AMA Announces New Board Members

The Americana Music Association recently held annual elections for its Board of Directors and the results are in. Nine new directors will be joining the board for 2009-2010.

New Americana Music Association Board Members:

(L-R): Capps, Kornblith, Matthews, Allen, Taylor

(L-R): Capps, Kornblith, Matthews, Allen, Taylor

(L-R): Macias, Crowell, Malo, Miller

(L-R): Macias, Crowell, Malo, Miller

Finance

Ashley Capps—President, AC Entertainment and co-creator/producer of Bonnaroo

Radio

Joan Kornblith—Correspondent and Program Host, Voice of America

Booking
Pam Matthews—Owner, DuVoyant Music

Publishing
John Allen—Vice President, Bug Music

Artist
Chip Taylor

New Media
David Macias—President, Thirty Tigers

At Large
Rodney Crowell, Raul Malo, Buddy Miller


Existing Directors with another year to serve:

Artist Management
Tim McFadden—Owner, Tim McFadden Management

Performing Rights
Kay Clary— Sr. Director Media Relations, BMI

Publications
Tamara Saviano—Owner/President, Ellis Creative

Radio Promotion
Al Moss—Owner, Al Moss Promotion

Record Label
Amanda Hale-Ornelas—Director of Media Relations, New West Records

Retail Distribution
Sylvia Giannitrappani—owner, GO2 Management

Songwriter
Tift Merritt

Talent Buyer/Presenter
Brad First—Talent Booker/Showcase Coordinator, SXSW Inc.

At Large
Fred Boenig—Partner, Artist Development Group
Jessie Scott—Owner, Music Fog

Bess Lomax Hawes Dies

bessLifelong folk-music champion Bess Lomax Hawes died Friday, November 27 at the age of 88 in Portland, Oregon.

In 1941-43 she was a member of The Almanac Singers alongside Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. In 1948, she wrote the folk classic “M.T.A.,” which became a hit for The Kingston Trio in 1959. She moved to Los Angeles in 1952 and taught guitar, mandolin and banjo, as well as folk-song classes.

During her long and productive career, Bess Lomax Hawes taught college, produced film documentaries, launched folk festivals and wrote three books. The most recent of her books is 2008’s autobiography Sing It Pretty: A Memoir.

At the National Endowment for the Arts, she served for 16 years as the director of the Folk and Traditional Arts Program and created the National Heritage Fellowships. In 1993, she was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton.

Bess Lomax Hawes is the aunt of Nashville journalist and Roots Music Exporters businessman John Lomax III. She is also survived by three children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Underwood’s CMT Special Airs Tonight

CMT will premiere Carrie Underwood: Invitation Only tonight at 8 pm CT. Taped before a small audience in Nashville’s Studio A, the special will feature Underwood performing her hits and music from her new album Play On, as well as candidly answering questions from fans.

In other Underwood news, our web calendar had previously listed the incorrect date for Fox’s upcoming Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special. The correct date for the show is December 7, and it will air at 7pm CT.
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Pictured at Invitation Only taping (L-R): Brian Philips - President, CMT; Joe Galante - Chairman, Sony Music Nashville; Butch Waugh, EVP, Sony Music Nashville; Underwood; John Hamlin - Senior Vice President, Production and Development, CMT; Laurissa Ryan - Senior Director, Talent Relations, CMT; Margaret Comeaux - Senior Director, Music and Events Production, CMT; Jay Frank - Senior Vice President, Music Strategy for CMT; and Ann Edelblute - 19 Entertainment; Photo credit: Rick Diamond/WireImage

Toby Keith Concludes Sold-Out European Tour

Toby performing for the sold out crowd in Helsinki, Finland.

Keith performing for the sold out crowd in Helsinki, Finland.

Toby Keith recently wrapped his first European tour, which included a two week sold-out run of nine shows in six countries. Keith opened the tour in Glasgow, Scotland Nov. 9 before playing London’s Hammersmith Apollo (Nov. 10), Dublin’s Olympia Theater (Nov. 12), Belfast’s Odyssey Arena (Nov. 13) and jumping across the North Sea for shows in Copenhagen, Denmark; Stockholm, Sweden; Helsinki, Finland; Oslo, Norway and, finally, Bergen, Norway.

Keith’s stop on the popular Swedish talk show Skavlan was one of the highest-rated episodes of the year. He was also the subject of cover stories or features appearing in the Irish News, Sunday World, Up Country, American, Irish Star, The Newsletter and more.

GE Sale Of NBC To Comcast Likely

NBCA deal between General Electric and Comcast to sell TV network NBC Universal to Comcast moved a step closer to reality yesterday amid reports of a key agreement between G.E. and Vivendi, essential to complete the sale. G.E. has offered to buy Vivendi’s 20% stake in NBC Universal for a reported $5.8 billion. Vivendi had an option that might allow it to offer its stake in NBC as a public offering, which would muddy the waters and likely cool Comcast’s ardor.

These figures value the entire NBC Universal sale price at about $29 billion, somewhat less than the $30 billion that was agreed to last month by both G.E. and Comcast.

A New York Times article (12/1) reports that a completed deal could be announced as soon as Thurs., 12/3.

The deal holds great potential value for Comcast, which would become a content developer in addition to its current transmitter role. If completed, the new NBC Universal would be a Comcast/G.E. joint venture. Comcast would hold a 51% stake adding in cash and its cable channels. G.E. would retain 49%. Insiders expect G.E. to eventually sell its share to Comcast.

FBMM’s John McCarthy To Retire

After 41 years in business, CPA johnmccarthy05John McCarthy has announced plans to retire from Flood, Bumstead, McCready and McCarthy, Inc. (FBMM) effective December 31, 2009. He will continue to work as a CPA on a limited independent basis.

McCarthy has spent 41 years in the financial management business specializing in tax, audit and financial management for Touche Ross, Memphis; Herman Bensdorf & Co.; Gelfand, Rennert & Feldman and for the last 15 years with FBMM, which specializes in financial management for the entertainment and sports industries. Following his retirement, McCarthy can be reached at 615-557-7121 or McCarthyCPA@tds.net.

Photos: Currington On Parade; Stars Visit Children’s Hospital

Billy Currington performed his No. 1 hit "People Are Crazy" last Thursday for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Currington rode the Herald Square Express float from Central Park down to 34th Street where he performed in front of the NBC cameras. Photo Credit: Mercury Nashville

Billy Currington performed his No. 1 hit "People Are Crazy" for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. He rode the Herald Square Express float from Central Park to 34th Street where he performed in front of the NBC cameras.

O-Seven Artist Management along with their acts Bucky Covington, Sawyer Brown and Love And Theft all joined together to bring a little extra pre-holiday cheer to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital recently with a surprise guitar pull. From there the entire O-Seven crew all caravanned over to the Ronald McDonald House for a special birthday lunch for one of the young children currently undergoing treatment at Vanderbilt. Pictured at the Ronald McDonald House Front- Christopher, Hobie Hubbard (Sawyer Brown), Bucky Covington Back- Stephen Barker Liles (Love And Theft), Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown), Don Harris  (O-Seven Artist Management), Brian Bandas (Love And Theft) Photo Credit: Courtesy of O-Seven Artist Management; 11.23.09

O-Seven Artist Management along with their acts Bucky Covington, Sawyer Brown and Love And Theft shared some holiday cheer at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital with a surprise guitar pull. Next the crew visited the Ronald McDonald House for a birthday lunch for one of the children undergoing treatment at Vanderbilt. Pictured at the Ronald McDonald House Front- Christopher, Hobie Hubbard (Sawyer Brown), Bucky Covington. Back- Stephen Barker Liles (Love And Theft), Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown), Don Harris (O-Seven Artist Management), Brian Bandas (Love And Theft)

Tidbits: Valory Signing, Green Leaving ASCAP

valoryValory’s newest artists and CMT Can You Duet finalists JB Rocket recently spent time getting to know the Valory promotion staff. New music from the band, made up of Jonathan Cox and Brandon Green, is due next year. Pictured (l-r): Chris Loss, Brooke Yancey, Miranda Williams, Jon Loba, George Briner, JoJamie Hahr, JB Rocket’s Jonathan Cox and Brandon Green.

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Chad Green, Nashville Membership Representative for ASCAP, left the organization last week after an 11-year tenure. He will assume the role of Creative Director, Word Music Publishing on Monday, Dec. 7.

Songs Score Big With Soundtracks: “The Climb,” “Southern Voice”

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ASCAP recently hosted a #1 party for "The Climb." Pictured L-R: ASCAP's John Briggs, Lyric Street & Disney Music Publishing's Doug Howard, Jessi Alexander, Disney Music Publishing's Kos Weaver, Jon Mabe, Stage Three Music's Tim Hunze and Missy Roberts. Photo Credit: Kay Williams

Songwriters Jessi Alexander and Jon Mabe had stellar success with their song “The Climb,” which spent an amazing 15 weeks at #1 on Billboard‘s AC Chart. As the lead single from Hannah Montana: The Movie, “The Climb” was also voted Best Song from a Movie at the 2009 MTV Music Awards. It was published by Disney Music Publishing, Hopeless Rose Music, Mabe It Big Music and Stage Three Music.

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Also celebrating a hit song in a movie are longtime charttopping tunesmiths Bob DiPiero and Tom Douglas, who co-wrote the new Tim McGraw single “Southern Voice.” The radio hit is featured in the new movie The Blind Side, starring Sandra Bullock and McGraw. The film raked in $34.5 million at the box office over its opening weekend to land at No. 2, just behind the wildly popular New Moon vampire flick.

Country On Oprah’s Christmas Show Today

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Tim McGraw on Oprah. Photo: Oprah.com

Sugarland and Tim McGraw are among the superstars set for Oprah’s Holiday Music Extravaganza, airing today Monday, November 30. The episode focuses on duets, pairing Sugarland with Oscar winning actress, Jennifer Hudson for a Christmas standard. Sugarland is promoting their new holiday album Gold And Green. McGraw will sing the John Lennon classic “Happy Christmas” alongside R&B star Alicia Keys. Also performing are Andrea Bocelli, Mary J. Blige and David Foster.