Tag Archive for: featured-2

Bobby Bones Plotting National Radio Show Highlighting Only Music From Female Artists

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Bobby Bones

Bobby Bones, host of iHeartMedia’s The Bobby Bones Show, has long been a champion of new music and new artists, particularly female artists. He has featured music, performances and/or interviews by artists including Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Cam, Lindsay Ell, and more.

Now, Bones is prepping a national syndicated radio show that will feature music from only female artists. According to Bones, the yet-untitled show will launch across more than 100 iHeartRadio stations, as well as other outlets.

This comes three years after the “Tomatogate” incident of 2015, when radio consultant Keith Hill compared women in country music to garnish on a salad.

Despite ongoing support from some country radio stations and program directors, there remains a large disparity in the number of female artists releasing new music, and the number of female artists being played on country radio. On Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, dated June 2, 2018, the Top 25 entries included songs from two female solo artists, three songs from groups or collaborations with females–and 19 songs from solo male artists (along with one track featuring two male artists).

“I’ve been saying I was going to do this if the environment didn’t change,” Bones said via social media. “Well, it didn’t. Will be launching this show across 100+ iHeartRadio stations and other outlets soon.”

Bonnaroo 2019 Shifts Dates, To Take Place After CMA Music Fest

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For the past several years, two popular Tennessee music festivals, Bonnaroo and CMA Music Fest, have taken place in the same week. The tradition has often caused musicians and their teams to engage in precise planning if artists are slated to take part in both festivals. Music fans are forced to choose between the two festivals.

Bonnaroo’s organizers have now announced a shift to the schedule for the 2019 festival, with plans for Bonnaroo to be held the week after CMA Music Fest. Organizers expect future years to follow the same pattern.

Bonnaroo 2019 will be held June 13-16, 2019.

“We have regularly advocated for this change to hold Bonnaroo and CMA Fest on separate weekends to offer more flexibility for the local community as well as the visitors, and we’re excited about this change,” said Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. President Butch Spyridon.

 

Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit To Play Six Ryman Shows In October

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Last October, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit presided over a sold-out, six-show residency at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Beginning Oct. 22, the group is looking forward to a repeat of its Ryman success with six more shows.

The shows are set for Oct. 22-24, and Oct. 26-28.

Over the past year, the group has won a Grammy for Best Americana Album (for The Nashville Sound) as well as a Grammy for Best American Roots Song (for “If We Were Vampires”). They are nominated for four honors at the upcoming Americana Awards. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit held court for three concerts at the Country Music Hall of Fame last year as its 2017 Artist-in-Residence.

Tickets for the band’s upcoming Ryman shows will go on sale Friday (June 15) at 10 a.m. at ryman.com.

 

Weekly Chart Report (6/8/18)

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Click here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.

Q&A: Dierks Bentley Fearlessly Turns A Seed Into A ‘Mountain’

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This is part two of a two-part series with MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson and multi-platinum selling singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley. Read part one here.

Dierks Bentley releases his highly anticipated ninth studio album, The Mountain, on Capitol Records Nashville today, Friday, June 8. Bentley, his co-writers and producers ventured to Telluride, Colorado to write and record the project, where the Rocky Mountains provided peace and inspiration. That vibe merged with his longtime themes of devotion to his family and fans to create The Mountain.

MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson recently caught up with Bentley at his writing room at Nashville’s Hutton Hotel to discuss planting creative seeds, fearlessly nurturing them, and growing them into a mountain.

Are there parallels between your new album and 2010’s Up on the Ridge?

There are, but I didn’t realize that going into it. Just like there were similarities between “Somewhere on a Beach” and “Drunk on a Plane.” But I didn’t realize it until I was doing the video for “Somewhere on a Beach” so I changed the whole video and made it a sequel video.

I never even thought about the ridge and mountain connection between those two until after I’d made the record. It’s like taking the Ridge record I made with Jon Randall and mixing that with my newer music with Ross Copperman. These two sounds are kind of like mixing together the albums Black and Up on the Ridge.

Jon Randall and Ross Copperman both produced this album. What did they each bring to the table?

It’s like putting together a hockey team. You’re bringing people with different strengths, different positions, and putting it all together. I feel like I had a really good team.

Ross brings so much youth, modernism, creativity and a great vibe. He’s just the happiest, most positive person I’ve ever been around. Nothing’s impossible and he’s always game for anything.

And I’ve never met anybody who can speak to musicians like Jon Randall. We worked together on Black. He just has a crazy vocabulary and a real calmness in the studio– a real pro and loves to geek out on stuff.

I used to read about people having executive producers, and thought that was kind of odd. But Arturo Buenahora is involved in everything about the album. He’s your biggest champion, and he’s digging around Music Row for great songs. He’s helped me put together great bands and there to say “no” to any idea or song that’s not right. He’s completely unbiased and if it’s a song is part of his publishing company, he’ll let you know.

When deciding which songs to put on an album, do you test them on the live audience to see the reaction?

I do, but it can be tricky. I played “Drunk on a Plane” one time in a theater and the reaction was terrible. They were really quiet, and they didn’t get it. And I was like, “See, that’s not a hit.” Maybe it was hard to hear the words or I didn’t set it up very well. And it threw me off the song for a little bit. Playing a song live is definitely not the most trusted barometer of whether or not it’s a hit.

It’s your gut and you can ask people around you. It’s like the stock market, where if everyone knew the answer, everyone would be a millionaire. But a song is probably harder, because nobody—even your record label or professional consultants—no one knows. That’s what makes it great. It’s like there’s an intangible thing about a hit song that you cannot use math to discover.

You’ve taken a few stylistic detours during your career. Where do you fall on the pendulum of being completely fearless versus taking calculated creative risks?

That’s a great question. I’m definitely totally fearless but there can be a fault with that too. When I quit everything to make a bluegrass record I wasn’t thinking about the business or touring. Behind my back, people were saying I was crazy and would never headline a tour again. I didn’t know any of it at the time, because luckily, people I count on like my manager Mary Hilliard Harrington, kind of shielded me from that.

I have a flip phone, so I don’t read Twitter or Instagram because it interferes with creating songs and albums. I want to put all my focus into this one thing I’ve been given a chance to do. How many people get to go to Mike Dungan’s office and try to get a record deal? I’m one of the few that’s got this great platform, and so to water down my work with my brain being filled with negativity, or thoughts about the business, or what other people are doing, or how radio’s going to react to it, it is not beneficial to making the best music. And it’s not being totally grateful for the platform I’ve been given. I just feel like I’m cheating everybody if I’m doing that.

I make pretty fearless decisions. When you’re planting a seed, which is what making an album is, you can’t let too many people have access to it or they’re going to crush it. You need to let it get some roots, and then you can bring people over to see what you’re growing. And still be protective of it, but you can allow other voices to be added. But at the end, it’s mine and so I guess I can live and die by my decisions.

And that’s something I’ve learned over time. The bluegrass record was the ultimate fearless decision. If I had been smart I would have made one song on it for radio. But I think since Up on the Ridge, I’ve really tried to make great albums and not focus on anything about a tour or writing a song that has a title that would sound good as a tour title.

So this is your ninth studio album with Capitol Records. I used to work for Mike Dungan back in the ‘90s at Arista. What’s your favorite thing about UMG Chairman and CEO Mike Dungan?

I am so sheltered from some of the drama at record labels on Music Row. I hear stories from other artists that are going through creative control issues—where they can’t even pick out the font on their album cover. And even big artists being told what songs to record.

With Dungan, it’s been nothing but a joy. He’s a record label president who loves music and the lifestyle. He’s fun. He loves his people. He’s like the Herb Kelleher of country music—the guy who started Southwest Airlines. He empowers the people around him. He does an annual event where the artists get together and play just for the staff. I’m not even allowed to bring my wife. It’s just to make it about the music one night a year, so that people remember why we’re doing what we do.

And he’s let me pick all my own singles. Over the years, I’ve learned the hard way that it’s better to listen to him and everyone at Capitol sometimes, than to just power your way through something. The biggest blessing I’ve had is that I side with him and I’ve had the support of that whole label, who have all been great people.

One other thing about Dungan, at some point he needs to start buying t-shirts that cover up his belly.

But that’s something else we can get into.

 

Q&A: Dierks Bentley Raises A ‘Mountain’ With Inspiration And Gratitude

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Dierks Bentley

This is part one of a two-part series with MusicRow Magazine’s Sherod Robertson and multi-platinum selling singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley. Read part two here.

Over the last 15 years, Dierks Bentley has built a reputation as an authentic artist who often takes fearless stylistic detours with his music. He continues that journey with his highly anticipated ninth studio album, The Mountain, set for release by Capitol Records Nashville tomorrow, Friday, June 8.

Bentley co-wrote 10 of the 13 new tracks that are unified by themes of presence and positivity, and range in style from textured rock to acoustic folk. With his production team of Ross Copperman, Jon Randall Stewart and Arturo Buenahora, Jr., Bentley ventured to the Rocky Mountains to record the project at Studio in the Clouds last November.

MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson met up with Bentley at his writing room at Nashville’s Hutton Hotel recently to talk about The Mountain and how this project grew from a seed of inspiration to a meaningful musical mountainside.

Why did you write and record The Mountain in Telluride, Colorado, instead of Nashville?

About this time last year I really had no idea what I wanted to do for the next album, or what I wanted to sing about. But I knew I wanted it to be something that I was inspired by. I played the Telluride Bluegrass Festival June 15th, 2017 and that was the spark. I knew I wanted to do something about the West—I’m from Arizona—I just didn’t know if that meant sonically or lyrically or conceptually.

I wanted to capture that vibe of the mountains and musicianship somehow in the songs. I knew I couldn’t translate that verbally so I brought six songwriters back out to Telluride in August and wrote a majority of the record there. We all lived in one house together right off Main St. It was like the Colorado fraternity house or something… Well Natalie Hemby was there, so it was a coed fraternity house, but it was so fun. And then I went back out with the musicians in November and recorded it.

How was that process different than working in Nashville?

Being outside of Nashville is really helpful towards being focused. At home, when 2:30 p.m. rolls around, I’m thinking about school pickup, or playing hockey with my son Knox in the driveway. So a lot of times, my co-writers have to conform to my schedule. During the winter I was trying to get in touch with the seasons where everything’s dying around me, so I try to kill parts of me I don’t like. So I work out super early from 5 until 6, and by 8 o’clock in the morning I’m ready to write, because my energy’s done by 1 p.m. Being out of town there isn’t that schedule and it is more relaxing.

And on Music Row, there’s more going on than just people creating songs. There’s a business happening. I feel like taking songwriters outside their normal routines and getting them somewhere else is good for them too. It’s good for your soul.

How would you describe the overall theme of this project?

I’d probably use the words “inspired, gratitude, and thankful.” The overall theme to me, is it just feels good. On the road the last two years, I spent a lot of time with my fans at meet and greets. I open my heart up so I can hear their stories, for example, about what “I Hold On” means to someone whose brother is dying of cancer. I hear a lot of heavy stories, but I also see a lot of perseverance. So I’m really inspired by my fans. And then after the Las Vegas shooting… it’s just a lot of heaviness. So I need to let go. I need to recharge.

Looking back on the mountains that are around me and thinking about the mountains that people are having to climb in their own personal lives, it felt like a pretty cool metaphor. It wasn’t something I realized I was writing about until later on.

The album itself led to a festival called Seven Peaks Music Festival in Colorado, and so many things have been manifested from that initial idea.

This album does not have a song in the same lane as “Somewhere on a Beach” and “Drunk on a Plane.” Was that intentional?

Some of those type songs just didn’t fit this vibe. And maybe some fans won’t understand that. But at the end of the day, it has to feel like an album to me.

This whole project is about digging deeper and finding stories that give meaning to your own struggles and help inspire you. And to me that takes you higher than a song like “5-1-5-0.” In my live show, “I Hold On,” brings the connection with fans so much deeper. There are different ways to reach your fans. There’s a direct route, which is an obvious hit, happy, fun song. Or there’s a back door way, which sometimes can have a little bit more of a lasting meaning.

The first track on The Mountain is “Burning Man” featuring Brothers Osborne. How did that collaboration come about?

Luke Dick and Bobby Pinson wrote the song, but it feels autobiographical. The first time I heard it was when my buddy Arturo Buenahora played it for me when we were making the Black album. And I was like, “God that’s a great song.” I tried recording it here in Nashville with a couple of folks and it just didn’t feel like I hooked it. But out in Colorado, I felt like we nailed the track.

I’m gearing up for a tour; it’s like going to summer camp with LANCO and Brothers Osborne. So the fact that we get to sing it every night is amazing.

Dierks Bentley on the opening night of his Mountain High Tour.

“My Religion” is such a different song for you. Your vocals are out front and the piano is in the back. It is so powerful. What made you decide to record it?

There’s one song on every record that Mary Hilliard Harrington, my manager, encourages me to record. She loved “Somewhere on a Beach” and I wasn’t too sure about it. And she loves “My Religion.” Lyrically it’s a little different than some of the stuff on Music Row.

It’s my first song with just me and a piano on a track. It freaked me out. I know I love the song, but I don’t know how I feel about me singing the song. I relate to the lyrics and love the idea: that hook of loving you’s not my decision, it’s my religion. I mean, that is my religion—my wife, my family, my connection with the fans.

But I like having a song on the record that I’m not totally comfortable with yet. That means that it has the chance to grow on me.

How did you decide the track sequence?

What really surprised me overall about the record is how it just sequenced itself. I took a piece of paper and cut all the names and put them on the door with sticky tape so I could move them around, and the order manifested itself.

I knew “Burning Man” would be a great way to start off, and then “The Mountain” really sets the tone of the record. “Living” is the way I feel about life—taking chances, going for moments and really making the most of them. The gratitude of “Woman, Amen” and “You Can’t Bring Me Down,” those songs make you feel good, and are the meat of what the album it about. And that continued with the rest of the songs. All the songs came together to tell a story—about the journey of myself and this record.

CMT Music Awards Winners

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Blake Shelton led the evening with two CMT Music Awards wins on Wednesday (June 6), including Video of the Year and Male Video of the Year, both for “I’ll Name The Dogs.”

Shelton was the only double winner of the evening, while winners in other categories included Carrie Underwood (ft. Ludacris), Florida Georgia Line, Backstreet Boys, Dan+Shay, Little Big Town (who also hosted the awards show), Carly Pearce, Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina.

See below for a full list of winners.

2018 CMT Music Awards (winners in red):

Video of the Year 
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration) and the video director. 

Blake Shelton, “I’ll Name The Dogs”
Brett Young, “Mercy”
Luke Combs, “When It Rains It Pours”
Kane Brown feat. Lauren Alaina, “What Ifs”
Thomas Rhett, “Marry Me”

Male Video of the Year
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

Blake Shelton, “I’ll Name The Dogs”
Dustin Lynch, “Small Town Boy”
Jason Aldean, “You Make It Easy”
Jon Pardi, “Heartache On The Dance Floor”
Luke Bryan, “Light It Up”
Thomas Rhett, “Marry Me”

Female Video of the Year
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

Carly Pearce, “Every Little Thing”
Carrie Underwood feat. Ludacris, “The Champion”
Kelsea Ballerini, “Legends”
Lauren Alaina, “Doin’ Fine”
Maren Morris, “I Could Use A Love Song”
Miranda Lambert, “Tin Man” From 2017 ACM Awards

Duo Video of the Year
Best video by a duo; awarded to the artists

Big & Rich, “California”
Brothers Osborne, “It Ain’t My Fault”
Dan + Shay, “Tequila”
Florida Georgia Line, “Smooth”
High Valley, “She’s With Me”
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, “Speak To A Girl”

Group Video of the Year
Best video by a group; awarded to the artists

Lady Antebellum, “You Look Good”
LANco, “Greatest Love Story”
Little Big Town, “When Someone Stops Loving You”
Midland, “Make A Little”
Old Dominion, “No Such Thing As A Broken Heart”
Rascal Flatts, “Yours If You Want It”
Zac Brown Band, “My Old Man”

Breakthrough Video of the Year
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

Carly Pearce, “Every Little Thing”
Danielle Bradbery, “Sway”
Devin Dawson, “All On Me”
LANco, “Greatest Love Story”
Russell Dickerson, “Yours”
Walker Hayes, “You Broke Up With Me”

Collaborative Video of the Year
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

Bebe Rexha feat. Florida Georgia Line, “Meant To Be”
Carrie Underwood feat. Ludacris, “The Champion”
Cole Swindell feat. Dierks Bentley, “Flatliner”
Justin Timberlake feat. Chris Stapleton, “Say Something”
Kane Brown feat. Lauren Alaina, “What Ifs”
Thomas Rhett feat. Maren Morris, “Craving You”

CMT Performance of the Year
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

Andra Day, Common, Little Big Town, Lee Ann Womack and Danielle Bradbery, “Stand Up For Something” (From 2017 CMT Artists of the Year)
Backstreet Boys and Florida Georgia Line, “Everybody” (From CMT Crossroads)
Charles Kelley, Jason Aldean, Darius Rucker and Derek Trucks, “Midnight Rider” (From 2017 CMT Music Awards)
Earth, Wind & Fire and Lady Antebellum, “September” (From CMT Crossroads)
Jason Aldean, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town, “I Won’t Back Down” (From 2017 CMT Artists of the Year)
Keith Urban feat. Carrie Underwood, “The Fighter” (From 2017 CMT Music Awards)

Leadership Music Names Class Of 2019

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Leadership Music’s historic 30th Class of 2019 will be composed of 45 industry leaders from across the country. Founded in 1989 by twelve music industry alumni of Leadership Nashville, Leadership Music, a national program based in Nashville, TN, has graduated close to 1,200 leaders. The annual program is designed to create a forum for recognized music industry leaders to learn as they deep-dive into almost every segment of the music business, while identifying and exploring issues currently affecting the music industry; and to provide once-in-a-lifetime experiences while building lasting relationships with classmates and alumni in all areas within or related to the music industry.

“Personally, being selected for inclusion in Leadership Music Class of 2003 was a life-changing experience,” CAA’s Jeff Gregg, co-chair of the Selection Committee, stressed. “These 45 leaders selected for the Class of 2019 are embarking on one of the most significant journeys of their career. As a member of the committee, I know I speak on behalf of those that served, we don’t take the responsibility lightly. Choosing the class from the more than 300 qualified candidates who applied is done with great deliberation and thought.”

Co-Chair songwriter Stacy Widelitz adds that he never fails to be awed by the process and the balance of the final result. “We continually emphasize the importance of choosing a class that is diverse in every way,” he pointed out. “That includes genre of music, segment of the music industry they represent, gender, ethnicity, and more. This is an impressive class, and we look forward to watching them develop as a cohesive unit as the Leadership Music Class of 2019.”

Founding Council member and inaugural Leadership Music President, Jim Ed Norman of Curb/Word Entertainment, reflected on the 30th class: “Thirty years in the life of any organization is an impressive milestone, and much has happened in the three decades since a dozen Leadership Nashville alumni from the music industry met to give structure and form to what was, then, just an idea on how to ensure and protect the dialogue and relationship building within the Nashville music community. What this organization has come to mean to the entertainment industry, not only in Nashville but throughout the U. S., is testament to the quality and commitment of our almost 1,200 alums. That we continue to set records in the number of applicants each year is extremely rewarding. Observing the leaders selected for this historic class gives all of us a great deal of confidence in the future of Leadership Music.”

Participants first attend an orientation and alumni welcome reception in September, a two-day Opening Retreat in October, followed by six all-day sessions once a month, ending in May with graduation at a two-day Closing Retreat.

The 45 Members of the Class of 2019 are:

Austen Adams, Attorney, Dickinson Wright
Miles Adcox, CEO/Owner, Onsite
Joseph Atamian, Agent, Paradigm Talent Agency
Greg Barnes, General Counsel, Digital Music Association (Washington, DC)
Michael McAnally Baum, President, Smack Songs
Drew Burchfield, Co-Founder, Aloompa
Anna Bonny Chauvet, Assistant General Counsel, U. S. Copyright Office (Washington, DC)
Jarrod Cooper, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, ONErpm
Kevin Dalton, Business Manager, Wiles + Taylor
Scott Day, Chief Technology Officer, SoundExchange (Washington, DC)
Mehmet Dede, Talent Buyer, Drom NYC/Assistant Professor, The Hartt School (New York City, NY)
Nick Di Fruscia, Vice President, Awards & Membership, ACM (Los Angeles, CA)
Ryan Dokke, Senior Vice President/General Manager, Curb/Word Entertainment
Beville Dunkerley, Head of Nashville Artist Marketing & Industry Relations, Pandora
Serona Elton, Associate Professor/Chair, Music Media & Industry Department, Frost School of Music, University of Miami (Miami, FL)
Jessica Frost, Executive Director, Industry Relations, BMI
Scott Gerow, Producer/Songwriter/Composer, Battery Lane Music
Tim Godwin, Director, Artist & Entertainment Relations, Taylor Guitar (El Cajon, CA)
Tony Grotticelli, Vice President, Digital Marketing, UMG
Chuck Harmony, Artist/CEO, Weirdo Workshop
Debra Herman, Head of Music Partnerships, Shazam (New York, NY)
Eric Holt, Assistant Professor, Belmont University/Partner, Lovenoise
Leigh Holt, Co-Owner/Manager, Redjett Management
Jackie Jones, Director, Music & Talent, CMT
Meredith Jones, Agent, CAA
Gina Keltner, Director, Talent Scheduling & Logistics, Grand Ole Opry
Jay Knowles, Songwriter/CEO WhaleFarm
Garrett Levin, Deputy General Counsel, IP Law & Policy, National Association of Broadcasters (Washington, DC)
Taylor Lindsey, Vice President, A&R, Sony Music Nashville
Chappel McCollister, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Sandbox Entertainment
Marie Miscia, Promotion Director, WKDF/WSM-FM, Cumulus Nashville
Paul Moak, Producer/Studio Owner, The Smoakstack
Jessica Nicholson, Managing Editor, Music Row
Nathan Nicholson, Head of Creative, Thirty Tigers
Ashleigh Overly, Managing Director, Sports & Entertainment, SunTrust Bank
Mike Rittberg, Chief Marketing Officer, BMLG
Lindsay Rothschild, Songwriter & Publisher Relations, Lead North America, YouTube (Los Angeles, CA)
Chad Schultz, Vice President, Radio & Streaming, Warner Music Nashville
Karen Silhol, Executive Vice President, Finance & Administration, RIAA (Washington, DC)
Brandi Simms, Senior Director, Awards & Industry Relations, CMA
Lauren Spahn, Attorney, Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley & Norton LLP
Jessica Tomasin, Manager, Echo Mountain (Asheville, NC)
Nate Towne, Agent, WME
Christy Walker-Watkins, President/Co-Owner, AristoMedia Group
Garry Wall, President/Founder, Sparknet Communications

Garth Brooks Added To CMA Fest

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Garth Brooks will make an appearance during this year’s CMA Fest on Saturday, June 9. He will take the stage at the CMA Close Up Stage at Xfinity Fan Fair X from 12:15 p.m.-1 p.m., where he will participate in a Q&A hosted by SiriusXM’s Storme Warren and answer fan questions.

Brooks, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year, made history at Fan Fair more than 20 years ago, when he led a marathon autograph session, signing for 23 straight hours with no breaks. Last summer, Brooks made a surprise return to CMA Fest, performing a medley of his classic songs at Nissan Stadium. The performance marked Brooks’ first CMA Fest performance since 1998.

Tickets for Xfinity Fan Fair X are available for $10 each day, Thursday through Sunday, June 7-10, or $25 for a four-day pass. A limited number of four-day tickets for the nightly concerts at Nissan Stadium, which also includes four-day access to Xfinity Fan Fair X, are still available at CMAfest.com/tickets or through the CMA Box Office at 1-800-CMA-FEST.

Dolly Parton Partners With Netflix For New Series

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Dolly Parton‘s Dixie Pixie Productions is partnering with Warner Bros. Television to produce a series of television films to premiere on Netflix in 2019. Each installment will be based on a different Parton classic song, with the singer-songwriter appearing in select episodes.

“As a songwriter, I have always enjoyed telling stories through my music. I am thrilled to be bringing some of my favorite songs to life with Netflix. We hope our show will inspire and entertain families and folks of all generations, and I want to thank the good folks at Netflix and Warner Bros. TV for their incredible support,” says Parton, who is currently wrapping production on the music for the upcoming film Dumplin’, to be released as a soundtrack album via Dolly Records/Sony Music Nashville.

Parton, who teamed with Warner Bros. Television to produce her 2016 NBC-TV film Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love (drawing more than 11 million first-run viewers) as well as its precursor, 2015’s Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors (drawing more than 13 million first-run viewers), is executive producing this Netflix series for her own Dixie Pixie Productions.