Messina’s Road Race Helps St. Jude

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messinaCurb artist Jo Dee Messina and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean lead over 800 runners on Saturday (5/16), in the rain-soaked inaugural Music Row Road Race benefiting the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The race and Messina’s headline concert at the Wildhorse Saloon that same evening raised $100,000 for the Hospital. Messina treated fans at a packed Wildhorse Saloon to a taste of her Music Room Series Tour, which features a stark stage with a grand piano and three of her musicians performing acoustically. She performed for two hours, took requests and answered questions from the audience. Messina is back on the road with her full band and will return to Nashville for her River Stages performance on June 13 and fan club party the following day during CMA Music Festival.

Sony/ATV Nashville’s Berschback Promoted

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sonyDuff Berschback has been promoted to VP of Business Affairs at Sony/ATV Nashville. Berschback joined Sony/ATV Nashville in January 2007 as Senior Director of Business Affairs after six years as an entertainment attorney with his own Nashville-based private practice. Bershback will report directly to Sony/ATV Nashville’s President/CEO, Troy Tomlinson, and is responsible for all contract negotiations, catalog acquisitions, and copyright infringement litigation. “Duff has proven to be a welcome addition to our Nashville team,” Tomlinson said. “His professionalism, work ethic and love of songwriters made this advancement obvious.”

Holly Williams Readies Debut

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hollyHolly Williams‘ Mercury Nashville debut, Here With Me, is scheduled for release June 16. Williams, the granddaughter of Hank Williams, Sr. and daughter of Hank, Jr., penned the majority of the album’s 11 tracks and co-produced with Justin Niebank and Tony Brown. Current single, “Mama,” was written for her mom as a Mother’s Day gift. Williams will take the Opry stage Thursday, May 21 at 7:15 PM/CT for Opry Country Classics’ “Families in Country Music” night, where she will perform hits by her father and her grandfather. In addition, she recently taped a stripped down version of some of the album’s tracks for CMT’s 330 Sessions, which will premiere closer to the album’s release. Here With Me is also profiled in Billboard‘s current “Summer Preview” issue, and USA Today named leadoff single “Keep The Change” as their “Pick of the Week.” In addition, Williams will be featured in Elle magazine’s July “Women In Music” issue and is opening up her home to People magazine this week for an exclusive photo shoot. You can find out more and listen to “Mama” here.

Adkins Joins Nat’l Memorial Day Concert

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traceTrace Adkins will join co-hosts Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna and an all-star line-up of dignitaries, actors and musical artists for the National Memorial Day Concert, honoring the service and sacrifice of America’s men and women in uniform, their families at home and all those who have given their lives for our country. The top-rated show will be broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on PBS Sunday, May 24 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM/CT. Additional guests include Colin L. Powell USA (Ret.); actress Katie Holmes; Emmy Award-winning actor Laurence Fishburne; double Academy Award-winning actress Dianne Wiest; recording artist/actress Katharine McPhee; Broadway stars Brian Stokes Mitchell and Colm Wilkinson; opera star Denyce Graves; classical music’s Lang Lang and violinist Robert McDuffie with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of maestro Erich Kunzel.

“For 20 years, a remarkable group of distinguished performers and television veterans have come together to create a moving remembrance and tribute to those who have been wounded or given their lives for our country,” said executive producer Jerry Colbert. “And, every year, we receive a growing number of e-mails and letters from those who still suffer their own personal and painful losses — from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and now Iraq and Afghanistan — for whom this concert is truly a healing and uniting experience.” Click here for more information.

Guitar Auction to Benefit Opry Trust Fund

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trustfundlogo200x150The inaugural edition of the Guitars of the Stars Benefit Auction to benefit the Opry Trust Fund will take place Friday, June 12 at 2 PM at the Ryman Auditorium. The event will offer fans in town for CMA Music Festival the opportunity to bid on Epiphone acoustic guitars decorated by country stars and visual artists. Among the stars confirmed to contribute guitars they’ve designed are Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Jamey Johnson, Miranda Lambert, Craig Morgan, Dolly Parton, Kellie Pickler, Sugarland, Pam Tillis, Steve Wariner, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban.

Guitarist Wariner will kick off the event with a number from his upcoming project, Steve Wariner, C.G.P., My Tribute to Chet Atkins. Wariner will also serve as Celebrity Auctioneer, and GAC-TV and 650 WSM radio personality Bill Cody will be on hand to emcee.

All proceeds benefit the Opry Trust Fund, which has for more than 40 years assisted members of the country music community in need of help with medical bills, living expenses, utilities, rent, and food. For more on the Opry Trust Fund, click here.

Source Foundation Honorees

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SOURCE, Music Row’s executive women’s group, held a luncheon May 14 for the 2009 honorees who will be feted at the Source Foundation Awards, July 30. Plaques commemorating the outstanding careers of the honorees will permanently hang in the Source Room, located within the Musicians Hall of Fame Museum. This years honorees are Joyce Jackson, Peggy Lamb, Pat McCoy, Sandy Neese, Margaret Parker and Marion Keisker MacInnes (posthumously). (L-R) standing: Kay Smith, Pat Rolfe, Judy Harris, Lamb, Teena Camp, McCoy, Neese, Linda Chambers and Judi Turner. Seated: Parker and Karen Conrad.

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Shea Fisher Signs With Stroudavarious

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James Stroud, CEO of Stroudavarious Records, has announced the signing of Australia native Shea Fisher to a recording agreement covering worldwide territories outside her home country. Fisher’s self-titled album, produced by Richard Landis and Steve Forde, debuted in the Top 10 on Australia’s ARIA Country Chart last month. The Trey Fanjoy-directed music video for her first single, “Don’t Chase Me,” hit No. 1 on Australia’s Country Music Channel (CMC), and the song has just shipped to U.S. radio stations. “The minute I heard Shea’s music, I knew I wanted to sign her,” said Stroud. “She has done what many young artists don’t accomplish until later, which is to find her own voice and make a record that reflects her vision.” For more information click here.

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(l. to r.) Front Row: Shea Fisher; James Stroud. Back Row: Steve Ford; Bill Catino, President of Stroudavarious Records; Richard Landis; Derek Simon, Stroudavarious VP, Marketing & Artist Development.

Gospel’s “First Lady” Passes

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eva_mae_lefevreGospel Music Hall of Fame member Eva Mae LeFevre, known as “The First Lady of Gospel Music,” died Monday (5/18), at age 91. She played piano, sang alto and was the emcee in the long-running gospel group The LeFevre Trio (later billed as The LeFevre Family and The LeFevres). She was born Eva Mae Whittington in a log cabin in rural South Carolina. Because she played piano and sang at her father’s revivals from the age of 4, she was regarded as the longest performing member of the gospel-music community.

She married gospel singer Urias LeFevre in 1934 and formed the trio with his brother, Alphus. They landed a daily radio show on WGST in Atlanta in 1940. In the years following World War II, she led the act to gospel stardom. During the 1960s, the LeFevres starred on the weekly TV show The Gospel Singing Caravan. The group recorded for Canaan Records, Sing Records and other Nashville labels. In 1978, LeFevre became the first living woman inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. Ten years later she became the first gospel-music inductee into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. Urias died in 1979, and Eva Mae returned to the road in 1985. She was recording “Where Could I Go” with Bill Gaither and others in 1991 when she spontaneously sat at the piano and began to “jam” with the singers. The event became Gaither’s first Homecoming video, which is now a major franchise.

Notable alumni of the LeFevres include evangelist Rex Nelon and gospel stars Janet Passchal, Teresa McNeil, Ron Hitchins and Mylon LeFevre, her son. Granddaughter Summer LeFevre is married to Peter Furler of The Newsboys.

1720 Entertainment to Acquire Rock PR

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1720myspacepic2Nashville- and Atlanta-based artist development company 1720 Entertainment, whose roster of clients includes country artists Jamie O’Neal, Rissi Palmer and Stevie Walker, is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement in principle to acquire an equity stake in New York-based entertainment and media branding company Rock PR Media. 1720 will acquire equity in Rock in exchange for cash, and the transaction is expected to close by June 30, 2009. Rock uses its events and media properties to drive brand equity through advertisers and sponsors. The company boasts one of the largest media platforms in the U.S., along with event properties that span the worlds of film, fashion and music. Rock’s event properties include: Rock Fashion Week, held semi-annually in Miami Beach, Los Angeles and New York City; Haven Lounge at the Oscars; and Premiere Lounge, produced around the United States in conjunction with Premiere magazine and Hachette Filipacchi Media. Rock is the only branded entertainment and media company in the United States that owns its events and media properties. Following the transaction, Rock will act as 1720’s marketing, branded entertainment and media division, using its advertisers and media properties to promote and market 1720’s artists and TV/film properties.

“I’m excited about building a partnership and connecting our amazing artists and media properties with Rock’s powerful branded entertainment assets,” said Terry K. Johnson, President/CEO of 1720 Entertainment. “Their business model and strategy aligns perfectly with the 1720 vision and our multimedia platform and gives 1720 the media and event properties we need to create enormous value with the various brands in our portfolio. I believe our combined strengths will accelerate the growth of both companies and result in truly a great partnership.”

For more details click here.

CMT Music Awards Nominees Announced

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cmt3With over 2.5 million votes cast to determine the final nominees for the 2009 CMT Music Awards, country duo Sugarland holds the lead with five final nominations. Brad Paisley and Taylor Swift are next in line with four nominations each. Newcomers Lady Antebellum score their first nominations with three, along with Rascal Flatts. The announcements were made today by Kellie Pickler and CMT’s Lance Smith during the 2009 CMT Music Awards Nominee Special.

Country music’s only fan-voted awards show, the 2009 CMT Music Awards will premiere live on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:00 PM/CT on CMT and CMT.com, and includes performances by Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland, Taylor Swift, Keith Urban and British rockers Def Leppard.  Fans can vote online at CMT.com now through Monday, June 15 to determine the winners. The final nominees for Video of the Year will be announced at the beginning of the live show and fans can vote at CMT.com and via text on their Verizon Wireless phones throughout the live broadcast (ET/CT only) to determine the night’s big winner.

The final nominees in each of the 2009 CMT Music Awards categories include:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director.  Final nominees announced during live telecast, with final voting held online at CMT.com during the show.

* Trace Adkins – “You’re Gonna Miss This” (Director: Peter Zavadil)
* Kenny Chesney featuring The Wailers – “Everybody Wants To Go To        Heaven” (Director: Shaun Silva)
* Toby Keith – “God Love Her” (Director: Michael Salomon)
* Kid Rock – “All Summer Long” (Director: Deaton Flanigen)
* Lady Antebellum – “Lookin’ For A Good Time” (Director: Chris Hicky)
* Brad Paisley – “Waitin’ On A Woman” (Directors: Jim Shea & Peter Tilden)
* Rascal Flatts – “Every Day” (Director: Deaton Flanigen)
* Sugarland – “All I Want To Do” (Director: Shaun Silva)
* Taylor Swift – “Love Story” (Director: Trey Fanjoy)
* Carrie Underwood – “Just A Dream” (Director: Roman White)

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

* Trace Adkins – “You’re Gonna Miss This”
* Toby Keith – “God Love Her”
* Brad Paisley – “Waitin’ On A Woman”
* Keith Urban – “Sweet Thing”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

* Miranda Lambert – “More Like Her”
* Martina McBride – “Ride”
* Kellie Pickler – “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful”
* Taylor Swift – “Love Story”

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists

* Lady Antebellum – “Lookin’ For A Good Time”
* Rascal Flatts – “Bob That Head”
* Rascal Flatts – “Every Day”
* Zac Brown Band “Chicken Fried”

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

* Brooks & Dunn – “Put A Girl In It”
* Montgomery Gentry – “Roll With Me”
* Sugarland – “All I Want To Do”
* Sugarland – “Already Gone”

USA WEEKEND BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female, or group/duo)

* Julianne Hough – “That Song In My Head”
* Jamey Johnson – “In Color”
* Lady Antebellum – “Lookin’ For A Good Time”
* Zac Brown Band – “Chicken Fried”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video that featured a special collaborative appearance by artists; awarded to the artists (individual, group or duo)

* Brooks & Dunn featuring Reba McEntire – “Cowgirls Don’t Cry”
* Kenny Chesney featuring The Wailers – “Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven”
* Brad Paisley with Keith Urban – “Start A Band”
* Sugarland featuring Little Big Town and Jake Owen – “Life In A Northern Town”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

* Alan Jackson featuring Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley and George Strait – “Country Boy” from CMT Giants: Alan Jackson
* Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – “Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)” from CMT Crossroads: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
* Sugarland featuring Little Big Town and Jake Owen – “Life In A Northern Town” from the 2008 CMT Music Awards
* Def Leppard and Taylor Swift – “Photograph” from CMT Crossroads: Def Leppard and Taylor Swift

WIDE OPEN COUNTRY VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist outside the mainstream of country music; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration)

* Def Leppard and Taylor Swift – “Photograph”
* Kid Rock – “All Summer Long”
* Robert Plant and Alison Krauss – “Please Read The Letter”
* Rehab featuring Hank Williams, Jr. – “Bartender Song”

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Best video director of the year; awarded to the director for his or her body of work from the past year

* Deaton Flanigen (award eligible videos include: Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” and Rascal Flatts’ “Every Day”)
* Trey Fanjoy (award eligible videos include: Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” and George Strait’s “Troubador”)
* Roman White (award eligible videos include: Carrie Underwood’s “Just a Dream” and Reba McEntire’s “Every Other Weekend”)
* Peter Zavadil (award eligible videos include: Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This” and Joey + Rory’s “Cheater Cheater”)