AFM President Clarifies Engineer Position

As President of the Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257, I must clarify the statements made in last Friday’s article in MusicRow regarding engineers joining the Musicians Union. It was premature to say that engineers can “now sign the card on recording sessions.” What should have been said is that we were “considering the possibility […]

McClymonts Join Aldean Tour

Australia’s female fab three, The McClymonts will play a series of tour dates starting Sept. 10 with Jason Aldean. The sister trio, Brooke, Sam and Mollie, also have just released their Gold-in-Australia CD, Chaos and Bright Lights in the U.S. The album was produced by Adam Anders and the sisters wrote or co-wrote all 12 […]

Bobby Karl Works The Dale Franklin Award Dinner

The speeches were kept to a minimum, and that left more time for music, music, music. The good folks at Leadership Music are going to be hard-pressed to top the talent parade that performed at this year’s Dale Franklin Award ceremony. Staged Sunday evening (8/29) at the Renaissance Hotel ballroom, the event saluted Fred Foster, […]

MR Artist Roster (Aug./Sept. 2010)

Purchase The Artist Roster Issue On The Cover: BLAKE SHELTON Label: Reprise Records Current Album: All About Tonight Current Single/Video: “All About Tonight” Current Producer: Scott Hendricks Hometown: Ada, Oklahoma Management: Starstruck Management Group Booking: William Morris Endeavour Recent Hits: “Hillbilly Bone” (No. 1), “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” (No. 1), “Home” (No. 1) Awards: ACM […]

RECORD INDUSTRY CONFESSIONS: Distribution & The Years Of Denial

Could it be that the music industry, which has always controlled distribution of its product, is now stymied by its inability to recognize it can no longer “lock the store at night?” Industry Analysis by David M. Ross

Friday Photos: Artists On Parade

Rich And His Uncle In St. Louis Warner Bros. Records artist John Rich and his pal, Atlantic Records artist Uncle Kracker, recently stopped by WIL in St. Louis to visit with station MD Danny Montana. • • • Trace Adkins Comes In Peace Trace Adkins brought together several radio stations at a recent stop in […]

Randy Rogers Band Hits No. 1

MCA Nashville recording artist the Randy Rogers Band made a splash this week with their new album landing at No. 1 on the iTunes country albums chart and No. 2 on the iTunes all genre album chart just behind pop superstar Katy Perry. Their new album, Burning The Day, entered the chart ahead of Fantasia, Usher, […]

Source Honors Nashville Women

SOURCE is movin’ on up, in every way. The organization’s eighth annual awards presentation honoring women in the Nashville music business featured a new venue, more attendees than ever, the announcement of its exhibit at the Nashville Airport, splendid food and an excellent roster of honorees. 

Beginning with the last, saluted this year were Celia […]

615 Music Adds Danielle Wade

Nashville’s 615 Music, one of the world’s leading providers of production music to the entertainment, broadcast, advertising, and corporate industries, and the recent winner of a national Emmy Award for “Outstanding Original Song” for NBC’s Today Show, has retained UK-based representative Danielle Wade. Ms. Wade will represent 615 Music’s extensive catalog throughout the United Kingdom. […]

Musicians Union Welcomes Recording Engineers

[Note: This announcement has been updated and clarified] The Nashville Chapter of the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and the Nashville Musicians Association, AFM Local 257, have reached an understanding that could dramatically benefit recording engineers in the Nashville community. Recording Engineers can now join the Nashville AFM and sign the Union cards as a musician […]

BLOOD, SWEAT & FACEBOOK: The Publicist’s Expanding Radio Role

With CD sales continuing to slide, label budgets and staffs shrinking and the bottleneck at radio getting ever tighter, the rules are changing and the roles rearranging for the recording artist’s “team members.” In an increasingly niche-oriented scenario, public relations has begun to loom larger in the overall picture.

Weekly Chart Report (8/27/10)

SPIN ZONE The CountryBreakout Chart’s Top 4 songs aren’t budging, at least not this week. Lady Antebellum’s “Our Kind Of Love” has the advantage of a comfortable lead in spins and holds the No. 1 spot for a third consecutive week. Closing the gap behind the Capitol trio is Billy Currington’s “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ […]

Nashville Opera Names Kira Florita Sr. Dir.

Nashville Opera, the acclaimed performing arts organization, has named civic and business leader Kira Florita to the newly created position of Senior Director for Advancement. The company has strategically focused on collaborating with a wide range of organizations and businesses to extend the reach of the art form, and Ms. Florita’s experience will assist in […]

Quarterback Records Partners With Ettinger Talent

Quarterback Records and John Ettinger’s newly-established management/consulting firm, Ettinger Talent Associates have formed a joint venture which places Quarterback founder Chris Allums and Ettinger as co-principals of an enlarged Quarterback Records. “This is a huge step for Quarterback,” said Allums. “John’s reputation in Nashville and throughout country radio is one of integrity and success. We […]

Swift Video Gets Global Cross-Channel, Debut

Taylor Swift’s new video “Mine” will debut Fri. Aug. 27 and reach more than 160 countries around the world. CMT, MTV, VH1 and MTV International will team up to present the global premiere. The first single from Swift’s upcoming album Speak Now, “Mine,” was rushed to radio after reportedly being leaked across the Internet. It […]

Underwood, Paisley Return as CMA Hosts

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will reunite to host “Country Music’s Biggest Night(TM)” for a third time in 2010. The 44th Annual CMA Awards airs live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday, Nov. 10 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on the ABC Television Network. “Carrie and Brad have done a tremendous job hosting and we are […]

Randy Houser Visits ACM Offices

The Academy of Country Music welcomed Show Dog-Universal Music Recording Artist and ACM Professional Member Randy Houser to the office for a visit when he was in Los Angeles this week. Houser’s new album, They Call Me Cadillac, releases on September 21 and will feature forthcoming single, “A Man Like Me.” Houser appeared on the […]

CMT To Showcase “Artists of the Year”

Country music’s top artists and celebrities from all facets of entertainment will gather for an evening of star-studded performances, tributes and camaraderie in celebration of the first ever, CMT Artists of the Year, a 90-minute special premiering Friday, December 3 on CMT. Performers and host to be announced. CMT Artists of the Year will recognize […]

Trace Adkins Leaps To No. 1

With Neilsen-Soundscan reporting first-week sales of close to 50,000 copies, Show Dog-Universal artist Trace Adkins is back to dominating the music charts as his new album, Cowboy’s Back In Town, enters the Billboard Country Album Chart this week at No. 1. The album landed at No. 5 on the Top 200. While Cowboy’s Back In […]

Marty Stuart’s “Ghost Train” Comes To Town

Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives celebrated the release of their new album, Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions, with an SRO performance at Nashville’s Belcourt Theater last night (8/25). The perfectly paced show featured plenty of virtuosic mandolin and guitar picking from traditionalist Stuart and showcased his Superlatives – guitarist Kenny Vaughan, drummer Harry […]

Lady A Lands Three in the Top 10

Capitol Nashville’s superstar trio Lady Antebellum scored three spots in the Top 10 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart this week as their two studio albums, Need You Now and Lady Antebellum, were joined by the group’s newly released iTunes Session at the top. With Neilsen SoundScan reporting sales approaching 18,000, Lady A’s iTunes […]

Circle Unbroken: Opry Returns Home

Grand Ole Opry officials today announced that the show, displaced from its permanent home due to May’s historic Nashville flood, will return to the Grand Ole Opry House with a star-packed show Tues., Sept. 28. Among the artists scheduled for the show are Trace Adkins, Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels Band, Diamond Rio, Jimmy […]

DISClaimer Single Reviews (8/25/10)

The stars are blindingly bright this week. Here for your listening enjoyment are top-tier new sounds from Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts, Sugarland and Jamey Johnson. That’s what I call an embarrassment of riches. Up-and-comers like Jaron & The Long Road to Love and Crossin’ Dixon have fresh offerings, too.

Secretary Of Commerce To Address Music Piracy

United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke will visit Nashville next week to hear from the music industry about the impact of rampant music piracy. Locke will conduct a Discussion Forum on Monday, Aug. 30, from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM at a location near Music Row. The location will be announced later this week. “With an estimated […]

Vince Gill To Headline Gulf Coast Benefit

Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill will headline a free outdoor Back to the Beach concert Saturday, Sept. 25, from the Beaches of South Walton along Florida’s Northwest Gulf Coast. Fans are invited to enjoy this casual, 90-minute concert amidst the relaxed and scenic setting at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. “We’re showing […]

CCD App To Track Recording Metadata

A three-way partnership between The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing, BMS/Chase and the Library of Congress has yielded a standardized approach and software model for gathering and managing metadata for recorded music. Computers love metadata, information about files, embedded in those files. In this case it’s the information about tracks, musicians, song titles, producer, […]

BMI Appeals DMX Rate-Court Decision

BMI has filed an appeal of the DMX decision issued by Judge Louis Stanton, BMI’s rate-court judge to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the company announced today. BMI’s appeal on behalf of its songwriters, composers and music publishers will seek reversal of a court decision that, according to DMX’s outside […]

Hall of Fame Spotlights Wynette

On Saturday (8/21) at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum, visitors were treated to a panel discussion on the life and career of Tammy Wynette. The nearly two-hour program, hosted by the Vice President of Museum Programs Jay Orr, was part of opening weekend activities for the new exhibition, Tammy Wynette: First Lady […]

James Otto Is A New Dad

Warner Bros. Records Nashville artist James Otto and his  wife Amy are proud to announce the birth of their daughter, Ava Katherine Otto. Born Tuesday night at 9:23 pm at a Nashville-area hospital, Ava Katherine came into this world weighing 8 lbs., 2 oz. and is 19 1/2 inches long. “We can’t believe Ava is […]

Faith Hill Performs For Katrina Victims

Warner Bros. artist Faith Hill has followed up her Nashville Rising flood benefit with an appearance Tuesday night (8/24) in New Orleans to benefit victims of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. The singer performed a free concert at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. “We are here for you still and you are not forgotten,” Hill said. “I feel […]

Owen Opens Sandbox Entertainment

Longtime record label executive Jason Owen is launching a management firm with Shania Twain as his first client. Today he is announcing the launch of Sandbox Entertainment, a full-service management and entertainment company which will be based in Nashville and open its doors on Sept. 7. Owen’s last day as Senior Vice President of Artist […]

John Ettinger Launches Firm

Veteran music industry executive John Ettinger has formed Ettinger Talent Associates (ETA), an artist management and consulting firm. His first clients are Grammy nominated band Emerson Drive and singer Alissa Griffith. Ettinger will also serve as a consultant for various other projects. “This is an exciting time in our industry, an evolution of what controls […]

Martha’s Vineyard Gets Songwriters

The 2nd Annual Martha’s Vineyard Songwriter’s Festival takes place Sept. 24-25 on the famous island off the Massachusetts coastline. Concerts will take place at Mansion house in Vineyard Haven and at Union Chapel in Oak Bluffs. The festival features a variety of BMI pop and country writers in exclusive lineups and intimate settings. Advance tickets […]

ACM Adds SVP Teresa George

The Academy of Country Music has hired Nashville-based veteran music executive Teresa George as Senior Vice President, Brand Integration & Strategic Partnerships. This forms the ACM’s first internal branding and corporate promotional outreach department. George will report directly to ACM Executive Director Bob Romeo. “Teresa has been an important part of the ACM team for […]

Singer Bill Phillips Passes

Country singer Bill Phillips, best known for his hit “Put It Off Until Tomorrow,” and for playing a pivotal role in Dolly Parton’s early career died yesterday, Aug. 23. He was 74. Parton co-wrote and sang on “Tomorrow,” which helped her garner enough attention to land a record deal. When Phillips came to Nashville he […]

Nashvillians Help Revive Fame Studios

Muscle Shoals, Alabama’s renowned Fame Studios, its publishing company, and record label are experiencing a revival. Hit Nashville songwriter Brad Crisler has signed with House of Fame Publishing, where Music Row veteran Steve Williams has been hired on as Creative Director. For Crisler, it is a return the publishing company where he had early success. […]

ole Piques Interest With Liz Rose’s Notebook

With budgets and playlists getting smaller by the day,
the Nashville music publishing scene has grown increasingly competitive, forcing songwriters and publishers to become more innovative and resourceful in their efforts to get songs recorded. Ole, one of Nashville’s most successful independent publishers, is leading the charge for creative catalog promotion by handing out copies of songwriter Liz Rose’s notebook.

Country Co-hosts on “Today”

Country stars are filling-in as co-hosts on NBC’s Today show this week. Yesterday (8/23) Blake Shelton joined Hoda Kotb while regular co-host Kathie Lee Gifford is out on vacation. Amid jokes about the need for a five-second delay and his notorious Tweets, Shelton serenaded Kotb, showed off his cooking skills, and talked about his fashion […]

Trailer Choir

“It’s nearly Fall. It’s Tailgate time and with this song Trailer Choir delivers a fun, upbeat hit for Country Radio. It’s perfect for the season!” Tim Roberts, WYCD/WOMC Operations/Program Director. Trailer Choir has long been known for its energetic live shows, so it’s only appropriate the group’s latest single was ‘born’ at a concert. “Shakin’ […]

Luke Bryan Scores Back-to-Back Gold

Capitol Records Nashville recording artist Luke Bryan has just scored his second consecutive RIAA certified Gold digital single for “Rain Is A Good Thing.” In the last nine months, Bryan has been at the top of his career game. He celebrated his first No. 1 with “Do I,” which was Gold® certified. Then he had […]

Dolly Heads Back To The Big Screen

Dolly Parton is set for a return to the silver screen. She’ll star alongside Queen Latifah in Joyful Noise, a musically driven feature about an unlikely partnership between two strong-minded women who are forced to work together to save a small town choir from budget cuts. Joyful Noise is expected to include musical contributions from […]

Marty Stuart’s “Ghost Train” Rides Today

Marty Stuart has a new album out today (8/24) on Sugar Hill Records. Ghost Train: The Studio B Sessions is already garnering praise from outlets like No Depression. He’ll tour in support of the release, kicking off the run tomorrow night (8/25) at Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre. Tonight at 6:30 PM Stuart will make an appearance […]

Walden’s Puddle Palooza Gets Wet

The 2010 Walden’s Puddle “Puddle-Palooza” benefit concert and festival was held Aug. 21 at Nashville’s Yogi Bear™ Jellystone Park and hosted by the Music Valley Merchants Association. Strong afternoon rains curtailed a portion of the concert. The event raises funds for Walden’s Puddle Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. In addition to the concert, other family-friendly activities […]

Promo Update: Big Machine; Quarterback

Big Machine Label Group has named Mandy McCormack National Director, Radio Marketing, and added Kris Lamb to fill her former West Coast Regional post. In the newly-created role, McCormack will work with Sr. Director, New Media & National Promotion Strategy John Zarling in managing national promotion campaigns for artists on the Big Machine and Valory […]

Chesney Shares Details of Deluxe Edition

Kenny Chesney will release a deluxe edition of his upcoming album Hemingway’s Whiskey. The CD-plus-DVD set will be out September 28, just like the regular package. The expanded set’s CD includes two bonus tracks and an in-depth conversation with Chesney about each of the songs. The DVD’s half-hour of content includes a thank you from […]

The Country Network To Air Via Sinclair

The new music video channel The Country Network (TCN) has been picked up by Sinclair Broadcast Group and will be available in some markets by October. Tammy Genovese joined TCN’s Music Row office as Pres. TCN Nashville in April. TCN and Sinclair have entered into an agreement to launch TCN’s star-hosted music video programming on […]

Stars At Christmas 4 Kids and Buds-N-Suds Benefits

Montgomery Gentry, Jake Owen, and Sawyer Brown will perform at the Charlie Daniels Band’s annual Christmas 4 Kids concert. The show will be Monday, November 22 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The accompanying Tour Bus Show/Artist Meet and Greet will take place on Monday, December 13 in Hendersonville, TN. Ticket details at www.christmas4kids.org ••••••••••••••• Jerrod Niemann […]

One Group of Moderators For All CRS Panels

In a departure from the usual format for Country Radio Seminar, all of the panels at the 2011 conference will be moderated by the same group of country radio veterans. The five individuals chosen by the CRB Board of Directors as the inaugural class of CRS moderators are Charlie Cook (McVay Media), Erica Farber (The […]

Photos: WMBA Week; FBMM Helps Habitat

The Women’s Music Business Association kicked off WMBA Week by visiting the CMA to share Izzie’s Italian ice. The WMBA is also serving free Izzie’s Ice at Owen Bradley Park this Wednesday from 11am – 1pm, and invites the Music Row community to stop by. The group is celebrating its new non-profit status with events […]

Side Projects: Montgomery’s Restaurant; Wayne’s Book

Eddie Montgomery is busy planning the Sept. 14 grand opening of his steak house in hometown Harrodsburg, Ky. The 20,000 square foot entertainment and dining complex is called Eddie Montgomery’s Steakhouse. It is set on 23 acres, which Montgomery says will soon be the site of an outdoor entertainment amphitheater, nearby hotel and other family-friendly […]