Singer-songwriter Kip Moore brought the Nashville music industry out on a chilly evening (Nov. 13) to the historic Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tenn. The crowd, composed of industry members and a select group of fans, got an early look at Moore’s upcoming sophomore album, through both a new documentary and through an acoustic set.
The Life In Rewind Films documentary, Burn The Whole World Down, gives a glimpse at the singer-songwriter’s life, both onstage and off. More than anything, it captures Moore’s intense passion for music and songwriting. After moving to Nashville to pursue his songwriting dreams, the 33-year-old says he purposefully lived in a $200/month apartment with no heat and, at times, no water. “I decided to work just enough to allow me to spend most of my time writing everyday,” said Moore.
Now, even with three consecutive chart-topping hits from his debut album, Moore still maintains a minimalist life, spending most of his time in the recording studio with producer and co-writer Brett James, and living the nomadic life of a traveling musician. Moore even invited viewers into the decidedly sparse, college dorm-esque room he inhabits while he’s in Nashville. “I’m writing the best I ever have because I still feel like I’m at the bottom,” said Moore. The documentary also showcased the intense focus Moore displays in the studio as he helps craft each song to perfection layer by layer, as well as his goofy side when he’s on the road with his long-time band.
The Georgia native did a Q&A with industry members and fans after the documentary. “I didn’t realize the pressure and the business that comes with it,” Moore says of adjusting to life in the public eye. “There’s so much gossip around your name and everything gets exaggerated. I’m starting to learn that’s the way it is and there’s nothing I can do about it, so I have to roll with it.”
Equal to his love of music is his love of the ocean. The documentary highlights Moore’s various trips to locales such as Hawaii and most recently Costa Rica, relaxed locations that allow him to recharge, contemplate new songs, and indulge in his love of surfing.
After the documentary screening, Moore treated the Franklin Theater audience to a brief acoustic set, combining familiar singles such as “Beer Money” and “Hey Pretty Girl” with a preview of songs from his upcoming album. He performed new tracks “Unless Heaven Has a Dirt Road” and the brooding “I’m To Blame.”
Moore says he thought the new album was complete, until the song “Come Back Kid” came along. “I’ve always felt like the underdog,” said Moore. “Brett James, I don’t care what you say, it’s going on the record,” he quipped to James, who was in the audience. The unreleased song garnered one of the most enthusiastic crowd responses of the evening.
Before closing with his new single, “Young Love,” (co-written with Dan Couch and Weston Davis), Moore thanked those from his team that had attended. “This has been a long road. I can’t express my gratitude for the life everyone in this room has let us live. I’m grateful for you guys who are fighting for us.”

The CMA Board of Directors has named music and television industry veteran Sarah Trahern as CMA’s Chief Executive Officer, effective Jan. 1, 2014. She joins CMA from Scripps Networks Interactive’s Great American Country (GAC) where she has been Senior Vice President and General Manager.
“The CMA Board Search Committee, chaired by Board Secretary/Treasurer and Warner Music Nashville President and CEO, John Esposito, conducted a thoughtful, thorough nationwide search to find the best possible candidates – and there were many. But, not surprisingly, the best person was right here in our industry in Nashville,” said Troy Tomlinson, Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors. “Sarah possesses the leadership skills, diverse qualities, relationships, and extensive experience necessary to collaborate with the CMA Board of Directors to expand the mission and strategic objectives of the CMA while being mindful of the unique legacy and spirit of the organization. She is not only well-known in the Country Music and television world, but a highly respected executive with strong relationships with many of our members, including record labels, managers, publicists, publishers, and Country artists as well. We are so thrilled that she was ultimately interested in assuming this very important role, leading the CMA.”
Trahern said, “I moved to Nashville in 1995 to combine my experience in live television with my passion for music and especially, Country Music. Now, years later, to be able to serve as leader of the Country Music Association is an exciting challenge. I look forward to collaborating with the Board, the management team, staff, and the membership to continue to grow our genre in multiple arenas. It’s an exciting and dynamic time in the Country Music business with tremendous growth opportunities as well as an ever changing marketplace. The ratings success of the CMA Awards last week is indicative of the strength of our genre across multiple demographic groups.”
Since July 1, 2013 CMA Board President Ed Hardy has assumed that leadership role as the board liaison with the staff and management of the CMA on a day-to-day basis and will continue to do so until Trahern transitions into the position. Tomlinson said, “Words cannot express the deep appreciation that the CMA Board of Directors, management, and staff feel for the leadership and hard work Ed Hardy has contributed during this interim period. We look forward to him being engaged in the leadership of the CMA Board going forward.”
As CEO, Trahern will work closely with the CMA Board to develop and execute strategies and long-range plans for the continued growth of the organization as well as manage external business relationships including the Association’s network television partner ABC and numerous corporate partners.
CMA Board President Hardy said, “I’ve known Sarah for nine years and worked with her for eight of those years, after hiring her at Scripps Networks. Her deep roots in our industry, her passion for Country Music and her leadership skills and style are among the reasons I selected Sarah as my successor at GAC. They are also the reasons she is the perfect choice for this vitally important role leading the CMA. I look forward to working with her again in my leadership role on the CMA Board over the next year. It has been a real honor and pleasure for me to have gotten to know and work side by side with the talented, hard-working and dedicated management and staff of the CMA in this interim leadership role.”
Trahern has more than 27 years of experience in the network television business, 18 years of it producing or overseeing Country Music programming. As Senior Vice President and General Manager of Scripps Networks Interactive’s GAC, Great American Country, she has been responsible for the strategic direction of the network and oversees all aspects of the network including programming, marketing, creative, and digital. In 2010, she was named one of 30 Woman “Power Players” in the music business by Billboard Magazine. In December 2011, she was the subject and honoree of the Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. She was recently recognized by Source as a top leader in the music business.
Trahern moved to Nashville in 1995 to oversee specials and entertainment series for TNN. She began her cable career at C-SPAN in Washington, D.C. covering politics and public affairs and producing the popular series “Booknotes.” She joined GAC in 2005 with Scripps’ ownership of the network. She was promoted to SVP of Programming and in 2010, General Manager of the network. She assumed senior leadership duties in January of 2013 with the retirement of GAC President Ed Hardy.
She is a board member and immediate past chair of the Academy of Country Music Association, a member of the Advisory Board of All About Women, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. She recently participated in the Department of Defense’s 84th class in the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference and is a graduate of Women in Cable Television (WICT)’s Betsy Magness Leadership Institute.
Trahern is a graduate of Georgetown University and has an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt. A native of Champaign-Urbana, Ill., she resides in Nashville with her husband Wayne Flatt.

BOBBY KARL WORKS THE ROOM
Chapter 442
 

This is a very good week to be George Strait.

The 6,000 voters of the Country Music Association have spoken, and on Wednesday night (Nov. 6), they proclaimed Strait their Entertainer of the Year. On Monday (Nov. 4), he won ASCAP’s Founders Award, and on Tuesday (Nov. 5), he was in the spotlight for BMI’s salute to his chief songwriter, Dean Dillon.
“What? Never in a million years. Wow,” Strait blurted when his name was announced at the CMA Awards. “This blows me away. I cannot believe this. I’m just blown away to even be nominated again. Thank you so much. This means the world to me.
“Obviously, I didn’t prepare anything to say,” he added backstage. “I’m looking forward to my last year [on the road] next year.”
The only other person to win Entertainer of the Year after being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame is the late Eddy Arnold. At age 61, Strait is the oldest person ever to win Entertainer.
Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert repeated as Male and Female vocalists, both for the fourth time. Little Big Town scored its second consecutive Group of the Year win. Mac McAnally won his sixth Instrumentalist CMA prize.
But the show also held a few surprises. The CMA voters showed real class in voting for Kacey Musgraves as Best New Artist over the more successful Florida Georgia Line.
“This first year for me has been just indescribable,” said Musgraves. “My grandma is in the audience tonight. She was my first booking agent. I feel so grateful.”
Another artistic, classy choice was “I Drive Your Truck” as Song of the Year over the commercial blockbuster “Cruise.” That selection was marred by a breach of award-show etiquette. Singer Lee Brice commandeered the mic even though he is not the song’s author. Then songwriter Jimmy Yeary took over. There was no time left for his co-writers Connie Harrington and Jessi Alexander to speak.
On the other hand, the classiest acceptance speech was Lambert’s. She was the only winner to recognize and praise her fellow Female Vocalist nominees. That’s probably a reflection of how aware country’s women are of their precarious status.
As expected, Florida Georgia Line won Duo and Single of the Year. Shelton (and producer Scott Hendricks) took home Album of the Year. The third double winner was “Highway Don’t Care,” which won Video and Musical Event awards for Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, plus video director Shane Drake.
Swift was also given the CMA Pinnacle Award. After being serenaded by Lennon & Maisy’s winsome “You Belong with Me,” she accepted her honor from presenters Urban, Strait, McGraw, Brad Paisley, Faith Hill and Rascal Flatts. All of them took her on the road as an opening act when she was a teenager.
“I didn’t know this was going to be all this,” said Swift to her mentors. “You guys all got up here and did this. I love you. You’ve made me feel so special.” Backstage, she and Hill both shed happy tears when Strait was announced as the night’s big winner.
The show had a number of musical high points. Lady Antebellum was rousing with the instantly catchy “Compass.” Florida Georgia Line was drawling and thumping on “Round Here.” One of the night’s best vocals was Shelton’s on “Mine Would Be You.” The Zac Brown Band teamed up with the furiously drumming Dave Grohl for their ultra cool, multi-layered “Dance Among the Living.” Little Big Town was audio-lovely and harmonically flawless on “Sober.”
Urban and Lambert teamed up for “We Were Us.” They had admirable energy and passion, but seemed somewhat vocally muffled. Hunter Hayes and Jason Mraz also had shaky audio on “Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me.”
A standing ovation greeted Swift after her acoustic performance of “Red” with Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, Sam Bush, Eric Darken and Edgar Meyer. Other standing ovations went to Eric Church’s moody, rocking, pyro-accented “Outsiders” and to Strait and Alan Jackson for their “He Stopped Loving Her Today” salute to the late George Jones.
Mugraves was adorable on the super witty “Follow Your Arrow,” which also received a huge ovation. The telecast bleeped out the word “joint” in her song, but left in “crack,” “hell” and “damned.” Go figure.

Also acquitting themselves admirably were The Band Perry (“Don’t Let Me Be Lonely”), Jason Aldean (“Night Train”), McGraw (“Southern Girl”) and Luke Bryan (“Drink a Beer”). Jennifer Nettles, Darius Rucker and Rascal Flatts saluted new Hall of Fame member Kenny Rogers. Fellow inductee Bobby Bare was recognized in the audience. Rucker closed the show with “Wagon Wheel.”

Bryan was the hardest working man in show business on Wednesday. He was up at the crack of dawn to sing for host Robin Roberts on Good Morning America and was still game to open the CMA Awards with “That’s My Kind of Night.” He said he tried to nap in between, but couldn’t. Throngs of happy fans cheered him on, downtown in front of the Bridgestone Arena, during his a.m. romp. The GMA telecast is also where the “Highway Don’t Care” award wins for Musical Event of the Year and Video of the Year were announced.
Also prior to the telecast, the CMA’s international awards were given to Jeff Walker, the BBC’s Bob Harris and Swift (for the second time). Thompson Square hosted pre-telecast honors for Musician of the Year and radio winners.
Speaking of the latter, why do we waste network television time by showing and announcing the radio winners? Terrestrial radio is only one of the delivery systems for music. Why not recognize cable TV, print journalists, the internet’s many platforms and/or satellite radio during the telecast?
The CMA Awards Show was co-hosted by Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, who also performed. These two become more amusing each time they host. Their opening bit included ditties about musical feuds, Obamacare and twerking, aided by Kellie Pickler and the Duck Dynasty Robertson family.
Later in the show, Paisley presented Underwood with an oversized foam-fangs “finger” that fans wave for the Nashville Predators ice hockey team. “Go Preds!” said Underwood as she waved it (she is married to the team’s Mike Fisher). “I don’t think Miley done it that way,” Paisley cracked.

As you might expect, the audience was packed with stars. Craig Morgan, Kix Brooks, Tracy Lawrence, Easton Corbin, Jerrod Niemann, The Eli Young Band, Brett Eldredge, Kip Moore, Scotty McCreery, Kristian Bush (who has his first solo single, “Love Or Money”), Brantley Gilbert, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, Jake Owen, Charlie Worsham, Laura Bell Bundy, Clay Walker, Jana Kramer, Sheryl Crow, Cassadee Pope, David Nail, Kelly Clarkson and Chris Stapleton were in the house.
So were the Nashville TV show stars Connie Britton, Chip Esten, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Sam Palladio, Aubrey Peeples and Chaley Rose, not to mention Lennon & Maisy Stella. Industry mavens mingling included Ken Levitan, Ron Cox, Frank Bumstead, Neil Orne, Dawn Davenport, Vanessa Parker-Davis, Allen Brown, Wes Vause, Suzanne Alexander, Storme Warren, Nan Kelley, Allison DeMarcus, Scott Stem, Brett Wolcott, Scott & Sandi Spika Borchetta, Joey Moi, Nancy Jones, John Grady, John Esposito and John Dwyer.
For a full list of winners, visit the MusicRow winners list.