better Class of Losers/She’s Got The Rhythm (And I Got The Blues) medley feat. Alan Jackson
8. More Life featuring Don Henley
9. Can’t Hurt A Man featuring Tim McGraw
10. Promises featuring Shelby Lynne
11. Is it Still Over? featuring Carrie Underwood
12. Road To Surrender featuring Kris Kristofferson & Willie Nelson
13. Diggin’ Up Bones featuring John Anderson
14. Someone You Never Knew featuring Eamonn McCrystal
15. Too Much featuring James Otto
16. Didn’t We Shine featuring George Jones, Lorrie Morgan, Ray Price, Connie Smith, Joe Stampley & Gene Watson
Industry Ink Tuesday (4/5)
/by Sarah Skates>>>SESAC has signed singer/songwriter Nathan Bell for representation. Bell, who recently released his latest album, Black Crow Blue, stopped by the SESAC offices to visit and celebrate with the staff.
Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Tim Fink; Nathan Bell; SESAC’s Amy Beth Hale. Photo: Ed Rode
Mark Montgomery
>>>Tech guru and entrepreneur Mark Montgomery has joined the writing team at Forbes.com, covering all his favorite topics: music, media, technology and entrepreneurship.
Dawn Delvo
>>>Dawn Delvo has joined Black River Entertainment to oversee content management, social networking and e-commerce for the label and its artists. Since moving to Nashville in 2006, the North Dakota native has been building her resume and most recently worked at Lotos Nile: Media Marketing Music. Black River Entertainment artists include Jeff Bates, Sarah Darling, Craig Morgan and Due West.
Eric Durrance
>>>JKMusicwerks and owner Jeffrey Kadlubowski have signed songwriter Eric Durrance to a one-year contract. Durrance has had hits including Jake Owen’s “Eight Second Ride.” His other songwriting credits include two songs on the soundtrack for the movie The Passion of The Christ, as well as three hit Christian singles with his former band Big Dismal.
Steven Dale Jones Signs With Word Publishing
/by Sarah SkatesPictured (L-R): Word Music Publishing's Chad Segura, Steven Dale Jones, and Word Music Publishing's Chad Green
Word Music Publishing has signed hit songwriter Steven Dale Jones. The Grammy nominated/award winning writer is known for penning such hits as “One More Day” (Diamond Rio), “Ten Thousand Angels” (Mindy McCready), “He Gets That From Me” (Reba), and many more. Showing his diverse talent, Jones has had cuts from artists as wide-ranging as the Gaither Vocal Band, John Legend, Cassandra Wilson, Josh Turner, and John Waite.
Word Music Publishing is also home to hit songwriters Paul Alan, Matt Boswell, Ian Eskelin, Michael Farren, Becca Mizell, Shaun Shankel, and Jason Walker.
Shelton Hosts ACM Shoot
/by adminBlake Shelton and Luke Bryan. Photo: Ethan Miller, Getty.
Blake Shelton hosted the first ever NRA Country/ACM Celebrity Shoot on April 2 at Nellis Air Force Base as part of the Las Vegas Academy of Country Music Awards week celebration. The event consisted of a 13-station, 50-target competition for 19 teams of five shooters—each with a celebrity captain. Prizes were awarded to the top three teams.
Rascal Flatt’s frontman Gary LeVox helmed the winning team—CPrime—to a first place finish. Shelton’s Starstruck team took second place and the Washington Redskins team with captain Dave Butz placed third.
Sarah Darling Photo: Ethan Miller, Getty.
Other country artists that participated included Lee Brice, Luke Bryan, Craig Campbell, Sarah Darling, Due West, Edens Edge, Brett Eldredge, Andy Griggs, Julie Ingram, Justin Moore, Montgomery Gentry, Craig Morgan, Jake Owen, Sunny Sweeney, Josh Thompson, Storme Warren and Chuck Wicks.
BMI Presents Annual Christian Awards
/by Sarah SkatesThe evening's top winners. Pictured are (l-r): BMI's Phil Graham and Jody Williams; Universal Music Publishing's Dale Mathews; Songwriters of the Year Rodney Griffin, TobyMac and Bo Rinehart; Song of the Year writer Scott Krippayne; and BMI's Beth Laird and Mike O'Neill. Photo by John Russell
Genre-jumping star tobyMac shared his second consecutive Christian Songwriter of the Year crown with southern gospel favorite Rodney Griffin and pop-savvy rockers Needtobreathe’s Bo Rinehart.
Scott Krippayne performs BMI Christian Song of the Year “What Faith Can Do." Photo by John Russell
“What Faith Can Do” earned Christian Song of the Year honors for its creative team. Written by Scott Krippayne and published by Pirk Music, the song was recorded by alt-rock outfit Kutless.
With five songs in the most-performed list, Universal Music Publishing Group was named Christian Publisher of the Year for the fourth consecutive year.
The awards ceremony also saluted the late Christian music industry legend Don Butler with a special tribute.
The evening was hosted by BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, Jody Williams, along with Senior Director Thomas Cain and Director Beth Laird, of BMI’s Nashville Writer/Publisher Relations Department.
Guests and honorees also enjoyed performances by Triumphant Quartet and Sidewalk Prophets.
A complete list of the 2011 BMI Christian Award winners is available at www.bmi.com.
Universal Music Publishing celebrates its fourth consecutive BMI Christian Publisher of the Year title. Pictured are (l-r): Universal Music Group’s Stacey Wilbur, Eric Hurt, Dale Mathews, Leslie Linebaugh, and John Andrade. Photo by John Russell
The 2011 BMI Christian Songwriters of the Year. Pictured are (l-r): BMI’s Jody Williams; Songwriters of the Year Rodney Griffin, Bo Rinehart and TobyMac; and BMI’s Beth Laird. Photo by John Russell
Jayne Rogovin Benefit, Hats Across The Row Today
/by Sarah Skates>>>Hats Across The Row, a series of fundraisers for the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation, will launch today (4/5) with a kick-off parade featuring the Hillwood High School Band. The parade starts at 4 PM and lands at a block party at Big Loud Shirt from 4:30-6:30 PM. Spearheading the campaign are Tinti Moffatt and Ree Guyer Buchanan. More info here.
>>>Kacey Jones and Jesse Goldberg will perform at a benefit for the Zoe Marie Brain Tumor Research Fund, to fight brain cancer in children on Thursday, April 7, 6 PM at Modern Nash Furniture Supply.
>>>Jo Dee Messina will lead the Sat., April 9 St. Jude Music Row Road Race. This year’s race will start and finish at the Walk of Fame Park, across the street from the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. Details here.
Pictured (L-R): Lynn Bogle, chief development officer for the Rescue Mission; Mark Sullivan, GM of Cumulus Nashville; and Cliff Tredway, director of communications and marketing at the Mission
>>>Cumulus Nashville’s 5th Annual Radiothon raised about $100,000 for the Nashville Rescue Mission. The cluster’s five stations (SuperTalk 99.7-WTN; 92Q Nashville’s Big Station-WQQK; 95.5- FM WSM; Classic Hits 97.1 WRQQ; and i106-All the Hits-WNFN) went commercial-free from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. recently and listeners called in pledges ranging from one meal ($2.26) to thousands of dollars.
SOURCE Announces 2011 Honorees
/by FreemanThe 2011 SOURCE Awards honorees are Roberta Edging (Eddy Arnold Enterprises), Millie Kirkham (WSM Radio, Tree Music Publishing, Legendary Background Vocalist), Barbara Orbison (Barbara Orbison Productions, Roy Orbison Music, Pretty Woman Perfume), Evelyn Shriver (Evelyn Shriver Public Relations, Asylum Records, Bandit Records), Janice Erickson Wendell (Noble Dury, Erickson Advertising), plus a posthumous recognition for Georgia Twitty Chellman (Gospel Jubilee, Music City Hotline, Veeson Travel, Tennessee T-Cake).
On March 25, the SOURCE Awards committee held a luncheon at The Palm for its 2011 honorees. Pictured (L-R): Back: SOURCE members Karen Conrad, Judy Harris, Pat Rolfe, Judi Turner. Front: 2011 Honorees Roberta Edging and Millie Kirkham
Rich Raises Big Bucks For St. Jude On Celeb Apprentice
/by Sarah SkatesJohn Rich accepts a $5000 donation for St. Jude's on behalf of Trace Adkins.
John Rich was given project manager duties on last night’s (4/3) episode of Celebrity Apprentice, where he rallied friends including previous CA contestant Trace Adkins to line up big donations.
The show’s two teams made art and auctioned it off to benefit their respective charities; Rich’s team was working for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Rich proclaimed to his teammates, “Boys you better turn your umbrellas inside-out ‘cause it’s about to start raining money.”
Adkins, currently overseas on a USO tour, sent Rich’s team $5000. Other Rich associates offered $50,000 for a cowboy hat, and another $50,000 for a pair of cowboy boots. He also sold an Apprentice Gibson guitar that he hand-decorated for a whopping $470,000. Among his compadres who arrived in NYC for the event were Two Foot Fred, Big Six and Charlie.
Donald Trump told the teams that no one in show history has ever raised—even in an entire season—the amount that they raised during that one task.
Nashville Goes Vegas: ACM Party Pics [updated 4/5]
/by Sarah SkatesShow Dog-Universal Music hosted a brunch during the weekend festivities surrounding the ACM Awards. Guests were treated to food at Craftsteak while SDU artists performed.
Pictured (L-R): Brad Howell, VP National Promotion, SDU; JT Hodges; Joe Nichols; Becky Robertson, Carter's Chord; SDU President Mark Wright; Emily and Joanna Robertson, Carter's Chord; Randy Houser and Rick Moxley, VP Promotion, SDU.
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Sony Music Nashville hosted a private dinner following the awards. The label group celebrated numerous performances and wins including Brad Paisley’s record fifth consecutive Male Vocalist honor, and Miranda Lambert’s leading four trophies.
Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Nashville VP Sales Kerri Fox-Metoyer; artists Bradley Gaskin, Carrie Underwood, Casey James, and Miranda Lambert; Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Gary Overton; Chris Young, Sara Evans, and Jake Owen; Sony Music Nashville Sr. VP Promotion Skip Bishop; Brad Paisley; and Sony Music Nashville Sr. VP Marketing Paul Barnabee. Photo credit: Edyta Sokolowska / Exceed Photography
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Capitol Records Nashville celebrated with artists and staff at a dinner at StripSteak. Lady Antebellum took home the awards for Vocal Group of the Year and Album of the Year for their multi-platinum Need You Now.
Standing from (L-R): Phillip Sweet; Charles Kelley; Eric Church; Jimi Westbrook; Dierks Bentley; Alan Jackson (ACM Winner - Vocal Event of the Year); Capitol/EMI Nashville President and CEO, Mike Dungan; Eric Paslay; Troy Olsen; Dave Haywood; Luke Bryan; Capitol/EMI Nashville SVP, Promotion, Steve Hodges and Capitol/EMI Nashville COO, Tom Becci. Seated from (L-R): Jennette McCurdy; Karen Fairchild; Hillary Scott; Kimberly Schlapman; Darius Rucker; Walker Hayes and Capitol/EMI Nashville SVP, Marketing, Cindy Mabe. Photo credit: Rick Diamond
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Last night Warner Music Nashville hosted its 2nd Annual ACM Cocktail Party at Shibuya on the City Walk at MGM. Blake Shelton debuted a new single on the awards show, which he co-hosted for the first time alongside Reba McEntire.
(L-R): Bob Reeves, VP of Promotion; Scott Hendricks, Sr. VP of A&R; John Esposito, President & CEO; Blake Shelton; Chris Stacey, Sr. VP of Promotion; and Peter Strickland, Sr. VP of Brand Management & Sales.
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During ACM weekend in Las Vegas, Republic Nashville hosted a celebration for The Band Perry, whose self-titled debut album was certified Gold by the RIAA in February 2011 just four months after release. The event was held at the WME Suite at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay. The Band Perry went on to win New Artist of the Year at the following night’s ACM Awards show.
(L-R) President of Republic Nashville Jimmy Harnen, Neil Perry, Big Machine Label Group CEO Scott Borchetta, Kimberly Perry, Reid Perry, and Manager Bob Doyle. Photo credit: Matthew Jeppsen/courtesy Republic Nashville