Womack Aids Africa
Lee Ann Womack has joined forces with Join My Village, a click-to-commit social change initiative that hopes to release $500,000 of General Mills’ charitable dollars to leading international humanitarian organization CARE. CARE will use the money for economic and educational opportunities for girls and women in Malawi.
Join My Village allows individuals to unlock the power of General Mills’ corporate philanthropy; users can visit www.joinmyvillage.com to learn more about the women in Malawi while raising funds. By watching a video of a child’s opportunity to attend secondary school, or listening to a sample of African music from a Malawi village, the users’ “clicks” will release donations from General Mills to CARE. Additionally, General Mills will match all individual donations dollar for dollar up to the $500,000 goal.
Womack will appear in a public service campaign and various events and social media activities to raise awareness for this campaign. She has set a goal of rallying 100,000 of her fans to join the campaign during her upcoming tour with George Strait and Reba McEntire.
“As a mother of two girls, I see the opportunities that education has created for my daughters’ future,” said Womack. “I believe that every girl in the world has unlimited potential and by supporting Join My Village I know we can provide girls with opportunities to learn, achieve and improve their future.”
2010: Big for Bentley
Dierks Bentley closes out 2010 with three Grammy nominations for his critically acclaimed fifth album, Up On the Ridge. The album, which was heavily inspired by the bluegrass and roots music that moved Bentley to pursue a career in country music, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album and rave reviews from The Washington Post, NPR, and The Boston Globe, among others. His collaborations with Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson on “Bad Angel” and Del McCoury and the Punch Brothers on “Pride (In the Name of Love)” each earned a Grammy nod as well.
Up On the Ridge was singled out as one of iTunes’ Best Albums of the Year and Amazon’s Top 10 Country Albums of the Year. Bentley is planning a revival of his Dierks Bentley and Friends pre-Grammy bash in Los Angeles on February 12, 2011. This intimate performance, which will take place at the Troubadour, has featured surprise guests including Brad Paisley, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Dwight Yoakam and more. A limited number of fan tickets will be available tomorrow, December 17, at www.dierks.com.
JaneDear Girls Taking Over YouTube; Upcoming Marty Stuart Film
/by contributorthe JaneDear girls are one of 50 artists selected to participate in MyYouTube, an online promotion that encourages fans to help musicians score points and subscribers on their YouTube channel. The contest, which runs through February 4, 2011, features artists such as B.O.B., Justin Bieber and Rihanna. The JaneDear girls are the only country act selected to participate.
Fans can help the JaneDear girls out by subscribing to their YouTube channel and by getting the word out on Twitter and Facebook. Fans who participate will be eligible to win a prize from the JaneDear girls. More information is available here and here.
The JanDear girls, a duo comprised of Susie Brown and Danelle Leverett, are the highest-charting debut artists of 2010, and their hit single “Wildflower” was voted No.1 video by fans on GAC’s Top 20 Countdown. The JaneDear girls will join Jason Aldean on his “My Kinda Party Tour” in January.
Marty Stuart will be featured in a short form documentary highlighting his early life and influences in his hometown of Philadelphia, Mississippi. Jacob Hatley, who directed the critically acclaimed Ain’t In It For My Health: A Film About Levon Helm, will direct this project, entitled Marty Stuart In Philadelphia, MS. Select songs from Stuart’s latest album, Ghost Train (The Studio B Sessions), will be featured throughout the documentary in addition to candid stories behind the songs.
“The piece focuses on how music and location work together or how places often inspire and influence artists,” explains Hatley. “Marty’s sound comes from a very specific region, and it was a real privilege to be able to go down to Mississippi and get to know the people who shaped him as an artist.”
The film is set to premiere in early 2011, and a preview is available here.
Photos: BMI Honors Brice, CMA Christmas Cheer, and Ballard Hits the Road
/by contributorBMI honored Lee Brice’s record-breaking Billboard Song of the Year, “Love Like Crazy,” at a reception at BMI’s Music Row office on December 14. The song, produced by Doug Johnson and co-written by Johnson and Tim James, was on the Billboard Country Singles cart for an unprecedented 56 weeks, breaking Eddy Arnold’s previous record of 54 weeks for “Bouquet of Roses.”
Pictured are (l-r): BMI’s Jody Williams, co-writer Doug Johnson, Lee Brice, co-writer Tim James, Curb Records’ Mike Curb, Curb Publishing’s Drew Alexander, Warner/Chappell’s Steve Markland, and Billboard’s Wade Jessen.
Former CMA Executive Director, Jo Walker-Meador (1959-1991), and current CMA Chief Executive Officer, Steve Moore, celebrate the season at the annual CMA staff Christmas party.
Warner Bros. Records newcomer Frankie Ballard takes a break from the “It’s Good To Be Me Tour 2010” to snap a photo with touring partner Uncle Kracker.
Frankie Ballard and Uncle Kracker at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, TX
Artist News: Rascal Flatts, Josh Thompson and More
/by MichelleRascal Flatts performed at the Grand Ole Opry on Dec. 14 to wrap up their year-long celebration of their 10th anniversary year. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean presented the band with an official city proclamation to recognize the band for their charitable endeavors and honors, including the Jason Foundation and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, where they were recently honored by the naming rights for the hospital’s only pediatric surgery center, “The Rascal Flatts Surgery Center.” The proclamation also stated additional efforts as previous recipients of the “Shining Star Award” by the Make A Wish Foundation and the Nashville Symphony’s Harmony Award, as both honors took place in Nashville.
Rascal Flatts and Mayor Karl Dean
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Three Music City Media artists, including Matt Gary, Jeremy Parsons and Glen Templeton participated in the 28th Annual Christmas4Kids Tour Bus Show. The annual celebrity tour bus event was held December 13 and featured meet and greets and 75 tour buses on display in the Hendersonville Walmart parking lot to benefit families in need during the holidays.
Pictured (L-R): Matt Gary, Jeremy Parsons, Glen Templeton
Lee Ann Womack Aids Africa; Dierks Bentley is Tops in 2010
/by contributorLee Ann Womack has joined forces with Join My Village, a click-to-commit social change initiative that hopes to release $500,000 of General Mills’ charitable dollars to leading international humanitarian organization CARE. CARE will use the money for economic and educational opportunities for girls and women in Malawi.
Join My Village allows individuals to unlock the power of General Mills’ corporate philanthropy; users can visit www.joinmyvillage.com to learn more about the women in Malawi while raising funds. By watching a video of a child’s opportunity to attend secondary school, or listening to a sample of African music from a Malawi village, the users’ “clicks” will release donations from General Mills to CARE. Additionally, General Mills will match all individual donations dollar for dollar up to the $500,000 goal.
Womack will appear in a public service campaign and various events and social media activities to raise awareness for this campaign. She has set a goal of rallying 100,000 of her fans to join the campaign during her upcoming tour with George Strait and Reba McEntire.
“As a mother of two girls, I see the opportunities that education has created for my daughters’ future,” said Womack. “I believe that every girl in the world has unlimited potential and by supporting Join My Village I know we can provide girls with opportunities to learn, achieve and improve their future.”
Dierks Bentley closes out 2010 with three Grammy nominations for his critically acclaimed fifth album, Up On the Ridge. The album, which was heavily inspired by the bluegrass and roots music that moved Bentley to pursue a career in country music, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album and rave reviews from The Washington Post, NPR, and The Boston Globe, among others. His collaborations with Miranda Lambert and Jamey Johnson on “Bad Angel” and Del McCoury and the Punch Brothers on “Pride (In the Name of Love)” each earned a Grammy nod as well.
Up On the Ridge was singled out as one of iTunes’ Best Albums of the Year and Amazon’s Top 10 Country Albums of the Year. Bentley is planning a revival of his Dierks Bentley and Friends pre-Grammy bash in Los Angeles on February 12, 2011. This intimate performance, which will take place at the Troubadour, has featured surprise guests including Brad Paisley, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Dwight Yoakam and more. A limited number of fan tickets will be available tomorrow, December 17, at www.dierks.com.
Lauren Thomas Promoted At Arista
/by Sarah SkatesSony Music Nashville VP Promotion Skip Bishop made today’s (12/15) announcement. “I’m so happy to escort Lauren to this next level of her promising career. She is a natural born promotion machine and her passion for music and radio brings Arista Nashville a new fresh voice to our team.”
In October 2009, Thomas joined the Arista Nashville promo department as National Promotions Coordinator. Before coming to the label, she was Associate Director of Promotion for Golden Music Nashville, and, was Promotions Manager for KMLE Phoenix for five years.
She will continue to be based in Nashville.
The National Promotions Coordinator opening at Arista Nashville is being filled from within the company by Rusty Sherrill.
The Judds and Garth Bid Farewell To Larry King
/by Sarah SkatesGarth Brooks and The Judds were among Larry King’s final guests, as his venerable CNN show comes to an end this week. Wynonna and Naomi Judd discussed their reunion/farewell tour. Brooks talked about his ongoing shows at the Wynn in Las Vegas, and flood relief benefits opening tomorrow night in Nashville.
See video below. More here.
Jamey Johnson Gets Gold Plaque, Critical Praise
/by Sarah SkatesThe UMG Nashville project received two Grammy nominations, including Best Country Album and Best Male Country Vocal Performance for “Macon,” with Johnson garnering a third nod for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals for “Bad Angel” with Dierks Bentley and Miranda Lambert.
“My dream already came true,” Johnson says of the accolades. “All I ever wanted was just to get to ride around and sing country music. It’s cool when things like that happen along the way. Because those are the things I never thought I could achieve. Whether or not it’s gold or platinum or hell, diamond for that matter, it wouldn’t surprise me anymore. I’ll just keep doing what I do. I wake up every day and go play some more country music and have another drink.”
Johnson was one of many Nashville performers at the recent Kennedy Center Honors, where he performed a tribute to honoree Merle Haggard. He also met honoree Oprah Winfrey, who joked he should visit her father Vernon’s Nashville barber shop for an eight-dollar haircut.
In early 2011, Johnson will join Kid Rock on his nationwide Born Free tour, opening Jan. 15 in front of a crowd of 60,000 at Detroit’s Ford Field.
ACM Noms Close Today; Stealing Angels Visit
/by Sarah Skates(L-R): Tayla Lynn, Caroline Cutbirth, ACM Exec. Dir. Bob Romeo, and Jennifer Wayne
The Academy of Country Music welcomed Caroline Cutbirth, Jennifer Wayne, and Tayla Lynn –collectively known as Stealing Angels to the office for a visit when they were in Los Angeles recently. While at the Academy, Stealing Angels signed up for ACM professional membership and performed a few songs for the staff including their new single “Paper Heart.” Stealing Angels’ debut album on Skyville Records will be released in early 2011. Their debut album is being produced by ACM Award winner Paul Worley.
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The nominating round of voting for the 46th Annual ACM Awards closes at 5:00 p.m. Central today (12/15). ACM members should check their e-mail for voting log-in instructions.
2010 Rewind Issue—On The Cover: Brad Paisley
/by contributorClick To Purchase Issue
Click Here to Order the 2010 Rewind Issue
Brad Paisley
Label: Arista Nashville
Current Album: The double-disc Hits Alive, released November 2, including 25 tracks, blending studio
hits and live recordings from Brad’s H2O World Tour.
Current Single: “This Is Country Music,” the first single from Brad’s new studio album, releasing spring of 2011.
Current Video: “This Is Country Music”
Current Producer: Frank Rogers
Hometown: Glen Dale, WV
Birthdate: October 28
Management: Fitzgerald Hartley
Booking: William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
Recent Hits: Brad’s 18 No. 1 hits include the last 14 in a row, most recently “Anything Like Me,” “Water,” and “American Saturday Night.”
Awards: The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year and American Music Awards winner as Favorite Male Artist: Country Music, Paisley is a three-time GRAMMY honoree with 13 ACM and 14 CMA awards to his credit.
RIAA Certs to date: Career sales of more than 12 million albums, including Double-Platinum certifications for his Time Well Wasted and Mud on the Tires collections.
Touring: Paisley’s H2O World Tour began in late May of 2010, playing to more than 750,000 fans in less than five months. The final leg of the tour kicks off in late January 2011 as the H2O Frozen Over Tour.
Interesting Facts: In May of 2011, Brad is set to publish his first major book, The Diary of a Player, a salute to the guitar heroes who have shaped his life. Co-written with David Wild, the book will release through Howard Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
Website: www.bradpaisley.com
Brad Paisley’s latest release, the double-disc Hits Alive, sports 25 total tracks, some presented both in live and studio versions. The collection includes 16 of Paisley’s 18 No. 1 songs and four that hit the Top 5, plus the instrumental “Time Warp” and Paisley’s “Anything Like Me.” Disc one includes 13 studio hits plus a new take on Paisley’s “Online”—blending studio and live renditions—while disc two includes previously unreleased live versions of ten favorites, plus the closing “Online (Reprise).”
Paisley’s singles have provided a soundtrack to many of life’s big and small, profound and less-than-profound moments. He has made fans cry, think, and, perhaps most importantly in a world in dire need of perspective and humor, laugh. He has been topical with songs like “Online” and “Celebrity,” and poignant with “Letter to Me” and “When I Get Where I’m Going.” He has been rowdy with “Mud on the Tires” and “Alcohol,” and tender with “Little Moments” and “We Danced.” Paisley’s songs have resulted in career sales over 12 million albums plus numerous awards.
Cover Photo and Inset: Jeremy Cowart
Nick Hunter Passes
/by Sarah SkatesHunter’s career in radio promotion and sales included time among the top leadership at Warner Bros. Records, Giant Records, and as General Manager of Koch Records.
On Sunday (12/12), Hunter enjoyed a jovial visit with friends and industry colleagues Al Cooley, Neal Spielberg and Jack Purcell.
Friends say Hunter’s devotion to baseball was second only to his commitment to his family. He was a passionate music lover who was said to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the Nashville music business.
He is survived by wife Margie, daughter Kate and son Sam.
Services are pending.