J.D. Haas Offers ACM Trip Packages

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J.D. Haas Entertainment has joined forces with the Academy of Country Music for the ninth consecutive year to produce the Official Trip Package to the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards to be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Sunday, April 18 at 7:00 CT on CBS.

The package is a deluxe 4-day, 3-night hotel stay at MGM Grand with tickets to the Awards Show, Post-Awards All-Star Jam and the All-Star concert special honoring Brooks & Dunn. The package also includes the Academy of Country Music concert on Fremont Street, airport and Fremont Street Shuttles, and a comprehensive trip winner’s kit. For more information click here or call (615) 244-9445.

Tish Stewart Joins Belmont Industry Relations

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Tish Stewart

Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business has announced that Tish Stewart has joined the school’s industry relations team as Career Development Specialist. Stewart began her career at Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management in the Career Services office. For the last four years, she has been an Executive Recruiter for The Search Firm, Inc, an outside placement firm serving companies all over Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

“We are excited that Tish has joined our team,” says Curb College Strategic Programs Director Sarah Cates. “As Career Development Specialist, she provides guidance to students and alumni and customer service to potential employers, allowing the Curb College to serve as a top-notch recruiting source for entertainment based jobs.”

In addition to Stewart’s appointment, Jamie Stamey has been promoted to Internship Coordinator for the Curb College. Stamey handles company internship opportunity postings and coordination of the college’s annual internship fair.

Americana Goes Live at Bluebird

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The Americana Music Association has announced plans for their second annual “Live at The Bluebird Cafe” concert series celebrating some of the genre’s best-loved and most influential performers. The six-show series, sponsored by the Gibson Foundation, will take place every Thursday from February 18 through March 25 and will feature artists who help define Americana music.

Americana Music Association Board member Raul Malo will kick the series off on February 18 at 9 PM.  On March 4, in an evening billed as “White Trash In Your Living Room,” fellow Board member Rodney Crowell will appear with Mary Gauthier, Minton Sparks and Elizabeth Cook.  Later in the month 2004 Americana Instrumentalist of the Year Will Kimbrough will be on hand at the intimate venue.

“It’s terrific to be back at the Bluebird for a second year” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the not-for-profit organization. “This series is an extension of our annual festival and conference in that it offers yet another opportunity for music lovers to experience Americana at its finest.”

“We are thrilled to partner with the Americana Music Association again to host some of the genre’s legendary artists and performers,” said Bluebird General Manager Erika Wollam Nichols,  “The intimacy of the Bluebird allows the audience to connect to the music in a traditional fashion, just as if the performers were playing on your front porch – up close and personal!”

Showtime for all performances will be 9pm.  Doors will open each night at 8:30pm. Seating for all shows will be general admission.  A full schedule of artists performing will be announced shortly.
Series passes are priced $125 for all six shows and available through February 10 at 3 PM CST from the Americana Music Association by calling 615-386-6936. Individual shows are priced $25 per show. More information is available here.

Digital Rodeo Taps Blair Garner For Guilty Pleasures

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DigitalRodeo.com and CRB have announced After MidNite’s Blair Garner as a co-host of this year’s Digital Rodeo Guilty Pleasures Show, set for Feb. 26 at Cadillac Ranch during CRS 2010. The “Guilty Pleasures” theme encourages artists to choose and perform cover versions of one of their favorite songs from any artist, across any genre of music. Last year’s show featured performances from Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Jimmy Wayne, Julianne Hough, James Otto, Jamie O’Neal, Justin Moore, Brady Seals and more.

Garner will host segments of the show, as well as gather content for his website and nationally syndicated radio program, After MidNite with Blair Garner. The Guilty Pleasures show will kick off at 10 PM or immediately following the CRS New Faces Show at the Nashville Convention Center, whichever comes first.

“I heard about Digital Rodeo’s event last year during CRS, so I was already intrigued by the chance to see and hear so many artists perform their ‘guilty pleasure’ songs,” says Garner.  “But when I got the invitation to host, it was really a no-brainer. First, because it’s going to be a blast, but also because of the opportunity to get to see some rare performance moments with these artists in such a unique environment.”

“Having a such a respected radio personality like Blair Garner host the show is an incredible thrill for us,” says John Pyne, Digital Rodeo’s Director of Marketing and Promotions.  “We feel like last year’s show was a great success, especially for the first show we had done at Country Radio Seminar.  This year, we have even higher expectations for the show and I know Blair will help bring it to that next level.”

Artists appearing at this year’s Digital Rodeo Guilty Pleasures Show will be announced shortly.  Contact John Pyne at john.pyne@digitalrodeo.com for booking inquiries.

Sugarland Preps “The Incredible Machine” Tour

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CMA Vocal Duo of the Year  Sugarland have dubbed their upcoming headlining 2010 North American tour “The Incredible Machine.” The Mercury Records artists will kick things off on April 23 in Primm, Nevada and travel to over 55 cities nationwide.

“This new tour is a thrill for me,” said Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles. “It will reflect our latest writing and surprises to come for the new record, the hits that our fans love, along with the production value that people have come to trust and expect from our live shows. It’s a whole, new, rhythmic, emotional, visual, fun, incredible, experience machine.”

Sugarland “The Incredible Machine” tour Itinerary:

Primm, NV-4/23                                                              Cooperstown, NY
Lake Tahoe, NV                                                                Canadiagua, NY
Scranton, PA                                                                     Saratoga, NY
Huntington, WV                                                               Twin Lakes, WI-7/23
Indio, CA                                                                            Eau Claire, WI-7/24
Santa Barbara, CA                                                            Kansas City, MO
Concord, CA                                                                      Cheyenne, WY-7/30
Bakersfield, CA                                                                 Minot, ND-7/31
Murphy’s, CA                                                                    Raleigh, NC
Los Angeles, CA                                                                Charlotte, NC
Phoenix, AZ                                                                       St. Louis, MO
Albuquerque, NM                                                            Houston, TX
Bossier City, LA                                                                Dallas, TX
Detroit, MI                                                                         Sioux Falls, SD
Nampa, ID-5/6                                                                 Boston, MA
Orange Beach, AL                                                            London, Ontario
Pelham, AL                                                                        Toronto, Ontario
Salt Lake City, UT                                                             Oklahoma City, OK
Colorado Springs, CO                                                      Southaven, MS
Burgettstown, PA                                                             Cleveland, OH
State College, PA                                                              Cincinnati, OH
Camden, NJ                                                                       Louisville, KY-8/19
Holmdel, NJ                                                                      Alpharetta, GA
Gilford, NH                                                                        Indianapolis, IN-8/20
Columbia, MD                                                                   Des Moines, IA
West Palm Beach, FL                                                       Charlottesville, VA
Tampa, FL                                                                           Bristow, VA
Hartford, CT                                                                       Virginia Beach, VA

Lisa Stewart Seals Joins McGraw/Paltrow Film

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Former BNA Records artist Lisa Stewart Seals, wife of country artist Brady Seals, will join the all-star cast of the new motion picture Love Don’t Let Me Down starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw. Seals plays the mother of a 7-year-old son, Travis, a Leukemia patient who, as part of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, gets to meet Paltrow’s country music artist character.  Travis is played by Gabe Sipos, a real life cancer survivor.

“My role is a small one, but I’m so excited to have a few lines and to share a scene with an Academy Award winner, a country music icon and a brave soul like Gabe,” says Seals.  “On my list of ‘Things I Hope to Accomplish in My Life,’ I get to check something off!”

Seals previously starred in the film Jericho, winner of Best Feature Film award at Naples Film Fest. She also appeared in Nothing Lasts Forever, a CBS mini-series directed by Jack Bender of Lost fame. Seals has been a red carpet correspondent for E! Entertainment and has hosted various TV show in national syndication for TNN, GAC and more. Her voice is currently featured as the reader of Sara Evans’ audio book The Sweet By and By.

Terra Firma Orders New EMI Strategic Plan

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Seeking to persuade Terra Firma investors to inject a reported $158.5 million of additional investment, Guy Hands, founder of private equity group Terra Firma, has asked EMI Music chief executive Elio Leoni-Sceti to draw up a new plan for the company. London’s Financial Times reports today (2/4) that the cash injection is intended to meet the terms of its loans from Citigroup this year.

Terra Firma needs to raise the funds to salvage the remainder of its equity in investment vehicle Maltby Capital, and so avoid losing control of the company to Citigroup which holds its $4.1 billion debt. The lending terms will be tested again March 31, and further cash injection into EMI will need to happen by the end of June 2010 to avoid the covenant breach.

Billboard.biz reports that an EMI spokesperson insisted the company is doing well, stating that EMI “has been increasing its market share and operating profits have increased substantially both last year and in the current year. The new strategic plan that Terra Firma has asked EMI Music to draw up will build upon these successes.”

Phil Vassar Steps Up For St. Judes

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Showdog-Universal artist Phil Vassar has teamed up with Country Cares for St. Jude Kids radio station partners for a year-long promotion to benefit kids battling cancer and other deadly diseases at St. Jude. The Country Cares radio station that secures the most “Partner In Hope” monthly pledges throughout the designated contest time will receive a free acoustic concert from Vassar.  The contest begins on February 3, 2010 and ends on February 2, 2011.

The St. Jude Partner In Hope family is made up of a special group of loyal supporters who give monthly to St. Jude so the hospital has the necessary financial resources to ensure that no child is turned away because of a family’s inability to pay.

“St. Jude is such a fantastic and necessary organization,” says Vassar, who recently visited with St. Jude patients. “I want to do whatever I can to help these kids and we’re going to have some fun in the process.”

“St. Jude steps up to the plate every day,” says Bill Black, Program Director of Mobile, Alabama’s WKSJ. “And now Phil Vassar steps up and supports St. Jude and country radio with a great incentive to grow your radiothon!”

Smith And Sturgeon Join “Artist-Owned” Ranks

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Country artists Anthony Smith and Jason Sturgeon are joining artists like Big Kenny and Gretchen Wilson in establishing their own record labels and teams to release, promote and market their new music. Debut country artist Sturgeon will release his leadoff single, “Simple Life,” to radio through his own label, Toolpusher Records. He will follow that up with his first full-length CD, That’s Me, later in the year, also on Toolpusher. Smith, who formerly recorded for Mercury Nashville and Stroudavarious, will release his new CD, Sunshine, and its leadoff single, “Love Is Love Is Love,” on his own recently established Krankit Records imprint, a joint venture with Artist Garage, who distributes through Fontana, a wholly owned subsidiary of Universal Music Group

Both artists have assembled teams of industry veterans to help promote their new music. Sturgeon’s team includes Dennis Kurtz (Showgun Entertainment/Project Management), Larry Pareigis (Nine North Records) Jeri Petty (Rodeo Legacy Marketing), Nancy Tunick (GrassRoots Promotion), Debbie Gibson Palmer and Jack Pride (Spinville Records), Craig Bann (Aristo Media) Bobbe Morhiser (Marco Club Connection) Brian Cecil (Briserv/Internet Marketing & Web Design) and Vanessa Parker-Davis (Splash! PR).

“Sturgeon is a breath of fresh air. His head-on approach to life and his career is refreshing,” says  Pareigis. “We are excited about taking Jason’s music to radio and beyond.”

Smith will also work with Pareigis and his artist services company, Nine North, in promoting his new releases. Also working with Smith are Mike Regan, who will serve as Krankit’s Director of Operations, Jules Wortman of Wortman Works Media and Marketing, and Nicole Cochran of Nic of Time Communications, who will handle public relations and media for the label.

“I believe ‘Love is Love is Love’ has the unmistakable Anthony Smith sound and at the same time is the most commercial single he’s sent to country radio,” Pareigis says. “Nine North is honored to be partnered in the launch of Anthony’s label Krankit Records.”

Bluebird Hosts John Jarrard Foundation Concert

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A distinguished group of songwriters will come together for the second John Jarrard Foundation Concert at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe on Saturday, Feb. 20. Hit songwriters Bob Dipiero, Walt Aldridge, Rory Bourke and Kendall Marvel will perform to benefit the John Jarrard Foundation. Dipiero’s 15 No. 1 hits include “Southern Voice” by Tim McGraw. Aldridge, writer of Reba’s “Fear Of Being Alone,” has twice been voted Billboard Magazine Top 10 Country Songwriter of the Year, and Bourke, writer of Charlie Rich’s “The Most Beautiful Girl,” is a member of the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and a three-time ASCAP Writer of the Year. Marvel is the writer of “Right Where I Need To Be” by Gary Allan.

“We are excited to have such a great group of songwriters performing at the Bluebird,” says John Jarrard Foundation Executive Director Jody Jackson.

John Jarrard was a well-known Nashville songwriter who penned hits for a number of top country music stars. Jarrard fought a long battle with diabetes before passing away in 2001.

Tickets for the Bluebird show are $15 and can be purchased here. Proceeds will go to a permanent endowment fund in Jarrard’s name funding local charities. For more information, contact Jody Jackson at jjackson@johnjarrardconcert.com or (770) 710-9191.