Jess Montero has joined Big Machine Label Group (BMLG) as Senior HR Manager.

Montero comes to the HYBE America subsidiary with years of experience working with a variety of businesses and industries from start-ups to global corporations. Reporting to Andrew Kautz, she will work closely with the label group’s leadership team and HYBE HR to usher in and foster executive talent.

“Jess brings a great wealth of knowledge and strategy to Big Machine Label Group,” says BMLG CEO & Chairman Scott Borchetta. “We are only as good as our people and her focus to help build a stronger team and seek out the best talent is critical to our growth.”

Prior to BMLG, Montero served as VP of HR Operations for Lynn HR Consulting, supporting clients across the country with their HR and business needs, from strategy to implementation and beyond. The Miami native and avid music lover moved to Nashville in 2015 to receive her Masters in organization leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University. In addition to several HR roles, the SHRM-certified professional also has worked in events and retail management.

“My love for music brought me to Nashville, so having a seat at the Big Machine Label Group table is really a full circle moment for me,” shares Montero. “I’m excited to hit the ground running and work with such a brilliant team.”

She is based in Nashville and can be reached at jess.montero@bmlg.net.

Sara Evans Celebrates 20th Anniversary Of ‘Restless’ With Surprises

Sara Evans celebrated the 20th anniversary of her album Restless at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Thursday night (Aug. 17) with some surprises.

After welcoming the crowd to the sold-out celebration, Evans dove into the Restless album, telling stories and welcoming guests to the stage along the way. Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady A joined for a powerful performance of “Tonight,” and Carly Pearce topped it off with a roof-raising rendition of the No. 1 smash “Suds In The Bucket.”

Pearce then called Kelley and Haywood back to the stage and welcomed Lady A’s Hillary Scott to surprise Evans with a Platinum plaque for the hit.

After the plaque presentation, Scott brought out Grand Ole Opry member and legend Bill Anderson, who recalled seeing Evans in a small warehouse showcase where she performed songs from her forthcoming debut album, one of them being “Walk Out Backwards,” a song he had written and recorded in the early 1960’s. Anderson told Evans he had two questions for her. He first asked if she could sing a bit of that song to which she immediately broke out in a verse and chorus of the vintage tune.

Next, Anderson asked would she like to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, to which Evans tearfully and playfully said “No,” followed by “Of course, I would never say no to that question.” He then played a video message from Dolly Parton, congratulating her. After gathering her emotions, Evans rounded out the evening with “No Place That Far,” “I Keep Looking” and “A Little Bit Stronger” with Scott, who co-wrote the song, and “Born To Fly.”

 

Justin Moore Headlines WME & PBR’s Whiskey Jam Takeover

Justin Moore made his debut appearance at Nashville’s Whiskey Jam outdoor concert series as he headlined the WME and PBR takeover on Thursday (Aug. 17).

He sang to a packed crowd that included his team at The Valory Music Co., L3 Entertainment and WME.

Moore also recently earned his 12th Mediabase/Country Airplay No. 1 with “You, Me, And Whiskey,” his duet with Priscilla Block.

 

Randall King Hosts KingFest In Nashville

Warner Music Nashville artist Randall King hosted KingFest at The Nashville Palace this past weekend. The two-day branded festival event featured support from Tyler Booth, Braxton Keith, Drake Milligan and Jon Stork.

King recently release two new songs, “The One You’re Waiting On” and “Hard To Be Humble.” The son of a working man, King was raised on the influences of country music greats Alan Jackson, George Strait, Keith Whitley and more. His neo-traditional style a byproduct of living life the way he often heard reflected in their lyrics, which is highlighted on the new tracks.

 

ACM & Black Music Action Coalition Host OnRamp Workshop On Touring

Last week, members of the OnRamp program gathered with professionals from the music touring space at the Academy of Country Music’s Nashville headquarters for an informational workshop exploring agency relationships, booking and international touring strategy.

ACM and the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) created the OnRamp program to improve inclusivity and equity within Music City. The program seeks to empower the next generation of leaders in the early stages of their careers by granting access to professional development opportunities, community mentorship, and other resources to increase personal growth and industry exposure, including exclusive ACM membership panels and tentpole live events as well as visibility with the ACM Board and other industry leaders.

 

Lightning 100 Announces Third Annual Girls Write Nashville Benefit

Nashville independent radio institution Lightning 100 will host its third annual fundraiser for Girls Write Nashville (GWN), a nonprofit that aims to empower expression through songwriting, production, mentorship and creative community building for teen artists, on Oct. 8.

The event is a part of Lightning 100’s ongoing concert series, Nashville Sunday Night. Proceeds from the all-ages show will go toward supporting GWN’s programming.

Airing live on Lightning 100, the show will start with Nashville artists Crystal Rose, Purser and Eva Cassel along with GWN student program participant Magdalene performing in the round, which mimics how the GWN program operates, in an open and authentic way. The lineup also includes artists Katie Pruitt and Daisha McBride, who will perform sets during the second hour.

The benefit will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. CT. For more information, click here.

The ACM Honors event on Wednesday night (Aug. 23) at the Ryman has added to its growing list of presenters and performers for the evening.

Dennis Quaid, Brett Young, Marty Stuart, Randy Travis, Big Kenny, Priscilla Block, Lee Brice, Billy Ray Cyrus + Firerose with Travis Denning, Sara Evans, Nelly, Storme Warren and Hailey Whitters have all been added to the lineup for the special night.

Carly Pearce will host the show, which celebrates special honorees Clint Black, Kane Brown, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tim McGraw, K.T. Oslin, Chris Stapleton and more. The ACM Honors will air on Fox on Monday, Sept. 18 as a primetime special. The performer lineup for the broadcast will be announced in the coming weeks.

Scotty McCreery has scored another successful radio debut with his latest single, “Cab In A Solo,” which was the most-added song of the week this week.

With 120 stations reporting, the track received the most first-week adds of McCreery’s career, as well as the largest first-week showing for his label, Triple Tigers, and the third biggest add-day of the year. Written by McCreery, Frank Rogers and Brent Anderson and produced by Rogers, Derek Wells and Aaron Eshuis, “Cab In A Solo” is the first taste of new music from McCreery since the release of his 2021 album Same Truck.

“Wow! I’ve been doing this now for twelve years, and this is the largest add week I’ve ever had and it’s the first time I’ve had the most added song on my first week,” says McCreery. “Thank you country radio for all your support both now and through the years, and thanks to the Triple Tigers promotion team. I’ll be drinking cab in a solo tonight!”

The new single follows the recent success of “It Matters to Her,” the fastest-climbing single of McCreery’s career. The singer-songwriter has earned five consecutive No. 1s in the last few years including the Platinum-certified “Damn Strait” and Gold-certified “You Time,” all found on Same Truck: The Deluxe Album. 

Earlier this summer, McCreery joined the Brooks & Dunn “Reboot Tour 2023.” He is currently out on the road for his own headlining tour with over 25 dates through the fall.