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): 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
Shelton Release Due In Early 2010
/by Sarah SkatesAlso on Dec. 22 Blake Shelton: The Essentials, a digital compilation of his best-known tracks, including his six-week No. 1 debut single “Austin,” and the multi-week No. 1’s “Some Beach,” “Home,” “The Baby,” and “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” will be released. The Essentials collection will be available exclusively at iTunes for three weeks.
Hillbilly Bone will be his sixth album, due in early 2010 and offering six new cuts as a special at a special “six pak” value price. Hillbilly Bone will be Shelton’s first studio release since 2008’s Startin’ Fires, which spawned the No. 1 hit “She Wouldn’t Be Gone.”
Underwood Makes Big Donation To Humane Society
/by Sarah SkatesPictured (l-r): Sony Music Nashville VP, Digital Business Heather McBee and Chairman Joe Galante; Underwood; Leighann McCollum, Tennessee State Director of The Humane Society of the United States; Sony Music Nashville Executive VP Butch Waugh; 19 Entertainment’s Ann Edelblute; and Sony Music Nashville Senior VP, Sales & Operations Paul Barnabee. Photo Credit: John Russell
Animals were the big winners as superstar Carrie Underwood, together with 19 Recordings and Sony Music Nashville, recently presented The Humane Society of the United States with a check for $200,000. The check reflected the charitable proceeds from sales of Carrie’s recording of “Home Sweet Home,” which served as the contestant farewell song on the past Season 8 of American Idol. The digital single for “Home Sweet Home” was available exclusively on iTunes during its first week of release.
Gator Michaels Exits Warner Bros.
/by Sarah SkatesMichaels is a radio vet who spent 10 years in the business, primarily in South Florida, before joining Warner. His experience also includes time as VP Promotion for DreamCatcher. He can be reached at 615-400-6957 or gator.michaels@comcast.net.
AMA Announces New Board Members
/by FreemanThe 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): 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
/by Robert K OermannIn 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
/by FreemanCMT 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.
————
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
/by MichelleKeith 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
/by adminThese 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
/by Sarah SkatesAfter 41 years in business, CPA
John 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
/by MichelleBilly 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 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)