Carrie Underwood, Ludacris Celebrate Double Platinum Like Champs

Global superstars Carrie Underwood and Ludacris reunited Thursday night (May 4) at Bridgestone Arena to celebrate their hit collaboration “The Champion” earning its RIAA Double Platinum certification. Underwood penned the track with Brett James, Chris DeStefano, and Christopher Bridges (aka Ludacris). Produced by Jim Jonsin, the song was used for NBC’s Super Bowl LII and their 2018 Olympic Winter Games coverage. The event anthem quickly hit No. 1 in 10 countries including the U.S.

Underwood and Ludacris also released a poignant and powerful montage music video for “The Champion. Directed by Jimmy Lynch, it featured a behind-the-scenes look at the pair recording the song. The video also showed historic moments highlight professional athletes and everyday champions. Fans launched a trend sharing their own champion-inspired photos and videos on social media using #TheChampion.

 

Kane Brown Team Celebrates Stagecoach Victory

Kane Brown headlined Stagecoach Festival for the event’s 15th Anniversary with an explosive performance on Saturday, April 29. His pyro-packed set lit up the desert sky and had a special appearance from his wife and fellow artist Katelyn Brown.

Kane is nominated for five ACMs at the upcoming Awards on Thursday (May 11), including Entertainer Of The Year and Male Artist Of The Year, as well as Single Of The Year, Visual Media Of The Year and Music Event Of The Year for “Thank God,” alongside his wife Katelyn.

Nashville Educators Gather For ‘Hope & Healing for Heroes’

Last Monday (May 1), over 1,000 teachers, educators, staff and administrators in Nashville gathered at Belmont’s Fisher Center for the “Hope and Healing For Heroes” event. The evening was hosted to provide an opportunity to connect in community and gain tools for navigating the trauma of the recent Covenant School mass shooting.

Miles Adcox, Chairman at The Onsite Foundation, emceed the event which featured inspirational music from Lauren Daigle, Tyler Hubbard, Trisha Yearwood and CeCe Winans. Messages of hope were shared from teachers and student survivors from Parkland, Columbine and Paducah. Adcox moderated a panel of experts in trauma-informed education and counseling services.

 

Mitchell Tenpenny, Meghan Patrick & Crown Royal Kick Off Military Appreciation Month

In celebration of Military Appreciation Month, Crown Royal, Mitchell Tenpenny and Meghan Patrick partnered with Nashville-based nonprofit, CreatiVets, at their Third Annual Charity Golf Tournament. Proceeds go towards supporting CreatiVets’ mission of helping veterans heal through music therapy and the arts.

To continue the celebration and to further support our military, Crown Royal and CreatiVets hosted Tenpenny, Patrick, Jameson Rodgers, and numerous other country music stars at Old Hickory Country Club. The country music family also participated in the brand’s decade-long program, The Purple Bag Project, which turns donated Crown Royal bags into care packages for the military overseas.

“As the son of an Air Force vet, supporting our military and recognizing the sacrifices our men and women make to keep us safe is personal. I’m proud I can join Crown Royal which has long supported our military communities during Military Appreciation Month,” says Tenpenny. “Today and everyday, I appreciate the steadfast support of these selfless individuals, and I’m proud that I could join Crown Royal and my peers in extending gratitude to CreatiVets for all they do to support our military and veteran communities.”

Parker McCollum has earned his third consecutive No. 1 with his latest hit “Handle On You.”

The song tops the Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart, following McCollum’s prior No. 1 hits, his multi-Platinum debut “Pretty Heart” and Platinum “To Be Loved By You.” “Handle On You” is the lead single from his upcoming new album, Never Enough, due out this Friday, May 12.

“Thank y’all for making ‘Handle On You’ my third No. 1,” shares McCollum. “Releasing a new album with a No. 1 already on it is really special and I’m glad country radio digs it. Thank you to my fans and thank you country radio!”

McCollum is gearing up for a busy summer and is set to perform at the iHeart Country Festival in Austin, Texas on May 13. Along with headlining his own tour, he will also play stadiums with Morgan Wallen on his “One Night At A Time World Tour.”

Whitaker Elledge has been promoted to General Manager/SVP Artist Development at Dualtone Music Group.

Formerly the VP of Artist Development, Elledge joined the company in 2018. In this expanded position, Elledge will oversee all Dualtone staff and daily operations and continue to lead all album roll outs, marketing campaigns, teams and spends against budget performance. He will be the point person for all artists and their teams through album cycles, as well as third party team members.

“Whitaker has played an invaluable role for Dualtone over the past five years,” says Dualtone President Paul Roper. “Our online businesses have exploded under his watch while our operations have become more efficient and focused. He has a drive for excellence, integrity and compassion which serves our artists, their teams and our entire staff well. This recognition is well deserved.”

“Coming to work for my favorite record label was a dream job and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to continue growing with a company where artistic integrity comes first,” says Elledge. “It’s a rare and wonderful privilege to collaborate every day with the great minds of Paul Roper and our dynamic team in service of music that matters.”

Elledge is based in Nashville and will continue to report to Roper.

Dan Tyminski is set to release God Fearing Heathen, his first true bluegrass album in 15 years, on June 23 via 8 Track Entertainment.

The album marks a series of firsts for the celebrated musician, now three decades into a career that includes time as a member of Alison Krauss & Union Station as well as his own solo work. The project marks his first time taking the reins as producer on the album’s 10 new tracks.

The fresh collection of songs explores the timeless tenants of bluegrass while lyrically delving into modern themes, with tracks dedicated to self-reflection, human brotherhood and even PTSD. Each one is imbued with the youthful energy of Tyminski’s brand new band. Tracks include “Silence In The Brandy” detailing the struggle of a lone soldier, “Never Comin’ Home,” which laments a love that’s gone for good, “Never Met a Stranger” that embraces friends we’ve yet to meet and “Ode to Jimmy,” a tribute to bluegrass icon Jimmy Martin.

The album also features “Keep Your Eye on Kentucky,” where Tyminski name checks the state’s barrel-aged exporters and vows to hold its beauty in his heart, no matter where he goes, and a fresh take on the career-changing “Hey Brother,” in the way he first heard it in his head. Those pre-saving/pre-ordering God Fearing Heathen today will instantly have access to the track “G.O.A.T.,” a salute to the back-porch heroes of American Roots music.

Produced by Tyminski and executive produced by Grammy-winning engineer Noah Gordon, the album represents the follow up to a series of successful creative detours, including his 2013 global EDM smash with DJ Avicii, “Hey Brother,” which has now been streamed over one billion times, and the 2017 experimental-roots album, Southern Gothic.

This summer, Tyminski and his band will also return to the road, embarking on a series of festival and headlining dates across the nation.

God Fearing Heathen Track Listing:
1. “Never Comin’ Home” (Dan Tyminski/Ira Dean)
2. “Hey Brother” (Ash Pournouri/Salem Al Fakir/Tim Bergling/Veronica Maggio/Vincent Pontare)
3. “Keep Your Eye on Kentucky” (Dan Tyminski/Monty Criswell)
4. “Never Met a Stranger” (Dan Tyminski/Luke Dick/Jaida Dreyer)
5. “Silence in the Brandy” (Dan Tyminski/ Megan Mullins)
6. “God Fearing Heathen” (Dan Tyminski/Ira Dean)
7. “G.O.A.T.” (Dan Tyminski/Monty Criswell)
8. “No Song to Sing” (Dan Tyminski/Monty Criswell)
9. “Occam’s Razor” (Dan Tyminski/Monty Criswell)
10. “Ode to Jimmy Martin” (Dan Tyminski/Phillip Lammonds)

Chapter 669

We have been adding pavements to downtown’s Walk of Fame for 17 years, and a milestone was reached on Thursday afternoon (May 4).

Under balmy, sunny, springtime skies, the 25th induction ceremony honored Eric Church, Joe & Linda Chambers and Butch Spyridon, which brings the Music City Walk of Fame to its 100th star. The pavement stars are at Walk of Fame park, between the Hilton Hotel and the Country Music Hall of Fame on Demonbreun.

“Music City is not a slogan — it’s a title that has been earned over hundreds of years of singers, songwriters, producers, musicians, publishers and music executives….the creative people who have made a lasting mark,” observed event host Bill Cody. The Walk of Fame was established to honor these people, regardless of music genre.

Inductee Joe Chambers was mentored by the legendary Billy Sherrill at CBS. His songs were recorded by Conway Twitty, George Jones, Johnny Paycheck, Joe Diffie, B.J. Thomas and more. He founded Chambers Guitars with locations in Nashville, Franklin, Smyrna, Murfreesboro and Bowling Green. He and his wife Linda Chambers established the Musicians Hall of Fame, which also houses the Grammy Museum gallery and the SOURCE Hall of Fame honorees.

Joe passed away last fall, but Linda was on hand to accept their joint Walk of Fame induction. Garth Brooks did the honors.

“This whole street is paved with stars honoring people who came with a dream,” Garth said. “Someone’s gonna salute the players on those [hit] records. As an artist, I can’t imagine having a career without them. These are the true heroes of music, and it was Joe and Linda Chambers who decided to honor them.”

“Garth, you and Joe shared the same love and appreciation for musicians,” Linda responded. “We are blessed and honored to be able to call you ‘friend.’” She shared, “Joe’s biggest joy in life was to give credit, to lift up someone else.” Joe & Linda Chambers as a couple are Walk of Fame star #98.

Star #99 was installed for Eric Church. “He has made an indelible impact on Music City,” observed Cody. He cited the facts that Church was the inaugural artist at Ascend Amphitheater, set an attendance record at Nissan Stadium and was the first to financially support the restoration of the historic Club Baron on Jefferson Street. Next year, Eric will open Chief’s, a six-story entertainment venue on Lower Broadway.

Inducting Church was ESPN broadcaster Marty Smith. “Nashville, Tennessee is a magical place,” Marty said. “It’s built on a song….Songwriters save lives — their work is a sanctuary, and my sanctuary was Church.” When Marty’s father died, he was emotionally crippled, and Eric’s songs gave him something to cling to.

“I came to town in a 1987 two-tone Chevy Blazer in 2000,” Eric recalled. “I knew no one. I had a guitar and big, big dreams. I thought I had big dreams, and this is beyond what I ever dreamed….The ‘honor’ is that [Nashville] is Home. I am very grateful.”

The 100th Walk of Fame star was given to Butch Spyridon, who founded the attraction. Butch retires from his 32-year gig as head of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau next month. During his tenure, Bridgestone Arena, Nissan Stadium, the Music City Center with its Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the July 4th and New Year’s Eve celebrations, the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) and the spectacularly successful 2019 NFL Draft event all came into being. Under his leadership, Nashville became a global tourism destination, which generates $8.8 billion in visitor spending annually.

“When you’re wandering around down here thinking, ‘Who thinks of this stuff?’ — think of Butch Spyridon,” said Garth.

“This is not my star, it’s the city’s star,” responded Butch, referring to the community that he promoted to being, “one of the hottest destinations in the world.” He recalled the Walk of Fame inductions of Little Richard, Dolly Parton and Kings of Leon as favorite memories. He also insisted that the Fisk Jubilee Singers become the first star installed. He added, “It has been a marvelous journey. I am beyond humbled….Fans, thank you for loving Nashville.”

There were fans a-plenty, gathered to take snaps and gaze at Eric, Garth, Steve Wariner, Jay McDowell, Terry Bulger, NMAAM’s Henry Hicks, Ken Levitan, Kevin Lavender, John Peets, Kay Smith, Jackie Marushka and WKRN News 2’s Stephanie Langston. Guitarist extraordinaire David Anderson provided the event’s lovely soundtrack.