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Keith Urban Brings Fans Closer During 'Light The Fuse Tour'

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keith urban show11111On Saturday evening (Feb. 1), Keith Urban got a warm welcome from the musical city he’s called home for the past 20 years. Urban, Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch brought the last night of their Light The Fuse Tour to Music City.

Prior to Urban’s headlining set, the arena was treated to the airtight harmonies of Little Big Town. “I remember playing our songs at 3rd and Lindsley and dreaming about this night,” said Karen Fairchild. “All we ever wanted to do was sing. Thank you to all the songwriters who let us sing your songs. Keith gave us our first shot at performing in arenas about nine years ago.” Little Big Town performed several of their hits including “Boondocks,” “Pontoon,” “Tornado” “Your Side of the Bed,” and covers of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” and The Oak Ridge Boys’ “Elvira.”
Eschewing the expected dramatic entrance favored by many musicians, Urban’s concert opening was refreshingly sparse. Urban reversed the typical concert opening, which involves band members taking the stage and vamping until the crowd is whipped into a frenzy that welcomes the star of the evening onstage. Urban walked onstage alone, practically taking the audience by surprise. As a swell of recognition filled the arena, Urban greeted the crowd before taking up his banjo for an instrumental solo. One by one, his band members joined in, creating a wall of sound.
Urban and his band of talented musicians offered a substantial palette of hits, including “Long Hot Summer,” “Sweet Thing,” “Better Life,” “Even The Stars Fall 4 You,” “Who Wouldn’t Wanna Be Me” and even a quirky cover of “Rocky Top.” Urban made great use of his talented tourmates as well, bringing out Little Big Town to lend harmonies on “Fly,” and Lynch to add some country boy swagger to “Kiss A Girl.” Fairchild gave a soulful rendition of Miranda Lambert’s female vocal on “We Were Us.”

keith urban 222222Kudos to Urban’s lighting and video team for the creative and effective design. The video screen was divided into five panels, separated by vertical rows of lights, which allowed for a myriad of configurations. At points during the concert, the panels displayed one image, while at other times, each member of the band was featured on a separate panel simultaneously, creating a close-up look at what was happening onstage from all angles. A small camera was attached to the headstock of Urban’s guitar, allowing fans an extremely close look at those guitar riffs Urban is famous for.

Creating a personal, intimate feel in a cavernous arena has always been one of Urban’s strengths, and the Fuse tour is no different. He used an arsenal of tricks to get close to fans in every section of the venue, including walking through the crowd and shaking hands along the way (while playing Blake Shelton‘s “Boys ‘Round Here,” no less). He ventured to a smaller stage in the back of the arena, and also into the “cheap seats” to perform. One lucky fan got a signed guitar from the star.
Urban gave another attendee, Alexis, the best seat in the house. After using a spotlight to get a better look at signs that die-hard fans brought to the show, Urban selected Alexis’ sign, which bore the questions “Can I Have A Hug?” Urban did one better. Not only did Alexis get the hug she hoped for, but a recliner was brought onstage and Alexis got a personal serenade from Urban on “Back To Me.”
He not only got close to his fans, he let them get close to him, via personal stories scattered throughout the concert. He mentioned that he performed “Memories of Us” during his wedding to Nicole Kidman. He told fans how he penned “Once In A Lifetime” after a conversation with then-fiance Kidman. “We were talking about getting married,” he recalled. “She was scared about making a commitment to a guy like me and I was trying to convince her. The next day, I didn’t plan on it, but I was writing a song and this is what came out.”
keith urban3331111The crowd also got an extended concert. “We might be a bit late tonight—a little later than normal,” said Urban, to the audience’s delight. His set began at 9 p.m. and didn’t end until after 11:30 p.m.
It wouldn’t be a Nashville concert without special guests. Eric Church appeared for “Raise ‘Em Up,” while Peter Frampton joined Urban for a sizzling guitar duel. Unfortunately, a technical issue kept the audience from hearing a brief portion of Urban’s masterful guitar melodies. The two clearly enjoyed the moment, trading guitar licks on The Beatles’ “Get Back.”
After closing the show with his signature “Somebody Like You” amid blasts of confetti, Urban returned to the stage after a brief pause. Taking a seat solo at a piano, Urban offered a medley of ballads, including “But For The Grace of God,” “Raining On Sunday,” and “Tonight I Wanna Cry,” before closing with the romantic Rodney Crowell-penned ballad “Making Memories Of Us.”
Though the tour ended in Nashville, Urban didn’t stay in town long. He told the crowd he would be flying out the next day to visit his wife and children in Morocco, where Kidman is currently shooting a movie.

Weekly Chart Report (1/31/14)

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Screen Shot 2014-01-30 at 3.25.12 PMTo access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report, click here or above.

DISClaimer: All Stars, No Waiting

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best night ever111It’s all stars, no waiting, in this week’s Country column. Most of them are in peak performance mode, so there’s a lot to like. I was particularly impressed with the new tunes from Eric Church and Keith Urban. Despite the presence of a number of superstars, a second-tier act seized the Disc of the Day prize. Gloriana is gloriously listenable. We also have a dandy audio experience from our DisCovery Award winners, The Swon Brothers.
ERIC CHURCH/Give Me Back My Hometown
Writers: Eric Church & Luke Laird; Producer: Jay Joyce; Publishers: Sony-ATV Tree/Longer and Louder/Songs of Univesal/Creative Nation/Twangin and Slangin, BMI; EMI (CDX)
-Arguably Church’s finest vocal on a single to date. Joyce’s brilliant production starts with soft electronic burbling then kicks into a delayed-reaction thunderous stomp. Gripping listening, from start to finish.
RONNIE MILSAP/Summer Number Seventeen
Writers: Joe Hunter/Sam Hunter; Producer: Richard Landis & Rob Galbraith; Publishers: Donavan the Sloth/Bluewater/Johala, no performance rights listed; Legacy (CDX)
-An easy-listening, old-school romantic ballad, complete with sighing orchestra, a sizzling sax solo and piano triplets. Veteran Milsap is in excellent voice here.
KEITH URBAN/Cop Car
Writers: Zach Crowell/Matt Jenkins/Sam Hunt; Producers: Zach Crowell & Keith Urban; Publishers: Songs of Southside Independent/External Combustion/Who Wants to Buy My Pub/WB/Twang Tractor/Wrensong, ASCAP; Capitol Nashville
-Getting busted has never sounded more romantic. The left-of-center song totally charmed me, and Urban’s performance gives it immense warmth and personality. A winner, for sure.
GLORIANA/Best Night Ever
Writers: Hillary Lindsey/Luke Laird/Ashley Gorley; Producer: Matt Serletic; Publishers: BMG Gold/Songs of Universal/Creative Nation/Twangin’ and Slangin’/Songs of Southside Independent/Out of the Taperoom/External Combustion, BMI/ASCAP; Warner. Bros.
-Driving and propulsive, this tempo tune makes excellent use of the band’s double-threat vocalists. The song alternates from the male and female points of view as a romance is unwittingly kindled. Meanwhile, the production churns and burns up into the stratosphere. Superbly executed, all the way around.
EASTON CORBIN/Clockwork
Writers: Carson Chamberlain/Wade Kirby/Ashley Gorley; Producer: Carson Chamberlain; Publishers: Carson Chamberlain/Steel Wheels/Kirbtone/Big Loud Bucks/External Combustion/Out of the Taperoom/Songs of Southside Independent, BMI/ASCAP; Mercury
-The lyric is somewhat wordy. The gist of it is that she makes love to him and breaks his heart over and over again. This single sort of went in one ear and out the other without ever really engaging or captivating me.
JAKE OWEN/Beachin’
Writers: Jaren Johnston/Jon Nite/Jimmy Robbins; Producer: Joey Moi; Publishers: Sony-ATV Harmony/Texa Rae/EMI April/Jon Mark Nite/Universal/Extraordinary Alien, ASCAP; RCA
-Drowsy, dreamy summer romance for stoners everywhere.
ELI YOUNG BAND/Dust
Writers: Jon Jones/James Young/Kyle Jacobs/Josh Osborne; Producers: Justin Niebank, Frank Liddell & Eli Young Band; Publishers: Agent 415/Young James Young/Curbsongs/Jacobsong/Wizard of Os/Songs of Black River, BMI/ASCAP; Republic Nashville
-She’s sick of her life with that boy in that nowhere town, so she’s putting pedal to the metal, turning up the radio and heading for the open road. And this band has just the punching tempo accompaniment for her flight to freedom. Tap your toes and sing along.
RASCAL FLATTS/Rewind
Writers: Chris DeStafano/Ashley Gorley/Eric Paslay; Producers: Jay DeMarcus & Rascal Flatts; Publishers: EMI April/Sugar Glider/External Combustion/Out of the Taperoom/Songs of Southside Independent/Cal IV, ASCAP; Big Machine
-Sweetly romantic. He wishes he could turn back time so he can fall in love with her all over again. As usual, the trio sings with shiny-bright verve.
swon brothers111THE SWON BROTHERS/Later On
Writers: Ryan Hurd/Joey Hyde/Justin Wilson; Producer: Mark Bright; Publishers: Universal/Lake Allegan/Sony-ATV Tree/Magic Mustang/Big Loud Bucks, ASCAP/BMI; Arista
-I loved these guys when they competed on The Voice and was delighted when they got a recording contract. Their debut single is a sunny salute to an alluring babe that has a deliciously addictive chorus. Bopping and promising in the extreme.
TIM MCGRAW/Lookin’ For That Girl
Writers: James Slater/Chris Tompkins/Mark Irwin; Producer: Byron Gallimore & Tim McGraw; Publishers: EMI Blackwood/Jamesslatermusic/Sony-ATV/Big Loud Songs/Play Animal/Big Loud Bucks/Green Vinyl, BMI/ASCAP; Big Machine
-It is very cool sounding, even though — like a dismaying amount of today’s “Country” music — it doesn’t have much of a melody. Go with the groove.

Bobby Karl Works The Musicians Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

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(L-R) Jody Williams (Vice President Writer/Publisher Relations at BMI), Wesley Orbison (Back/ponytail) Roy Kelton Orbison Jr. (Front, long hair), Alex Orbison (Back/beard) all sons of 2014 Inductee, the late Roy Orbison. Continuing – 2014 Inductees Corki Casey O’Dell (front/glasses), Tommy Shannon (back/hat/Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble), Mike Curb (center/tie), Velma Smith (front/center), Guest Neil Young (back/hat), Heidi Denning (front/short hair/daughter of Inductee, the late Ben Keith), Inductees Will Lee (back/sunglasses), Barbara Mandrell (front), Billy Cox (back/2009 Inductee), Chris Layton (front/Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble), Reese Wynans (back/glasses/beard/Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble), Jimmy Capps (front/beard), Randy Bachman (back/beard), Joe Chambers (right end/founder Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum. Photo: Royce DeGrie


If you have never attended a Musicians Hall of Fame concert/ceremony, you have missed some of the most dazzling musical displays and star-studded events that Nashville offers.
The fourth annual such event took place Tuesday evening (Jan. 28) at the historic Municipal Auditorium. Like its three predecessors, it was loaded with star power and packed with spectacular music.
The concert that night? In a word, wow. Booked were Z.Z. Top’s Billy Gibbons, Chris Isaac, The Oak Ridge Boys, The Eagles’ Don Felder, Duane Eddy and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, not to mention inductees Peter Frampton, Double Trouble and Randy Bachman. The show was hosted by Chip Esten, who plays “Deacon Claybourne” on TV’s Nashville.
“I play a player on our show,” Esten said. “I’ve played guitar all my life. But I can’t play like a player. I’m going to stand here like the fan that I am.”
The multi-tiered gala began in the afternoon in the Musicians Hall of Fame Museum, which is located beneath the Auditorium. That’s where the Medallions were presented to the honorees.
“I want to thank Joe [Chambers] for the incredible job he’s done with this building,” said Mayor Karl Dean. (The Museum was forced to move because its earlier incarnation was in the footprint of Dean’s beloved, spectacular Music City Center.) “He is going to make this building something we can all be proud of.”
I already am proud. The new Museum is sensational. If you have never attended, you are missing some of the most dazzling musical displays and star-studded memorabilia that Nashville offers. Is there an echo in here?
“It’s so special and so different,” said BMI’s Jody Williams of the Musicians Hall of Fame. “We are very proud to sponsor this Medallion ceremony.”
“This is all about the musicians,” said museum founder Joe Chambers. “Ladies first.”
Indeed. This year’s inductees include the first three individual women members of the Hall of Fame. Velma Smith, “was the lady who knocked down the walls here in Nashville for female musicians,” said Chambers.
Smith is a Kentucky native who was in a sister act that opened for Bill Monroe in her home state. He came back to Nashville and told the Opry about her. The sisters were recruited for the show, which is how she became the first woman to play a guitar solo on the national NBC network broadcast of the Opry. Next, Roy Acuff hired her as the bass player in his Smoky Mountain Boys. She subsequently went on the road in the bands of Ernest Tubb, Jimmy Dickens and Carl Smith. While a member of the last-named’s Tune Smiths band, she fell in love with its fiddler, the late Hal Smith. They married and remained so for 60 years.
Pictured (L-R): 2014 Inductee Randy Bachman (Bachman Turner Overdrive/The Guess Who), 2014 Inductee Will Lee (Late Show w/ David Letterman’s CBS Orchestra, The Fab Faux), ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Artist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, 2014 Inductee Peter Frampton closing out the 2014 Musicians Hall of Fame Awards Show at Nashville’s Historic Municipal Auditorium, January 28th in an all-star jam.

Pictured (L-R): 2014 Musicians Hall inductee Randy Bachman (Bachman Turner Overdrive/The Guess Who), 2014 inductee Will Lee (Late Show with David Letterman’s CBS Orchestra, The Fab Faux), ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, artist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and 2014 inductee Peter Frampton close out the Musicians Hall of Fame Awards Show at Nashville’s Historic Municipal Auditorium on Jan. 28. Photo: Royce DeGrie


Chet Atkins loved her rhythm guitar work and hired Velma Smith for a Davis Sisters recording session in 1953. She was soon indispensable in the studio on the sessions of Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, Skeeter Davis, Jerry Reed, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Hank Locklin, Charlie Rich, Don Gibson and more.
“She was one of the first people you would call an A-List session player in Nashville,” said Steve Wariner. “She was way ahead of her time, long before women’s lib.”
Velma is recovering from a stroke that has affected her right side. But she grinned from ear to ear from her wheelchair. She told me that she can’t play guitar anymore, but what she misses even more is the ability to walk.
“The second lady [inductee] was across the country in Arizona,” said Chambers. “What Velma was to country, Corki was to rock ‘n’ roll.” That would be Corki Casey O’Dell, who played rhythm guitar on the famous instrumental hits of the “Titan of Twang,” Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Duane Eddy. Recording in Phoenix, she backed Eddy on “Rebel Rouser,” “Ramrod,” “40 Miles of Bad Road,” “Peter Gunn” and more. She can be heard even earlier on Sanford Clark’s 1956 hit “The Fool,” hence her title as “The First Rock and Roll Sidechick.” She was also later a session bass player.
This year’s third 2014 female inductee is Barbara Mandrell. “She’s in the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, and is an incredible musician on top of everything else,” said Chambers. Mandrell also plays Dobro, mandolin, saxophone, bass, guitar, accordion and banjo. She was a role model to millions of aspiring female musicians via instrumental showcases on her weekly NBC television variety series in the 1980s.
Rock ‘n’ Roll, Country and Rockabilly Hall of Fame member Brenda Lee inducted Mandrell. Brenda has lost 32 pounds. “I’ve decided to get back into the business,” she said backstage. “And you can’t be in the business if you don’t look good.”
Inductee Will Lee is perhaps best known as the bass guitarist in the CBS Orchestra on The Late Show With David Letterman. As a studio musician, he has played on more than 1,700 albums by artists as diverse as Carly Simon, Dave Matthews, Barry Manilow and Mariah Carey.
One of the earliest superstars to embrace the idea of a Musicians Hall of Fame was Neil Young. He attended this year to celebrate the induction of his steel player, the late Ben Keith. Keith began his career in Nashville as a session musician on 1961’s “I Fall to Pieces” by Patsy Cline. After more than a decade as a Nashvillian, he moved west with Young and became a force in rock music, too.
Young placed the Medallion around the neck of Ben’s daughter, Heidi Keith. “Neil gave us instant credibility,” said a grateful Chambers.
Pictured (L-R): Jody Williams (Vice President Writer/Publisher Relations at BMI), Honorable Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, Country legend and Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Brenda Lee, Musicians Hall of Fame Founder Joe Chambers, 2-time Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Neil Young take a moment to snap a shot during the Musicians Hall of Fame Induction and Medallion Ceremony on January 28.

Pictured (L-R): Jody Williams (Vice President Writer/Publisher Relations at BMI), Honorable Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, Country legend and Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Brenda Lee, Musicians Hall of Fame Founder Joe Chambers, 2-time Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame Inductee Neil Young take a moment to snap a shot during the Musicians Hall of Fame Induction and Medallion Ceremony on January 28. Photo: Royce DeGrie


“I had a rock ‘n’ roll band, because I was trying to copy these guys,” said Chambers of The Guess Who. The group’s Randy Bachman  — also of the iconic Bachman Turner Overdrive — was a genial and gentle inductee. The super-nice guy proved that he can still play his digits off on “American Woman” or any of his other classics.
Inductee Jimmy Capps played guitar on “The Gambler,” “Stand By Your Man,” “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and a blue-zillion other Nashville classics. He’s been a mainstay of the Grand Ole Opry staff band and is now a regular as the guitar “Sherriff” on Larry’s Country Diner on RFD-TV. The show’s Larry Black led Terry Choate, Jimmy Fortune and a passel of the network’s personnel in Jimmy’s own cheering section at the concert.
I’ve known this guitarist for 30 years. “What are you taking?” I asked Capps. “You look exactly the same as you did when I first met you.” Okay, his hair is maybe whiter, but he’s essentially unchanged. I mean it.
Blues guitar great Buddy Guy was on the road and unable to attend his Hall of Fame induction. Previous inductee Billy Cox accepted his Medallion for him
Inductee Peter Frampton flew directly from the Grammy Awards into rehearsals for the Musicians Hall of Fame concert. What a mighty man. Don’t forget: He was a stellar axe man in The Herd and Humble Pie years before Frampton Comes Alive made him a solo superstar.
The late Stevie Ray Vaughan and his band Double Trouble were also inductees. Band members Chris Layton, Tommy Shannon and Reese Wynans were there to accept their Medallions and to reunite as players.
Sons of the late Roy Orbison, (left) Wesley Orbison (back), Alex Orbison (at mic) and Roy Kelton Orbison Jr. (far right) speaking on behalf of their father for his induction into the Musicians Hall of Fame in the Iconic Riff category for his legendary hit song “Oh, Pretty Woman” on the stage of Nashville’s Historic Municipal Auditorium on January 28th

Sons of the late Roy Orbison, (L-R): Wesley Orbison (back), Alex Orbison (at mic) and Roy Kelton Orbison Jr. (far right) speaking on behalf of their father for his induction into the Musicians Hall of Fame in the Iconic Riff category for his legendary hit song “Oh, Pretty Woman” on the stage of Nashville’s Historic Municipal Auditorium on Jan. 28. Photo: Royce DeGrie


The 2014 Industry Icon Award was given to Mike Curb. Belmont’s Don Cusic presented it. The first Iconic Riff Award went to the late Roy Orbison for the classic groove he invented for “Oh, Pretty Woman.” His sons accepted.
The afternoon ceremony and the following concert were rocked by Jim Horn, Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals, Jerry Kennedy, Shelby Kennedy, Bill Lloyd, Bill Anderson, Jody Maphis, Rose Lee Maphis (who gave Mandrell her first job as a musician), Vickie Carrico, Webb Wilder, Jan Howard, Linda Davis, former BR5-49er Jay McDowell (who is now the Museum’s Multi-Media Curator), Fred Foster, Kenny O’Dell, Sheila Lawrence, Dennis Morgan, prior Musicians Hall of Fame honoree Reggie Young, Dave Pomeroy, Verlon Thompson and Brian Ahern, whose legendary Enactron truck studio is in the museum and who is recording presenter Buffy Sainte-Marie while she’s back in Music City.
We must give a shout-out to the concert house band: Yea! Keyboardist Shane Keister led an all-star ensemble including Steve Gibson, David Hungate, Gordon Kennedy, Craig Krampf, Bobby Wood, Mark Beckett, Jimmy Bowland, Vinnie Ciesielski, Mike Douchette, Barry Green, Randy Leago, Thom Flora, Marcia Ware and Marty Slayton.
Fabulons working the room at either the concert or the preceding Medallion ceremony included Dave Paulson, Ken Paulson, Charlie Monk, Capucine Monk, Mary Martin, Scott Stem, Bruce Bouton, Kay Clary, Perry Howard, David Preston, Hank Adam Locklin, Harry Chapman, Doak Turner, a stunningly newly svelte Margie Hunt, Jimmy Carter, Rose Drake, Craig & Pam Brown Hayes, Kay Smith, Amy Kurland, Trip Aldridge and Butch Spyridon. And can I get a witness for such organizers as Linda Chambers, Blake Chambers, Jeff Nunnally, Cindy Sinclair and Pam Repp?
With its 12 inductees, entertaining video segments and musical salutes, the concert/ceremony was a long one. And get this: After three-plus hours of music making, there was a rockin’ after party.
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Lambert, McGraw Lead 2014 ACM Nominations

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Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan will host the

Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan will host the ACM Awards on April 6, 2014.


Nominations for the 49th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards were revealed this morning (Jan. 29) via a digital press conference on the Academy of Country Music’s Facebook and Twitter pages. Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw earned seven nominations each, followed closely by Keith Urban with six nods. Scoring five nominations apiece were Lee Brice, Kacey Musgraves, Blake Shelton and Taylor Swift. Tallying nods in four categories were Florida Georgia Line and Lady Antebellum, while Luke Bryan and Darius Rucker earned three each. Many of the stars slotted nods for producing their projects.
Awards show co-hosts Shelton and Bryan are both nominated for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. Bryan is the reigning Entertainer of the Year. Shelton is also nominated for Song and Vocal Event. The ACM Awards, Country Music’s Party of the Year®, will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 8:00 PM live ET on the CBS Television Network.
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Miranda Lambert and Tim McGraw lead the ACM Award nominations with seven each.


Reigning Female Vocalist Lambert earned her eighth consecutive nod in that category and third nomination for Entertainer of the Year. She was nominated for Single, Song and Video for “Mama’s Broken Heart,” and twice for Vocal Event for “We Were Us” with Keith Urban, and “Boys ‘Round Here” Shelton’s hit featuring Pistol Annies).
McGraw’s nominations include Video of the Year for “Highway Don’t Care” featuring Swift & Urban. He is also nominated twice each in the Album, Single and Vocal Event categories as both the artist and producer.
Urban received six nominations, including Male Vocalist, Single Record and Video. In the Vocal Event category he is nominated for “Highway Don’t Care,” as well as nominated twice for “We Were Us” as the artist and producer.
Brice is nominated for five awards, including his first ever Male Vocalist and Video nominations, and fourth consecutive nod for Song of the Year. He is also nominated twice in the Single Record of the Year category as the artist and producer for “I Drive Your Truck.”
Musgraves earned five nominations, including her second consecutive nods for Female Vocalist and Video. She is also nominated for Song and nominated twice in the Album of the Year category, as the artist and producer for Same Trailer Different Park.
Swift received five nominations, including her fifth consecutive nod for Entertainer and seventh consecutive nod for Female Vocalist. She also received nominations for Single, Video and Vocal Event for “Highway Don’t Care.”
Reigning New Artist of the Year Florida Georgia Line earned four nominations, including Vocal Duo,  Album, Single Record and Vocal Event.
Darius Rucker’s hit featuring Lady Antebellum, “Wagon Wheel,” earned both acts nods for Single Record, Song and Vocal Event. Lady A picked up an additional nomination for Vocal Group.
First-time ACM nominees, slotting one nod each, include Brandy Clark (Song of the Year), Bob Dylan (Song of the Year), Dan + Shay (Vocal Duo of the Year), Nelly (Vocal Event of the Year), and Pistol Annies (Vocal Event).
Participating in today’s announcement through pre-recorded video clips were Fox Sports broadcaster Erin Andrews, 2 Broke Girls star Beth Behrs, reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year Dallas Davidson, The Insider co-anchor Kevin Frazier, singer and Pretty Little Liars star Lucy Hale, CBS This Morning co-anchor Gayle King, Jerrod Niemann, Entertainment Tonight co-anchor Nancy O’Dell, nominee Darius Rucker, and The Talk hosts Julie Chen, Sara Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Aisha Tyler and Sheryl Underwood. Duck Dynasty stars Willie and Korie Robertson announced the Entertainer of the Year nominees, see the video below.
Fans will again help select the winner of Entertainer of the Year, and New Artist of the Year Presented By Kohl’s. Semi-finalists for New Artist will compete via the fan vote at GACtv.com, combined with the ACM professional membership vote, to determine the three nominees for the award. An additional combined fan and professional membership vote will determine the New Artist winner.
Entertainer of the Year
Luke Bryan
Miranda Lambert
Blake Shelton
George Strait
Taylor Swift
Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Lee Brice
Luke Bryan
Blake Shelton
Keith Urban
Female Vocalist of the Year
Sheryl Crow
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood
Vocal Duo of the Year
Big & Rich
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Love and Theft
Thompson Square
Vocal Group of the Year
Eli Young Band
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band
New Artist of the Year (previously announced semi-finalists)
Lee Brice
Brett Eldredge
Tyler Farr
Justin Moore
Kip Moore
Kacey Musgraves
Thomas Rhett
Parmalee
First round fan voting for New Artist of the Year is going on at www.VoteACM.com and www.GACTV.com/ACM through Tuesday, Feb. 4 at 3 pm ET. Final round fan voting begins on Monday, March 24 and will close on April 6, with the winner being announced live during the ACM Awards.
Album of the Year [Award To Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
Based On A True Story… – Blake Shelton
Producer: Scott Hendricks; Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
Crash My Party – Luke Bryan
Producer: Jeff Stevens; Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Here’s To The Good Times – Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Joey Moi; Record Label: Republic Nashville
Same Trailer Different Park – Kacey Musgraves
Producers: Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves; Record Label: Mercury Records
Two Lanes Of Freedom – Tim McGraw
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Record Label: Big Machine Records
Single Record of the Year [Award To Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company]
“Cruise” – Florida Georgia Line
Producer: Joey Moi; Record Label: Republic Nashville
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw Featuring Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Record Label: Big Machine Records
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
Producers: Lee Brice, Kyle Jacobs, Matt McClure; Record Label: Curb Records
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
Producers: Chuck Ainlay, Frank Liddell, Glenn Worf; Record Label: RCA Nashville
“Wagon Wheel” – Darius Rucker Featuring Lady Antebellum
Producer: Frank Rogers; Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
Song of the Year [Award To Composer(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
“Every Storm (Runs Out Of Rain)” – Gary Allan
Songwriters: Gary Allan, Hillary Lindsey, Matthew Warren
Publishers: Always Alone Songs (ASCAP), Crystal Beach Music (BMI), Raylene Music (ASCAP)
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
Songwriters: Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Jimmy Yeary
Publishers: Beattyville Music (BMI), EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI), Great Day At This Music (BMI), Happy Tears Music (ASCAP), Vistaville Music (ASCAP), Watch This Girl Publishing (BMI)
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
Songwriters: Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves
Publishers: 351 Music (BMI), Crazy Water Music (ASCAP), Little Blue Egg (ASCAP), Songs of Parallel (ASCAP), Vista Loma Music (ASCAP), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI)
“Mine Would Be You” – Blake Shelton
Songwriters: Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Deric Ruttan
Publishers: Doc and Maggie Music (ASCAP), EMI Blackwood Music, Inc. (BMI), Get A Load Of This Music (ASCAP), Great Day At This Music (BMI), Hopeless Rose Music (ASCAP), Vistaville Music (ASCAP), Watch This Girl Publishing (BMI), WB Music Corp. (ASCAP)
“Wagon Wheel” – Darius Rucker Featuring Lady Antebellum
Songwriters: Bob Dylan, Ketch Secor
Publishers: Blood Donor Music (BMI), Special Rider Music (SESAC)
Video of the Year [Award To Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)] *(Off Camera Award)
“Better Dig Two” – The Band Perry
Producer: Eric Williams
Director: Declan Whitebloom
“Blowin’ Smoke” – Kacey Musgraves
Producer: Josh Goldstein
Director: Honey
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw Featuring Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
Producers: Tameron Hedge, Chandra LaPlume
Director: Shane Drake
“I Drive Your Truck” – Lee Brice
Producer: Karen Martin
Director: Eric Welch
“Mama’s Broken Heart” – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Reagan Rosson
Director: Trey Fanjoy
“Two Black Cadillacs” – Carrie Underwood
Producer: Steve Lamar
Director: P.R. Brown
Vocal Event of the Year [Award To Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company] *(Off Camera Award)
“Boys ‘Round Here” – Blake Shelton Featuring Pistol Annies & Friends
Producer: Scott Hendricks; Record Label: Warner Bros. Records
“Cruise (Remix)” – Florida Georgia Line Featuring Nelly
Producers: Joey Moi, Jason Nevins; Record Label: Republic Nashville
“Highway Don’t Care” – Tim McGraw Featuring Taylor Swift & Keith Urban
Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Record Label: Big Machine Records
“Wagon Wheel” – Darius Rucker Featuring Lady Antebellum
Producer: Frank Rogers; Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
“We Were Us” – Keith Urban And Miranda Lambert
Producers: Nathan Chapman, Keith Urban; Record Labels: Capitol Records Nashville, Hit Red Records, RCA Nashville
YouTube video

Off Camera Awards (to be presented during the 8th Annual ACM Honors Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014 in Nashville)
Songwriter of the Year
Rhett Akins
Rodney Clawson
Ashley Gorley
Luke Laird
Shane McAnally
Industry Awards:
Nightclub of the Year
Billy Bob’s Texas—Fort Worth, TX
Bub City—Chicago, IL
Floore’s Country Store—Helotes, TX
The Dusty Armadillo—Rootstown, OH
Wild Bills—Duluth, GA
Casino of the Year – Small Capacity (maximum capacity 4,000 seats)
Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa—Rancho Mirage, CA
Deadwood Mountain Grand—Deadwood, SD
Mohegan Sun Wolf Den—Uncasville, CT
Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort—Mount Pleasant, MI
The Joint at Hard Rock Casino—Catoosa, OK
Casino of the Year – Medium Capacity (capacity 4,001 seats to 11,000 seats)
Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino—Windsor, ON‎, Canada
Casino Rama—Rama, ON, Canada
Mohegan Sun Arena—Uncasville, CT
Star of the Desert Arena—Primm, NV
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace—Las Vegas, NV
Venue of the Year – Small Capacity (maximum capacity of 4,000 seats)
American Music Theatre—Lancaster, PA
Cape Cod Melody Tent—Hyannis, MA
Georgia Theatre—Athens, GA
House of Blues—Boston, MA
The Moody Theater—Austin, TX
Venue of the Year – Medium Capacity (capacity 4,001 seats to 11,000 seats)
Amphitheater at The Wharf—Orange Beach, AL
Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion at Meadowbrook—Gilford, NH
Big Sandy Superstore Arena—Huntington, WV
Grand Ole Opry House—Nashville, TN
Red Rocks Amphitheatre—Golden, CO
Venue of the Year – Large Capacity (venues of any type, including casinos, with a minimum of 11,001 seats)
BOK Center—Tulsa, OK
Bridgestone Arena—Nashville, TN
Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion—Bangor, ME
Gorge Amphitheatre—George, WA
Hollywood Bowl—Hollywood, CA
Don Romeo Talent Buyer of the Year
Billy Brill—Billy Alan Productions
Brock Jones—Global Spectrum
Nicole More—Neste Event Marketing
Fran Romeo—Romeo Entertainment Group
R.J. Romeo—Romeo Entertainment Group
Promoter of the Year
Brent Fedrizzi—AEG Live
Brad Garrett—Police Productions
Billy Minick—Billy Bob’s Texas
Brian O’Connell—Live Nation
Ron Sakamoto—Gold & Gold Productions
The Studio Recording Awards: (formerly the The Musician-Bandleader-Instrumentalist MBI Awards)
Bass Player of the Year
Mike Brignardello
Kevin “Swine” Grantt
Mark Hill
Michael Rhodes
Glenn Worf
Drummer of the Year
Chad Cromwell
Fred Eltringham
Shannon Forrest
Greg Morrow
Lonnie Wilson
Guitar Player of the Year
Jeff King
Troy Lancaster
Brent Mason
Rob McNelley
Jerry McPherson
Piano/Keyboards Player of the Year
Tony Harrell
John Jarvis
Charlie Judge
Tim Lauer
Gordon Mote
Specialty Instrument(s) Player of the Year
Glen Duncan
Larry Franklin
Jim Hoke
Danny Rader
Bryan Sutton
Steel Guitar Player of the Year
Dan Dugmore
Paul Franklin
Steve Hinson
Russ Pahl
Scotty Sanders
Audio Engineer of the Year
Derek Bason
Ben Fowler
Mills Logan
Steve Marcantonio
Justin Niebank
Producer of the Year
Mark Bright
Dann Huff
Michael Knox
Frank Liddell
Paul Worley
Radio Awards: (To be presented during the annual Radio Winners Reception held the day prior to the ACM Awards telecast, on Saturday, April 5 in Las Vegas.) 
On-Air Personality of the Year – National
Bobby Bones, Amy, Lunchbox —The Bobby Bones Show
Crook & Chase—Crook & Chase Countdown
Kix Brooks—American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks
Lia—The Lia Show
Lon Helton—Country Countdown USA
On-Air Personality of the Year – Major Market
Dave and Veronica; WQYK-FM—St. Petersburg, FL
Donna & “Muss”; KEEY-FM—Minneapolis, MN
Dr. Don Carpenter, Rachael Hunter, Grunwald, Jason the 300lb. Cowboy; WYCD-FM—Detroit, MI
Edwards & Lee – Chuck Edwards & Linda Lee; WYCD-FM—Detroit, MI
Paul Schadt and Meg Geof; WKKT-FM—Charlotte, NC
On-Air Personality of the Year – Large Market
Big Dave & Chelsie; WUBE-FM—Cincinnati, OH
Dave O’Brien; WLHK-FM—Indianapolis, IN
Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt & Kevin Freeman; WFMS-FM—Indianapolis, IN
Lisa McKay; WQDR-FM—Raleigh, NC
Randy Carroll and Jamie Martin; KAJA-FM—San Antonio, TX
On-Air Personality of the Year – Medium Market
Andy Ritchie, Alison West, Jimmy Holt; WIVK-FM—Knoxville, TN
Dan Brennan & Shelby Mitchell; WKSJ-FM—Mobile, AL
Kevin Richards; WGNA-FM—Schenectady, NY
Scott Wynn & Sue Wilson; WQMX-FM—Akron, OH
Steve Lundy and Gina Melton; KXKT-FM—Omaha, NE
On-Air Personality of the Year – Small Market
Bill Barrett, Tim Fox and Tracy Berry; KKNU-FM—Eugene, OR
Brian Gary, Todd Harding, and Susan Moore; KUAD-FM—Windsor, CO
Dex and Mo; WUSY- FM—Chattanooga, TN
Mark Ericson, Karen Kiley; WOKQ-FM/WPKQ-FM—Portsmouth, NH
Scotty Cox, Cara Denis; KCLR-FM—Columbia, MO
Radio Station of the Year – Major Market
KUPL-FM—Portland, OR
WIL-FM—St. Louis, MO
WKLB-FM—Boston, MA
WSOC-FM—Charlotte, NC
WXTU FM—Philadelphia, PA
Radio Station of the Year – Large Market
WCTK-FM—Providence, RI
WFMS-FM—Indianapolis, IN
WLHK-FM—Indianapolis, IN
WMIL-FM—Greenfield, WI
WQDR-FM—Raleigh, NC
Radio Station of the Year – Medium Market
KXKT-FM—Omaha, NE
WBBS-FM—Syracuse, NY
WCYQ FM—Knoxville, TN
WDXB-FM—Birmingham, AL
WKMK FM—Neptune, NJ
Radio Station of the Year – Small Market
KSJJ-FM—Bend, OR
WGSQ-FM—Cookeville, TN
WUSY-FM—Chattanooga, TN
WXFL-FM—Florence, AL
WYCT-FM—Pensacola, FL

The Producer's Chair: Michael Knox

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michael knox
By James Rea
Don’t miss Knox’s fourth appearance at The Producer’s Chair on Thursday, Jan. 30, 6 PM at Douglas Corner.
Is there anything that Michael Knox can’t do? Since Knox helped propel Jason Aldean to superstardom, he has become one of the most sought-after producers in Country music. Aldean’s “Night Train” was Knox’s twelfth No. 1 single and Thomas Rhett’s “It Goes Like This,” marks Knox’s thirteenth No. 1.
His body of production work also includes Trace Adkins, Big SMO, Ludacris, Montgomery Gentry, Bush Hawg, Randy Owen, Josh Thompson, Frankie Ballard, Hank Williams Jr., and music production on the hit TV series Nashville.
Some of Knox’ more recent accomplishments include the 2011 CMA Album of the Year, Jason Aldean’s My Kinda Party; 2013 ACM Vocal Event of the Year, “The Only Way I Know” by Aldean, Luke Bryan and Eric Church; 2012 ACM Single Record of the Year and Vocal Event for Aldean and Kelly Clarkson’s “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” He was nominated at the recent Grammy Awards for Best Country Album (Aldean’s Night Train).

Pictured (L-R): Michael Knox and Thomas Rhett.

Pictured (L-R): Michael Knox and Thomas Rhett.


As Senior Creative Director at Peer Music for the past three years, Knox’s stats have gone through the roof. “We’ve had a lot of cuts and a lot of big singles over the past two years,” he said. “Neil Thrasher and Vicky McGehee are our writers on Randy Houser’s ‘How Country Feels.’ I signed both of them. I brought in Michael Tyler and Jaron Boyer. I hired Kim Wiggins to help do the song-plugging and run the creative department, then I signed Rachel Farley and Shaun Ames of Bush Hawg.”
And with Senior Creative Director Shalacy Griffin, Knox launched production/management company Music Knox, with the signing of Rachel Farley (Red Bow), Bush Hawg, and Knox’s latest discovery Michael Tyler.
Knox is in his second term on the CMA Board, he serves on Grammy Special Committees and he was recently appointed to the ACM Board.
The Producer’s Chair: Other than a shortage of time, what is your biggest challenge?
Michael Knox: Juggling family and work is the toughtest. I’ve got 17 and 13 year old kids, and I’ve been with my wife for 27 years. So it’s tough because I feel as if I’m in my prime and I want to give 150% to my job. The business struggle is not being able to exercise what I do. I still have to go through somebody else in order to achieve something. I can find Elvis Presley today but, I can’t get him to be Elvis without going through other channels.
Who has been your mentor, when it comes to producing?
The guy that I’ve learned the most from is Peter Coleman. I met Peter in the early 90s, when I started cutting demos. When I decided I wanted to be a producer, I wanted to find an engineer that heard things like I heard it because at the time I wasn’t an engineer. I engineered a lot in college but I got away from it and started realizing that I didn’t want to limit the artist’s abilities to my abilities. Sometimes they want something that I can’t do. Some engineers and producers that can’t do that will talk them out of it and then they don’t get to go down that route. My goal was to find a team of people where we can accomplish different things. Peter did The Knack’s ‘My Sharona,’ Blondie, Pat Benatar and he was Mike Chapman’s engineer back in the early days on ‘Kiss You All Over,’ all the way to ‘Hot Child in the City.’ That’s what I wanted my country to sound like. Then when I bumped into Peter in the early 90s, I thought, imagine what his alternative rock sounds could do with my commercial ears. I was looking for an arena-rock situation at that time because we didn’t have it. Peter taught me how less is more. If you find yourself using a lot of tricks, you might want to examine the artist you’re working with.
What is the most important aspect of producing records in today’s climate, that all producers, in all genres are realizing?
If you don’t have a ‘real’ artist, your work’s cut out for you. The challenge is to find an artist that you’re intrigued by and want to know more about it. As long as we’re cutting singles and not cutting records, we’re going to have that problem finding artists. An artist can take you on a journey through 12 songs. A great singer, who is probably a better singer than the artist, doesn’t intrigue people. We’re selling millions of singles, but we’re not selling millions of albums and that requires people who can tell the difference between a great singer and a great artist.
How instrumental are you in directing the artist’s vocal performance in the studio?
It’s my job to know who they are by watching them perform live and making sure that I capture that in the studio. Their live performance is what gets them signed. If they go on ‘David Letterman’ and sound different than their recordings, we’re screwed.
What is the network like among Nashville’s top producers?
It’s competition when you don’t know each other. Now that I’m on the CMA and ACM boards, and on the Grammy’s Special Committees and I’m hanging with these guys on a day-to-day basis, I know we’re not in each other’s space. Once you get to know them, you understand that you all do very unique things. The only times we’re competing with each other is when A&R people are putting three or four producers on a record. When we get together, we’re like a bunch of kids. We’re always cutting-up and having fun because we know the inside humor of everything.
What is the most important aspect of artist development?
The main thing that I see in artist development is trying not to make the artist something they’re not. I’ve had that work against me a few times early on, where I saw them as something else and I really drove them that way because it sounded better, but it never lasted because, once go-time happens, they can’t sell it. The main job that I have is, instead of telling them what I think they should do, it is listening to what they want to do and help them get there.
Not every relationship is the right relationship. Have you ever headed down that road with an artist and decided to put the brakes on?
When I was at Warner/Chappell, there were a couple of acts and I loved their voices and I signed them and once we got to know each other, we were so off pace with what each other wanted to do, we had to part ways. I’ll take all the blame for things like that because I should have paid attention a little longer, before I invested the money.
Developing artists costs money. Who pays the tab?
With my acts, I’m usually putting up that money. That’s why I don’t work with a lot of acts. Once I start spending my own money, then I believe in it. Your ultimate goal is to go and get a label to partner with you, or sign them at a publishing company and get a budget from them, which is what we’re doing here at Peer.
Why did you get into management?
The main reason I got into management was to keep control of the creativity of where the artist is going. I’ve developed a lot of talent and been part of a lot of things that have gotten screwed up. Our main objective is to make sure the artist knows where they’re going and what they’re doing, whether they’re on a radio tour or sitting around the house. You have to make sure that all elements are on the same path. It’s hard being the bad guy, who goes in there to shake it up and that’s the toughest part for me but, a lot of managers are business focused and we’re trying to keep things creatively focused.
Is being an artist a preferred pre-requisite for a publishing deal these days?
They tend to lean that way right now. I’ve shown them that you don’t have to write to sell 10 million records. Jason has only written five or six songs that we cut. A lot of people are looking for those because they feel that they can control the copyright more but I still believe that Nashville is the home of the songwriter, so that’s not a deal-breaker for me.
In the past, we’ve talked about your interest in running a label. Would you prefer to run an existing label, or start your own label?
I would prefer to be in charge of the creative or A&R department of the label. That’s my strength. Look at MCA back in the ‘90s. The Tony Brown/Bruce Hinton thing was probably one of the better models you’ll ever see. You had a true creative guy and a true business guy and they never got in each other’s way. I’ve been in publishing and artist development, but I haven’t done the label thing yet and I need that to go full circle in this business.
Which hat do you enjoy wearing the most?
It’s finding the artist and developing them into what they can be. I’ve been working with Michael Tyler since he was 14 and have watched him grow. He’s 20 now. Rachel Farley was 13 and now she’s 18. I’ve spent six years with Bush Hawg and I’m now at 16 years with Jason Aldean (five years before he got his deal with Broken Bow). I get a big kick out of them getting to where we’re trying to go because I know they busted their butt to get there. To watch that is amazing. It doesn’t matter if it’s a songwriter or an artist. I love developing the talent and watching them grow.
BMI, ASCAP, Broken Bow Records and Music Row gathered at Nashville’s The Pub in the Gulch to toast the team behind Jason Aldean’s No. 1 song “Night Train.” The song was co-written by Michael Dulaney and Neil Thrasher. Pictured (back row, l-r): peermusic's Kevin Lamb, Broken Bow Records' Benny Brown, producer Michael Knox, Warner-Tamerlane's Alicia Pruitt, BMG Chrysalis’ Kos Weaver, and Broken Bow Records' Jon Loba; (front row, l-r): BMI's Jody Williams, co-writer Michael Dulaney, Jason Aldean, co-writer Neil Thrasher, and ASCAP's Mike Sistad. Photo credit: Rick Diamond

BMI, ASCAP, Broken Bow Records and Music Row gathered in October 2013 at Nashville’s The Pub to toast the team behind Jason Aldean’s No. 1 song “Night Train.” The song was co-written by Michael Dulaney and Neil Thrasher. Pictured (back row, l-r): peermusic’s Kevin Lamb, Broken Bow Records’ Benny Brown, producer Michael Knox, Warner-Tamerlane’s Alicia Pruitt, BMG Chrysalis’ Kos Weaver, and Broken Bow Records’ Jon Loba; (front row, l-r): BMI’s Jody Williams, co-writer Michael Dulaney, Jason Aldean, co-writer Neil Thrasher, and ASCAP’s Mike Sistad. Photo credit: Rick Diamond

Bobby Karl Works The Room: The 2014 Grammy Viewing Party

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Swift plays "All Too Well" on last night's Grammy Awards.

Swift plays “All Too Well” on last night’s Grammy Awards.


Not all of the fun on Grammy Night happens in Los Angeles.
The Nashville Chapter’s annual viewing party is a terrific occasion as a cocktail supper and a gathering of fabulons. This year’s event (Jan. 26) took place at Anthem, the dance club where the Pub of Love used to be on 12th Avenue North.
kacey grammys

Kacey Musgraves performs “Follow Your Arrow” on the Grammys.


Moving and grooving were the members of the Nashville Chapter of the Recording Academy (NARAS). Nashville boasts the largest number of student members of any chapter in America, and they showed up en masse. That made it a good-lookin’ party full of cute young things in party couture.
Among the “senior citizens” also in attendance were Pat Embry, Pat McMakin, Scott Warner, Scott Hallgren, Joy Styles, John Briggs, Jonathan Martin (who has moved from being a Channel 5 anchor/reporter to being primary correspondent for Al-Jazeera’s Nashville bureau), Rob Simbeck, Karen Clark, Eric Holt, Raeanne Rubenstein, pop recording artist Gareth, Paul Nielsen, Charles Dorris, David & Carolyn Corlew, Bil VornDick, Doak Turner and Justin Levinson.
We snacked on hot-spicy chicken drumsticks, smoked salmon lox, cheese cubes, veggies with blue-cheese dip, tortilla chips with hummus and pepperoni discs at the food bars. The wait staff circulated with mini deli sandwiches, bags of freshly popped popcorn, petite pizza slices and the like.
Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert in the audience.

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert in the audience.


Anthem had a number of party spaces for the event. There was an upstairs lounge, a long balcony overlook, a terrace bar/food area and a main floor featuring two lounge areas and a dance floor surrounded by a series of round banquettes. Sleek black leather chairs and couches and gleaming ebony wood tables and cabaret stands were scattered throughout. The venue boasted brick and dry-stacked stone walls, plus black-draped partitions.
Truth to tell, the layout for this party wasn’t the best. The entryway led to a narrow hall that became a bottleneck because the lone stairway, a bathroom and a food buffet were all at its egress. Once you got past that, a few steps down led to a too-small barroom. Then you finally descended again onto the main floor, which was pleasantly large enough. The upstairs lounge and the balcony were mellow. As we viewed the telecast, our Nashville-oriented artists did us proud as show performers. Hunter Hayes, Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift knocked it out of the park. Blake Shelton shored up a legends segment featuring Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Lifetime Achievement Award winner Kris Kristofferson. Newly short-coiffed Keith Urban was a journeyman guitar soloist with Gary Clark Jr. Harmonizing Miranda Lambert and Billie Joe Armstrong saluted the late Nashville legend Phil Everly with “When Will I Be Loved.” Musgraves also appeared on the show as the surprised Country Album of the Year winner. Divine Martina McBride and charmingly furry Zac Brown were among the Grammy presenters. Grammy winners this year included Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, The Civil Wars, Darius Rucker, Mandisa and The Del McCoury Band.
Our party hosts-with-the-most were The Recording Academy’s Ashley Ernst, Laura Crawford (did you know that her dad is TV maven Greg Travis?) and current Leadership Music class member Alicia Warwick. Thanks to them, a lovely time was had by us all.
Keith Urban and Gary Clark Jr. perform "Cop Car."

Keith Urban and Gary Clark Jr. perform “Cop Car.”

2014 Grammys: Musgraves, Rucker Take Country Honors

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Musgraves accepts the Grammy for Country Album of the Year.

Musgraves accepts the Grammy for Country Album of the Year.


Kacey Musgraves was the Country darling during Sunday evening’s (Jan. 26) Grammy awards. The singer-songwriter earned honors for Country Album of the Year, along with co-producers Luke Laird and Shane McAnally. Musgraves, McAnally and fellow songwriter Josh Osborne also picked up a Grammy trophy for her breakout single “Merry Go ‘Round” during the pre-telecast awards.
Darius Rucker earned Best Country Solo Performance honors for “Wagon Wheel” during the pre-telecast ceremony, while The Civil Wars were feted for “From This Valley” as Best Country Duo/Group Performance.
The televised portion of the program featured several Country performances. Hunter Hayes debuted the new ballad “Invisible,” a song of encouragement to those who dare to follow their dreams. Keith Urban was joined by Gary Clark, Jr. for a rendition of Urban’s new single, “Cop Car.” Taylor Swift‘s stripped down offering of “All Too Well” featured the singer-songwriter belting a passionate performance from behind a grand piano.
Rucker backstage at the Grammys.

Rucker backstage at the Grammys.


Some of the most well-received audience responses during the telecast came from the evening’s numerous musical collaborations. One such collaboration featured Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard and Blake Shelton. Nelson and Kristofferson performed “The Highwayman,” while Haggard and Shelton performed “Okie From Muskogee,” followed by an all-star rendition of “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys.” Later in the evening, Miranda Lambert and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong offered strong harmonies in tribute to the late Phil Everly on The Everly Brothers’ “When Will I Be Loved.”
Taylor Swift performs "All Too Well."

Taylor Swift performs “All Too Well.”


The evening’s biggest winners were Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, who earned honors for Best New Artist, Best Rap Performance for “Thrift Shop,” Best Rap Song for “Thrift Shop” and Best Rap Album for The Heist. Singer Lorde earned honors for Best Pop Solo Performance and Song of the Year, both for “Royals.”
Awards given during the Grammy telecast include:
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Same Trailer, Different Park, Kacey Musgraves. Co-producers: Luke Laird and Shane McAnally. Label: Mercury Records
BEST POP VOCAL ALBUM
Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars. Label: Atlantic
BEST POP DUO OR GROUP PERFORMANCE
“Get Lucky,” Daft Punk Featuring Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers
BEST RAP ALBUM
The Heist, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Hunter Hayes and John Esposito celebrate at The Warner Music Group post party at Sunset Towers.

Hunter Hayes and John Esposito celebrate at The Warner Music Group post party at Sunset Towers.


ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Random Access Memories, Daft Punk. Label: Columbia Records
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
“Royals,” Lorde
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Royals,” Lorde
BEST NEW ARTIST
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
RECORD OF THE YEAR
“Get Lucky,” Daft Punk. Label: Columbia Records
BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
“Holy Grail” Jay Z and Justin Timberlake
For a full list of winners, visit grammy.com.
Miranda Lambert and Billie Joe Armstrong salute the Everly Brothers.

Miranda Lambert and Billie Joe Armstrong salute The Everly Brothers.


Martina McBride and Zac Brown present.

Martina McBride and Zac Brown present.

Pre-Telecast: 2014 Grammy Winners

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Kacey Musgraves

Kacey Musgraves


Kacey Musgraves, Darius Rucker, songwriters Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, as well as The Civil Wars, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris, Del McCoury, Guy Clark, Mandisa and Tasha Cobbs were among the early Grammy winners during the pre-telecast awards ceremony, held in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 26.
Awards for Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Song, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance, Best Americana Album, Best Folk Album and Best Bluegrass Album were among the early awards handed out during the pre-telecast ceremony.
A full list of winners is available at grammy.com.
BEST COUNTRY SOLO PERFORMANCE
“Wagon Wheel,” Darius Rucker. Label: Capitol Records Nashville
BEST COUNTRY DUO/GROUP PERFORMANCE
“From This Valley,” The Civil Wars. Label: Sensibility Recordings/Columbia Records
BEST COUNTRY SONG
“Merry Go Round,” Kacey Musgraves. Songwriters: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Kacey Musgraves
BEST GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Tasha Cobbs, “Break Every Chain,” Grace. Label: EMI Gospel/Motown Gospel
BEST GOSPEL SONG
Tye Tribbett, “If He Did It Before…Same God”; Songwriter: Tye Tribbett; Label:  Motown Gospel; Publisher: Everything Fresh Entertainment LLC
BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC ALBUM
Overcomer, Mandisa. Label: Sparrow Records
BEST CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC SONG
Mandisa, “Overcomer,” Overcomer. Songwriters: David Garcia, Ben Glover & Christopher Stevens, songwriters
BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
Old Yellow Moon, Rodney Crowell and Emmylou Harris. Label: Nonesuch Records
BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM
The Streets of Baltimore, Del McCoury Band. Label: McCoury Music
BEST FOLK ALBUM
My Favorite Picture of You, Guy Clark. Label: Dualtone

Weekly Chart Report (1/24/14)

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Screen Shot 2014-01-24 at 8.44.19 AMTo access MusicRow‘s weekly CountryBreakout Report, click here or above.