Bill Mayne
Longtime music and radio industry executive and former CRB/CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne has died at 72 after a long-term illness.
Mayne’s nearly 50-year career included a decade at the helm of CRS as well as time at multiple radio stations and a 15-year stint at Warner Bros. in Nashville.
Mayne started his career in radio, working on-air in programming roles across diverse formats, including top 40, rock and country music, where he found his calling. Mayne launched KASE in Austin and went on to lead KZLA/KLAC in Los Angeles and KSCS/WBAP in Dallas.
After time spent in radio, he transferred over to the records side of the building, joining Warner Bros./Nashville. During his 15 years there, Mayne held various influential roles, from regional to VP of Promotion, eventually becoming Sr. VP/General Manager and VP of Promotion.
A devoted member of the CRB Board, Mayne became the Board Vice President before assuming the role of Executive Director in 2009. He held the position for a decade before stepping down in 2019. The same year, Mayne received the organization’s President’s Award and was recognized for the significant contributions he’d made to the radio industry.
The multi-hyphenate business man also presided over Mayne Entertainment, an artist management company, and Mayne Street Consulting, a private entertainment consulting firm, offering valuable insights and guidance to clients in the entertainment field.
Mayne was also deeply involved in the industry’s charitable endeavors, serving as a former Board member of the Country Music Association and spent over 35 years on the Academy of Country Music Board of Directors, including roles as Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the ACM. His legacy also includes co-founding the St. Jude Country Cares for Kids Program, a monumental initiative that has raised over $700 million for St. Jude since its inception in 1989. Additionally, he held the role of National VP for MDA and was a distinguished member of Leadership Music and the Mayor’s Nashville Music Council.
Mayne is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Sallie Mayne, who was his steadfast partner throughout his incredible journey. He is also survived by his sons Bryant Mayne and Christopher Mayne, his grandchild Everleigh Mayne and mother-in-law Helen Wood.
Mayne’s life will be memorialized at a Celebration of Life event on Jan. 30, 2024 on the second floor of ACME Feed & Seed from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to drop by at their convenience, and come ready to share stories and fond memories of Mayne. In addition to sharing stories, a special montage is being created to commemorate Mayne’s journey through the years. Contributions to the photo montage can be sent to rj@crb.org to be included.
Donations can be made in his honor to St. Jude and ACM Lifting Lives.
—
RJ Curtis, the current Executive Director of CRB/CRS, shared the following statement regarding Mayne’s passing: “The passing of Bill Mayne marks a profound loss for the entire country music community. Bill was a true giant in every sense of the word. His fifty years of passionate work positively impacted everyone he met, in nearly every segment of our business, through his time in radio, the music industry, artist management, entrepreneurialism, and, of course, his decade of leadership as Executive Director for CRB. Bill Mayne navigated the organization through a period of great adversity, ultimately reestablishing CRS as the premier industry event that it is today.”
Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, shared, “On behalf of our membership and Board of Directors of the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives, I am deeply saddened by the loss today of Bill Mayne, a true giant of the Country Music industry, an invaluable champion of the Academy of Country Music, and one of our longest serving Board Members. Bill dedicated more than 35 years of service to the ACM Board, including serving as the Chairman for both the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives. I am comforted that we were able to celebrate his phenomenal legacy this summer by presenting him with our ACM Service Award at the 16th ACM Honors. Bill had a huge heart, as evidenced by his incredible philanthropic work, including his service to ACM Lifting Lives. His impact, passion, and devotion to the Country Music industry and community will live on forever. On behalf of all of us at the ACM, we send our love and prayers to his family, friends, and all who have been lucky enough to work with and know him.”
CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said, “Bill had great passion for Country Music going back to his days in radio. I first worked with him in 1996 on a TV special when he was with Warner Bros. Nashville. I was struck by his enthusiasm for the format and ability to get things done. Years later, we were both officers of the ACMs, where his great knowledge of board governance and organization was a huge asset to our leadership team. Most recently, we got to work together when he joined the CMA Board of Directors, where he served from 2016 to 2018. My deepest condolences to Sallie and his sons.”
Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen Dominate Year-End Apple Music Charts
/by LB CantrellApple Music has revealed its 2023 Year-End Charts, spotlighting the biggest songs of the year across Apple Music and Shazam and, for the first time, the songs music fans sang along to the most using Apple Music Sing.
Taylor Swift is Apple Music’s Artist of the Year, with more Apple Music subscribers listening to her in 2023 than to any other artist in the world. With this feat, Swift set a new all-time record for the most listeners for any artist in a single year on Apple Music. In the first 10 months of 2023, she saw 65 songs reach Apple Music’s Global Daily Top 100—more than any other artist.
Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” was crowned No. 1 on the Top Songs of 2023: Global, with more listens on Apple Music worldwide than any other song this year. It marks the first country song since “Old Town Road” (2019) to top the chart. In 2023, “Last Night” smashed the record for the country song with the most days at No. 1 on the Global Daily Top 100. 11 country songs reach the Top Songs of 2023: Global chart, up from four last year. Wallen also scored the No. 1 album of the year with One Thing At A Time.
The full suite of Year-End Charts are available to view and listen to on Apple Music.
The platform also rolled out its Apple Music Replay 2023 feature, where subscribers can discover, listen to and share their top songs, artists, albums genres and more.
Driver Williams Signs With Jody Williams Songs & Warner Chappell Music
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): JWS Founder, Jody Williams; JWS Creative Manager, Tenasie Courtright; Driver Williams; JWS Senior Director, Creative Nina Jenkins Fisher; Warner Chappell Music Senior Director, A&R, Spencer Nohe. Photo: Jaime Sillas
Driver Williams has signed an exclusive songwriting agreement with Jody Williams Songs (JWS) and Warner Chappell Music.
Williams is a Nashville native who has written songs for Eric Church, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Jon Pardi, Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean and more. He is also the original lead guitarist for Church’s band, a position he has held since 2005.
At JWS, Driver will continue to work with his father, Founder Jody Williams, as well as Senior Director, Creative Nina Jenkins Fisher and Creative Manager Tenasie Courtright.
Driver shares, “It’s truly a dream come true to be able to work exclusively with my dad, and call Jody Williams Songs/Warner Chappell Music my songwriting home. I’m excited to do my part to contribute to such a sterling roster and song-forward endeavor.”
“The trajectory of Driver’s songwriting career is impressive. He is teed up for great things in 2024. We could not be more proud to work with him,” Jody shares.
Fisher adds, “Driver holds down a lane at JWS that no other writer touches. He is a lyricist that balances fresh ideas with a hard-earned understanding of our genre. I’m thrilled to be on his team.”
Kylie Morgan’s ‘Making It Up As I Go Tour’ Set To Launch In February
/by Lorie HollabaughEMI Records Nashville artist Kylie Morgan will launch her “Making It Up As I Go Tour” in February.
The tour will include stops in Chicago, San Diego, Las Vegas, Portland, Indianapolis, and more. Her spring dates include a festival appearance at Stagecoach, and a home-state show in Oklahoma. Tickets go on sale this Friday (Dec. 1). For more information, click here.
“All I’ve ever wanted to do was be on stage and have people singing my words back to me,” shares Morgan. “This past year I have had that dream come true night after night. I am extremely grateful for this next chapter and seeing it on a tour of my very own, with incredible people to help me make it happen by my side.”
The tour announcement follows her recent signing with WME for global representation. The singer-songwriter will be represented by the agency’s Morgan Kenney and Aaron Tannenbaum.
Morgan also recently released her debut full-length album, Making It Up As I Go, that features 12 tracks written or co-written by her. She has amassed more than 400 million career streams, and is currently on her first arena trek supporting Old Dominion on their “No Bad Vibes Tour” through December.
Music City To Celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary During New Year’s Eve Big Bash
/by Lorie HollabaughMusic City will pay tribute to hip-hop’s 50th anniversary at Nashville’s Big Bash New Year’s Eve Celebration at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park this year.
The live show will include a 50-minute tribute to celebrate the genre over the decades, and “Music City Hip-Hop 50” will conclude with a guest DJ set by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, who has a music degree and did a DJ set at Grimey’s record store during his campaign.
The segment will be curated by Eric Holt, managing partner of The Lovenoise Group and assistant professor of Music Business at Belmont University, and Nashville artist Jason Eskridge, along with guest appearances by artists Tim Gent and Daisha McBride. Eskridge will DJ the segment, with Kenny Smoov of 92Q emceeing.
“For five decades, hip-hop has not only been a cultural force around the world but has grown and flourished in Music City,” says Deana Ivey, President and CEO of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “As we celebrate the history of hip-hop and Nashville’s own vibrant hip-hop scene, we honor the roots, the rhymes, the creators and the collaborations that have found inspiration in Music City.”
Mayor O’Connell says, “I am excited that this event will highlight the diversity of Nashville’s music scene. Our relationship with country music is historic, but we have such a diverse group of creatives that deserve our celebration. It’s a tough assignment to DJ a set surrounded by truly terrific artists like Jason Eskridge, Daisha McBride and Tim Gent, but I look forward to the challenge.”
The family-friendly hip-hop segment will kick off at 5:15 p.m. and will conclude with remarks from Mayor O’Connell, as well as a 10-minute DJ set that he will play and mix. Gates open at 4:30 p.m., and the program is free and open to the public. The early-evening segment gives families a way to celebrate the free Big Bash event with children of all ages.
The tribute will also help mark the 20th anniversary of The Lovenoise Group, an urban promoter that provides performance platforms for local urban artists and a community hub where Black music lovers can come together to experience the power of culture.
Big Bash is partnering with the HERO (Homeless Education Resource Office) Program of Metro Nashville Public Schools to support students and their families who are experiencing homelessness. Through the partnership, Big Bash sponsor Crav’n Flavor will replenish the HERO food pantry for the month of January from scratch. Dr Pepper, Coca-Cola Consolidated and Carl Black Chevrolet will support HERO families by supporting the transportation fund over the next 12 months so that families can access community resources and navigate the work of obtaining stable housing. Additionally, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp will contribute $1 from each official Big Bash event t-shirt sold to support the HERO program. Donations to the HERO Family Fund can be made at BigBashHERO.
Nashville’s Big Bash will feature Thomas Rhett, newly crowned CMA Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson and Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Lynyrd Skynyrd as headliners. The concert is free and open to the public, and the five-hour CBS special will air live on Dec. 31 at 6:30 pm CT on the CBS Television Network and Paramount+.
This will be the 15th annual concert and seventh year at Bicentennial Park. As a live event, the Big Bash generates as much as $38 million in direct visitor spending and attendance of 200,000, with more than half being local residents.
Jon Pardi Helps Kick Off 2023 Opry Country Christmas Series
/by Lorie HollabaughJon Pardi performs during Opry Country Christmas
The Grand Ole Opry kicked off the third season of Opry Country Christmas Sunday night (Nov. 26) with the first in a series of nine shows.
The War And Treaty perform during Opry Country Christmas. Photo: Chris Hollo
Spotlight Artist Jon Pardi appeared on the show in his first activity as an official Opry member. His performance kicked off the celebration of the release of his first Christmas album, Merry Christmas From Jon Pardi, and included tracks “400 Horsepower,” “Please Come Home For Christmas,” “Beer For Santa” and “Merry Christmas From The Keys.” Also joining in the kickoff was special guest The War And Treaty who performed “Oh Holy Night,” “Silver Bells” and “Safe.”
Hosted by Opry member Larry Gatlin, each Opry Country Christmas show will also feature Opry members The Gatlin Brothers, Riders In The Sky, Mandy Barnett and Country Music Hall of Famer Charlie McCoy.
Future Opry Country Christmas 2023 shows will include Lauren Alaina, Chapel Hart, Scotty McCreery, Jeannie Seely, Hailey Whitters, Trace Adkins, Kathy Mattea, Chris Young, Maddie & Tae, Lady A, The Scott Family, Lorrie Morgan, Steven Curtis Chapman, Louise Mandrell, Chris Janson and John Berry.
Brothers Osborne Plots 35-Date ‘Might As Well Be Us Tour’ For 2024
/by Lorie HollabaughBrothers Osborne. Photo: Natalie Osborne
Brothers Osborne will launch their 35-date “Might As Well Be Us Tour” on March 28 in Milwaukee. Stephen Wilson Jr., The Cadillac Three, Zach Top, Jackson Dean, Madeline Edwards and Caylee Hammack will offer support on the dates.
The duo will visit Atlanta, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cincinnati, Orlando, San Diego, Charlotte and more on the expansive tour, which will run through June 29.
Members of The Family fan club can unlock exclusive presale access to shows at brothersosborne.com. The fan club presale will begin tomorrow (Nov. 29), with select presales that week ahead of general sales this Friday (Dec. 1).
Brothers Osborne recently won Vocal Duo of the Year at this year’s CMA Awards. They are also nominated for Best Country Album (Brothers Osborne) and Best Country Duo/ Group Performance (“Nobody’s Nobody”) at The 66th Grammy Awards. The siblings took home their first Grammy in 2022, winning Best Country Duo/Group Performance (“Younger Me”) and have been nominated for 12 Grammys overall.
“Might As Well Be Us Tour” Dates:
*Stephen Wilson Jr.
+ The Cadillac Three
^ Zach Top
$ Jackson Dean
% Madeline Edwards
@ Caylee Hammack
Thursday, March 28 // Milwaukee, WI // The Rave – Eagles Ballroom*
Friday, March 29 // Omaha, NE // Steelhouse Omaha*
Saturday, March 30 // Waukee, IA // Vibrant Music Hall*
Wednesday, April 3 // Atlanta, GA // Coca-Cola Roxy+
Thursday, April 4 // Spartanburg, SC // Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium+
Friday, April 5 // Chattanooga, TN // Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium+
Thursday, April 11 // Cincinnati, OH // The Andrew J Brady Music Center^
Friday, April 12 // Birmingham, AL // Avondale Brewing Company^
Saturday, April 13 // New Orleans, LA // Saenger Theatre^
Thursday, April 18 // Boston, MA // MGM Music Hall at Fenway$
Friday, April 19 // Philadelphia, PA // The Metropolitan Opera House (“The Met”)$
Saturday, April 20 // Wallingford, CT // Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre$
Thursday, April 25// Saint Augustine, FL // The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre+
Friday, April 26 // Orlando, FL // Hard Rock Live Orlando+
Saturday, April 27 // Hollywood, FL // Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.+#
Saturday, May 18 // Idaho Falls, ID // Mountain America Center%
Sunday, May 19 // Sandy, UT // Sandy Amphitheater%
Tuesday, May 21 // Portland, OR // Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall%
Wednesday, May 22 // Abbotsford, BC // Abbotsford Centre%
Friday, May 24 // Modesto, CA // The Fruityard%
Saturday, May 25 // Oakland, CA //Fox Theater%
Wednesday, May 29 // San Diego, CA // Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre%
Friday, May 31 // Santa Barbara, CA // Santa Barbara Bowl%
Sunday, June 2 // Las Vegas, NV // The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas%
Friday, June 7 // Charlotte, NC // Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre@
Saturday, June 8 // Raleigh, NC // Red Hat Amphitheater@
Thursday, June 13 // Columbus, OH // KEMBA Live! Outdoor Amphitheatre*
Friday, June 14 // Buffalo, NY // Terminal B at The Outer Harbor*
Saturday, June 15 // Sterling Heights, MI // Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill*
Thursday, June 20 //Pittsburgh, PA // Stage AE – Outdoors+
Friday, June 21 // Indianapolis, IN // Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park+
Saturday, June 22 // Chicago, IL // The Salt Shed+
Thursday, June 27 // LaFayette, NY // Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards Summer Concert Series*
Friday, June 28 // Newark, NJ // New Jersey Performing Arts Center – Prudential Hall*
Saturday, June 29 // Cleveland, OH // Jacobs Pavilion*
Garth Brooks Performs At New Bar For First Black Friday Amazon Music Live Special
/by Liza AndersonGarth Brooks performs during first-ever Black Friday Amazon Music Live special. Photo: 8 Ten, Inc.
Superstar Garth Brooks took the stage of his new Nashville space, Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk, for the first-ever Black Friday Amazon Music Live special last week.
Garth Brooks performs during first-ever Black Friday Amazon Music Live special. Photo: 8 Ten, Inc.
Livestreamed from the bar’s grand opening, the special gave millions of fans the chance to experience one of Brooks’ famed dive bar concerts, inspired by his “Dive Bar” duet with Blake Shelton. Fans were also able to tune in to the pre-show hosted by Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson of the Country Heat Weekly podcast, which is now available as a Country Heat Weekly episode. The special followed another milestone as it aired after the first NFL game to ever take place on Black Friday, streamed on Prime Video.
The award-winning artist performed fan-favorite songs such as “The Thunder Rolls” and “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” and was joined by Ronnie Dunn for a rendition of “Rodeo Man,” Brooks’ new single from his latest album Time Traveler.
Additionally, Brooks recently added 18 new 2024 dates to his Las Vegas residency, “Garth Brooks/Plus One.”
Garth Brooks & Ronnie Dunn perform during first-ever Black Friday Amazon Music Live special. Photo: 8 Ten, Inc.
Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood during first-ever Black Friday Amazon Music Live special. Photo: 8 Ten, Inc.
UTA Signs Dylan Gossett
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R): Justin Hill (UTA), Curt Motley (UTA), Matthew Morgan (UTA), Brett Saliba (UTA), Dylan Gossett, Federico Morris (Range), Sam Katz (Homebase Management), Shawn McSpadden (Range), Scott Clayton (UTA). Photo: Courtesy of UTA
UTA has signed singer-songwriter Dylan Gossett for worldwide representation in all areas.
Gossett, an Austin, Texas native, began writing and recording music during his early teen years using Garage Band on his mother’s computer. Inspired by a new generation of singer-songwriters he saw emerging online, Gossett began posting videos of his songs in April 2023.
His music immediately struck a chord, leading Gossett to release his self-written, produced and mixed debut single “To Be Free” on June 30. Shortly after, he posted a snippet of a new song “Coal,” which gained tremendous traction, garnering more than a million views within the first week. Since releasing “Coal” in July, the song has racked up over 75 million streams and debuted at No. 24 on Billboard‘s Country Digital Song Sales chart. It also cracked the top five on Spotify’s Global and U.S. Viral 50 Charts and peaked at No. 14 on the iTunes Country Charts and No. 36 across All Genres.
Gossett released his EP No Better Time in October, landing songs on multiple prominent playlists. He signed with Big Loud Texas/Mercury Records, in collaboration with Range Media Partners, making him the flagship artist for Big Loud’s joint venture with Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall.
Longtime Music & Radio Industry Executive Bill Mayne Passes Away
/by LB CantrellBill Mayne
Longtime music and radio industry executive and former CRB/CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne has died at 72 after a long-term illness.
Mayne’s nearly 50-year career included a decade at the helm of CRS as well as time at multiple radio stations and a 15-year stint at Warner Bros. in Nashville.
Mayne started his career in radio, working on-air in programming roles across diverse formats, including top 40, rock and country music, where he found his calling. Mayne launched KASE in Austin and went on to lead KZLA/KLAC in Los Angeles and KSCS/WBAP in Dallas.
After time spent in radio, he transferred over to the records side of the building, joining Warner Bros./Nashville. During his 15 years there, Mayne held various influential roles, from regional to VP of Promotion, eventually becoming Sr. VP/General Manager and VP of Promotion.
A devoted member of the CRB Board, Mayne became the Board Vice President before assuming the role of Executive Director in 2009. He held the position for a decade before stepping down in 2019. The same year, Mayne received the organization’s President’s Award and was recognized for the significant contributions he’d made to the radio industry.
The multi-hyphenate business man also presided over Mayne Entertainment, an artist management company, and Mayne Street Consulting, a private entertainment consulting firm, offering valuable insights and guidance to clients in the entertainment field.
Mayne was also deeply involved in the industry’s charitable endeavors, serving as a former Board member of the Country Music Association and spent over 35 years on the Academy of Country Music Board of Directors, including roles as Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the ACM. His legacy also includes co-founding the St. Jude Country Cares for Kids Program, a monumental initiative that has raised over $700 million for St. Jude since its inception in 1989. Additionally, he held the role of National VP for MDA and was a distinguished member of Leadership Music and the Mayor’s Nashville Music Council.
Mayne is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Sallie Mayne, who was his steadfast partner throughout his incredible journey. He is also survived by his sons Bryant Mayne and Christopher Mayne, his grandchild Everleigh Mayne and mother-in-law Helen Wood.
Mayne’s life will be memorialized at a Celebration of Life event on Jan. 30, 2024 on the second floor of ACME Feed & Seed from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to drop by at their convenience, and come ready to share stories and fond memories of Mayne. In addition to sharing stories, a special montage is being created to commemorate Mayne’s journey through the years. Contributions to the photo montage can be sent to rj@crb.org to be included.
Donations can be made in his honor to St. Jude and ACM Lifting Lives.
—
RJ Curtis, the current Executive Director of CRB/CRS, shared the following statement regarding Mayne’s passing: “The passing of Bill Mayne marks a profound loss for the entire country music community. Bill was a true giant in every sense of the word. His fifty years of passionate work positively impacted everyone he met, in nearly every segment of our business, through his time in radio, the music industry, artist management, entrepreneurialism, and, of course, his decade of leadership as Executive Director for CRB. Bill Mayne navigated the organization through a period of great adversity, ultimately reestablishing CRS as the premier industry event that it is today.”
Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, shared, “On behalf of our membership and Board of Directors of the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives, I am deeply saddened by the loss today of Bill Mayne, a true giant of the Country Music industry, an invaluable champion of the Academy of Country Music, and one of our longest serving Board Members. Bill dedicated more than 35 years of service to the ACM Board, including serving as the Chairman for both the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives. I am comforted that we were able to celebrate his phenomenal legacy this summer by presenting him with our ACM Service Award at the 16th ACM Honors. Bill had a huge heart, as evidenced by his incredible philanthropic work, including his service to ACM Lifting Lives. His impact, passion, and devotion to the Country Music industry and community will live on forever. On behalf of all of us at the ACM, we send our love and prayers to his family, friends, and all who have been lucky enough to work with and know him.”
CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said, “Bill had great passion for Country Music going back to his days in radio. I first worked with him in 1996 on a TV special when he was with Warner Bros. Nashville. I was struck by his enthusiasm for the format and ability to get things done. Years later, we were both officers of the ACMs, where his great knowledge of board governance and organization was a huge asset to our leadership team. Most recently, we got to work together when he joined the CMA Board of Directors, where he served from 2016 to 2018. My deepest condolences to Sallie and his sons.”
Creative Nation Adds To Roster, Extends Deals
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, back row): Abby Holcomb, Luke Laird, Alex Tamashunas, Kelsey Granda; (L-R, front row): Emily Furman, Beth Laird, Sandra McCracken, Abigail Bruner. Photo: Emily Stearns
Sandra McCracken has signed a publishing deal with Creative Nation.
McCracken is a Grammy-nominated and Dove-award winning singer-songwriter and hymn writer from Nashville. She has produced 15 solo albums over two decades, including Psalms (2015) and God’s Highway (2017), which made the top 50 on Billboard Heatseekers chart without support from a major label.
She has had many songs featured in TV, including “Ten Thousand Angels” on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, and has over 15 million streams. Blending the old and new, McCracken has also shown a unique ability to recast sacred scripture texts into theologically rich songs, including the release of November Songs with fellow Shadowlands band members Brett Tyler and Creative Nation’s Luke Laird.
“We are excited to partner with Sandra McCracken as she broadens her writing community. Luke and I have long admired Sandra’s artistry — after we worked together on the Shadowlands project, we were eager to do more,” says Creative Nation Founder and CEO Beth Laird. “She is a great new addition to our team to diversify our roster.”
“I’m such a fan of these writers with a catalog of songs with so much depth and heart. So grateful to join this stellar, storytelling team at Creative Nation,” McCracken says.
Pictured (L-R, back row): Jayne Hamblin, Abigail Bruner, Brandon Gill, Kelsey Granda; (L-R, front row): Abby Holcomb, Emily Furman, Beth Laird, Jonathan Hutcherson, Luke Laird. Photo: Emily Stearns
Additionally, Steve Moakler and Jonathan Hutcherson have also extended their deals with the company.
Laird shares, “We are happy to announce that we have extended our deals with Steve Moakler and Jonathan Hutcherson. They are both outstanding artists, songwriters and people that bring so much passion and creativity to our roster and culture at Creative Nation.”
Hutcherson, a Kentucky native, moved to Nashville in 2018 after appearing on The Voice at age 16. His independent single “Strangers” racked up more than 1 million Spotify streams as he logged countless sessions around Music City, balancing a job at Lowe’s to stay afloat. He signed his deal with Creative Nation in 2019 and has since cultivated his sound, releasing his self-titled EP in 2021.
“The last four years with CN have been some to remember. I’ve gotten to chase down a lot of dreams with this crew and it’s become a true home for my songs and for me as an artist. This team, the culture, and the heart behind the company is everything I want to be a part of. Grateful to God for the road behind us and the road ahead,” Hutcherson says.
Pictured (L-R, back row): Abby Holcomb, Alex Tamashunas, Jayne Hamblin, Brandon Gill, Luke Laird; (L-R, front row): Abigail Bruner, Kelsey Granda, Steve Moakler, Beth Laird, Emily Furman. Photo: Katie Kauss
Moakler is a Pennsylvania native whose more than 15 years in the industry has resulted in hits with Dierks Bentley, Jake Owen, Ben Rector, Reba McEntire and more. As an artist, Moakler has toured with Old Dominion, Willie Nelson, Dan + Shay and Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. He released his most recent album Make A Little Room last year, containing “Let’s Go To The Lake,” “Numbered,” “You Being You” and more.
“I’m thrilled to continue working with Creative Nation… I’m truly inspired by everyone on the team and so grateful to be a part of it,” Moakler says.