Veteran Nashville talent executive Tony Conway has formed an entertainment consulting firm and will be acting as talent consultant and executive producer for Ronnie Gilley Entertainment. RGE’s live entertainment interests include the annual BamaJam Music & Arts Festival, as well as the multiplex of venues at the new multi-million dollar Country Crossing destination near Dothan, Alabama, which is having its grand opening this weekend.
This is the first of several projects and companies Conway will announce in the next few weeks.
Last November Conway left his post as CEO and co-owner of Nashville based Buddy Lee Attractions after 33 years with the agency.
Conway is currently serving as Executive Producer of RGE’s 2010 BamaJam Music & Arts Festival, running June 3-5 in Enterprise, Alabama; as well as the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, June 10-13.
As part of his new association, he will consult on talent and the development of additional special events, festivals and live music concert presentations in the planning stages for the Ronnie Gilley Entertainment group.
Conway is taking the talent reins for RGE’s 3rd Annual Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival, with more than 40 artists scheduled to appear on four music stages, including Hank Williams, Jr., Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, Miranda Lambert, and LoCash Cowboys. The event near Enterprise, Alabama drew in excess of 125,000 fans last year.
Conway is also overseeing this weekend’s (Jan. 15-17) Grand Opening celebration at Country Crossing. Twenty artists are set to perform at the three-day extravaganza, including Tracy Lawrence, Joe Nichols, Darryl Worley, Neal McCoy, Lorrie Morgan, John Anderson, The Commodores, and Pam Tillis. The attraction’s venues set to celebrate official openings this weekend are the George Jones Possum Holler Bed & Breakfast, Lorrie Morgan’s Hot Chicken, John Anderson’s Cafeteria, Darryl Worley’s Worley Bird Saloon, and The Grascals Bluegrass Hollow RV Park.
In his work with RGE, Conway will continue to based in Nashville. Contact information for Conway is: tconwaytn@gmail.com / 615-478-4989
Phil Vassar Plans First Overseas Tour
/by MichellePhil Vassar
Phil Vassar will launch his first overseas tour on Jan. 26 in London, England, wrapping in Munich, Germany on Feb. 1. The Show Dog-Universal Music artist is currently touring the states to support his recent release Traveling Circus.
His overseas tour will include a full media schedule, with appearances on various TV shows in London and Ireland, as well as the BBC.
“I am thrilled to finally be on my way to share my music and show with some of the world’s most passionate music lovers,” says Vassar. “To be able to perform in four countries in one week is quite a feat, but I am ready for it. I am extremely proud of the record I have recorded with my touring band, they are my brothers, and to be able to have this experience is something we have been waiting to do for quite some time.”
Vince And Amy Mark 10 Years; News From Chesney, Sugarland
/by Sarah Skates——————–
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Sugarland has teamed with Dr Pepper to give one lucky fan an unrivaled experience at the 45th Annual ACM Awards in Las Vegas this April. The winner and a guest will enjoy a weekend of country music with tickets to the awards show, as well as passes to a special Dr Pepper Welcome Reception with Sugarland and the post awards ACM All-Star Jam. Fans can enter for a chance to win at drpepper.com now through March 31. The 45th Academy of Country Music Awards show airs Sunday, April 18 on CBS.
Conway’s New Firm Consulting For Ronnie Gilley Entertainment
/by Sarah SkatesThis is the first of several projects and companies Conway will announce in the next few weeks.
Last November Conway left his post as CEO and co-owner of Nashville based Buddy Lee Attractions after 33 years with the agency.
Conway is currently serving as Executive Producer of RGE’s 2010 BamaJam Music & Arts Festival, running June 3-5 in Enterprise, Alabama; as well as the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, June 10-13.
As part of his new association, he will consult on talent and the development of additional special events, festivals and live music concert presentations in the planning stages for the Ronnie Gilley Entertainment group.
Conway is taking the talent reins for RGE’s 3rd Annual Verizon Wireless BamaJam Music & Arts Festival, with more than 40 artists scheduled to appear on four music stages, including Hank Williams, Jr., Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, Miranda Lambert, and LoCash Cowboys. The event near Enterprise, Alabama drew in excess of 125,000 fans last year.
Conway is also overseeing this weekend’s (Jan. 15-17) Grand Opening celebration at Country Crossing. Twenty artists are set to perform at the three-day extravaganza, including Tracy Lawrence, Joe Nichols, Darryl Worley, Neal McCoy, Lorrie Morgan, John Anderson, The Commodores, and Pam Tillis. The attraction’s venues set to celebrate official openings this weekend are the George Jones Possum Holler Bed & Breakfast, Lorrie Morgan’s Hot Chicken, John Anderson’s Cafeteria, Darryl Worley’s Worley Bird Saloon, and The Grascals Bluegrass Hollow RV Park.
In his work with RGE, Conway will continue to based in Nashville. Contact information for Conway is: tconwaytn@gmail.com / 615-478-4989
Universal Music Partners With Freeallmusic.com
/by Freeman“It’s iTunes meets Hulu,” says Richard Nailling, chief executive of FreeAllMusic in an article on nytimes.com. After downloading music, users will have the opportunity to post the information to their Facebook and Twitter pages in hopes of recruiting more users for advertisers.
The service is currently in private testing mode, but interested users can sign up to receive an invitation when it becomes available. Aside from Universal, one other yet-to-be-named major label has signed to provide its full digital catalog on FAM. Check out the freeallmusic Twitter for updates on the company’s launch.
Jessica Harp Releases New Video, Webisodes
/by MichelleThe video will premiere exclusively on The Boot on Jan 25, and the single will impact radio on Jan. 19.
The webisodes will run in correlation with a contest where fans will obtain a code at the end of each webisode to enter into a WBR-powered sweeps page. The sweeps page will be located at www.jessicaharp.com/awomanneeds and the winner will win a weekend getaway to Nashville and a meeting with Harp.
“A Woman Needs” is the title track from Harp’s Warner Bros. Records debut album, set for release later this year.
McGraw Starring In Gillette Series
/by Sarah SkatesMcGraw stopped by "CMT Radio Live With Cody Alan" recently. The show kicked off 2010 by welcoming new affiliates, bring the total to 79 stations nationwide. Photo: Dingo O'Brien
Tim McGraw is one of the superstar artists in Gillette’s new Uncut digital documentary series, premiering later this month. Shot by renowned music filmmaker/photographer Danny Clinch, the series shows McGraw, will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Mark Hoppus (Blink-182) and the All-American Rejects ft. Tyson Ritter backstage at their concerts getting ready for the show.
This kind of branded entertainment is growing increasingly popular; tying stars and stories in with products.
Gillette will also launch “Shave Like a Rock Star,” a series of tongue-in-cheek shaving tutorials hosted by each artist on its Web site. The Gillette Uncut campaign will be supported by a broadcast television partnership with Fuse TV, print ads, and web partnerships.
ACM Plans Awards, Brooks And Dunn Tribute
/by Sarah SkatesBoth shows are produced for television by dick clark productions and will air on CBS. Nearly 15 million viewers tuned in to last year’s Awards, a 21% increase over the previous year.
Tickets for both events go on sale Jan. 15, 2010. For event and ticket information, log onto www.acmcountry.com. Tickets sales from ACM Presents: Brooks & Dunn – The Last Rodeo will benefit ACM Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the Academy of Country Music, which works to improve lives through music.
Michael McDonald, Jewel, Lorrie Morgan With The Symphony
/by Sarah SkatesJewel
The Symphony has lined up some of Nashville’s, and the country’s, biggest stars for its upcoming season. Michael McDonald, Jewel, Peter Cetera, Lorrie Morgan and Broadway star Michael Cavanaugh are all set for the Bank of America Pops Series, headed up by Resident Conductor Albert-George Schram.
Lorrie Morgan
McDonald, the distinctive voice behind some of pop music’s most unforgettable songs (“What a Fool Believes,” “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “I Keep Forgettin’”) will kick things off Sept. 23-25, 2010. Singer-songwriter Jewel performs her pop and country hits of the past two decades Nov. 11-13, 2010; and Country star Lorrie Morgan will close the season May 26-28, 2011.
Other highlights of the eight-part series include Gershwin “Here to Stay” (Oct. 14-16, 2010); solo artist and Chicago lead singer Peter Cetera (Jan. 13-15, 2011); Broadway Rocks! (Feb. 24-26, 2011); The Sound of Philadelphia soul in the ’70s featuring Spectrum (March 31, April 1-2, 2011); and Michael Cavanaugh (Movin’ Out) Sings the Music of Bill Joel (May 5-7, 2011).
Industry Beat: Stroudavarious, Common Grounds
/by Sarah SkatesNathan Cruise
Bill Catino, President of Stroudavarious Records, announces the addition of Nathan Cruise as Director of Midwest Promotion. He will report to Bill Macky, and will be based in the Nashville offices. Cruise was most recently with Show Dog Records, and prior stints include Arista, Equity, and MCG/Curb Records. He can be contacted at nathan@stroudavarious.com or 615-496-6356.
Catino is still seeking someone to cover the NE region, and will also be staffing up the BamaJam Records promotion department over the next few months. Resumes should be sent to: macky@stroudavarious.com
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Jamie Nehasil
Jamie Nehasil has started consulting firm Common Grounds Entertainment, focusing on marketing, artist development, A&R, endorsements, and film/TV. He previously spent eight years at Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group as Director of Music and Marketing, and will keep Tri Star as a consulting client. Tri Star is a business and personal management firm with clients in all aspects of entertainment such as supermodel Niki Taylor, Mat Kearney, Britney Spears, Jamie Lynn Spears, and Titans coach Jeff Fisher.
Nehasil can be reached by email at Jamie@commongroundsentertainment.com or at 615.594.3911.
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Local company Whizbang, Inc. has secured placement of the theme song for new Style Network series Giuliana and Bill. “I Love Loving You” was written by Whizbang clients Adam McCants and Julie Downs. Whizbang also secured client Superchick’s song “So Beautiful” as the theme song for another trendy Style Network series, Running In Heels.
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Live Nation stockholders voted to approve the issuance of Live Nation common stock in connection with its previously announced merger with Ticketmaster Entertainment, Inc. Over 99% of the shares voted were cast in favor of the merger. The company’s stockholders also approved all other proposals submitted to a vote, including a proposal to change the company’s name to “Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.” following the completion of the merger. The transaction remains subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals and the satisfaction or waiver of other customary closing conditions.