Red Mountain To Produce Fontanel Shows

Dale Morris and Marc Oswald, co-owners of Nashville’s newest live music venue, The Woods at Fontanel, have announced that live music producer Red Mountain Entertainment will serve as the producer for events at the facility. In addition to operating the venue, Red Mountain’s responsibilities will include booking and producing concerts, selling sponsorships and special seating […]

David Andersen – Nashville’s Musical Ambassador

Multifaceted guitarist David Andersen, known as the Ambassador of Music City from his daily appearances at the Country Music Hall of Fame, recently donated a portion of his CD sales to the American Red Cross Flood Relief to support those affected by the Nashville flood. Andersen is thankful to fans who sent letters, emails, phone […]

Jimmy Webb Records With Nashville’s Finest

On June 29, Songwriting legend Jimmy Webb (“By The Time I Get To Phoenix,” Wichita Lineman,” “Highwaymen”) will release Just Across The River, a collection of new and old material recorded at Nashville’s Sound Emporium with a supporting lineup of some of Nashville’s finest musicians. Among the album’s songs are “If You See Me Getting […]

Kellie Pickler Announces Engagement

Kellie Pickler is engaged. The singer has announced her betrothal to Nashville songwriter Kyle Jacobs. People magazine reports that Jacobs proposed on June 15 during a Florida beach vacation. The couple met about two and a-half years ago, and the proposal fell on the same day as Pickler’s late grandmother’s birthday. “It turned out to […]

Michael Martin Murphey’s “Westfest” Returns

After a five year break, Western Music Hall of Fame member Michael Martin Murphey’s Westfest® 2010, is officially set to be held at the Garfield County Fairgrounds in Rifle, Colorado, August 12-15.  

For 2010, talent has been booked with a sensitivity to the love of the outdoors of the Western Colorado region. Many of the […]

Larry Wayne Clark Benefit a Success

The Nashville Sings for Larry Wayne Clark benefit has met its initial goal of raising $5,000 to help the popular and influential songwriter as he undergoes cancer treatment.

 The June 14 event at the Red Rooster Bar & Music Hall featured live performances by some of Music City’s most talented singers and songwriters, as well […]

BMI Announces Flood Relief Campaign

BMI has announced the creation of a two-part campaign designed to help fuel rebuilding efforts after the historic flood that devastated Middle Tennessee last month. The initiative was unveiled by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville Jody Williams during Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s all-star Nashville Rising: A […]

Rascal Flatts Steps Up For Suicide Prevention

Country supergroup Rascal Flatts have been named as Ambassadors, or celebrity spokesmen, for The Jason Foundation (JFI). In addition to their roles in public service announcements, public awareness programs and fundraising, they will also promote the foundation’s newly created “B1” project. The “B1” project is a nationwide effort specifically geared to educate youth and students […]

U.S. To Target Music, Movie Piracy

Vice President Joe Biden announced Tuesday (6/22) that the United States will target foreign websites that pirate American music and movies. It’s all part of a new national strategy to reduce intellectual property theft. “This is theft, clear and simple,” Biden said at a meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano […]

New Chesney Album Coming This Fall

SoundScan watchers received good news today, with the announcement that Kenny Chesney has set a Sept. 28 release date for his latest studio album, Hemingway’s Whiskey. Named for the title track penned by Guy Clark, this will be Chesney’s first mainstream studio effort in three years, since Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates. During […]

ASCAP Hires Jessica Draper

ASCAP has hired former Performing Songwriter Music Editor Jessica Draper as Manager, Creative Services for its Nashville branch. She had served at the magazine since 2008 and worked there until it ceased publcation in June 2009. Her other career stops include time as a Public Relations Associate at classical music PR and artist management firm […]

Brooks & Dunn Hall of Fame Show Rescheduled

Regular tickets to Brooks & Dunn’s farewell show are sold out, but a few VIP packages are still available. The August 10 [rescheduled to 9/2] concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena is a benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Check out the VIP offerings below and help a great cause. Hillbilly Deluxe Package […]

Songwriter Larry Jon Wilson Passes

Songwriter Larry Jon Wilson died yesterday (6/21) at age 69. The Georgia native was recognized for his songs about rural life and for his association with contemporaries such as Townes Van Zandt, Mickey Newbury, Guy Clark, John Prine, and Kris Kristofferson. Wilson didn’t start writing songs until age 30, but within a few years he […]

Rascal Flatts Embarks On New Tour

Top ticket seller Rascal Flatts will launch a new tour Friday, June 25 in Raleigh, North Carolina. The first leg of the JC Penney Presents Rascal Flatts Nothing Like This Tour is scheduled for 28 shows, running through September 19. On board are opening acts Kellie Pickler and Chris Young. The recently wrapped Rascal Flatts […]

Golden Music Nashville Closes

Golden Music Nashville is closing up shop, the latest music company to fold in today’s difficult climate. The label opened three years ago with flagship act Williams Riley, and eventually added Benton Blount to the roster. A rep for the company says the publishing division, Wide Open Music, is still in business. Lisa Strickland served […]

Google Music To Debut This Year

The Wall Street Journal has the latest scoop on Google’s upcoming music service. The paper reports that Google is set to roll out a download service later this year—though still several months away—and follow that with a subscription offering in 2011. Of course, the service will be linked to the Google’s ubiquitous search engine. Google […]

Nashville Rising Concert Sold Out

Tomorrow night’s (6/22) Nashville Rising benefit for flood relief is sold out, but a few VIP ticket packages are still available. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill spearheaded the concert event at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, recruiting a superstar line-up including Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Michael W Smith, Amy Grant, Montgomery Gentry, Luke Bryan, LeAnn […]

WDHR’s Randy Jones Passes Away

MusicRow is saddened to report that Randy Jones, PD of East Kentucky Broadcasting’s WDHR/Pikeville, KY passed away at his home yesterday (6/20). He was 59 years old. A beloved local radio fixture, Jones was the longtime announcer for Pikeville High School basketball and football games and the voice of WDHR radio. He was born in […]

Jaron Debut Out Tomorrow

The debut album from Jaron And The Long Road To Love will be released tomorrow (6/22) on Jaronwood/Universal Republic Records in association with Big Machine Records. The first single from Getting Dressed in the Dark is “Pray For You,” currently at No. 7 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout chart. The “Pray for You” video features Jaime […]

Music City Roots Salutes IBMA

Music City Roots, the weekly show at the Loveless Barn, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the IBMA with a special installment Wednesday night (6/23). This jam-packed night features nine bands spanning the history of bluegrass, from the mountain-influenced early days to the young standouts of tomorrow. On the line-up are Jesse McReynolds, The Whites, […]

Jason Blume Songwriters’ Workshop

BMI Nashville will once again host the Jason Blume Songwriters’ Workshop Series. The 2010/2011 season kicks off July 20 with hit songwriter and best-selling author Blume offering creative tips and business counsel. Each session will conclude with either a one-song pitch to an established music publisher or a thorough critique from Blume. Individuals who wish […]

Pat Finch Representing Big Borassa Music

Hit songwriter Brett Jones has recruited publishing veteran Pat Finch to represent his catalog and publishing company, Big Borassa. Finch was most recently Senior Vice President/General Manager of S1 Songs in Nashville, where the company’s latest achievements included No. 1’s by Easton Corbin (“Little More Country Than That”), Rascal Flatts (“Unstoppable”), and George Strait (“I […]

Brad Paisley Underwater

A new GAC special premiering tonight (6/21) at 9 PM/CT explores Brad Paisley’s H2O Tour and how his team rallied together to launch the show as scheduled after the Nashville floods ravaged most of his stage and equipment. Viewers get rare behind-the-scenes access to production meetings and rehearsals that were on track prior to the […]

Bon Jovi, Vector Management Part Ways

Bon Jovi and Vector Management have ended their relationship after five years, according to the New York Post. The report says Jack Rovner was handling management duties for the rockers who were signed to the powerhouse roster. Jon Bon Jovi tells the Post: “The boring truth is we decided to go in different directions and […]

Veronica Ballestrini

Veronica Ballestrini is returning to country radio with her latest single “Don’t Say,” which the young artist co-penned with producer Cliff Downs. The net savvy singer recently parlayed her Myspace popularity into an appearance on the Simon Fuller-created internet program If I Can Dream after a video of her performing “Bless The Broken Road” became […]

Friday Photos: Young, Niemann, Gokey and More

RCA Nashville artist Chris Young brought his back-to-back No. 1 hits to the Riverfront Park Stage for a performance on Friday afternoon (6/11) of the CMA Music Festival. Sea Gayle/Arista Nashville’s Jerrod Niemann was in Florida recently to play for a packed house of Cat Country 107.1/WCKT listeners at the Hot Spot. While in town, the […]

Kenny Chesney Preps Football Documentary

Country superstar Kenny Chesney may have sold millions of records, won countless awards and played sold-out stadium shows for legions of fans, but anyone who knows the singer from Luttrell, Tennessee knows that his success is rooted in the discipline, the teamwork and sense of purpose he came to learn as teenager playing football at […]

Jennette McCurdy To Open For Faith Hill

Capitol Records Nashville newcomer and star of the hit Nickelodeon show, iCarly, Jennette McCurdy will be opening for Faith Hill on July 23 at the Ironstone Amphitheatre in Murphys, California and July 24 at the OC Fair and Event Centre in Costa Mesa, California. McCurdy’s first acting job at 8 years old was the Faith […]

Leadership Music Selects 22nd Class

Fifty-two new members have been selected to participate in the 22nd class of Leadership Music. The annual program is designed to create a forum for established music community leaders to identify and explore issues currently affecting the music industry. “The selection committee, composed of Leadership Music alumni from all areas of the industry, has carefully chosen […]

Veronica Ballestrini Lives Her “Dream”

Timbob Records artist Veronica Ballestrini headed to Hollywood recently to be a part of the Internet program If I Can Dream. As a result of her posted MySpace video and performance of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless The Broken Road,” Ballestrini became a favorite on the show’s social media page and was selected as a “MySpace Dream […]

Weekly Chart Report 6/18/10

The Week’s Radio/chart news including SpinZone, and Going For Adds…

EMI Ups Roger Faxon To Group CEO

Roger Faxon, chairman and chief executive of EMI Music Publishing since 2007, has been put in charge of the company’s recorded music division. EMI announced the appointment today as part of an overhaul designed “to enable the company to reposition itself as a comprehensive rights management company that can take full advantage of all global […]

AEG Live And Labels In Talks?

The New York Post is reporting today (6/18) that, amid a slowdown in the concert business, AEG Live is talking to major music companies about taking a minority stake in the business. The Los Angeles-based company, the second-largest live entertainment company in the world, is a unit of AEG, an owner of sports teams and […]

Wrensong/Reynsong Racking Up The Hits

Wrensong/Reynsong Music Publishing has announced the promotion of Christina Mitchell to songplugger. Mitchell previously handled administration for the company. She is responsible for securing the Jason Aldean cut, “The Truth.” The company has also brought Heather Edwards back into the fold as Office Manager. In other news, Wrensong’s Ashley Monroe recently landed her first No. […]

Michael Chugg Receives CMA Int’l Award

During a press conference at 2010 CMA Music Festival last Thursday (6/10), Australian concert promoter Michael Chugg of Chugg Entertainment was given the Jo Walker-Meador International Award. The Award was presented by CMA Board Chairman Steve Moore, with CMA Board members Jeff Walker, President of AristoMedia/Marco Promotions, and Rob Potts, CEO of Rob Potts Entertainment […]

Cumulus Presents “Healthy Living Expo”

On Saturday, June 26, Cumulus Nashville, a five-station radio conglomerate which includes SuperTalk 99.7, 92Q, 95.5 The Wolf, 97.1 RQQ and i106, will hold the Healthy Living Expo at CoolSprings Galleria from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Unlike many health fairs, the Healthy Living Expo is designed to be interactive. Attendees will have access to […]

Chesney and Steve Miller Rock “Crossroads”

Eight-time country music Entertainer of the Year Kenny Chesney returns to CMT Crossroads to share the stage with one of his musical influences, rock icon Steve Miller, in the latest episode of the hit CMT series.  CMT Crossroads: The Steve Miller Band and Kenny Chesney premieres Friday, July 9 at 8:00 p.m. CT on CMT. […]

CMT Previews “Big New Music”

CMT will unveil a lineup of new music videos when CMT Big New Music Weekend returns in an exclusive, world premiere event Friday, June 18 through Sunday, June 20. Nine music videos will debut on CMT, CMT.com and CMT Pure from Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Reba, Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson, LeAnn Rimes, Gary Allan, Danny Gokey […]

Randy Owen Treated For Prostate Cancer

Randy Owen, lead singer and principal songwriter for the Country Music Hall of Fame members Alabama, told attendees at his annual fan club party in Ft. Payne, Alabama last week that earlier this year he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. During a recent checkup, Dr. Woody Fritz in Birmingham, Alabama, noticed an elevated level of […]

“Smoky Mountain Rain” Tennessee’s New State Song

The competition to become Tennessee’s new state song has been won by “Smoky Mountain Rain,” made famous by country star Ronnie Milsap. The song, written by Nashville songwriters Kye Fleming and Dennis Morgan, is one of Milsap’s 40 No. 1 hits. Tennessee’s House Budget Subcommittee unanimously approved the resolution designating the tune an official state […]

Shelton Fans Rally For a Good Cause 


Warner Bros. Records artist Blake Shelton partnered with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to hold a CMA Music Fest fan party at the Wildhorse Saloon on Friday, June 10. Shelton and his fans raised $30,609 to be used for patient aid and research for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through participation in Light The Night […]

NMPA Sues Limewire

Eight members of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) today (6/16) filed a lawsuit against LimeWire for copyright infringement of their musical works on a massive scale. NMPA President and CEO David Israelite announced the action today at the NMPA’s Annual Meeting in New York City. The plaintiffs – EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Universal […]

Jackson Video Celebrates American Workforce

“God bless the working man,” sings Alan Jackson in “Hard Hat and a Hammer,” the latest hit single from his acclaimed Freight Train album.  Award-winning director Theresa Wingert (Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift) traveled all across the Southeast to film real working men and women on construction sites and in mines, at fire stations […]

Gibson’s City-Wide Evening For Flood Relief

For the past month, Gibson Guitar and the Gibson Foundation have placed Music City Flood Relief Donation Banks throughout Nashville at landmark venues and businesses to help aid the victims of the recent Nashville floods. The donation banks, created from actual Gibson guitar cases, have been placed throughout the city for visiting patrons to make […]

“Get Low” Soundtrack Spotlights Nashville

On July 27 Rounder Records will release the soundtrack to Sony Pictures Classics’ Get Low. The soundtrack features new material recorded especially for the film by Rounder artists Alison Krauss – her first new track since 2007’s A Hundred Miles or More – and The SteelDrivers (the latter also appear in the movie).  Academy Award […]

DISClaimer Single Reviews (6/16/10)

Lady Antebellum, Chris Young and Miranda Lambert are all coming off of chart-topping singles. And all three have their follow-ups ready to go this week. All three hit home runs.

Country Stars Pay Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd

Some of country music’s most authentic voices pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Lynyrd Skynyrd with Sweet Home Alabama – The Country Music Tribute To Lynyrd Skynyrd. Balancing the band’s bedrock southern rock and outlaw country roots,  Sweet Home Alabama – The Country Music Tribute To Lynyrd Skynyrd is a distinctive collection of many […]

“Musician’s Corner” Comes to Centennial Park

A new Nashville destination, dubbed Musicians Corner, will showcase and celebrate the Music City’s musical talent. Located in the West End Avenue corner of Centennial Park, the location will be inaugurated with a series of free Saturday afternoon lawn parties, starting July 10 and continuing every Saturday from 3:00 to 6:00 PM through October 16. […]

Ricky Skaggs Returns With “Mosaic”

With his new album, Mosaic, due on August 24 from Skaggs Family Records, 14-time Grammy winner Ricky Skaggs is back with a full band sound. Following an unparalleled string of success in country music in the 1980s and early ‘90s, including eight CMA Awards (1985 Entertainer of the Year), Platinum records and a performance at […]

“Tunesmithing” Comes To Music Row

“Tunesmithing on Music Row,” a monthly show spotlighting emerging and hit songwriters, will take place from 6:30-9:00 PM on Wednesday, July 7 at Edgehill Studios Cafe, 1201 Villa Place on Music Row. The headliner for the evening will be singer/songwriter Tom Shinness. Also on the bill will be songwriter/actor Mike Callahan, songwriter Claudia Nygaard, and songwriter/author […]