Vegas Goes Country For Sunday's ACM Awards

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ACM Zinepak


It’s the week Vegas Goes Country, with tons of events surrounding Sunday night’s (4/3) ACM Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. For a recap of the nominees, click here.
The fan-voted Entertainer of the Year and New Artist of the Year categories will be chosen by text voting powered by the RAM Truck Brand and online balloting at www.VoteACM.com.
The excitement starts with the ACM Concerts at Fremont Street Experience running Friday and Saturday.
Fan anticipation has been building with sales of the ACM Awards Spotlight ZinePak, a magazine and 2-CD combo available exclusively at Walmart. With a $7 price point, tons of hit and newcomer music, the offering debuted at No. 19 on this week’s Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
As for the Awards, Luke Bryan, Chace Crawford, Celine Dion, The Judds and Miranda Lambert have been added to the already stacked presenters list. And expect a performance from every Entertainer of the Year nominee.
Blake Shelton, who will co-host the show with Reba, has been making the media rounds this week, visiting E!’s Chelsea Lately, CBS’ The Talk and CBS’ The Early Show. He also shot the video for his new single, which he will premiere on the awards.
GAC will be home to the live red carpet arrivals, starting at 7:00 p.m./EST with GAC hosts Suzanne Alexander, Nan Kelley and Storme Warren.
Media and fan sites can also host digital content of the televised GAC red carpet pre-show, the “Ram Red Carpet Live! @ The 2011 ACM Awards” pre-show and video-on-demand (VOD).
Many artists and members of the music industry will stick around in Vegas following the awards for the Monday, April 4 taping of Girls’ Night Out: Superstar Women of Country, set to air Friday, April 22 on CBS.

Lawrence Music Group Signs Rick Huckaby

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Tracy Lawrence has formed his own Lawrence Music Group, comprising management, label and publishing services. He has signed Rick Huckaby, writer of singles including Trace Adkins', "Muddy Water." Huckaby, who spent five years as Lawrence’s guitar player, also tours regularly himself, and performed at Tin Pan South earlier this week. Pictured (front row, l-r): LMG's CEO Tracy Lawrence and Rick Huckaby; (back row, l-r): LMG's VP Creative Flip Anderson, LMG's VP Business Relations Alex Torrez and BMI’s Clay Bradley.


 

Sarah Darling had both the No. 1 and No. 5 videos on CMT’s Top 10 list recently. “Something To Do with Your Hands,” the current single from her new Angels and Devils project was No. 1, and “Whenever It Rains” from Darling’s previous album jumped back into the running to gain the No. 5 spot. Celebrating at the CMT offices (L-R): Jay Frank CMT Sr. VP Music Strategy, John Gusty Black River Entertainment, Sarah Darling, Brian Bayley, CMT Music Programming/Promotions, John Alexander, Black River Entertainment


Curb Records artist Dylan Robinson recently celebrated his 20th birthday in the recording studio with producers Doug Johnson and Jim Ed Norman. Pictured (L-R): Jim Ed Norman, Dylan Robinson, Doug Johnson

ASCAP Releases 2010 Financial Results

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ASCAP released its financial results for 2010 today (3/31), showing a dip in total revenues and member distributions since last year’s record highs. The information was presented at the organization’s General Annual Membership Meeting in New York City.
Financial distributions to members in 2010 totaled $845 million, down 2.1% versus the 2009 high of over $863 million. Distributions to members in 2008 totaled $818.9 million.
2010 revenue totaled $935 million. This is 6% below 2009’s high of $995 million. Total revenue for 2008 was $946.7 million.
According to the organization, the impact of a weak economy has resulted in lower payments from those customers paying on a percentage of revenue basis. In addition during 2010, ASCAP received a reduced interim radio rate.
According to John LoFrumento, ASCAP CEO, “Looking to the future, we see ongoing challenges to member financial distributions. We are working tirelessly to add new licensing opportunities and to utilize new technologies to control operating costs.”
ASCAP remained a 13.9% operating expense ratio.
At the end of 2010, ASCAP elected its 400,000th member, just one of the 32,000-plus new members it adds each year.

Tin Pan South In Full Swing

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Steel Magnolia's Meghan Linsey and Joshua Scott Jones hosted the early show at The Rutledge last night. Photo: Moments by Moser


The 19th Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival Presented by Regions Bank kicked off Tuesday night (3/29) in Nashville. Over 120 songwriters took the stage at nine local venues over the first two nights.
In addition to the scores of top tunesmiths on the schedule, Tin Pan is always full of surprise guests. Clint Black made an unannounced appearance at The Rutledge Tuesday night. Keith Anderson showed up at the Listening Room and former American Idol finalist Crystal Bowersox surprised guests at the Hard Rock.
Among other highlights: Tom T. Hall anchored the “Storytelling” show at The Bluebird Café, and Michael Martin Murphey, Gary Nicholson and Lee Roy Parnell performed at the “Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame” show at the Hard Rock Café. Hit songwriter and NSAI President Steve Bogard was joined by Love & Theft and others at The Listening Room. The Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee received proceeds from the show at the Hard Rock Cafe starring Dave Berg, Eric Paslay, Sarah Buxton and Jedd Hughes.
As for tonight’s (3/31) shows, “Whisperin'” Bill Anderson hosts the early show at Douglas Corner, and longtime Lonestar frontman Richie McDonald will lead Puckett’s Downtown. The BMI sponsored show starring Steve Cropper and Jeffrey Steele will be at 9 PM at the Hard Rock.
Details at TinPanSouth.com.

Pictured at The Rutledge late show are (L-R): Rick Carnes, Bobby Tomberlin, Steve Wariner, and Clint Black. Photo: Moments by Moser

Shaw Produces Debut From Newswoman Robin Meade

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Victoria Shaw helmed production for a new pop/country album by CNN HLN anchor Robin Meade. The singer debuted songs from the project on Monday night (3/28) at New York City’s legendary Birdland club.
Shaw, who also produced Lady Antebellum’s debut album, joined Meade onstage for the event, bringing along fellow Nashville tunesmith Gary Burr.
For the finale, Meade recruited famous pals Joy Behar (The View) and Jane Velez-Mitchell (HLN) to join her onstage for her take on the Don Henley hit “Dirty Laundry.” The cover will be on her album, hitting Target stores in June.

Meade, Shaw, Velez-Mitchell and Behar onstage at NYC's Birdland Club. Photo credit: Derek Storm

Woods Retires, Magill To Head Sony Business Dept.

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(L-R): Kathy Woods, Angie Magill


Angie Magill has been promoted to Vice President, Legal & Business Affairs for Sony Music Nashville, where she will head the department.
This news comes following the retirement of 15-year label executive Kathy Woods, whose last day as Sr. VP at the company is today.
“Kathy has been an invaluable member of this company for the past 15 years,” says Sony Music Nashville Chairman & CEO Gary Overton. “Her enduring grace and the immeasurable respect she has earned, both among her colleagues and friends here as well as throughout the industry, may well be the truest reflection of how much she’ll be missed. We wish her much happiness in her retirement.”
In welcoming Magill to her new role, Overton praised, “Angie has very much earned this opportunity, and I have every confidence that she will lead the department with the integrity, wit, acumen, and dedication for which she has become so well known.”

Garth Brooks Salutes Late Journalist Rineke Van Beek

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Former CMA President Ed Benson and Dierks Bentley present the Wesley Rose International Media Achievement Award to Rineke van Beek in 2005. Photo: Dan Harr


Longtime Dutch country music journalist Rineke Van Beek passed away last month following a lengthy battle with cancer. During her 30-year career, she worked for Country Gazette in Holland, which was the recipient of the CMA’s award for international journalism. Following the closure of Country Gazette, Van Beek worked with Nashville FM.
Among the many fans of her work is superstar artist Garth Brooks. “Rineke was a true flag-bearer for country music around the world,” he says. “Country music is basically ‘American’ to everyone outside the U.S., but thank God, Rineke saw beyond the borders we build and saw the music for what it was…the voice of the common man. Country music is less today because one of its greatest fans is gone. Miss Van Beek’s family has all of our thoughts and prayers, love, and respect.”

Swift's Worldwide Sales Pass 20 Million

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Taylor Swift onstage in the UK.


Taylor Swift’s worldwide album sales total has passed the 20 million mark. This includes her three Big Machine Records studio albums, plus a holiday collection and a Walmart exclusive. In addition, Swift has sold over 33 million paid song downloads, making her the top-selling digital artist in history.
Next the star heads to Sunday night’s (4/3) ACM Awards in Las Vegas, where she is nominated in four categories including the fan-voted Entertainer of the Year. Earlier this week, the Academy of Country Music announced that she will receive their Jim Reeves International Award for her “outstanding contributions to the acceptance of country music throughout the world.”
Swift wrapped the international portion of her Speak Now World Tour 2011 last night (3/30) with a sold-out show at London’s O2 Arena. Executives from Big Machine and Universal Music International were on hand to present her with a plaque commemorating the 20 million milestone.
She launched the overseas leg February 9 in Singapore. The North American portion of the tour kicks off May 27 with two sold-out shows at Omaha’s Qwest Center, and wraps with two shows at Madison Square Garden just before Thanksgiving. By the time the tour closes, she will have headlined 97 shows.

Big Machine Records and Universal Music International executives presented Taylor Swift with a plaque commemorating 20 million album sales at a backstage event at the O2. (L-R): Kate Farmer, SVP Universal Music Group International; Scott Borchetta, CEO/Pres. Big Machine Label Group; Max Hole, CEO Universal Music Group International; Taylor Swift; David Joseph, Chairman & CEO Universal Music UK; Jason Iley, Pres. Mercury Records UK

Lori McKenna Shares New Music In Nashville

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Pictured at Lori McKenna's listening party are (l-r): BMI’s Beth Laird; McKenna’s producer and co-writer Barry Dean; BMI’s Jody Williams; Lori McKenna; and Universal Music Publishing’s Pat Higdon, Whitney Williams, and Cyndi Forman. Photo by Steve Lowry


Lori McKenna debuted music from her latest album Lorraine in Nashville this week. The Massachusetts based songwriter has been in Music City for a listening party, and Tin Pan South performance.
BMI and Universal Music Publishing partnered to celebrate the release on Tuesday, March 29 at Sambuca. McKenna delivered an acoustic performance of her intricately crafted story songs.
Later that night she offered songs from the new project at the Bluebird Cafe, in a stellar round with her producer and fellow songwriter Barry Dean, and hit tunesmiths Natalie Hemby and Luke Laird. Among the new songs she played were “Buy This Town,” a testament to her marriage and her hometown Stoughton, and “Still Down Here” about the glories of heaven, and loved ones who remain on earth.
On her sixth album, McKenna continues what she does best, illuminating and examining everyday life and ordinary circumstances, offering poignant insights about love and family. The album’s title, Lorraine, is actually McKenna’s first name. She was named after her mother who died at roughly the same age Lori is now.
Artists Keith Urban, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Mandy Moore have recorded her songs for their own albums.

The Consortium Inks Billy Joe Walker, Jr.

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Renowned producer, musician, artist and songwriter Billy Joe Walker, Jr. has signed with The Consortium Group for exclusive worldwide representation. He is currently working on projects with singer/songwriters Shelley Skidmore and Drew Smith as well as composer Mike Post. His guitar skills are also featured on upcoming music from Joe Nichols as well as a tribute to session drummer Hal Blaine.
“Billy Joe Walker Jr.’s multi-faceted career and talent are legendary…..his passion is contagious,” says Consortium partner Mike Martinovich. “We are excited and honored to be an integral part of Billy’s future.”
Walker’s musical journey includes production work for Bryan White, Travis Tritt, Billy Ray Cyrus, Pam Tillis, Tracy Byrd, Collin Raye and more. As a session guitarist, he has worked on recordings with a who’s who of artists and producers including The Beach Boys, Mutt Lange, Ray Charles, Sir George Martin, Waylon Jennings, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Rodney Crowell and George Strait. He also released a series of jazz instrumental albums as a solo artist for labels including MCA, Geffen and Liberty Records.

The Consortium Group made its announcement of representation of Billy Joe Walker, Jr. at a recent invitation only Music Row showcase. Pictured (L-R): Mike Martinovich, Mike Post, Billy Joe Walker, Jr., Bryan White and Al Schultz. Photo credit: Sharon Eaves