Missy Roberts
The “My Music Row Story” weekly column features notable members of the Nashville music industry selected by the MusicRow editorial team. These individuals serve in key roles that help advance and promote the success of our industry. This column spotlights the invaluable people that keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.
As Vice President, A&R for Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville, Missy Roberts represents a catalog of writers that include Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Andress, Caitlyn Smith, Paul DiGiovanni, Justin Ebach, Jamie Paulin, Derrick Southerland, Shane Minor and more. After an internship in marketing at Sony Records, Roberts was hired by the A&R department as assistant to industry vet Tracy Gershon.
She launched her publishing career at Island Bound Music. From there, she moved to Disney Music Publishing where she helped start the Nashville office. Since then, Roberts has held posts at Stage Three Music and EMI Music Publishing, before joining UMPG Nashville in 2012. She was promoted to her current position at UMPG in 2021. Roberts has been a part of numerous cuts and No. 1 hits throughout her career, including “The Climb” (Miley Cyrus), “The Truth” (Jason Aldean), 2014 ASCAP Song Of The Year “It Goes Like This” (Thomas Rhett) and 2020 CMA Song Of The Year Nominee and MusicRow Song Of The Year award winner “More Hearts Than Mine” (Ingrid Andress).
Roberts will be honored as part of the current class of MusicRow’s Rising Women on the Row on Oct. 20. For more details about the class and the event, click here.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a little town called Downs, Illinois, which is right outside of Bloomington. 500 people, corn and beans. I hated it as a kid but I’m very thankful for it now. It was a really great way to grow up.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
Were you musical?
I was not musical, but always very drawn to music. My uncle on my mom’s side, who I’m still really close with, did lighting and sound in the ’80s for all the big arena rock bands like Rush, Damn Yankees and Bad Company. I was very drawn to and connected to him. If he was on tour within three to four hours driving distance of where I grew up, my mom would take me and drop me off with him at the venue and I would run around with him all day. I became so fascinated by what is it about songs that get a person to connect to an artist or get a crowd to react.
Did you know you wanted to be in the music business from then on?
I did. I have said since I was a kid that I was going to do music business, but I ended up getting really active in sports. That really took over, especially from junior high into high school. I toured the country playing softball and ended up getting a scholarship for it. So I thought that was my path for a while, though I was still very drawn to music. I was the kid in school that everybody came to for new music. If I wasn’t practicing softball, I was in front of a radio just taking in music and making mixtapes.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
How did that shift from softball back to music business?
I had gotten a scholarship to play softball and was majoring in sports psychology. A year into it, my family went down to Florida where my uncle was for Christmas break. He was running The Wildhorse Saloon that was at Disney. The whole Christmas break, I hung out with him at the Wildhorse. I was hanging out with the bands and just back in in that world. I thought, “What am I doing? This is what I’ve always said I was going to do from the time I can remember talking.” But who would be crazy enough to tear up a scholarship and this whole plan that you’ve established? Who would be crazy enough to give all that up and walk away? Two days before I was supposed to go back to school, I sat down with my parents and said, “I’m not going back. I quit.” That was not easy. I think they thought I was having a midlife crisis. [Laughs]
I gave up the scholarship. I went to Southern Illinois University, and worked two full-time jobs and a part-time job. Southern Illinois, at the time, had a music business program, but it was half of a true music degree and half of a business degree. It wasn’t really music business. I ended up going to one of my professors and said, “This isn’t really music business. There’s a whole side of the industry where people don’t play instruments and they don’t do recitals. That’s what I’m looking to get into.” I ended up creating my own curriculum of marketing and music business. They gave me a professor as a point person and before every semester, I would go and present to them what classes I thought I should take and why.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
How did that lead you to Nashville?
Stan Marczewski, who is at Broken Bow now, was a year ahead of me at SIU. He had just gotten a job at a management company and had stayed in touch with the recording engineering professor. Stan called in one day and said, “I’d love to help somebody from SIU. Do you have a student that would be interested in internship?” The next day the professor told me, so I cold called Stan and we talked on the phone. I came down for my spring break that year and spent time helping him at the management company. My classes ended on Thursday, so I’d drive the three hour drive from SIU to Nashville. I’d help out at Mission Management on Fridays, I’d go out and meet people on Saturday, and then I’d drive back to SIU on Sunday nights and go back to being regular college student for four days.
The summer going into my senior year, he helped me get an internship at Sony in marketing. About a month into that, my supervisor in marketing had been begging me all day to come see this band that she was friends with. She was trying to get Tracy Gershon, one of the heads of A&R, to come out and see them. I’d been out with the interns the night before and all day I was like, “I can’t do anything else. I’m so tired.” At the last minute, I changed my mind. Tracy came with us and when we were driving to the show, Tracy said, “I don’t know I’m going to do. My assistant just told me she’s quitting. She gave me two days notice.” I made it a point to make a connection with her that night. As soon as she got in the office the next morning, my little intern desk phone started ringing and it was her. I went and sat down in her office and she said, “I sent an email out this morning asking the staff if there’s an intern that I should hire since I’m in such a pinch for somebody. There’s only one name that came back from everybody in the building and it was yours. Do you want a job?” Two days later, I was working for Tracy Gershon in A&R.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
When did you decide you wanted to be in publishing?
Tracy was so, so great. My desk was outside of her office and she would leave her door open, so as publishers came in and met with her, I got to sit outside of her office and just take all of that in. I remember one day sitting outside of her office going, “Wait a minute. So these publishers come in here with songs that they love and they play them for her and tell her why she should love them? Because I was that kid in high school. Everybody piled in my car on Friday nights. It was me with my mixtape and a captive audience going, “Here’s why you need to like this song. Check out this artist; this is why they’re great.”
When Sony merged with RCA, Tracy left and went to Warner Bros. and couldn’t take me with her. That’s when I got into publishing and I’ve been in it ever since.
What was your path from that point?
I went to a really small publishing company here in town for about a year called Island Bound Music. The only writer that they had at the time was Steven Dale Jones. They closed that down and turned it into day-to-day management, so I was back in the management thing where I first interned and just not where I was supposed to be. I found out that Disney Music Publishing was starting an office in Nashville. Philip White, who was a really good friend of Steven Dale Jones, was in our office one day writing with Steven. He was like, “You should call Disney and see if there’s a position open.”
I helped start the Nashville office from scratch [with Lisa Ramsay]. Disney had never had a Nashville publishing company before, so there was no design of how it works. We had this blank slate. Lisa was really great about trusting me to figure it out. That accelerated my learning way more than it would have if I were to stay where I was.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
Next I went to a company called Stage Three. It was me and Tim Hunze. I was there for five years and had a really great run. BMG bought us and then Ben Vaughn called me. He had just started running EMI. I went to EMI and got to work very closely with Ben and learned a lot in that process. That was a pretty scary, big change. All my publishing experience to that point was indie, small publishing companies where you’re really close with your writers. You see them every day and you talk to them every day because you’ve got the time to. That’s the foundation of how I learned publishing and getting thrown into a major for the first time is a major learning curve.
What got you to UMPG?
I was at EMI for two years and we sold to Sony. When we merged with Sony, there we now had like 180 writers. In my head I was going, “This just isn’t for me. This isn’t how I learned publishing.” I was looking to make a move back to the indie world.
Then Kent Earls called me. He had just taken over UMPG Nashville. When I met with Kent, I realized how different Universal is. We operate so differently from the other majors. It really is about time and intention—it’s an indie mindset for a global company with global access. I’ve been here for 10 years now. Troy Tomlinson has been an incredible addition because he is an amazing leader, but he’s kept all the great things about it and just made better some of the things that needed to change. It’s been the perfect blend.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
When do you feel most fulfilled in what you do?
When I feel like there’s been an impact made, whether I’ve had an opportunity to make an impact on a songwriter or an artist, or if somebody’s made an impact on me. That’s truly what fulfills me. At this, this point in my career, I have been very blessed that I’ve pitched or facilitated number ones and some songs of the year and helped artists get record deals. But the whole thing is for me, did that help somebody? Did that make their life better? Did that help a dream of theirs come true? That’s what motivates me. That’s what moves me.
You will be honored at MusicRow’s Rising Women on the Row breakfast on Oct. 20. What are you most proud of when you look back on your career so far?
I’m most proud that 18 out of my 19 years in town have been with what, to me, is the foundation, root and lifeline of this business: the songwriter. Getting to work with them every day is something that I’m really proud of.
Amazon Music Presents ‘We Are Country:’ A Month Of Exclusive Programming & Events
/by Lorie HollabaughAmazon Music is celebrating country music throughout October with “We Are Country,” a month of exclusive new songs, livestreaming events, and special programming to celebrate country music month.
Throughout this month, Amazon Music listeners can tune into Country Class–Group Thread, a weekly livestreamed conversation between a panel of artists, creators, industry members, and entrepreneurs to discuss the meaning behind “We Are Country.” Frank Ray, Drew Green, and Conner Smith kicked off the series this week, with upcoming episodes featuring Reyna Roberts, Willie Jones, Lily Rose, Morgan Wade, and Priscilla Block. New episodes will release every Monday throughout October at 8 p.m. CT via Twitch.
“Country music is not a monolith,” notes Michelle Tigard Kammerer, Head of Country Music at Amazon Music.“‘We Are Country’ celebrates the fact that country artists and country fans cannot be solely defined as one person, one demographic, or one segment of the population. We are excited to share our diverse programming across all of the Amazon Music country verticals throughout October and beyond.”
All month long, fans will hear new and exclusive Amazon Original songs from their favorite artists, including a reimagined version of Thomas Rhett’s hit “Half of Me” featuring Riley Green, available now. Additional Amazon Originals will follow, including Zach Bryan’s “Burn, Burn, Burn” on Oct. 14, Walker Hayes’ “AA” on Oct. 21, Lily Rose’s version of “Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen on Oct. 21, and Corey Kent’s take on Post Malone’s “Better Now” on Oct. 28.
New Country Heat Weekly podcast episodes will also roll out throughout October featuring in-depth conversations with Mickey Guyton (Oct. 13), Sam Williams (Oct. 20), and Elle King (Oct. 27).
Thomas Rhett Reigns On MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart
/by Alex ParryThomas Rhett and Riley Green hold the No. 1 position on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week. Despite a loss of -44 spins, “Half Of Me” still holds a +30 spin lead over Luke Bryan’s “Country On.”
Rhett wrote the single with Rhett Akins, Will Bundy and Josh Thompson. Rhett is ranked No. 12 on the Top Songwriter Chart with Thompson following at No. 12. Bundy ranks No. 34 and Akins No. 42.
Rhett is currently on his headlining “Bring The Bar To You Tour” with Parker McCollum and Conner Smith through October. The tour was also extended to include 10 Canadian dates, which will take place in February 2023. Jordan Davis and Kameron Marlowe will serve as support on the Canadian leg.
Click here to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
My Music Row Story: UMPG Nashville’s Missy Roberts
/by LB CantrellMissy Roberts
As Vice President, A&R for Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville, Missy Roberts represents a catalog of writers that include Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Andress, Caitlyn Smith, Paul DiGiovanni, Justin Ebach, Jamie Paulin, Derrick Southerland, Shane Minor and more. After an internship in marketing at Sony Records, Roberts was hired by the A&R department as assistant to industry vet Tracy Gershon.
She launched her publishing career at Island Bound Music. From there, she moved to Disney Music Publishing where she helped start the Nashville office. Since then, Roberts has held posts at Stage Three Music and EMI Music Publishing, before joining UMPG Nashville in 2012. She was promoted to her current position at UMPG in 2021. Roberts has been a part of numerous cuts and No. 1 hits throughout her career, including “The Climb” (Miley Cyrus), “The Truth” (Jason Aldean), 2014 ASCAP Song Of The Year “It Goes Like This” (Thomas Rhett) and 2020 CMA Song Of The Year Nominee and MusicRow Song Of The Year award winner “More Hearts Than Mine” (Ingrid Andress).
Roberts will be honored as part of the current class of MusicRow’s Rising Women on the Row on Oct. 20. For more details about the class and the event, click here.
MusicRow: Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a little town called Downs, Illinois, which is right outside of Bloomington. 500 people, corn and beans. I hated it as a kid but I’m very thankful for it now. It was a really great way to grow up.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
Were you musical?
I was not musical, but always very drawn to music. My uncle on my mom’s side, who I’m still really close with, did lighting and sound in the ’80s for all the big arena rock bands like Rush, Damn Yankees and Bad Company. I was very drawn to and connected to him. If he was on tour within three to four hours driving distance of where I grew up, my mom would take me and drop me off with him at the venue and I would run around with him all day. I became so fascinated by what is it about songs that get a person to connect to an artist or get a crowd to react.
Did you know you wanted to be in the music business from then on?
I did. I have said since I was a kid that I was going to do music business, but I ended up getting really active in sports. That really took over, especially from junior high into high school. I toured the country playing softball and ended up getting a scholarship for it. So I thought that was my path for a while, though I was still very drawn to music. I was the kid in school that everybody came to for new music. If I wasn’t practicing softball, I was in front of a radio just taking in music and making mixtapes.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
How did that shift from softball back to music business?
I had gotten a scholarship to play softball and was majoring in sports psychology. A year into it, my family went down to Florida where my uncle was for Christmas break. He was running The Wildhorse Saloon that was at Disney. The whole Christmas break, I hung out with him at the Wildhorse. I was hanging out with the bands and just back in in that world. I thought, “What am I doing? This is what I’ve always said I was going to do from the time I can remember talking.” But who would be crazy enough to tear up a scholarship and this whole plan that you’ve established? Who would be crazy enough to give all that up and walk away? Two days before I was supposed to go back to school, I sat down with my parents and said, “I’m not going back. I quit.” That was not easy. I think they thought I was having a midlife crisis. [Laughs]
I gave up the scholarship. I went to Southern Illinois University, and worked two full-time jobs and a part-time job. Southern Illinois, at the time, had a music business program, but it was half of a true music degree and half of a business degree. It wasn’t really music business. I ended up going to one of my professors and said, “This isn’t really music business. There’s a whole side of the industry where people don’t play instruments and they don’t do recitals. That’s what I’m looking to get into.” I ended up creating my own curriculum of marketing and music business. They gave me a professor as a point person and before every semester, I would go and present to them what classes I thought I should take and why.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
How did that lead you to Nashville?
Stan Marczewski, who is at Broken Bow now, was a year ahead of me at SIU. He had just gotten a job at a management company and had stayed in touch with the recording engineering professor. Stan called in one day and said, “I’d love to help somebody from SIU. Do you have a student that would be interested in internship?” The next day the professor told me, so I cold called Stan and we talked on the phone. I came down for my spring break that year and spent time helping him at the management company. My classes ended on Thursday, so I’d drive the three hour drive from SIU to Nashville. I’d help out at Mission Management on Fridays, I’d go out and meet people on Saturday, and then I’d drive back to SIU on Sunday nights and go back to being regular college student for four days.
The summer going into my senior year, he helped me get an internship at Sony in marketing. About a month into that, my supervisor in marketing had been begging me all day to come see this band that she was friends with. She was trying to get Tracy Gershon, one of the heads of A&R, to come out and see them. I’d been out with the interns the night before and all day I was like, “I can’t do anything else. I’m so tired.” At the last minute, I changed my mind. Tracy came with us and when we were driving to the show, Tracy said, “I don’t know I’m going to do. My assistant just told me she’s quitting. She gave me two days notice.” I made it a point to make a connection with her that night. As soon as she got in the office the next morning, my little intern desk phone started ringing and it was her. I went and sat down in her office and she said, “I sent an email out this morning asking the staff if there’s an intern that I should hire since I’m in such a pinch for somebody. There’s only one name that came back from everybody in the building and it was yours. Do you want a job?” Two days later, I was working for Tracy Gershon in A&R.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
When did you decide you wanted to be in publishing?
Tracy was so, so great. My desk was outside of her office and she would leave her door open, so as publishers came in and met with her, I got to sit outside of her office and just take all of that in. I remember one day sitting outside of her office going, “Wait a minute. So these publishers come in here with songs that they love and they play them for her and tell her why she should love them? Because I was that kid in high school. Everybody piled in my car on Friday nights. It was me with my mixtape and a captive audience going, “Here’s why you need to like this song. Check out this artist; this is why they’re great.”
When Sony merged with RCA, Tracy left and went to Warner Bros. and couldn’t take me with her. That’s when I got into publishing and I’ve been in it ever since.
What was your path from that point?
I went to a really small publishing company here in town for about a year called Island Bound Music. The only writer that they had at the time was Steven Dale Jones. They closed that down and turned it into day-to-day management, so I was back in the management thing where I first interned and just not where I was supposed to be. I found out that Disney Music Publishing was starting an office in Nashville. Philip White, who was a really good friend of Steven Dale Jones, was in our office one day writing with Steven. He was like, “You should call Disney and see if there’s a position open.”
I helped start the Nashville office from scratch [with Lisa Ramsay]. Disney had never had a Nashville publishing company before, so there was no design of how it works. We had this blank slate. Lisa was really great about trusting me to figure it out. That accelerated my learning way more than it would have if I were to stay where I was.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
Next I went to a company called Stage Three. It was me and Tim Hunze. I was there for five years and had a really great run. BMG bought us and then Ben Vaughn called me. He had just started running EMI. I went to EMI and got to work very closely with Ben and learned a lot in that process. That was a pretty scary, big change. All my publishing experience to that point was indie, small publishing companies where you’re really close with your writers. You see them every day and you talk to them every day because you’ve got the time to. That’s the foundation of how I learned publishing and getting thrown into a major for the first time is a major learning curve.
What got you to UMPG?
I was at EMI for two years and we sold to Sony. When we merged with Sony, there we now had like 180 writers. In my head I was going, “This just isn’t for me. This isn’t how I learned publishing.” I was looking to make a move back to the indie world.
Then Kent Earls called me. He had just taken over UMPG Nashville. When I met with Kent, I realized how different Universal is. We operate so differently from the other majors. It really is about time and intention—it’s an indie mindset for a global company with global access. I’ve been here for 10 years now. Troy Tomlinson has been an incredible addition because he is an amazing leader, but he’s kept all the great things about it and just made better some of the things that needed to change. It’s been the perfect blend.
Photo: Courtesy of Missy Roberts
When do you feel most fulfilled in what you do?
When I feel like there’s been an impact made, whether I’ve had an opportunity to make an impact on a songwriter or an artist, or if somebody’s made an impact on me. That’s truly what fulfills me. At this, this point in my career, I have been very blessed that I’ve pitched or facilitated number ones and some songs of the year and helped artists get record deals. But the whole thing is for me, did that help somebody? Did that make their life better? Did that help a dream of theirs come true? That’s what motivates me. That’s what moves me.
You will be honored at MusicRow’s Rising Women on the Row breakfast on Oct. 20. What are you most proud of when you look back on your career so far?
I’m most proud that 18 out of my 19 years in town have been with what, to me, is the foundation, root and lifeline of this business: the songwriter. Getting to work with them every day is something that I’m really proud of.
LeAnn Rimes To Receive ASCAP Golden Note Award
/by Lorie HollabaughLeAnn Rimes will be honored with the ASCAP Golden Note Award in a special ASCAP Experience session broadcast on Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. CT.
The award presentation by ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams will segue into an exclusive conversation with Variety’s Chris Willman and Rimes. In “The Story So Far: Celebrating 25+ Years of LeAnn Rimes,” Rime will talk with Willman about her life in music and how her artistry and humanitarian work intertwine, including her recently released album, God’s Work.
The presentation will also feature congratulatory video tributes from Reba McEntire, Diane Warren, Rob Thomas, Mickey Guyton, San Francisco Gay Men’s Choir, David Gray and Aloe Blacc.
“From the moment we first heard her immortal recording of “Blue”–back when she was just 13 years old–we knew that LeAnn was a voice for the ages,” Williams notes. “In the 25 years since, we have watched her navigate her evolving career with grace, artistry and humanity. Her passion, clarity and emotion have won her fans around the world and truly set her apart as a songwriter.”
This award joins Rimes’ collection of accolades, which span back to her early teens. She has won two Grammys, 12 Billboard Music awards, two World Music awards, three ACM awards, two CMA awards and one Dove Award.
In 1997, at age 14 she became the youngest solo artist ever to win a Grammy, and in the same year became the first country artist to win Artist of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards. In the time since, Rimes has developed into a multifaceted artist, selling over 48 million albums worldwide.
The ASCAP Golden Note Award is presented to genre-spanning songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Previous recipients include Tom Petty, Blondie, Garth Brooks, Lee Ann Womack, Alicia Keys, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Duran Duran, Jeff Lynne, Lionel Richie and Alan Jackson, among others.
Ryman Auditorium Unites With Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame To Open New Exhibit
/by Liza AndersonNashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium has announced its latest major exhibition in partnership with Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, “Rock Hall at the Ryman,” will open on Wednesday, Nov. 2. The interactive exhibit will live in the venue’s newly transformed 5th Avenue vestibule, and will showcase the Ryman’s impact on rock & roll history.
While the Ryman is known as the Mother Church of Country Music, it was officially named a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark earlier this year, joining 11 other institutions throughout the nation, including Austin City Limits, Whisky a Go Go and more. “Rock Hall at the Ryman” honors the 100+ Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees who have performed on the Ryman’s sacred stage throughout its 130-year history.
The exhibit features a number of inductees, such as James Brown, The Byrds, Eric Clapton, Foo Fighters, Joan Jett and Dolly Parton, in addition to country music icons like Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Hank Williams. Items on display will include Clapton’s “Blackie” model Fender Stratocaster guitar played on the Journeyman tour in the early 1990s and again in 1995; Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins‘ outfit worn during the performance to induct Rush at the 2013 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony; Jett’s red latex halter bra top worn onstage at “Vans Warped Tour ’06;” and Presley’s full-length belted suede coat worn circa 1970.
The renowned locale will also host a variety of shows featuring Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Members like U2’s Bono (Nov. 9), Lynyrd Skynyrd (Nov. 13), Smokey Robinson (Dec. 16) as well as a three-night residency with John Mellencamp (May 8-10), with more to be announced.
Access to “Rock Hall at the Ryman” is given with all daytime Ryman tour tickets. For more information, click here.
Georgia Price Joins Smack Management Team
/by Lorie HollabaughGeorgia Price
Georgia Price has joined the Smack management team as Management Coordinator. In her new role, she will handle administrative duties for Robert Carlton, Senior Vice President of Development, while also assisting his larger management team.
Originally from Clayton, North Carolina, Price moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University where she graduated with a degree in Music Business. This position follows her internships for management companies, such as Smallbone Management and Q Prime South, and publishing companies, including King Pen Music.
“Our management team has been stretched so thin over the last 15 months. Georgia stepped in as an intern this past summer and immediately made herself irreplaceable,” says Carlton. “I’m excited and relieved to have her officially join our team full-time!”
“I have admired the team at Smack since before moving to Nashville,” says Price. “I am so grateful for the opportunity to work alongside and continue learning from them. I couldn’t be more excited to be part of this team!”
Toby Keith To Receive BMI Icon Award At Upcoming 2022 BMI Country Awards
/by Lydia FarthingBMI will celebrate Toby Keith at the 70th annual BMI Country Awards by presenting him with the BMI Icon Award.
Held at BMI’s Nashville office on Nov. 8, the ceremony will be hosted by BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI Vice President, Creative, Nashville Clay Bradley. During the evening, BMI will also crown the Country Songwriter, Song and Publisher of the Year, as well as salute the writers and publishers of the 50 most-performed songs of the year from BMI’s country catalog.
The BMI Icon Award is given to exceptional songwriters in recognition of their influence on generations of creators. Keith will join an impressive list of fellow recipients, including Loretta Lynn, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, Kris Kristofferson, Hank Williams, Jr., Stevie Nicks, Little Richard, Patti Labelle, James Brown and more.
Toby Keith. Photo: Richard McLaren
“We are honored to present Toby Keith with this year’s BMI Icon Award. Since the release of his single ‘Should’ve Been A Cowboy’ in 1993, Toby has been the gold standard of songwriting in the modern era of country music,” Bradley shares. “Toby is not only a stellar songwriter, musician and producer whose songs have amassed millions of performances; he is also a true humanitarian. With 11 USO tours under his belt, he continues to commit to honoring and serving our troops worldwide. No one is more deserving of this honor.”
In 2021, Keith was bestowed the National Medal of Arts, inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and honored with the ACM’s Merle Haggard Spirit Award. He has received the BMI Country Songwriter of the Year award three times, and his hit single “As Good As I Once Was” was awarded BMI’s Country Song of the Year in 2006.
Keith also achieved quite the songwriting feat as he wrote a No. 1 hit every year for 20 straight years, among them being “How Do You Like Me Now?!,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, & Blue (The Angry American),” “I Love This Bar,” “Beer For My Horses” and “As Good As I Once Was.” In 2018, he celebrated the 25th anniversary of his debut No. 1 single “Should’ve Been A Cowboy” with the re-release of his debut album.
Throughout his career, Keith has sold more than 40 million albums and has had 32 singles hit No. 1. As a songwriter, he’s notched 26 No. 1s, 11 of which he wrote on his own. Altogether, he has garnered more than 10 billion streams and 100 million radio spins.
Outside of music, Keith’s annual golf classics fund the Toby Keith Foundation and OK Kids Korral, a cost-free home for families of children dealing with critical illnesses. Additionally, in 2014, he was given the Spirit of the USO Award for his work with the organization, which has included 11 tours and more than 285 events.
More details regarding the upcoming 2022 BMI Country Awards will be announced in the coming weeks.
Ashley McBryde To Join The Grand Ole Opry Family
/by Lydia FarthingPictured( L-R): Patti Roets (friend), Martha Wilkins (Mom), Ashley McBryde, Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil, Nate Burleson
Award-winning singer-songwriter Ashley McBryde has been invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. The five-time 2022 CMA nominee was surprised during an in-studio appearance on CBS Mornings by Opry member Garth Brooks, who was live on the hallowed Opry stage
At the close of McBryde’s interview, anchors Gayle King, Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil shared with her that someone wanted to speak with her, cutting to a live shot of Brooks.
“This is part of a family that keeps growing,” he noted. “Well you know where I am standing here in the circle of wood. On behalf of the Opry, and myself as an Opry member, we would love for you to consider becoming the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry.”
A surprised McBryde instantly answered, “It would be the great joy and the great honor of my life.” Brooks replied, “The Opry is the longest living family in music history. You belong in it; we need you and you will make it stronger for decades to come.”
She remarked, “Winning Grammys and being a member of the Opry are the two greatest things that could ever happen to you as an entertainer. I’ve always said I would earn it. This is a surreal moment.”
“Beginning with her triumphant first night on our stage, Ashley has already been a part of some incredible Opry moments in her young career,” explains Dan Rogers, Opry Executive Producer. “We’re thrilled that her seemingly limitless talent will be on display and that she’ll be a part of this very special show for years to come.”
McBryde’s new album, Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville, was released last Friday. Her Opry induction date will be announced in the coming weeks.
Kate Willingham Rises To Manager & Director Of Digital At Activist Artists Management
/by Lorie HollabaughKate Willingham
Kate Willingham has been promoted to Manager & Director of Digital at Activist Artists Management. She is based in Activist’s Nashville office.
In this expanded role, Willingham will support the client teams and social media strategies, and will liaise with outside digital agencies and run digital point for the Activist social media channels. She will continue to report to Founding Partner Matt Maher for her management initiatives, and will also report to Chris Ruff, Head of Global Marketing regarding digital marketing matters.
Willingham joined Activist Artists Management as an assistant to Maher in the Nashville office in 2018 and was promoted to Associate Manager in 2020. She is a graduate of College of Charleston, where she earned her BA in Arts Management with a concentration in Music Business.
“Kate’s social media focus helps our artists stay connected to their fans on a daily basis,” comments Maher. “Her keen sense of what feels real and authentic for each artist and her ability to understand the digital landscape is invaluable.”
Brooke Mansfield Joins Riser House As Sr. Director Of Digital Strategy
/by Lorie HollabaughBrooke Mansfield. Photo: Colby Crosby
Brooke Mansfield has been named Sr. Director of Digital Strategy at Riser House Entertainment.
Mansfield joins Riser House from her previous post as Sr. Digital Strategist at The Artist Management Group, where she worked with Kat & Alex, Payton Smith, Chris Colston, Jordan James, Liv Charette, and Essex County. Prior to her time at The AMG, she worked on the digital marketing team at Capitol CMG, bolstering projects including Chris Tomlin’s country collaboration album Chris Tomlin & Friends and Kari Jobe’s “The Blessing.”
“Brooke is exceptionally sharp and is a natural leader,” notes Riser House Entertainment President and Co-Founder Jennifer Johnson. “She brings innovative ideas daily, and we are thrilled to have her lead Digital and Strategy at Riser House.”
“We could not be happier to have Brooke on team Riser House,” Riser House Entertainment Head of Marketing/Product Manager Megan Schultz continues. “Her experience and knowledge on all things digital strategy have already proven to be extremely valuable. She is the perfect addition to the team, and her passion and creativity for digital initiatives is unmatched. We look forward to having her to be a large part of the growth of Riser House.”
“I am so proud to be part of Riser House,” adds Mansfield. “Jennifer Johnson has truly created an unparalleled team, and it’s an honor to have the opportunity to work with such talented artists. I am so excited to use my digital background to strategically help our roster reach new heights.”