Tracy Chapman Moves Into Top Three On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Tracy Chapman & Luke Combs

Tracy Chapman moves into the No. 2 position on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week. As the sole writer of “Fast Car,” which is flying up the charts as a Luke Combs cover, Chapman receives all of the points earned from airplay, digital download track sales and streams on the Songwriter Chart.

Combs finds himself at No. 12 this week, with songwriter credit on his own “5 Leaf Clover,” “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” and “Love You Anyway.”

Ashley Gorley marks another week at No. 1 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Zach Bryan (No. 2), Ryan Vojtesak (No. 4) and Morgan Wallen (No. 5) complete the top five.

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.

Kameron Marlowe, Chayce Beckham, More Join Luke Bryan’s ‘Farm Tour’ Lineup

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Luke Bryan has announced the guest lineup for this year’s “Farm Tour,” set for Sept. 14-23. Kameron Marlowe, Chayce Beckham, The Peach Pickers (Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip) and DJ Rock will all join Bryan for the annual tour.

Since it began in 2009, Bryan’s “Farm Tour”  has granted 78 college scholarships to students from farming families to their local college or university near the tour stops. Tickets for the dates are on sale now at LukeBryan.com.

Over the years, event sponsors have donated money, food and resources to the local communities and also nationally. Last year alone, Bayer provided one million meals to Feeding America, Farmland® donated a truckload of protein to local food banks in each of the states that hosted the tour and donated $9,000 to each state’s FFA Association, and Fendt donated $25,000 to the national FFA organization.

Bryan wrapped his celebrity judging duties alongside Lionel Richie and Katy Perry on American Idol last month, performing his brand new single “But I Got A Beer In My Hand” on the show.

Brandon Lake Leads With Three Trophies At 10th Annual K-Love Fan Awards

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Brandon Lake with his 3 K-Love Fan Awards trophies. Photo: Kayla Schoen

Brandon Lake was the big winner at the 10th Annual K-Love Fan Awards, taped live at Nashville’s Opry House on May 28.

Lake led the trophy tally with triple wins for Male Artist, Song of the Year and Worship Song of the Year wins during the TBN broadcast of the fan-fueled awards, which aired on June 2. Hosted by Cain, for King & Country was once again named Artist of the Year at the awards ceremony, while Lauren Daigle received the Female Artist of the Year Award.

MercyMe took home their first K-Love Fan Award for Group of the Year, and the award for Breakout Single of the Year went to Rachael Lampa for “Perfectly Loved” featuring TobyMac. Other winners included The Chosen‘s Season Three Finale for Film & Television Impact, Phil and Jase Robertson‘s Unashamed taking the Podcast of the Year Award, Phil Wickham‘s On Our Knees for Book Impact and Charlotte Smith for the Sports Impact Award.

The ceremony was preceded by the biggest weekend in Christian music, including annual events like the Friday night kick-off concert, Emerging Artist Showcase, Songwriter’s Showcase and Sunday morning worship service. A brand new event this year was added with Saturday morning’s Worship In The Round.

Full List Of 2023 K-Love Fan Awards Winners:
Artist Of The Year
For King & Country

Male Artist
Brandon Lake

Female Artist
Lauren Daigle

Group Of The Year
MercyMe

Worship Song Of The Year
Brandon Lake’s “Gratitude”

Song Of The Year
Brandon Lake’s “Gratitude”

Breakout Single
“Perfectly Loved” by Rachael Lampa Ft. TobyMac

Film & Television Impact
The Chosen Season Three Finale

Book Impact
On Our Knees by Phil Wickham

Podcast Impact
Unashamed by Phil & Jase Robertson

Opry Photographer Les Leverett Dies At Age 96

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Les Leverett. Photo: Courtesy of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The most important photographer in the history of country music has passed away.

Les Leverett died in Nashville on Friday (June 2) at age 96. He was the staff photographer at the Grand Ole Opry for 32 years, archiving country music’s “golden age” on film. He was the man behind iconic images of Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Bill Monroe, Vince Gill and a myriad of their peers.

Roy Acuff and Les Leverett backstage in Acuff’s dressing room. Photo: Donnie Beauchamp, Courtesy of The Grand Ole Opry

His work has earned him a Grammy Award, prestigious exhibitions and distinction as a major provider of photos for such documentaries as Ken Burns’ PBS opus Country Music. His images have appeared in American Heritage, Country Weekly and many other periodicals, not to mention in annual Opry souvenir books for decades.

Born in 1927, Leverett grew up in Alabama. He served aboard a troop ship during World War II. After the war, he went to photography school in San Antonio on the G.I. Bill. This is when he became infatuated with country music. His wife Dot Vandiver was a Nashville native, and the couple moved to her hometown in 1950.

He initially worked as an advertising and portrait photographer in Music City. Between 1960 and 1992, he was the official photographer for the National Life insurance company and its affiliates WSM Radio, WSMV-TV and the Opry. He also rescued and preserved the photographic record of WSM’s founding years, 1925-50, after he discovered the company was throwing those images away. In addition, Leverett did stars’ publicity portraits, created album covers and documented celebrities at home.

His album covers include the theatrical image of Porter Wagoner on the jacket of 1966’s Confessions of a Broken Man. It earned him a Grammy Award. His 1972 cover for Dolly Parton’s LP Bubbling Over won him Billboard magazine’s award as its Country Album Cover of the Year. Leverett’s vivid photographs appear on more than 200 albums.

Garth Brooks, Kitty Wells, Gene Autry, Roy Acuff, Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss, Ernest Tubb, Conway Twitty, Maybelle Carter, Emmylou Harris, George Strait, Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Kenny Rogers, Waylon Jennings, k.d. lang, Marty Robbins, Hank Snow, Grandpa Jones, Minnie Pearl, Tex Ritter – it would be easier to name a country star he hasn’t photographed than those he has. Les Leverett was the official photographer for the TV series of both Johnny Cash and Marty Stuart.

A charming raconteur and lovably humble personality, Leverett was especially fond of bluegrass music. His archive includes many images of Flatt & Scruggs, The Whites, Jim & Jesse, Ralph Stanley and the like. In 2001, he was honored with a Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA).

George Jones and Tammy Wynette. Photo: Les Leverett, Courtesy of The Grand Ole Opry

Les Leverett’s work is preserved in two books, Blue Moon of Kentucky (1996) and American Music Legends (2005). Daughter Libby Leverett-Crew published her memoir Saturday Nights with Daddy at the Opry in 2003, which also featured many of his images.

He was a writer of limericks and a talented artist who had a knack for drawing caricatures. He also had the lesser-known gifts of being able to write backwards and upside down. Les Leverett’s photo archive now resides at the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum.

He is survived by his son, Gary Leverett, his daughter, Libby Leverett-Crew, son-in-law, Larry Crew, nine grandchildren and numerous great and great-great grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements are being handled by Spring Hill Funeral Home & Cemetery, 5110 Gallatin Pike South. Visitation will be on June 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. followed by a Celebration of Life service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Second Harvest Food Bank, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Nashville Union Rescue Mission or a charity of your choice.

Porter Wagoner’s Confessions of a Broken Man. Photo: Les Leverett

Loretta Lynn. Photo: Les Leverett

Pictured (L-R): Minnie Pearl, Wilma Lee Cooper, Jan Howard, Skeeter Davis, June Carter and Kitty Wells. Photo: Les Leverett, Courtesy of The Grand Ole Opry

Patsy Cline. Photo: Les Leverett, Courtesy of The Grand Ole Opry

Grand Ole Opry cast in 1965. Photo: Les Leverett, Courtesy of The Grand Ole Opry

June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash. Photo: Les Leverett, Courtesy of The Grand Ole Opry

Dolly Parton. Photo: Les Leverett, Courtesy of The Grand Ole Opry

Jeannie Seely being photographed by Les Leverett. Photo: Dot Leverett, Courtesy of The Grand Ole Opry

The Neal Agency Signs Aidan Canfield

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Aidan Canfield. Photo: Macy Ray

The Neal Agency has signed Aidan Canfield, a country singer-songwriter hailing from Pleasantville, New York.

Canfield’s artistry combines rock and country influences from the sounds that he grew up on. He is inspired by rock greats Bob Seger and Bruce Springsteen as well as country stars Kenny Chesney and Zach Bryan. Canfield released his debut album, We’re Young, Alright, earlier this year and has supported artists such as Riley Green and Cameron Sacky Band on the road.

“It’s extremely rare to find an artist like Aidan,” says Austin Neal, who initially introduced Canfield’s music to his team at The Neal Agency in an A&R meeting four months ago. “He has a distinctive sound, an entire album of one-way writes, and an honesty and dedication that comes across when you hear him. Our team immediately and unanimously agreed we had to pursue signing him. We’re honored to add him to our roster for representation at TNA.”

“The second I stepped into The Neal office, it felt like a family,” shares Canfield. “Everybody there sees it as more than a job and they are all truly passionate about each artist. I couldn’t be more excited to build my career with such great people around me at The Neal Agency!”

Canfield’s additional representation includes Justine Avila with The Moonshot Group for management, James Dail at Wiatr & Associates for business management and Elliot Groffman at Carroll, Guido, Groffman, Cohen, Bar & Karalian, LLP for legal.

He will play his first CMA Fest this week, performing on the Hard Rock Stage on Sunday, June 11.

Rachel Whitney Prepares For Spotify House At CMA Fest [Interview]

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Rachel Whitney, Head of Editorial, Nashville at Spotify

Spotify has revealed more details ahead of its highly anticipated Spotify House takeover at Blake Shelton and Opry Entertainment Group’s Ole Red for CMA Fest. The festivities will take place June 8-11.

“We are thrilled to be returning to CMA Fest for a fourth year with our marquee four-day country music showcase, Spotify House! We are once again taking over Ole Red in downtown Nashville,” Head of Editorial, Nashville at Spotify, Rachel Whitney, shares with MusicRow. “This year’s lineup is a stellar mix of emerging artists, country stars and surprise special performances throughout the weekend. We are so grateful to the incredible artists who grace our stages and for the enthusiasm of the country fans who make Spotify House one of the top destinations at CMA Fest each year. ”

Previously announced performers for Spotify House include Brad Paisley, Brothers Osborne, Dierks Bentley, Hailey Whitters, Ingrid Andress, Jordan Davis, Luke Grimes, Mickey Guyton, Old Dominion, Lady A, Ruston Kelly, Alana Springsteen, Ashley Cooke, Avery Anna, Brett Young, Brian Kelley, Chase Rice, Chayce Beckham, Chris Young, Colbie Caillat, Conner Smith, Dalton Dover, Danielle Bradbery, Dylan Marlowe, Dylan Schneider, Ella Langley, Ian Munsick, Jon Pardi, Josh Ross, Kameron Marlowe, Kylie Morgan, Lily Rose, Mackenzie Carpenter, Mitchell Tenpenny, Restless Road, Riley Green, Sam Hunt, Tanner Adell, Tenille Arts, Warren Zeiders and 49 Winchester.

Spotify House will also treat fans who want to show off their latest country dance moves to several exclusive late night DJ sets including Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley and Cheat Codes + Friends.

Additionally, Spotify is bringing back the Fresh Finds Stage to the rooftop of Ole Red, presenting a nightly lineup of new and emerging country music artists that fans can also find on the Fresh Finds Country playlist.

Whitney shares, “We are bringing back the Fresh Finds Country Stage for a second year at Spotify House rooftop. We are dedicated to supporting emerging independent artists year-round and this lineup will give fans the opportunity to discover some of the incredible young talent we have our eye on. Spotify House will also treat fans to exclusive late night DJ sets, inspired by our Country Club playlist, including Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley and Cheat Codes + Friends, so there is sure to be something for every type of country music fan.”

Thursday’s Fresh Finds Stage will include sets from Mae Estes, Logan Crosby, Lauren Watkins, Sam Barber, Nolan Taylor and Wyatt Flores. Friday night will feature music from Graham Barham, Abbey Cone, Grant Gilbert, Halle Kearns, Harper Grace and Payton Smith. Saturday night will include Haley Mae Campbell, David Unlayao, Rodell Duff, Meg McRee, Griffen Palmer and Dipper. Sunday night’s lineup includes Matt Schuster, Shelby Darrall, Wyatt McCubbin, Angel White, Kasey Tyndall and Shaylen.

Whitney says that other surprise performances are bound to happen.

“We always like to treat fans to surprise performances during CMA Fest weekend and are delighted to be partnering with CMA this year to present four special surprise sets throughout the weekend at Ole Red to mark the 50th anniversary. It’s still a secret who the artists are but fans will not be disappointed and should stay tuned for our announcements later this week!”

Luke Combs Extends ‘World Tour’ With Four New Stadium Shows

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Luke Combs has added second nights to his upcoming “World Tour” stadium shows in Tampa, Charlotte, Foxborough and Philadelphia due to overwhelming demand.

Tickets for the new dates at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium (July 7), Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium (July 14), Foxborough’s Gillette Stadium (July 21) and Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field (July 28) will be available for pre-sale starting June 8 at 12 p.m. local time through Ticketmaster Verified Fan. General sales will follow June 9, and Combs’ official fan club, The Bootleggers, will have early access to tickets through Ticketmaster Verified Fan pre-sale starting June 8.

“After we got to play two shows in Nashville, I decided I wanted to play more shows for the fans, so I got with my team and the stadiums and luckily all of the July dates lined up for us, so we decide to just do it,” says Combs. “I’m really excited to be able to bring more music to more fans.”

The newly confirmed dates add to the huge success of Combs’ “World Tour,” which has sold over 570,500 tickets across just 11 stadium shows so far, with the majority of the tour still to come. With 44 shows across three continents and 16 countries, the tour is the largest ever for a country artist, earning Combs the No. 1 spot on Pollstar’s Live75 chart, where he has more than doubled all other charting artists.

‘CMA Fest’ Primetime Special Slated To Air July 19

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Pictured (L-R): Lainey Wilson, Dierks Bentley and Elle King. Photo: Robby Klein for CMA/ABC

CMA Fest, the three-hour primetime concert special set to be filmed during CMA Fest’s milestone 50th anniversary in Nashville later this week, will air on July 19 on ABC.

Hosted by Dierks Bentley, Elle King and Lainey Wilson and airing at 7 p.m. CT, the special will feature never-before-seen performances and surprise collaborations from some of country’s hottest acts.

“I could not be more excited to welcome Dierks, Elle and Lainey as our CMA Fest hosts this year,” says Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “As fans experienced last year, the energy Dierks and Elle bring to the stage is palpable and will only be amplified with the addition of Lainey this year. Each of these artists have a deep passion for CMA Fest and the country music fans from around the globe who travel to Nashville for the event. We are thrilled to have all three of them together to help us celebrate 50 years!”

Robert Deaton is the Executive Producer and Writer for CMA Fest, and Alan Carter is the Director. 2023 marks the 20th consecutive year CMA has produced a summer concert TV special.

UMG Nashville Taps Ami Brown As VP Of International Marketing

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Ami Brown. Photo: Chris Hollo

Universal Music Group Nashville has hired Ami Brown as its Vice President of International Marketing.

Brown joins UMG Nashville following several years as Senior Director of Partner & Label Relations with UMG’s Global Marketing team. In her new role, Brown will spearhead international strategy, creative connection and outreach for all artists on the label group consisting of Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville.

“Ami has been an integral part of our International team for several years and we are thrilled to now have her expertise across our entire roster,” says UMGN EVP of Marketing, Lori Christian. “Never before have we had more artists impacting and touring internationally. With Ami’s leadership and her passion for the music and the storytelling, there are no boundaries for our artists.”

Brown began her UMG career as a college rep and has held several positions over the past 15+ years with the company including Admin., Artist Development (Interscope Geffen A&M DreamWorks), Account Management (Apple and Starbucks), and International Label Relations for Disney Music Group and Roc Nation, among others. Brown also held positions at PlayStation in Brand Partnerships and Strategic Alliances. The Minneapolis native has degrees from Dean College and Ithaca College.

“Country music has been a foundational part of my lifelong love of music,” shares Brown. “I am very grateful to Cindy [Mabe] and Lori for giving me the opportunity to further connect our incredible artists and foster our initiatives to fans around the world. I’m excited to be a part of the future of UMGN and have always believed that great music knows no borders. I look forward to collaborating with our artists, the UMGN team and our wonderful international partners to expand our reach, forge new paths and amplify our culture globally.”

On The Row: Emily Ann Roberts Shares Her Story & Classic Country Style

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Emily Ann Roberts

Emily Ann Roberts has been singing for as long as she can remember. Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, she recalls driving around with her father listening to bluegrass records and picking out the harmonies while in a carseat. Inspired by greats such as Ricky Skaggs, Patty Loveless and Dolly Parton, among others, Roberts mixes definitive country elements with her warm spirit to create a sweet and classic sound all her own.

From flaming tracks such as “He Set Her Off” to tunes about the simple life and adoring love songs like her latest release “Infinity,” out today (June 2), she covers the story-telling spectrum with the velvety twang of her vocals. Roberts recently visited MusicRow, accompanied by fiddle player Ivy Phillips, to share her work as well as her journey thus far.

Emily Ann Roberts with MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson. Photo: Courtesy of MusicRow

She had a gig at a local Mexican restaurant for three years before she began performing for people across the nation on season nine of NBC’s The Voice as a member of Blake Shelton‘s team in 2015. Still in high school, Roberts made it all the way to the finals and finished as the season’s runner-up. She notes how grateful she is for the experience and the knowledge she gained from it, as it was her first taste of the music business.

“I hadn’t had any vocal training before I went on The Voice, and there was a vocal coach [we worked with] on my season, so I learned a lot from her,” said Roberts. She continued, “All the songs I sang on the show were old country and Blake loved that.

“He [told] me ‘You’ve got to do what feels real to you, that’s the only thing people are going to believe.’ He was so encouraging and told me time and time again how much he believed in me. He’s so down-to-earth and that was good for me to see. If I ever have a bunch of hit songs on the radio, I hope I treat other people the way he treats them.”

During the season’s finale, Roberts got the chance to sing “Country Boy” with one of her musical influences Skaggs, who will make a special appearance on her forthcoming project along with country icon Vince Gill.

After the show wrapped, Roberts graduated and made her way to Music City in the summer of 2016. She signed with Starstruck Management and began writing. Roberts since has graced the Grand Ole Opry stage 16 times and recently expanded her team by signing with UTA. Working alongside co-writers and producer Trent Willmon, she is currently prepping to release her first full-length album.

The collection will feature previously released single “He Set Her Off,” a riotous tune about a scorned wife seeking revenge. Roberts is an honorary member of a volunteer fire department in Seymour, Tennessee and was able to actually burn a vacant house down as part of a training fire while filming the song’s music video.

Also included in the new project is “Whole Lotta Little,” which the artist co-wrote with Willmon and Jeremy Spillman. The catchy number centers around the joy of life’s little things, and talks about being happy with what you’ve got and where you are.

Following the October release of “Whole Lotta Little,” she shared an additional single set to appear on the record, “The Building”. As the music video takes place in the “Mother Church of Country Music,” the touching tune describes the personal impact Roberts’ hometown church has had on her and her family. She wrote the song with Michael Farren, who had similar relationship with his church growing up. Unbeknownst to Roberts at the time of writing, her church was set to celebrate its 100th anniversary the same year, and she was able to perform it for the congression during the celebration.

“If I had to pick a song that meant the most to me, [that] one would be up there [near the top],” she states.

Roberts has now unveiled another album track, “Infinity.” She wrote the soothing, devoted song with Stephanie Chapman about her high school sweetheart and husband Chris.

“This was the first time Stephanie and I were writing one on one. It was just us, and right away we started with girl talk. She asked me if I had a boyfriend. I said yes. She asked, ‘Well, is he the one?’ When I told her he was, she wanted to know how I knew. I said that forever doesn’t seem like long enough to love him. And from there, this song came to us. I sang it for my sister’s first dance at her wedding, then at mine, the string quartet played this for me to walk down the aisle. My husband is so humble, but he was definitely the inspiration. We met in Spanish class in high school and we’ve been together ever since. He is such a steady force in my life. He truly is my better half and my best friend. When you find your person, forever just doesn’t feel like long enough,” shares Roberts.

Additionally, the vibrant southern belle will kick off CMA Fest with a full-band performance at Station Inn on Wednesday, June 7 at 8 p.m. She’ll then take the Hard Rock Stage at the Hard Rock Cafe at 10:55 a.m. on Thursday, June 8 for a free outdoor show.