WME Elevates Multiple Music Team Members

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Pictured (L-R): Andrew Colvin, Travis Wolfe, Sloane Logue, Beth Hamilton, Mark Claassen and Austin Mullins

After booking over 45,000 shows worldwide this year, WME has elevated seven agents and 16 staff members in their Music Department, with 14 of the newly promoted individuals residing in the agency’s Nashville office.

Pictured (L-R, top row): Dan Kuklinski, Josh Green, Jeremy Upton and John Showfety; (L-R, bottom row): Laura Williams, Lindsey Hastings, Carlile Willett and Janelle Flint.

Agents Mark Claassen (Christian Music), Andrew Colvin (Contemporary), Beth Hamilton (Country), Sloane Logue (Country), Austin Mullins (Country) and Travis Wolfe (Country) have all been promoted to Partner.

Staff members Josh Green (American Roots), Lindsey Hastings (American Roots), Dan Kuklinski (American Roots), Jeremy Upton (American Roots), Janelle Flint (Country), John Showfety (Country), Carlile Willett (Country) and Laura Williams (Country) have all been upped to Agent.

WME provides full-service representation in the Nashville market, and through its acquisitions of Red 11 Music and True Grit Talent Agency, has expanded their presence in the American Roots music genre as well as in Austin, Texas.

Industry Ink: ‘Hope For The Holidays,’ Randy Rogers Band, Rachel Holt, More

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Louis York & Friends Provide ‘Hope For The Holidays’ At Nashville Benefit

Stars unite for “Hope For The Holidays: An Evening With Louis York & Friends.” Photo: John Partipilo

A star-studded lineup came together on Saturday night (Dec. 16) for the “Hope For The Holidays: An Evening With Louis York & Friends” benefit concert at Belmont University’s Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.

The event featured performances from headlining act Louis York, R&B duo made up of Chuck Harmony and Claude Kelly, as well as Ari Afsar, Jay Allen, Charles Esten, Megan Linsey, Kylie Morgan, Cade Thompson, The Shindellas and Twinnie. Special appearances were also made by poet Steve Connell, music and media personality Kathie Lee Gifford and U.S. Olympian and philanthropist Scott Hamilton. The event benefited four local charities: Nashville Peacemakers, Alzheimer’s Association, The Onsite Foundation and Scott Hamilton Cares Foundation.

Randy Rogers Band Donates To Texas Youth Nonprofit

Pictured (L-R): RRB Golf Jam’s Drew Farr, Connections’ Pia Lomax, Megan Dupree, Chelsea Rogers, Randy Rogers, Connections’ Jacob Huereca, Matt Bonine, Amanda Anding and Caryn Benson. Photo: Reba Hall

Randy Rogers Band gave back to their home state recently, gifting $150K to Connections Individual and Family Services, a nonprofit organization in New Braunfels.

The organization is dedicated to empowering youth, connecting families and building futures one youth and family at a time. The proceeds were raised at the 14th annual RRB Golf Jam in late October at River Crossing Golf Club in Spring Branch, Texas, through a charity concert and a silent/live auction. Randy Rogers Band founded the annual RRB Golf Jam event in 2009, and donates the proceeds to a different charity in need every year. The group has given over $300K back to the community in the last two years.

Rachel Holt Inks With Baste Records

Rachel Holt signs with Baste Records

Baste Records has signed Rachel Holt.

The 18-year-old from Milan, Indiana will be working on her new project in 2024 alongside songwriter Chris Wallin. Wallin’s credits include “Don’t Blink” by Kenny Chesney, “Something To Be Proud Of” by Montgomery Gentry, “Love Me If You Can” by Toby Keith, “I’m Tryin'” by Trace Adkins and “People Loving People” by Garth Brooks.

Billie Jo Jones Signs With Get Joe Entertainment

Billie Jo Jones

Country singer Billie Jo Jones has signed an exclusive recording and publishing contract with Get Joe Entertainment, LLC in Dallas.

Jones is working on a full-length album set for release in this spring. Her new EP, Right Now Kinda Girl, was released on Dec. 1 via Bob Frank Distribution (BFD) and The Orchard and is available on all DSPs. The title track is at radio now.

Red Camel Collective Signs With Pinecastle Records

Red Camel Collective. Photo: Angie Reed/Enchanted Land Photography

Pinecastle Records has signed bluegrass band Red Camel Collective to its roster.

Consisting of Heather Berry Mabe, Tony Mabe, Curt Love and Johnathan Dillon, the group will release their debut single, “Roll On Mississippi” in early 2024. Red Camel Collective is made up of skilled musicians and current members of the Junior Sisk Band. They are set to release new music while maintaining live shows with Junior Sisk. Their band name is a tribute to the popular Sisk hit “The Man in Red Camels,” a track that evokes feelings of simpler times. 

Shaylen To Usher In 2024 With New Track ‘Been There Before’

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Shaylen will kick off the new year with the release of her single, “Been There Before,” an anthem that reflects on the ebbs and flows of dating and trying to find your perfect partner amidst all the chaos, on Jan. 5.

Co-written alongside Andrew Baylis, Michael Whitworth and Nick Bailey, Shaylen gets it all off her chest in the cathartic track. The song follows her most recent single,”Cowboys Never Cry” (Nov. 10), and her collaboration with former Hinder frontman Austin John Winkler on the country-infused rendition of “Lips Of An Angel.”

“I finally got to write the dating anthem for my early 20s,” Shaylen says. “It was an incredible day working with some of my faves – Baylis, Michael and Nick are some of my favorite humans ever and creating this song with them was so fun. We literally just talked about all the crazy dating scenarios you go through as a girl in her early 20s and got to put it in one song. And that’s on healing toxic patterns baby!”

After spending 10 years in Los Angeles as a pop artist with Republic Records, the Chattanooga native found it was her time to come home and moved into the country space. Her debut country single “What If I Don’t” broke 10 million streams on Spotify, and her single “Do It Right The First Time” gained over 725K TikTok views and caught the ear of Kelly Clarkson, who featured Shaylen in her “#What I’m Liking” segment on NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show. Within the first week of release, “Do It Right The First Time” reached No. 34 on the iTunes Country Charts with over 500K streams across DSPs, and was added to several playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.

Toby Keith Named Pandora Billionaire

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Pictured (L-R): TK Kimbrell, President/Owner TKO Artist Management; Toby Keith; Cindy Mabe, Chair and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville

Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, entertainer and entrepreneur Toby Keith ended a three-show run at the world-famous Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas by being named a Pandora Billionaire. This accreditation comes with Keith’s music being streamed 3 billion times on Pandora.

Toby Keith

Keith was presented with his Triple Billionaires plaque backstage along with the President/Owner of TKO Artist Management TK Kimbrell, and Chair & CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville Cindy Mabe.

During his three-show run, Keith played for a total of two hours each night. His set included No. 1 hits, top 10 singles and an acoustic set of six songs that he deemed “should have been singles.” The acoustic set was a highlight for audience members, as Keith sat centerstage to perform these. To date, he has gained over 100 million BMI performances and more than 10 billion streams across all streaming platforms.

Keith recently released his album 100% Songwriter, which highlights his most iconic 13 solo-written songs. Also showcasing his talent is his latest hit single “Don’t Let The Old Man In.” Written in 2018, this song was inspired by a conversation between Keith and Clint Eastwood, and eventually landed in Eastwood’s movie, The Mule. After giving a powerful performance of the song at this past year’s People’s Choice Country Awards, the song went to No. 1 on the iTunes Country Chart and hit the Top 3 all-genre chart.

Weekly Register: Jessie Murph & Jelly Roll Join Top Five On Country Songs Chart

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Jessie Murph and Jelly Roll‘s “Wild Ones” joins the top five on the country streaming songs chart this week, scoring the fifth slot with 7.2 million new streams, adding to 86 million ATD according to Luminate data.

Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves‘ “I Remember Everything” remains at the top with 15 million streams, adding to 342 million ATD, and Morgan Wallen‘s “Last Night” stays at No. 2 with 11 million new streams, adding to 1.1 billion ATD. Bryan’s “Something In The Orange” is sedentary at No. 3 with 11 million streams, adding to 1.1 billion ATD as well, while Wallen’s “Thinkin’ Bout Me” follows behind at No. 4 again with 9.3 million new streams, adding to 514 million ATD.

On the country albums chart, Wallen’s One Thing At A Time resides at No. 1 with 63K in total consumption (4.5K album only/75 million song streams). Bryan’s self-titled album still stands at No. 2 with 44K (9.4K album only/45 million song streams), followed by Taylor Swift‘s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) at No. 3 with 39K (22K album only/23 million song streams). Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) returns to No. 4 with 32K (16K album only/21 million song streams), and Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album moves back to No. 5 with 32K (857 album only/41 million song streams).

Ira Dean Readies Solo Project ‘I Got Roads’ For 2024

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Ira Dean

Hit songwriter/producer Ira Dean is releasing a new album I Got Roads in 2024 via 8 Track Entertainment. The project will be his first solo album since 2015.

Dean’s musical talent became widely recognized when he joined the dynamic country music trio Trick Pony in the late 1990s. Serving as the bassist and contributing vocalist for the group, Dean played a pivotal role in shaping Trick Pony’s signature sound, including co-writing some of their most successful songs such as “Pour Me,” “On a Mission” and “Just What I Do.” Following his Trick Pony era, Dean embarked on a solo career, releasing his debut solo album in 2015.

Ira Dean in the studio

Dean has also established himself as a prolific songwriter, with songs recorded by artists such as Ronnie Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Joe Nichols, Chris Young, Trace Adkins, Colt Ford, Heidi Newfield, Jake Owen, Gary Allan and more. He has had seven songs cut by Montgomery Gentry, including their hit single “One In Every Crowd” and “I’ll Keep The Kids, and co-wrote Aaron Lewis’ hit “Am I The Only One.”

Featuring Vince Gill, Ronnie Dunn, Gretchen Wilson and more, Dean’s new album I Got Roads is tale of redemption, growth and finding happiness.

“This whole thing started when my friend Noah Gordon (Head of 8 Track) and I were talking and, he planted the seed and said, ‘Ya know what I’m thinkin? I  think it’s time you made a record,'” recalls Dean to MusicRow. “I had just got done co-producing Aaron Lewis’ album Frayed At Both Ends and the single that I co-wrote ‘Am I The Only One’ had just debuted in Billboard at No. 1. I was writing with Ronnie Dunn later that afternoon and mentioned it to him and he said, ‘Well it’s time, you need to do it,’ so I went from writing for everyone else to buckling down and writing songs for me. We went down to Muscle Shoals to the world famous Fame Studio and cut the first six songs.”

The project includes Dunn, Allan, Jeffrey Steele, Uncle Kracker, David Lee Murphy and more, and was a labor of love for Dean.

“Making a record with all my friends and cats that I have always wanted to sing and play with, is a bonus. I’ve never had more fun or felt so blessed. The turnout and support of everyone making this record has been a real eye-opening and heart-warming experience. I really hope this record hits [listeners] as hard as it has hit me making it. I am an open book when it comes to my life so why stop that when writing songs? I hope they feel like they were on a train ride, like they boarded the train and don’t want to get off ‘til the last song ends.

“They will hear the crazy times, the wild times of the tempo songs I wrote about my party days,” he continues. “They will hear songs about me losing my mom, my dad and my musical friends along the way, and how I miss how it used to be. There’s even a love song I wrote for my fiancé that I recorded with Gretchen Wilson. This album is my life, the good the bad and the ugly, but hopefully they feel the hope and redemption that I’ve found by the last song.”

I Got Roads Track Listing:
1. “Tele-Man” feat. Ronnie Dunn, John Osborne & Vince Gill (Jeffrey Steele/Tony Mullins)
2. “I Got Roads” feat. Gary Allan & Jeffrey Steele (Ira Dean/Gary Allan/Jeffrey Steele)
3. “Everything” feat. Gretchen Wilson (Ira Dean/Dave Turnball )
4. “I Get High” feat. Shelly Fairchild (Ira Dean/Gary Allan/Dave Turnball)
5. “1 to Hank” feat. Uncle Kracker (Ira Dean/Chris Wallin)
6. “What Would Charlie Daniels Say” feat. Ted Nugent (Ira Dean/Jeffrey Steele)
7. “I Like It Like That” feat. David Lee Murphy (Ira Dean/David Lee Murphy)
8. “Amen To That” (David Lee Murphy/Jessi Alexander/Jimmy Yeary)
9. “Missing How It Used To Be” (Ira Dean/Dave Turnball)
10. “Redneck Girl Like Mine” (Ira Dean/David Lee Murphy/Justin Weaver)
11. “Raised On It” (Ira Dean/David Lee Murphy/Justin Weaver)
12. “Wreck Me” (Ira Dean/David Lee Murphy/Justin Weaver)

Jenny Reid Elevated To VP Of Ticketing At Outback Presents

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Jenny Reid

Jenny Reid has been promoted to Vice President of Ticketing at Outback Presents.

Reid has been with the company for four years, and in her new position, she will oversee all ticketing operations, focusing on country music and comedy events. Reid and her ticketing team have managed tours around North America for country artists and comedians including Alabama, Nate Bargatze, Bert Kreischer, Taylor Tomlinson, Shane Gillis, Leanne Morgan, John Crist and more.

Prior to Outback Presents, Reid worked as Ticketing Manager for New Orleans-based festival and concert promoter Huka Entertainment, coordinating ticketing and box office operations from 2013-2016. She then transitioned to the tech side of the business, working in client operations at Ticketfly and Eventbrite, following its acquisition of Ticketfly.

“Jenny has built an incredible team that we are extremely proud of,” says Outback Presents President Michael Smardak. “With over ten years of experience in ticketing and box office operations, Jenny has led the force to establish a powerful ticketing team at Outback.”

Josh Phillips Renews Global Publishing Deal With Warner Chappell Music

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Pictured (L-R): Warner Chappell’s Bethany Mako, Ben Vaughn, Guy Moot, Josh Phillips, Write or Die Music’s Brantley Gilbert and Warner Chappell’s Steve Butler. Photo: Lily Nelson

Songwriter Josh Phillips has renewed his global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music.

Originally from North Carolina, Phillips played shows all over the Southeast before moving to Nashville in 2015 to pursue a career in songwriting. His credits include “Dirt Cheap” from Cody Johnson’s latest album, Leather, as well as “Can I Get an Outlaw” and “Angels Working Overtime” recorded by Luke Combs, and “Small Town Small” recorded by Jason Aldean. Phillips has also had cuts with Brantley Gilbert, Chris Young, Michael Ray, Colt Ford and more.

“I’ve had a ringside seat in watching Josh Phillips grow as one of the finest songwriters on Music Row,” says Ben Vaughn, President & CEO, Warner Chappell Music Nashville. “Josh can truly write every kind of song and has a real knack for writing a 100% song–most notably ‘Dirt Cheap,’ which Cody Johnson so masterfully sings. Here’s to many more great years of Josh Phillips songs in country music!”

“Having Ben Vaughn, Brantley Gilbert, Bethany Mako and the entire Warner Chappell team fighting for my songs is second to none and there’s no team that I believe in more,” says Phillips. “I couldn’t be happier to continue my journey with them and I’m beyond grateful to have these folks in my corner!”

CMHOF Exhibit Celebrates 50th Anniversary Of Thomas Hart Benton Mural

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Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has opened a new exhibit celebrating the 50th anniversary of the commissioning of Thomas Hart Benton’s iconic painting “The Sources of Country Music,“ which hangs as the centerpiece in the museum’s Hall of Fame Rotunda.

The exhibit, “An American Masterwork: Thomas Hart Benton’s ‘Sources of Country Music’ at 50,” explores Benton’s artistic process in creating the mural, which was his final painting.

Benton’s sketches, drawings, preliminary paintings and his plasticine clay maquette (three-dimensional model), which were created as part of his process of realizing “The Sources of Country Music” mural, are also included in the exhibit along with a 1975 video of Benton speaking about the painting.

Benton was a leader in American Regionalism, a modern art movement that featured realistic scenes of the nation’s rural and small-town heartland. He agreed to paint the mural for the museum in December 1973. Channeling his lifelong passion for country music, Benton created a masterwork that depicts the wide-ranging cultural contributors to the musical genre. He passed away on Jan. 19, 1975 in his Kansas City studio, having placed the finishing touches on this museum commission. The completed six-foot by 10-foot mural is a synthesis of the artist, country music subject matter and the museum’s educational mission.

This spring, the museum will also host a 90-minute program on “The Sources of Country Music” in partnership with the Frist Art Museum. Panelists will provide interpretation of the painting and discuss Benton’s technique and background as well as the story behind the commissioning of the mural for the museum.

The exhibit is now open through January 2025, and is included with museum admission. For more information, click here.

‘CMA Country Christmas’ Encore To Air On ABC

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ABC is set to air its encore presentation of the 14th annual CMA Country Christmas on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 9:00 CST. Co-hosted by Amy Grant and Trisha Yearwood, the special serves as a great way to kick off the holiday season with family and friends.

CMA Country Christmas includes performances of beloved holiday classics by some of country music’s biggest stars. Performances include a duet from Grant and Yearwood of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “O Come All Ye Faithful” sung by Jordan Davis, Lady A performing “What Christmas Means To Me,” Lindsey Stirling accompanying Ashley McBryde for “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” Jon Pardi with “Beer for Santa,” rising duo The War & Treaty taking on “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” and a powerful duet from Zach Williams and Lainey Wilson on “Go Tell it on the Mountain.”

The event was filmed in Nashville and was executive produced by Robert Deaton, with Milton Sneed as the Director and Jon Macks as the Writer.

The event is also available on Hulu and Disney+ for viewers now.