Luke Combs At Nissan Stadium. Photo: David Bergman.
Luke Combs kicked off the summer concert season with two nights at Nissan Stadium this weekend, including a sold out Saturday-night (April 15), proving why he is one of the biggest names in country music.
Fans got warmed up with a stacked lineup of top-tier country talent with performances from Brent Cobb, Flatland Cavalry, Lainey Wilson and Riley Green. Wilson and Green are following in Comb’s footsteps as excellent performers, gaining immense popularity with their sing-along anthems. Fans packed in to see Wilson and Green perform, singing along to almost every song.
But nothing can be compared to Combs’ energy-filled performance, which had fans on their feet all night long. Combs gave it all on the stage playing songs from his whole repertoire including his massive hits like “Beer Never Broke My Heart.,” “Hurricane” and “1, 2 Many.” Combs also played a handful of songs from his new record, Gettin’ Old, which have already become fan favorites.
Photo: David Bergman.
The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year opened up the night in front of 55,000 fans with “Lovin’ On You” before going into “Hannah Ford Road” off his new record, though fans knew the words to the new songs just as well as any of his massive hits. He welcomed fans to the show before announcing that “Love You Anyway” will be his next radio single after letting fans vote on it last week.
“About a week or week and a half ago, I announced I was going to let you guys decide what my next single was going to be on country radio. We had a vote and you could vote for ‘Love You Anyway’ or ‘5 Leaf Clover’ to put out on the radio. It was real close, I think it was 51 percent to 49 percent, so it was neck and neck,” Combs said. “So this is my next single on country radio, it’s called ‘Love You Anyway.'”
Combs then played “Going, Going, Gone” followed by “Refrigerator Door.” He showed off how much he loves connecting with his fans by allowing them to choose his next song. Fans had the opportunity to scan a QR code before the show and vote on a song for him to play. He and his band didn’t know what they were going to play until the song was revealed in real time. Fans chose the deep and reflective “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old,” which was performed brilliantly and passionately by Combs and his band.
His band got to show off a bit in the middle of the show when Combs introduced them to the sold out crowd and let them play a medley of covers including David Lee Murphy‘s “Dust On The Bottle,” Diamond Rio‘s “Meet In The Middle” and Bruno Mars‘ “When I Was Your Man.”
Photo: David Bergman.
After the medley, Combs played hit song after hit song, once again showing off his fantastic catalog in such a short career. He played “Beautiful Crazy” and a new emotional future-hit “Where The Wild Things Are,” as well as Fast Car” and “5 Leaf Clover” from his new record. He brought Wilson back up on stage to sing Miranda Lambert‘s part of “Outrunnin’ Your Memory.”
Combs then dove into his massive hits like “She Got The Best Of Me,” Hurricane” and “1, 2 Many” before finishing his set with “When It Rains It Pours” and “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” which had every single fan on their feet, singing along as loud as they could.
It didn’t take long for Combs to jump back on stage for his encore where he performed a beautiful, acoustic version of “Better Together.” He played his mega-hit “The Kind Of Love We Make” before ending the show by covering Brooks & Dunn‘s “Brand New Man” with Cobb, Wilson, Green and Flatland Cavalry’s lead singer, Cleto Cordero joining him on stage for a grand ending to an amazing night in Nashville.
Warner Chappell Music & Twelve 6 Entertainment Sign Emma Klein
/by LB CantrellPictured (L-R, front row): Katy Wolaver, Emma Klein, Travis Myatt; (L-R, back row): Ben Vaughn, Willow Belenski, Alaina Maggart, Chelsea Junker, Bryce Sherlow
Warner Chappell Music and Twelve 6 Entertainment have signed a global publishing deal with singer-songwriter Emma Klein.
Klein appeared on season two of American Idol, and released her debut single “Call It What It Is” in 2019. The track received a prominent feature on The Bobby Bones Show and now has over two million streams on Spotify alone. That same year she had the opportunity to open for Bobby Bones on his tour throughout the U.S.
She has since become known for her viral TikTok hits, “Mood Swing” and “Still Gonna Love Ya,” which have led to her opening for artists such as Dermot Kennedy.
Of the signing, Katy Wolaver, Sr. VP of A&R at Warner Chappell Music, shares, “Emma has an incredible ability to craft a song with lyrics that are universally relatable with beautiful melodies. She also has a warmth in her voice that pulls you in as soon as you hear the first note and we couldn’t be more proud to be working with her and the Twelve 6 team at this point in her career.”
Travis Myatt, General Manager, Twelve 6 Entertainment, adds, “I’ve had the opportunity to watch Emma Klein grow as an artist and a songwriter over the past couple of years, but what has never changed is Emma’s ability to dig deep and offer a unique perspective through her songs on topics we can all relate to. I am beyond thrilled to partner with Katy and the Warner Chappell team to take Emma to the next level.”
Klein will release her next single, “Living Alone,” on Friday (April 21). She will play at The Analog in Nashville on April 20.
UMG Nashville Elevates Lori Christian & Rob Femia
/by Liza AndersonLori Christian & Rob Femia
UMG Nashville has promoted Lori Christian and Rob Femia to executive positions. Christian will now serve as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Femia has been named Executive Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs for the label group consisting of Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, Mercury Nashville and MCA Nashville.
In her new role, Christian will oversee the Artist Development, Brands & Sponsorship, Creative Services, International Marketing and Media Marketing departments for the label group’s artist roster. Christian rose to SVP of Marketing in 2020 after leading UMG Nashville’s Publicity department since the 2012 merger of EMI and Universal Music Group. During her time with the label group, Christian has played a key role in crafting overall messaging and defining narrative for UMG Nashville artists and their music. She has overseen the launches of multi-Platinum-selling, award-winning projects from Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, Keith Urban and Luke Bryan, among others as well as development of artists including Brothers Osborne, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis and Sam Hunt. Christian has also played an instrumental role in advancing the careers of Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Sam Williams, Tyler Hubbard and The War And Treaty. A Pittsburgh-native and Denison University graduate, her prior career stops include Capitol Records Nashville, where she oversaw the publicity department, and Sony Music, where she handled publicity for the RCA Records label roster.
“Lori’s understanding of storytelling and weaving our artists narratives into framing their stories has been a critical element of UMG Nashville’s success,” says Cindy Mabe, UMG Nashville Chair & CEO. “Artist development is such a defining feature that separates our artists, especially in a world where everyone is looking for immediate gratification. Having Lori in this leadership role to help drive the key tenants of artist development across all of UMG Nashville is going to change our artist growth strategy. I am so excited to see how Lori leads and guides a new era in artist marketing across UMG Nashville.”
Femia has over 15 years of experience practicing entertainment law, an extensive knowledge of the industry and has fostered relationships with artists and their management teams. He joined UMG Nashville in 2013 as Head of Business & Legal Affairs, and rose to to SVP in 2018, and has now earned the role of EVP as he leads the BA department. Femia is a graduate of Rutgers Law School with prior work history at Sony, BMG, Virgin Records/Capitol Music Group/EMI Music North America and Atlantic Records.
“It’s an honor to expand Rob’s leadership abilities beyond his vast business and legal knowledge,” expresses Mabe. “Rob has had a front seat in dealmaking for a while but as we expand the new goals of UMG Nashville, Rob is helping to write and build the next era of country music business. With the industry changing so rapidly, Rob is an essential partner to our future as Universal Music Group Nashville and his alignment and guidance of our staff and artists is critical to our success. It’s an honor to watch Rob shine and lead our company and I am thrilled to have him join our executive team.”
Luke Combs Sets The Bar For Shows This Summer After Two-Night Stint At Nissan Stadium
/by Steven BoeroLuke Combs At Nissan Stadium. Photo: David Bergman.
Luke Combs kicked off the summer concert season with two nights at Nissan Stadium this weekend, including a sold out Saturday-night (April 15), proving why he is one of the biggest names in country music.
Fans got warmed up with a stacked lineup of top-tier country talent with performances from Brent Cobb, Flatland Cavalry, Lainey Wilson and Riley Green. Wilson and Green are following in Comb’s footsteps as excellent performers, gaining immense popularity with their sing-along anthems. Fans packed in to see Wilson and Green perform, singing along to almost every song.
But nothing can be compared to Combs’ energy-filled performance, which had fans on their feet all night long. Combs gave it all on the stage playing songs from his whole repertoire including his massive hits like “Beer Never Broke My Heart.,” “Hurricane” and “1, 2 Many.” Combs also played a handful of songs from his new record, Gettin’ Old, which have already become fan favorites.
Photo: David Bergman.
The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year opened up the night in front of 55,000 fans with “Lovin’ On You” before going into “Hannah Ford Road” off his new record, though fans knew the words to the new songs just as well as any of his massive hits. He welcomed fans to the show before announcing that “Love You Anyway” will be his next radio single after letting fans vote on it last week.
“About a week or week and a half ago, I announced I was going to let you guys decide what my next single was going to be on country radio. We had a vote and you could vote for ‘Love You Anyway’ or ‘5 Leaf Clover’ to put out on the radio. It was real close, I think it was 51 percent to 49 percent, so it was neck and neck,” Combs said. “So this is my next single on country radio, it’s called ‘Love You Anyway.'”
Combs then played “Going, Going, Gone” followed by “Refrigerator Door.” He showed off how much he loves connecting with his fans by allowing them to choose his next song. Fans had the opportunity to scan a QR code before the show and vote on a song for him to play. He and his band didn’t know what they were going to play until the song was revealed in real time. Fans chose the deep and reflective “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old,” which was performed brilliantly and passionately by Combs and his band.
His band got to show off a bit in the middle of the show when Combs introduced them to the sold out crowd and let them play a medley of covers including David Lee Murphy‘s “Dust On The Bottle,” Diamond Rio‘s “Meet In The Middle” and Bruno Mars‘ “When I Was Your Man.”
Photo: David Bergman.
After the medley, Combs played hit song after hit song, once again showing off his fantastic catalog in such a short career. He played “Beautiful Crazy” and a new emotional future-hit “Where The Wild Things Are,” as well as Fast Car” and “5 Leaf Clover” from his new record. He brought Wilson back up on stage to sing Miranda Lambert‘s part of “Outrunnin’ Your Memory.”
Combs then dove into his massive hits like “She Got The Best Of Me,” Hurricane” and “1, 2 Many” before finishing his set with “When It Rains It Pours” and “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” which had every single fan on their feet, singing along as loud as they could.
It didn’t take long for Combs to jump back on stage for his encore where he performed a beautiful, acoustic version of “Better Together.” He played his mega-hit “The Kind Of Love We Make” before ending the show by covering Brooks & Dunn‘s “Brand New Man” with Cobb, Wilson, Green and Flatland Cavalry’s lead singer, Cleto Cordero joining him on stage for a grand ending to an amazing night in Nashville.
Date Set For 14th Annual ‘Darius And Friends’ Benefit Concert
/by LB CantrellDarius Rucker for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Photo: John Shearer
Darius Rucker will return to the Ryman Auditorium for his 14th annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert on Monday, June 5. The show will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and will serve as the unofficial kick off to CMA Fest.
Rucker’s “Darius and Friends” concert, which has raised more than $3 million to date, is part of the star’s commitment he made to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 15 years ago after taking an inspiring tour of the hospital.
Now, a decade and a half later, that effort has become an annual tradition. Friends performing with Rucker in past years have included Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Charles Kelley of Lady A, Ashley McBryde, A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers and Tommy Thayer of KISS, among many others. The lineup for the event will be announced in the coming months.
Tickets to the 14th Annual Darius & Friends benefit concert start at $69 with VIP package options up to $249, available via AXS.com. Pre-sale access begins tomorrow, April 18 at 10 a.m. CT, with tickets on sale to the general public this Friday, April 21 at 10 a.m. CT.
Morgan Wallen Joins Ryl Tea As Brand Ambassador & Investor
/by Lorie HollabaughMorgan Wallen with Ryl Tea’s Blodin Ukella. Photo: Paige Corkery
Morgan Wallen has aligned with Ryl Tea as a brand ambassador and investor.
Launched in January, Ryl is the first iced tea brand to combine the classic southern iced tea taste with healthy, functional attributes of homemade steeped tea. Due to its nostalgic southern taste, Wallen felt an organic connection to the brand. The zero-sugar product has no artificial ingredients, and is filled with its proprietary “polyphenol technology,” delivering the traditional taste of sweet iced tea that is usually filled with loads of sugar or artificial ingredients. After learning more about Ryl’s health conscious and sustainable mission statement, Wallen was on board with plans already underway to develop new products in the coming months.
“I’ve loved sweet tea since I was a kid,” says Wallen. “I remember drinking it out of a pitcher on a hot summer day in my Mamaw Boots’ kitchen. A good iced tea brings back very happy memories for me, so when I found Ryl Tea I knew I had something special that I wanted to share. When I’m on tour, I train daily so I can bring everything I have to the stage, so finding Ryl, an iced tea with no sugar and with no artificial ingredients, has been awesome. I can’t wait to do more with them.”
Ryl Tea is available in major grocery chains across the Northeast, and in its first year, the brand is focused on expanding the product in the U.S., launching nationwide with Sprouts Farmers Market last month and moving quickly to partner with retailers and distributors who are aligned with bringing clean and functional options to legacy categories like iced tea. For more information, click here.
BMI Taps Elice Cuff-Campbell As Senior Director Of Media Relations, Nashville
/by LB CantrellElice Cuff-Campbell. Photo: Nathan Zucker for BMI
Elice Cuff-Campbell has joined BMI’s Corporate Communications & Marketing department as Senior Director of Media Relations, Nashville.
Working closely with Nashville Creative Vice President, Clay Bradley, Cuff-Campbell will lead the communications efforts for BMI’s Nashville and Austin offices. She will also oversee media relations for BMI Nashville’s numerous events, including showcases, No. 1 parties, award shows, festivals and more. She reports to Liz Fischer, BMI’s Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications & Marketing, effective immediately.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Elice to BMI,” says Fischer. “Her knowledge of the Nashville music community is second to none, as is her enthusiasm for music and songwriting. She will be a wonderful partner to our Nashville Creative team, helping to highlight the many ways they support BMI’s unmatched roster of songwriters, composers and publishers.”
Prior to joining BMI, Cuff-Campbell spent eight years as a Senior Publicist at The GreenRoom PR firm, where she developed and implemented national press campaigns for high-profile artists such as Dierks Bentley, Lady A, The War And Treaty and more. Prior to GreenRoom, she spent time at Sweet Talk Publicity and Viacom/CMT Radio. Cuff-Campbell has been listed as part of Hits Magazine’s Music Business Next Generation in 2018 and MusicRow’s Next Big Thing list in 2023.
“The passion for the songwriting community and the camaraderie at BMI are unmatched,” says Cuff-Campbell. “I’m so fortunate to have this opportunity and I am looking forward to this new chapter in my career.”
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Reveals 2023 Lineup
/by Lorie HollabaughThe lineup for the three-day festival includes Charley Crockett, Josh Ritter, Larkin Poe, The Secret Sisters, Tank and the Bangas and more.
The Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriters Showcase is now open for submissions and is open to anyone who writes and performs original music, and is not currently signed to a major recording or publishing deal. Contestants are judged on the quality of the song’s composition, vocal delivery and overall performance. Ten finalists will be selected to receive a three-day pass to the 2023 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival to compete in a live performance contest for cash and prizes. Online song submissions will be accepted until July 14 and can be submitted by following this link.
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival 2023 Lineup:
Charley Crockett
Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band
Larkin Poe
The Tallest Man on Earth
Tank and the Bang-as
Shovels & Rope
Celisse
Katie Pruitt
The Secret Sisters
Stephen Kellogg
Leyla McCalla
Seth Walker
Caitlin Canty
Humbird
Dead Horses
Benjamin Dakota Rogers
Kuinka
The Sensational Barnes Brothers
The Pairs
Shanna in a Dress
Songwriter Showcase
2023 CMT Awards Draws Highest Viewership In Show’s History, Breaks Digital Records
/by Lorie HollabaughJelly Roll accepts the Male Video of the Year Award. Photo: Rick Kern/Getty Images for CMT
This year’s CMT Music Awards earlier this month drew the most viewership in the show’s history, with an audience of 5.43 million viewers, up 5% from last year.
The show also achieved triple-digit percentage increases (vs. Year-Over-Year) for social media views and engagements across CMT channels, to become CMT’s most social show ever.
Awards digital and social campaign highlights include a 211% increase year over year for total interactions and +46% growth for social viewers. CMT social accounts drove 171M total views (+75%, +73M YOY) and 11.6M engagements (+156%, +7.1M YOY), making this year’s awards show the most-viewed and engaged in history.
The three-hour event also garnered significant sales and stream increases for the artists and songs performed on the show. Comparing the week over week period April 2 through April 9 versus March 26 through April 2, the average sales of songs performed saw an overall +134% sales spike and +9% streaming increase for songs performed. Sales and streaming highlights include:
Sales Increases (week over week)
Jelly Roll, “Need A Favor” +491%
Kelsea Ballerini, “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” +395%
Keith Urban, “Brown Eyes Baby” +239%
Blake Shelton, “Nobody” +179%
Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown, “Thank God” +98%
Streaming Increases (week over week)
Darius Rucker, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves” +143%~
Gwen Stefani (No Doubt), “Just a Girl” +63%
Tyler Hubbard, “Dancin’ In The Country” +38%
Jelly Roll, “Need A Favor” +37%
Kelsea Ballerini, “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” +31%
~ performed as part of CMT Music Awards Extended Cut, which aired April 9 on CMT
Jelly Roll, Riley Green, More Close Out Lineup For George Jones Tribute Concert
/by Steven Boero“Still Playin’ Possum: Music and Memories of George Jones,” the concert and television special, is coming to the Von Braun Center Propst Arena in Huntsville, Alabama on April 25. This special event features some of the most talented musicians in the country music industry, and will pays tribute to the legendary Jones, will bring many of his greatest hits to the stage.
Newly added artists Jelly Roll, Riley Green, Uncle Kracker, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Isaacs and Janie Fricke will round out the final list performers, including previously-announced artists Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Wynonna, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt, Jamey Johnson, Sara Evans, Trace Adkins, Justin Moore, Lorrie Morgan, Michael Ray, Mark Chesnutt, Sam Moore, Tracy Byrd, Tracy Lawrence, Aaron Lewis, Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke, Dillon Carmichael, Gretchen Wilson, Joe Nichols, Sara Evans and Randy Travis.
In addition, a 90’s salute to “No Show Jones” will feature a special performance by John Berry, Ty Herndon, Heath Wright, Billy Yates and Anita Cochran.
“Thank you to the many fans that are traveling from all over the world to be in Huntsville, Alabama, for this special night,” says Nancy Jones. “I think the team of producers has put together some incredible moments that will surprise everyone. People will be laughing, crying, and singing along to so many of the songs performed that night. It will be an emotional night not just for me, but also for these artists as so many were very close to George. I hope everyone that attends or gets to see it on television will enjoy it and remember their favorite George song.”
In addition, the Nancy Jones VIP dinner the night before the concert at the Von Braun Center Ballroom will include appearances by Travis and Jeannie Pruett, Yates, Tony Jackson and others to be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets are $200 and will include a sit-down meal as well as a photo opportunity with Nancy Jones. For more information, click here.
Austin Burke Releases Rendition Of Patsy Cline’s ‘Crazy’
/by LB CantrellRising singer-songwriter Austin Burke has re-imagined Patsy Cline‘s iconic “Crazy.”
Penned alongside Brandon Day, Burke’s “Crazy, Crazy” single opens with Cline’s iconic two-note introduction before breaking into the modern twist of the song.
“My wife originally challenged me to sample a song since it was a big thing in pop music,” Burke shares with MusicRow. “I brought the idea into a few writes, but because of the challenge it was going to be to get approved the other writers decided to write something else. I brought the idea to my producer Brandon Day and we ended up writing it by ourselves. It was fun to do something different and outside our norm.”
In order to release the song, Burke needed clearance from the copyright holder. He was honored to be given the stamp of approval from country legend Willie Nelson, the sole writer of the track.
“I’m a very positive person, however after three months that positivity was diminished,” Burke says. “I felt like I had put my career on hold for this song because I felt it was special. When I got the call that Willie had approved it, I called everyone in my family because I couldn’t wait to share the news. Even just being able to say that Willie Nelson approved this song freaks me out. It’s a dream come true.”
Burke has become known on Music Row as an innovative new artist. Earlier this year, he announced that he would give songwriters a percentage of his master revenue. Amassing over 180 million collective streams, the rising star continues to build fans worldwide setting up this rendition of the historical hit for more success.
Of his strategy, he says, “I definitely think of ways I can be different as an independent artist. Truthfully, it just isn’t right what record labels are doing to songwriters. They act like it’s the streaming service, yet are collecting millions of dollars from the masters. I’ve seen my check as a songwriter and I have seen my check as an artist. My songwriting check could maybe buy me a tire for my truck. The artist check bought me the truck. Everyone is talking about change, and I want to be that change.”
Listen to Burke’s “Crazy, Crazy” here.