Troy Tomlinson. Photo: Kat Bradshaw
At the 14th annual CMA Triple Play Awards tonight (April 15), Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) Nashville Chairman & CEO Troy Tomlinson will receive the CMA Songwriter Advocate Award. The honor will be presented in addition to the Triple Play Awards, which recognizes songwriters who have notched three No. 1 hits in a year. This year’s group includes Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Jelly Roll, Chase McGill, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt and Thomas Rhett.
Tomlinson will join only two others who have received the CMA Songwriter Advocate Award: Bob DiPiero in 2020 and Jody Williams in 2022. The award is meant to honor individuals who have dedicated their life to supporting and advancing the art of songwriting and careers of songwriters—those who have positively impacted and contributed to the growth of songwriting in country music and have had an unprecedented historical impact on the songwriting community.
“I was simultaneously honored and overwhelmed when I heard I was getting this award,” Tomlinson tells MusicRow. “I’ve been friends with and worked with Jody Williams throughout my entire career. Bob DiPiero was one of my songwriters at Sony. To follow behind those two guys in this honor is really special.”
In his 40 years on Music Row, Tomlinson has nurtured, protected and passionately promoted songwriters such as Kelsea Ballerini, Casey Beathard, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Dean Dillon, Tom Douglas, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Thomas Rhett, Hank Williams and many others. He was named to his position at UMPG 2019 after serving as President & CEO of Sony Music Publishing Nashville since 2002. Prior to that, Tomlinson was EVP of Acuff Rose Music Publishing from 1988 until 2002.
For Tomlinson, a true songwriter advocate is someone who wakes up and goes to sleep with songwriters on their mind. He points out that, for decades, songwriters have been at the tail end of the food chain as far as compensation, and that advocacy to him means challenging that as well as protecting the craft and profession of songwriting.
“First and foremost, a songwriter advocate is a person who has the songwriter’s interest top of mind every day in every situation,” he says. “That’s the micro part. In a macro sense, an advocate for songwriters is one who fights for them where they’re not being compensated fairly. For at least 50 years, we’ve said, ‘It all begins with a song.’ I say, it actually all begins with a songwriter. You have to believe that deep in your soul to actually act upon that in advocating for the writers.”
When assessing his journey and the reputation he has built in order to receive an award like this, Tomlinson observes that he puts a lot of effort into his relationships with songwriters—a tenant he learned from the late Music Row legend Donna Hilley.
“I had only been working for her for a few weeks when she came to my office, sat down and said, ‘Troy, you’re going to run this company one day.’ I thought she was just being nice,” he recalls. “She said, ‘There’s two things I want you to remember. One, you’re going to have to go to a lot of funerals. Two, you’re going to have to go to a lot of weddings. It’s imperative that you do so people know you care.”
When asked what advice he would give to other publishers, he reiterates Hilley’s lesson and adds, “Don’t just call your songwriters from 9 to 5. Surprise them in the evening or early in the morning. Show them that they are on your mind.
“That is a sacrifice for other portions of your life. My boss, Jody Gerson, calls it ‘Lifestyle A&R.’ Practice that.”
As far as the legacy he hopes to leave on Music Row, Tomlinson says it’s about the songs and the songwriters he’s gotten to work with.
“I hope to be thought of as a true song guy, because that’s at the base of everything that I’ve done. It’s what continues to drive me today,” he says. “To know that the men and women who wrote those songs know my heart for them… That’s the legacy that I want to leave.”
Tonight, when he is presented with the CMA Songwriter Advocate Award, Tomlinson hopes that the songwriters and industry members he has worked with share in the honor.
“Any accomplishment I’ve had or honor that I’ve been given is a direct result of the songwriters and A&R people who worked with me to support those songwriters,” he says. “The honors I’ve been blessed with all go back to the songwriters and the A&R people in our town.
“To quote Tom Douglas, ‘There are only two types of people that need to be in the music business—dreamers and believers.’ I have never been a dreamer, but I’m damn well sure a believer in songwriters.”
Kenny Chesney’s ‘Born’ Gets Classic Vinyl Treatment
/by Lorie HollabaughKenny Chesney will release a two-disc vinyl edition of his latest album, Born, on May 24.
The hitmaker reportedly contemplated creating a vinyl pressing of the project, but knew all 15 tracks couldn’t fit on one disc. Chesney didn’t want to exclude any of the tunes, so he developed two discs to provide fans with the needle-on-vinyl experience.
“I’m lucky,” says Chesney. “I have fans who still believe in the actual listening experience, starting an album at the beginning and taking the journey the songs are creating. Experiencing and asking ‘How does this music define a moment or a state of life? How does it color or reflect my mind?’ So much of my own life’s been defined by what I was listening to over the years, and still is. That’s a whole different way of consuming music than just a hit. Knowing that, I decided to go ahead and do vinyl. It’s a limited run, but it’s there for all the people who put on albums and make that kind of listening a destination. For anyone who sinks into the songs, this is for you.”
The Born vinyl will be available for preorder this Thursday (April 18) at 11 p.m. CT. For more information, click here. Additionally, Chesney will kick off the “Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour” at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida this Saturday (April 20).
Nate Smith To Kick Off 14-City ‘Through The Smoke Tour’ In September
/by Lorie HollabaughNate Smith will embark on his 14-city “Through The Smoke Tour” this fall.
The new headlining trek will kick off Sept. 19 in Portland and visit Chattanooga, Atlanta, Baltimore, Milwaukee and more through Nov. 23. John Morgan and Karley Scott Collins will join Smith as special guests.
Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday (April 19), and Smith’s fan club will have early access to tickets and VIP packages starting today (April 16). For more information, click here.
Additionally, the ACM New Male Artist of the Year nominee’s current single “Bulletproof” has landed among the top 25 at country radio. He is also currently supporting Morgan Wallen on his “One Night At A Time 2024 Tour.”
Beyoncé Tops MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
/by Madison HahnenBeyoncé
Global superstar Beyoncé has topped MusicRow‘s Top Songwriter Chart this week following the release of Cowboy Carter album on March 29. She co-penned 23 out of the 27 tracks on the project. “Texas Hold ‘Em,” “ll Most Wanted,” “Levii’s Jeans,” “Ameriican Requiem,” “Daughter,” “16 Carriages,” “Protector,” “Tyrant,” “Riiverdance,” “Alliigator Tears,” “My Rose,” “Just For Fun” and “Amen” all pushed Beyoncé to the No. 1 spot this week.
Hunter Phelps jumped into No. 2 this week with “Truck Bed,” “Chevrolet,” “Take Her Home” and “Bulletproof.” Beyoncé’s cover of “Jolene” gives Dolly Parton the No. 3 spot.
Ashley Gorley (No. 4) and Josh Phillips (No. 5) round out the top five this week.
The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.
Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.
NaSHOF To Hold Golf Classic
/by LB CantrellThe first-ever Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Golf Classic will take place on Monday, May 20 at Old Natchez Country Club in Nashville.
Open to men and women, the scramble-format event will feature an end-of-day guitar pull. All proceeds benefit the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, which is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.
Registration is now open. For more information on teams and sponsorships, contact Tournament Coordinator Joshua Lykins with Elite Events of Music City at joshua@eeomc.com or 615-995-9316.
Sony Music Publishing Nashville & Verse 2 Music Renew Global Deal With Josh Hoge
/by John Nix ArledgePictured: Josh Hoge Photo: Peyton Hoge
Sony Music Publishing Nashville and Verse 2 Music have renewed their global publishing deal with award-winning songwriter Josh Hoge.
Hoge has written numerous hits across multiple genres including Chris Young’s “I’m Comin’ Over” and “Think of You,” and Kane Brown’s “Cool Again,” “Used To Love You Sober” and “One Thing Right” with Marshmello. The 2016 SESAC Songwriter of the Year has earned a Grammy nomination for “Think of You” and a CMA Award nomination for “I’m Comin’ Over,” in addition to several RIAA multi-Platinum certifications.
His recent chart successes with Brown’s No. 1 tracks “Bury Me In Georgia” and “Thank God” earned recognition at the 2023 SESAC Music Awards, the latter receiving the title of SESAC’s 2023 Country Song of the Year. Additionally, Hoge’s latest release, “Tie Up” by Zac Brown Band, made its debut at No. 24 on Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart.
Expressing his gratitude for the extended partnership, Hoge shares, “I’m very thankful to be continuing this journey with Kent [Earls], Kane, Rusty [Gaston] and the SMP/Verse 2 family! I’ve always been a writer that’s loved when I’ve been able to be exactly who I am and create exactly the way I want, and Kent and team have always let me be myself, which I think that’s a big reason to our success together. It truly is and feels like a family and you can’t find that everywhere. Can’t wait for all that’s still to come!”
“When Kane and I started Verse 2 Music, we wanted to foster long-term relationships with writers and artists that desire to make music history, and Josh is a prime example of this,” shares Earls, Partner, Verse 2 Music. “Delivering a Song of the Year within the first deal proves our visions align. We look forward to continuing an already successful relationship.”
Gaston, Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO, shares, “Josh is a creator who is always carving his own lane. He’s passionate, enthusiastic, and delivers great songs again and again. We couldn’t be happier to continue this successful relationship with Josh, Kent and Kane.”
Gabe Patillo, Former TobyMac Diverse City Member, Passes
/by Lorie HollabaughGabe Patillo
Former TobyMac Diverse City member Gabriel (Gabe) Patillo passed away on Friday, April 12 after a battle with cancer.
Gabe began honing his creative skills at the age of 10. As a child, he danced for dcTalk, appeared in multiple videos for Brentwood Music and worked as a theater kid at Opryland in Nashville. As an adult, Gabe worked with Grammy and GMA Dove award-winning artist TobyMac as part of Diverse City, where he sang background vocals, was a choreographer and dancer and co-produced TobyMac tours. He also used his talents in the voiceover world working with Square Inc., Budweiser, ESPN and Under Armour, among others.
Gabe is the son of Gospel Music Association President Jackie Patillo. He is survived by his mother; wife Jenni Patillo; three children, Amara, Milo and Remy; and his brother, Marcel Patillo. He is remembered for his enormous talent, generous spirit and unending energy.
A GoFundMe has been established to support Gabe’s family here.
Darius Rucker To Host 2024 World Golf Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony
/by Lorie HollabaughDarius Rucker. Photo: Jim Wright
Darius Rucker will host the 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by CME Group, at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club in Pinehurst, North Carolina on June 10.
The ceremony will air live on Golf Channel, and kicks off the week of the 124th U.S. Open and the opening of the new World Golf Hall of Fame Museum at the United States Golf Association (USGA)’s Golf House Pinehurst.
“Golf is my biggest passion outside of music, so it’s an honor to be invited to be part of such a significant event for the sport,” says Rucker. “I love the course at Pinehurst and can’t wait to celebrate this year’s inductees.”
The 2024 World Golf Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will honor Padraig Harrington, Sandra Palmer along with the late Johnny Farrell, Beverly Hanson, Tom Weiskopf and the Founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). NBA star Stephen “Steph” Curry will receive the Charlie Sifford Award, presented by Southern Company, which honors recipients for their spirit in advancing diversity in golf.
“Given Darius Rucker’s longstanding involvement in golf he is a perfect host for this momentous occasion, which is marking the 50th anniversary of the World Golf Hall of Fame,” says Greg McLaughlin, CEO, World Golf Foundation.
Additionally, Rucker has raised more than $3.6 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his annual “Darius & Friends” benefit concert and golf tournament. He has also advocated for over 200 charitable causes supporting public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina through the Hootie & The Blowfish Foundation. Rucker will release his first book, Life’s Too Short: A Memoir by Darius Rucker, on May 28.
Troy Tomlinson Talks Advocacy & Relationships Ahead Of CMA Songwriter Advocate Award Honor [Interview]
/by LB CantrellTroy Tomlinson. Photo: Kat Bradshaw
At the 14th annual CMA Triple Play Awards tonight (April 15), Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) Nashville Chairman & CEO Troy Tomlinson will receive the CMA Songwriter Advocate Award. The honor will be presented in addition to the Triple Play Awards, which recognizes songwriters who have notched three No. 1 hits in a year. This year’s group includes Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Jelly Roll, Chase McGill, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt and Thomas Rhett.
Tomlinson will join only two others who have received the CMA Songwriter Advocate Award: Bob DiPiero in 2020 and Jody Williams in 2022. The award is meant to honor individuals who have dedicated their life to supporting and advancing the art of songwriting and careers of songwriters—those who have positively impacted and contributed to the growth of songwriting in country music and have had an unprecedented historical impact on the songwriting community.
“I was simultaneously honored and overwhelmed when I heard I was getting this award,” Tomlinson tells MusicRow. “I’ve been friends with and worked with Jody Williams throughout my entire career. Bob DiPiero was one of my songwriters at Sony. To follow behind those two guys in this honor is really special.”
In his 40 years on Music Row, Tomlinson has nurtured, protected and passionately promoted songwriters such as Kelsea Ballerini, Casey Beathard, Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Dean Dillon, Tom Douglas, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Thomas Rhett, Hank Williams and many others. He was named to his position at UMPG 2019 after serving as President & CEO of Sony Music Publishing Nashville since 2002. Prior to that, Tomlinson was EVP of Acuff Rose Music Publishing from 1988 until 2002.
For Tomlinson, a true songwriter advocate is someone who wakes up and goes to sleep with songwriters on their mind. He points out that, for decades, songwriters have been at the tail end of the food chain as far as compensation, and that advocacy to him means challenging that as well as protecting the craft and profession of songwriting.
“First and foremost, a songwriter advocate is a person who has the songwriter’s interest top of mind every day in every situation,” he says. “That’s the micro part. In a macro sense, an advocate for songwriters is one who fights for them where they’re not being compensated fairly. For at least 50 years, we’ve said, ‘It all begins with a song.’ I say, it actually all begins with a songwriter. You have to believe that deep in your soul to actually act upon that in advocating for the writers.”
When assessing his journey and the reputation he has built in order to receive an award like this, Tomlinson observes that he puts a lot of effort into his relationships with songwriters—a tenant he learned from the late Music Row legend Donna Hilley.
“I had only been working for her for a few weeks when she came to my office, sat down and said, ‘Troy, you’re going to run this company one day.’ I thought she was just being nice,” he recalls. “She said, ‘There’s two things I want you to remember. One, you’re going to have to go to a lot of funerals. Two, you’re going to have to go to a lot of weddings. It’s imperative that you do so people know you care.”
When asked what advice he would give to other publishers, he reiterates Hilley’s lesson and adds, “Don’t just call your songwriters from 9 to 5. Surprise them in the evening or early in the morning. Show them that they are on your mind.
“That is a sacrifice for other portions of your life. My boss, Jody Gerson, calls it ‘Lifestyle A&R.’ Practice that.”
As far as the legacy he hopes to leave on Music Row, Tomlinson says it’s about the songs and the songwriters he’s gotten to work with.
“I hope to be thought of as a true song guy, because that’s at the base of everything that I’ve done. It’s what continues to drive me today,” he says. “To know that the men and women who wrote those songs know my heart for them… That’s the legacy that I want to leave.”
Tonight, when he is presented with the CMA Songwriter Advocate Award, Tomlinson hopes that the songwriters and industry members he has worked with share in the honor.
“Any accomplishment I’ve had or honor that I’ve been given is a direct result of the songwriters and A&R people who worked with me to support those songwriters,” he says. “The honors I’ve been blessed with all go back to the songwriters and the A&R people in our town.
“To quote Tom Douglas, ‘There are only two types of people that need to be in the music business—dreamers and believers.’ I have never been a dreamer, but I’m damn well sure a believer in songwriters.”
JUST IN: Monument Records Promotes Casey Thomas To VP, Marketing & Commercial Partnerships
/by Liza AndersonCasey Thomas & Ansley Neeley. Photos: Robert Chavers
Monument Records has promoted Casey Thomas to VP, Marketing & Commercial Partnerships. The label has also elevated Ansley Neeley to Manager, Marketing & Creative.
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Thomas earned her bachelor’s degree from Colby College and master’s degree from Boston College. She came to Monument from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and started as Manager of PR in 2018. Thomas was later elevated to Publicist and later, Director of Marketing, Publicity & Creative. In her new role, she will continue to oversee marketing, publicity, creative, digital and streaming.
“Casey has worked tirelessly in support of Monument and our artist roster over the years she has been with us. Her leadership and relationship skills along with her one of a kind marketing mind are beyond impressive and she will excel in this role,” says Katie McCartney, Monument Records GM.
Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, Neeley moved to Nashville in 2019 after graduating from The University of Alabama with a degree in public relations. She started her career as a Junior Publicist at The GreenRoom PR, and joined Monument Records in 2021 as the label’s Promotion Coordinator, later taking on Marketing Coordinator responsibilities ranging from facilitating the delivery and strategic setup of all the label’s releases, to planning various artist events and executing traditional and digital marketing campaigns. Most recently, Neeley has been involved in the process of overseeing and developing the roster’s creative elements. In her new position, she will step into project management and continue her work in supporting creative and publicity efforts.
“Ansley has leaned in and worked so hard to grow and learn all aspects of marketing and promotion. This is a natural progression for her and this elevation is well-deserved,” notes McCartney.
Thomas can reached at casey.thomas@sonymusic.com, and Neeley can be reached at ansley.neeley@sonymusic.com.
CMA Hosts MemberSIPS Event On Streaming Fraud
/by Lorie HollabaughAndrew Batey, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Beatdapp, leads a discussion during a MemberSIPS event focused on streaming fraud at CMA HQ. Photo: Becca Risley/CMA
The Country Music Association (CMA) hosted an informative MemberSIPS event focused on streaming fraud and the impact it has throughout the music industry on Thursday, April 11 at its Nashville headquarters.
Andrew Batey, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of Beatdapp, a leading authority in fraud detection, led an interactive presentation and Q&A session at the event. Batey dove into the world of music streaming fraud with real case studies, data and examples of insights into this pervasive issue. Members learned how fraudulent activities impact labels, managers, distributors and artists, and discovered actionable strategies to safeguard themselves and the talents they represent.
CMA created MemberSIPS to cater to its members’ professional development needs, offering presentations, discussions and gatherings, and providing members a networking opportunity with like-minded professionals while enjoying a beverage with one another.