Two of country music’s biggest stars (and best buds) Taylor Swift and Kellie Pickler have unveiled their ambitious game plans for the upcoming CMA Music Festival. Pickler will be visiting with fans and signing autographs at Opry Originals: The Shop on Broadway located at 300 Broadway on Thursday, June 10, from Noon-2:00 PM. 

The singer will immediately follow the singing with a 30-minute acoustic performance in the store. Opening at 8:00 AM, the store will distribute a limited number of autograph vouchers with the purchase of a Pickler CD or Pickler-branded prints and photos created exclusively for the signing at Opry Originals.

While Pickler’s signing event seems like a well planned crowd pleaser, superstar Swift’s autograph signing event is likely to be the highlight of the week for many a country fan. The multi-Platinum singer has announced that she will spend 13 hours meeting as many of her fans as possible. Swift will host Taylor Swift’s 13-Hour Meet & Greet at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on June 13th. 

The event will run from 8:00 AM until 9:00 PM.

Swift will kick off the festivities at 8:00 a.m. that day, and will meet as many fans as possible over the course of the 13-hour event. The event will include a short acoustic performance that afternoon shortly after 2:00 PM, and will also feature several different fan activities throughout the day. Taylor Swift’s 13-Hour Meet & Greet is open to the public and admission is free.

“My favorite thing about CMA Music Fest has always been getting to spend time with the fans, so this year I wanted to figure out a way to meet as many of them as possible,” Swift said. “Thirteen is my lucky number, and the 13th is during Music Fest, so I think spending 13 hours that day with my fans is going to be amazing!”

Additional event details will be posted on www.taylorswift.com the week of the event.
This will be Swift’s only performance during the CMA Music Festival.

‘80s hitmakers The Desert Rose Band have reunited for a series of live performances, and LA Times contributor Randy Lewis, who attended the band’s recent show at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, CA, reports that the band is sounding better than ever. Desert Rose leader Chris Hillman, a veteran of pioneering country rock bands like the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, joined Desert Rose guitarists Herb Pedersen and John Jorgenson, steel guitarist Jay Dee Maness, bassist Bill Bryson and drummer Steve Duncan in reprising the band’s hits including “Ashes of Love,” “One Step Forward,” “Love Reunited,” “Price I Pay,” “She Don’t Love Nobody” and more. You can check out the complete LA Times story here.

Warner Music Nashville (WMN), the Nashville-based music operations of Warner Music Group, announced today Chad Schultz will join the newly created Warner Bros., Atlantic & Reprise (WAR) promotion team as National Director starting June 7. Schultz will report directly to Chris Palmer, the Vice President of Promotions.

Schultz began his career as Director of Marketing/Promotions for Insight Management out of Scottsdale, AZ. Following his time at Insight, he spent eight years with Mercury Records, where he eventually became Sr. Director of Promotion for the Southwest region. He went onto Sony BMG, where he spent three years as Director of Promotion for Epic and Columbia Records, managing the Southwest region.

The last four years, Schultz has worked on the technology side of the music business. Recently, he was the Director of Business Development and Client Services for the Silicon Valley based company Mozes, Inc, running the Nashville office after they acquired Hurricane Interactive Promotions. During his time at Mozes, he worked with clients such as EMI, Rock The Vote, Universal, Virgin Mobile, Warner Music Group  and many others.

Daniel Hill, Doug Howard, and Carla Wallace were elected as officers of the Nashville Chapter Board of the The Recording Academy. Hill will serve as President, Howard will serve as Vice President, and Wallace is the new Secretary. The newly elected officers will work in conjunction with The Recording Academy® staff and Chapter Board regarding the Chapter’s local programs and initiatives.

“We are fortunate to have the diversity and breadth of music industry experience available to The Academy with the election of our new slate of Chapter Presidents around the country,” said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. “With their backgrounds, combined with the strong capabilities of our Chapter and National staff, we will continue to enhance and broaden our professional development and networking events, health and human services, advocacy initiatives, and music education programs for our membership. I look forward to working with our new elected leaders.”

About The Officers:
Hill is the President of Cal IV Entertainment, and is a 23-year veteran of music publishing in Nashville. Since joining the independent music publisher in 2000, the company has had hits by numerous artists including Rodney Atkins, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Keith Urban, and Lee Ann Womack.  Cal IV’s song “If You’re Going Through Hell” was distinguished as the 2007 ASCAP Country Song of the Year, and their writer Dave Berg was named the 2008 ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year. Prior to Cal IV, Hill was VP, acting GM at PolyGram/Universal Music Publishing. He is an alumnus of Leadership Music, an executive committee board member of the Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee, member of the ACM, CMA, and a voting member of The Recording Academy.

Howard is the former Senior Vice President of A&R for Disney’s Lyric Street Records where he served as head of A&R since its inception in 1997.  He’s worked with Sarah Buxton, Bucky Covington, Rascal Flatts, Love and Theft, SHeDAISY, and Aaron Tippin. In addition, he also served as the GM of the Nashville Disney Publishing office.  Previously, Howard was the VP/GM of PolyGram Music/Nashville where he represented the song catalogs of Angelo, Billy Ray Cyrus, Toby Keith, Gordon Kennedy, Kostas, Dickey Lee, Bob McDill, Ricky Skaggs, Don Williams, and many others. Howard has served as Trustee and Chapter President for The Recording Academy and is the current chair of the advisory board for the Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University.

Wallace is a native Nashvillian and Belmont University grad.  She has worked in the publishing industry for more than 15 years.  Throughout those years she has worked with writer/ artists including NRBQ’s Al Anderson, Shawn Camp, Josh Kear, Pat McLaughlin, Vanguard Recording Artist Mindy Smith, John Scott Sherrill, and many others.  She previously pitched songs for Bluewater Music and Little Big Town Music. In 1998 she partnered with Kerry O’Neil to form Big Yellow Dog Music. Since then, the company has had 13 No.1 songs and 11 top ten songs including numerous Toby Keith recordings and Lady Antebellum’s multi-platinum downloaded single “Need You Now.” Big Yellow Dog has garnered awards including BMI 2006 Song Of The Year, ASCAP’s 2007 Song Of The Year, 2010 ACM Song Of The Year, and GRAMMY®-winning Country Song Of The Year for “Before He Cheats.” Wallace currently serves on the The Recording Academy and Nashville Human Association boards and is a Leadership Music alumnus.