Turnpike Troubadours, Whiskey Myers and Gary Allan are set to headline the upcoming Born & Raised Music Festival Sept. 14-16 in Pryor, Oklahoma.

This year’s festival has been expanded to three full days of music for its third annual experience, and will feature performances from more than 40 artists including Ryan Bingham, Randy Rogers Band, Lukas Nelson + POTR, Randy Houser, Flatland Cavalry, William Clark Green, Wade Bowen, Reckless Kelly and more.

The country music and camping event at the Pryor Creek Music Festival Grounds will also host a special festival pre-party on Wednesday, Sept. 13.

“There’s nothing quite like the feeling of being born and raised on the red dirt in this part of the country, and that’s exactly what our festival celebrates – the roots, the heritage, and the music that define us,” shares Dave Geincke, Founder & Vice President, General Manager of Pryor Creek Music Festivals. “So we invite you to come on over, kick up your boots and show the world what it means to be an outlaw at Born & Raised Music Festival.”

General tickets go on sale tomorrow, March 31 at 12 p.m. CT for level two pricing. The campgrounds will open on Sunday, Sept. 10 with GA camping available for $99 and VIP camping for $119 in addition to glamping experiences. For more information, click here.

Born & Raised Music Festival first debuted in 2021, and has featured performances from ZZ Top, Cody Jinks, Zach Bryan, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Tanya Tucker, Blackberry Smoke, Brothers Osborne, Margo Price, Parker McCollum and more.

Business management firm Flood, Bumstead, McCready and McCarthy Inc. (FBMM) has promoted Fred Ford, Jeff Jones, Emily Walker and Regina A. Bassett to Associate Business Manager positions.

“Regina, Fred, Jeff and Emily are a testament to the rich mix of expertise at FBMM,” says Duane Clark, FBMM Owner & Business Manager. “Each of these four individuals has a track record of providing exceptional service to their roster of clients and a commitment to nurturing their teams. They are more than deserving of these promotions, and we look forward to watching their continued growth as leaders at FBMM as they take on these new roles.”

Ford has been with FBMM for 25 years. Throughout his career at the firm, he has worked in both the Tax and Business Management departments. He oversees a team of six, and is also heavily involved with W.O. Smith Music School, serving as both an instructor and member of the Finance Committee of its Board of Directors.  

Jones, who has worked at FBMM for 15 years, is known for his holistic approach to his clients’ financial well-being. He graduated summa cum laude from Pittsburg State University in Kansas, where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree and Master’s degree in psychology. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in music business from Middle Tennessee State University.   

Walker enters her new role with more than 15 years of experience in the music industry. She oversees a team of four, and is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor’s degree in recording industry management with a focus in music business and a minor in journalism. 

Bassett has nearly a decade of experience working in the music business as well as experience working in multiple genres such as pop, rock, country and more. She graduated from Hunter College in New York with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. 

Sheree Spoltore was raised by music in her home state of Arkansas. Her parents, Jackie and Johnny Young, were touring singers, songwriters and musicians who opened for the likes of Eddy Arnold and Ray Price when they came through their region.

Spoltore’s dad even operated a studio in the Muscle Shoals area at one time, so it was no coincidence that she took up the lifestyle of music as well. After cutting her teeth by singing in church, she went on to tour Europe, perform at Carnegie Hall and even play a presidential inauguration. She also began her songwriting journey while growing up in Arkansas.

Spoltore came to Nashville in 1995 to be part of the music industry. She says, “When you come here, it’s like breathing for the first time. Merle Kilgore, who became my mentor, gave me my first job listening to all the back catalog [at his company.]”

Thus began Spoltore’s habit to hustle. She earned a publishing deal, waited tables at the Nashville Palace and even managed to pitch songs, all while raising three kids. Her talent and charisma brought her multiple opportunities to work on the business side of things as well.

“I was really fortunate to get a world view of the music industry,” Spoltore says. “As a creative director, I got to serve the gifts and talents of legendary writer Chris Gantry, who’s known as a Music Row rogue but is an incredibly talented man.

“Then I worked for Barbara Orbison for several years and she was really good to me. Her world was a very big world and she opened up every door that she had to me,” she adds. “From there I was fortunate enough to work at NSAI for seven years. I really appreciate the opportunity that Bart Herbison gave me there to serve songwriters.”

While at NSAI, Spoltore saw a need that she felt she could help fill in the songwriter community that came through the doors.

“What I noticed was that I was able to create real success for people through one-on-one mentoring,” Spoltore says. “I like to figure out how I can maximize and amplify what makes songwriters unique and what makes them different. I get to dig for treasure. I’m a treasure hunter.”

Thus, in 2013, Spoltore opened Global Songwriters Connection to help connect songwriters to publishers and resources needed to have a successful career. The company provides mentoring, connections, song evaluations and an individualized plan to each of its members.

“I have been fortunate to facilitate over 200 publishing deals, whether it be as a connector or a facilitator,” Spoltore says. “That is done by opening up a door, making someone aware of a songwriter and putting together a plan of action that really positions that person to succeed. That is my passion.

“The motto of my company is to encourage, equip and empower creators to be making a living and a difference with their gifts and talents.”

Spoltore brings her decades of experience to her role as President of GSC. She taps into her experience as a hustling songwriter when mentoring and creating introductions for creators.

“When I opened up GSC, it was with a desire to be able to offer online services direct to market. My goal was less about [getting songwriters’] publishing deals, but more about how can I teach them to make a living. Just because you don’t get a publishing deal or a label deal, doesn’t mean you’re not supposed to be making a living with your gifts and talents.”

Spoltore’s husband Lou Spoltore of the entertainment company Live On Stage, has provided help with booking songwriters to play gigs, which has allowed them to continue to fund their dreams of being a Music Row hitmaker.

Spoltore will celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary during a mixer at the CMA Event Center on Thursday (March 30) from 5 to 7 p.m. The catered celebration sponsored by Chater Songs and ASCAP is open for public to come and go as they make their way to Tin Pan South.

GSC will also be giving out awards at the mixer, presenting the Lorna Flowers Community Encourager Awards to Warner Chappell’s Christina Wiltshire and posthumously to John Cirillo.

Spoltore sums, “It’s our way of saying thank you to the community and my industry friends for their wonderful support. We’d love to see everyone there and say hello.”

Chapter 667

The annual kick-off party for the massive Tin Pan South festival gathered dozens of tunesmiths and their pals at the Music Row Roundabout branch of Regions Bank.

Sherrill Blackmon, Steve Bogard, Martha Moore, Michael Jay, Dale Dodson, Brandon Will, Erika Wollam Nichols, Rory Bourke, Chase Chapman, Porter Howell, Bart Herbison, Sam Hollander, Randi Perkins, Michelle Goble, Preshus Harris, Bev Moser, Victoria Mainhardt and Ashley Evans were among the early arrivals at the soiree. Hostess-with-mostest Lisa Harless greeted one and all in the balloon-festooned bank lobby.

The festival’s opening party is usually packed shoulder to shoulder. This year, it was not. Several attendees mentioned that their bodies were there but their hearts and minds were shrouded in grief because of the mass school shooting that morning in Nashville. We were there despite the somber shadow, trying to maintain and support this worthy event.

Now in its 31st year, Tin Pan South is the world’s largest songwriting festival. It gathers more than 300 tunesmiths from all points on the compass. They perform for five days’ worth of gigs at 10 Music City venues — 3rd & Lindsley, The Bluebird Cafe, Commodore Grille, The Lounge (City Winery), Analog (Hutton Hotel), Cross Eyed Critters Watering Hole (Graduate Hotel), The Hard Rock Cafe, The Listening Room, Live Oak and The Vinyl Lounge.

Marlon Hargis and Sonny LeMaire of Exile were being interviewed about the bank’s handsome, extensive exhibit saluting the band’s 60th anniversary. If you’ve not been there, go see that Regions office — it also has an impressive Beatles display, cool posters, guitars and other music artifacts under glass.

Bryan Ruby was celebrating the release of “Baseball Country,” his single timed to the launch of this year’s baseball season. The former pro ball player performed at 10 major-league ballparks last season and plans to do more this year. He’ll sing the National Anthem for the Pittsburgh Pirates in June. At other stops, he plays pre- or post-game concerts or sings at adjacent sports bars.

Nashville-based Susan Stewart is the head of the songwriter & composer wing of the Recording Academy. Her gig is made much easier because she’s based in America’s songwriting capital. Songwriters who don’t live here, almost always come to town to co-write, no matter what genre they represent. When she worked for the Nashville Songwriters Association years ago, Stewart helped to stage Tin Pan South.

The attendees were treated to two free, full bars. Maggiano’s did the catering — a buffet featuring stuffed mushroom caps, rigatoni in parmesan meat marinara, chicken pesto croquettes with lemon aioli sauce, veggies, a variety of cheeses, caprese salad and mini Italian bread slices, plus cheesecake cups, topped by strawberries.

Let the festival begin.