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Vern Gosdin, Walt Aldridge, Tim Nichols, Jim McBride Are Newest Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame Inductees

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Pictured (L-R): Pat Alger, Buddy Cannon (representing the late Vern Gosdin), Jim McBride, Tim Nichols, Walt Aldridge and Mark Ford, executive director of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Photo: Bev Moser

Vern Gosdin, Jim McBride, Walt Aldridge and Tim Nichols are the four newest inductees to go into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame this October. The four will be officially inducted during the 47th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Oct. 23 at the Music City Center.

“The quality of the songs that emanate from the legendary Nashville Songwriting community is most often the standard by which songwriters measure their success,” says Pat Alger. “Iconic songs from its eminent songwriters help make this town the musical sanctuary it has become and in turn, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates the illustrious careers of those songwriters each year by inducting four new members, the highest honor that any Nashville songwriter can hope for. This year we are extremely proud to welcome the class of 2017: Walt Aldridge and Tim Nichols in the songwriter category; Jim McBride in the veteran songwriter category and the late Vern Gosdin as our songwriter/artist.”

Woodland, Alabama native Gosdin first signed a record deal with Elektra Records in Nashville, and in 1982 he scored a Top 10 hit with his self-penned “Today My World Slipped Away” (also a Top 5 hit for George Strait 15 years later), followed by “If You’re Gonna Do Me Wrong (Do It Right)” in 1983. Moving to Columbia Records in the late ’80s, he charted a series of Top 10 singles with songs he co-wrote, including “Do You Believe Me Now,” “Who You Gonna Blame It On This Time” and “That Just About Does It.” Two more of his original songs, “Set ’Em Up Joe” and “I’m Still Crazy” reached No. 1. His co-written “Chiseled In Stone” was named the 1989 CMA Song of the Year.

Florence, Alabama native Aldridge spent 17 years as staff engineer at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals and 15 years as an independent engineer in Nashville, working on over 200 records. In the late 1980s, he sang lead in the band The Shooters and charted seven singles for Epic Records. Among his best-known songs are “I Am A Simple Man” by Ricky Van Shelton, “I Loved Her First” by Heartland, “Modern Day Bonnie And Clyde” by Travis Tritt, “She Sure Got Away With My Heart” by John Anderson, “She’s Got A Single Thing In Mind” by Conway Twitty, and “Some Things Never Change” by Tim McGraw. “(There’s) No Gettin’ Over Me” by Ronnie Milsap was the 1982 ASCAP Country Song of the Year. “Holding Her And Loving You” by Earl Thomas Conley was the 1983 NSAI Song of the Year. An alumnus of the University of North Alabama (UNA), he teaches in his alma mater’s Entertainment Industry Program and has also been awarded a bronze star on the Alabama Music Hall of Fame Walk of Fame.

Nichols was raised in Springfield, Missouri and moved to Nashville after college. By 1984 he was signed to Ronnie Milsap’s publishing company, and his first hit, 1990’s “I’m Over You” by Keith Whitley, reached #3 on the Country chart shortly after Whitley’s death in 1989. After a stint on BNA Records in the duo Turner-Nichols, Tim’s writing took off with hits such as “Brotherly Love” by Keith Whitley & Earl Thomas Conley, “Heads Carolina, Tails California” by Jo Dee Messina, “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing” by Trace Adkins, “I’ll Think Of A Reason Later” by Lee Ann Womack and “That’d Be Alright” by Alan Jackson. In 2004, his “Live Like You Were Dying” by Tim McGraw swept the awards with the 2004 Grammy for Best Country Song, the 2004 CMA Song and Single of the Year, the 2005 ACM Song and Single of the Year, the 2005 ASCAP Country Song of the Year and the 2005 BMI Country Song of the Year. Recent Nichols hits include “The Man I Want To Be” by Chris Young and “I Got The Boy” by Jana Kramer.

Huntsville, Alabama native Jim McBride got his first guitar at 21 and began taking lessons from his uncle. He started bringing his songs to Nashville in the early 1970s, and by 1972 had several cuts by The Hagers. In 1980 Jim made the move to Nashville and began landing hits like “Bet Your Heart On Me” by Johnny Lee, “Your Memory Ain’t What It Used To Be” by Mickey Gilley and “Rose In Paradise” by Waylon Jennings. In the early 1990s, Jim met an aspiring young singer named Alan Jackson and their collaboration yielded the #1 hits “Chasing That Neon Rainbow,” “(Who Says) You Can’t Have It All,” “Someday” and “Chattahoochee,” which was Song of the Year for the Country Music Association, ASCAP and American Songwriter Magazine, as well as Billboard Magazine’s most-performed song of the year.

In recent years artists such as Garth Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Ronnie Dunn, Emmylou Harris, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Taylor Swift, Trisha Yearwood and more have performed at or participated in the event. Fellow songwriter organization the Nashville Songwriters Association International also participates in the evening by presenting its annual awards for the year’s Best Song, Songwriter and Songwriter/Artist, as well as the Top 10 “Songs I Wish I Had Written” as determined by their professional songwriters division.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame Gala are $250 each and benefit the nonprofit Nashville Songwriters Foundation.  Select seating is available to the public and may be purchased as available by contacting Executive Director Mark Ford at [email protected] or 615-460-6556.

Hall Of Fame Great Glen Campbell Passes

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By Robert K. Oermann

Superstar Glen Campbell’s ordeal with Alzheimer’s disease has ended. He was 81.

The Country Music Hall of Fame member left a legacy of dazzling guitar playing, golden-throated singing, iconic television work and movie stardom. His enduring recorded performances include definitive interpretations of such classics as John Hartford’s “Gentle on My Mind,” Jimmy Webb’s “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” and “Wichita Lineman,” Larry Weiss’s “Rhinestone Cowboy” and Allen Toussaint’s “Southern Nights.”

Glen Campbell revealed he had Alzheimer’s in 2011. He sang “Rhinestone Cowboy” at the February 2012 Grammy Award ceremony. He embarked on an international “Goodbye Tour,” with three of his children serving as band members. He appeared in Nashville at the CMA Music Festival in the summer of 2012.

The acclaimed 2014 documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me documented his final tour. Its soundtrack featured his last recorded song, the Oscar nominated “I’m Not Gonna Miss You.”

During his legendary career, Glen Campbell recorded more than 70 albums and placed more than 80 songs on either the pop, country or adult-contemporary charts. His lifetime record sales exceed 45 million units. He has 17 Grammy Award nominations and six wins.

Glen Travis Campbell was born the seventh son of the 12 children of a sharecropper near Delight, Arkansas on April 22, 1936. He dropped out of school at age 14. Proficient on guitar from an early age, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1954 to join his uncle’s country band, Dick Bills & The Sandia Mountain Boys. The teenager also appeared on local radio and TV. He formed his own band, The Western Wranglers, in 1958.

With the aim of becoming a session musician, Campbell moved to Los Angeles in 1960. He became a member of the studio aggregation known as “The Wrecking Crew” and played on records by hundreds of established stars, including Frank Sinatra, Ricky Nelson, The Monkees, Jan & Dean, Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, Bobby Darin, Merle Haggard, The Mamas & Papas, Ray Charles, Simon & Garfunkle, The Fifth Dimension and The Righteous Brothers.

He was in the “house bands” of such TV shows as Star Route, Shindig! and Hollywood Jamboree during this period. He also toured as a member of the instrumental group The Champs (“Tequila”) and recorded as a member of The Hondells (“Little Honda”) and Sagittarius (“My World Fell Down”).

Glen Campbell signed with Capitol Records in 1962. “Kentucky Means Paradise” cracked the country top-20 in early 1963 (billed as The Green River Boys Featuring Glen Campbell). But most of his early singles for the label were not successful.

In 1964-65, he toured as a member of The Beach Boys, playing bass and singing Brian Wilson’s falsetto harmony parts. He also played on that group’s iconic 1966 LP Pet Sounds, as well as on such singles as “Help Me Rhonda” and “Dance, Dance, Dance.” Campbell also toured as a bass player with Ricky Nelson.

His own recording career began to heat up when he teamed up with producer/arranger Al DeLory. His remake of Jack Scott’s “Burning Bridges” returned him to the country top-20 in early 1967.

Later that year, “Gentle on My Mind” became a hit. It earned Campbell the ACM Single and Album of the Year trophies, and he was also the 1967 ACM Male Vocalist of the Year. In addition, “Gentle On My Mind” won Campbell his first country Grammy Awards. At the same ceremony, he won a pop Grammy for “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” which was actually a much bigger hit in the country field.

In 1968, Glen Campbell had his first No. 1 country hit, John D. Loudermilk’s “I Wanna Live.” He followed it with another big hit, Chris Gantry’s “Dreams of the Everyday Housewife.” He repeated his Male Vocalist ACM win, and Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell was named the ACM Album of the Year.

He became a bona fide pop star with the 1968 release of the haunting “Wichita Lineman,” his second country chart topper. At that year’s Grammy ceremony, his By the Time I Get to Phoenix LP was named the overall Album of the Year. In addition, he was named the 1968 CMA Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year. Simultaneous pop and country success continued in 1969 with Campbell’s yearning version of Jimmy Webb’s “Galveston.”

He had hosted a summer-replacement TV series in 1968. Beginning in 1969, he starred in his own, prime-time, weekly variety series, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, on CBS. The shows were characterized by impressive superstar duets. The host showcased his guitar talents, as well as his abilities on banjo, mandolin and bagpipes. Jerry Reed, John Hartford and Dom DeLuise were regulars. The series remained on the air until the summer of 1972. As a result of this exposure, Glen Campbell was named the ACM TV Personality of the Year in 1968 and 1971.

Film roles ensued. Campbell co-starred with John Wayne in the 1969 feature True Grit. He sang the film’s theme song, which was nominated for an Oscar. The 1970 film Norwood co-starred him with Joe Namath and Kim Darby. Other films that featured Campbell include Strange Homecoming (1974) with Robert Culp and Leif Garrett, Any Which Way You Can (1980) with Clint Eastwood, Uphill All the Way (1986) with Roy Clark and Mel Tillis and the animated Rock-A- Doodle (1991).

During the early 1970s, he continued to have consistent top-10 country hits — “Try a Little Kindness” (1969), “Honey Come Back” (1970), “Everything a Man Could Ever Need” (from Norwood, 1970) and “Manhattan Kansas” (1972), plus revivals of Conway Twitty’s “It’s Only Make Believe” (1970), The Everly Brothers’ “Let It Be Me” and “All I Have to Do Is Dream” (both with Bobbie Gentry, 1969-70), Pee Wee King’s “Bonaparte’s Retreat” (1974) and Roy Orbison’s “Dream Baby” (1971). Of them, “It’s Only Make Believe” was the sole single that became a pop top-10 hit as well. He also recorded duet LPs with fellow pop-country stars Anne Murray (1971) and Tennessee Ernie Ford (1975).

Glen Campbell roared back to the top of the pop hit parade with 1975’s “Rhinestone Cowboy,” also a No. 1 country hit. With sales reportedly in excess of two million, this became the biggest hit of his career. At the American Music Awards, it won both Pop and Country Single of the Year honors, and its album won the AMA Country Album award the following year. “Rhinestone Cowboy” was the ACM”s 1975 Single of the Year, as well. Also topping both pop and country charts was 1977’s “Southern Nights.”

Now at the peak of his popularity, he hosted the 1976, 1977 and 1978 American Music Awards telecasts. Between 1971 and 1983, he was annually the celebrity host of the Los Angeles Open PGA golf tournament. He began touring overseas and became an international celebrity, particularly in Great Britain.

He remained active on the country charts with “Don’t Pull Your Love/Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” (1976), “Sunflower” (1977), “Can You Fool” (1978), “I’m Gonna Love You” (1979), “Any Which Way You Can” (1980) and “I Love My Truck” (1981).

In 1982, he signed with Atlantic Records. Notable country singles for that company included “I Love How You Love Me” (1983), the Grammy nominated “Faithless Love” (1983), “A Lady Like You” (1984), “Letter to Home” (1985) and “It’s Just a Matter of Time” (1985).

During the 1980s, Campbell recorded duets with Rita Coolidge, Emmylou Harris, Mel Tillis, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Lee Greenwood and Tanya Tucker. The Tucker recordings were done when she and Campbell were romantically involved in a tempestuous relationship that made tabloid-newspaper headlines.

He returned to television with The Glen Campbell Music Show in 1982-83. The half-hour syndicated series had 24 episodes. In 1985, he was honored with an HBO TV special, The Silver Anniversary of the Rhinestone Cowboy. Johnny Cash, Anne Murray, Mel Tillis, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson joined him on it.

Also in 1985, airline flight attendant Denise Jackson approached Glen Campbell in the Atlanta airport. She told him her husband was a songwriter moving to Nashville and asked for advice from the star. Campbell put Alan Jackson in touch with his song-publishing company in Nashville and paid for the studio time that led to a recording contract.

Many others cite Campbell as influencing their careers, perhaps none more so than Keith Urban. Steve Martin was a writer on his TV show. Wade Hayes revived “Wichita Lineman” in 1997. The Band Perry won a Grammy last year for their revival of “Gentle on My Mind,” and Restless Heart’s current version of “Wichita Lineman” was recorded to salute Campbell’s influence. Being Campbell’s duet partner elevated Anne Murray’s profile early in her recording career.

Glen Campbell kicked off a late-1980s stint at MCA Records with another duet. He and Opry star Steve Wariner scored a big hit with 1987’s “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.” It earned the team a Grammy nomination.

Campbell’s solo hits continued with “Still Within the Sound of My Voice” (1987), “I Have You” (1988) and “She’s Gone, Gone, Gone” (1989). His 1986 inspirational album No More Night won Campbell a Dove Award from the GMA.

Accolades continued into the 1990s. He won his second Dove Award in 1992 for his performance of “Where Shadows Never Fall.” He published Rhinestone Cowboy as his autobiography in 1994. The book dealt candidly with substance abuse, women, recovery and his spiritual testimony. In 1998, he was presented with the ACM’s Pioneer Award.

He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005. As a member of L.A.’s studio all stars “The Wrecking Crew,” he was made a member of The Musicians Hall of Fame in 2007. His album A Glen Campbell Christmas won a Dove Award in 2000. Three of his recordings entered the Grammy Hall of Fame during this decade — “Wichita Lineman” (2000), “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” (2004) and “Gentle On My Mind” (2008).

Campbell returned to Capitol Records for his “comeback” album, 2008’s Meet Glen Campbell. The collection found him singing a highly eclectic repertoire, including songs by U2, Green Day, Jackson Browne, Foo Fighters and Tom Petty. His “farewell” album, Ghost on the Canvas, was issued in 2010.

He went public with his Alzheimer’s diagnosis the following year. He made his last TV appearance when he was presented with the 2012 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His final recorded song, “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” won the 2014 Best Country Song Grammy Award for Campbell and cowriter Julian Raymond.

Glen Campbell entered a Nashville memory-care facility that year. His long-term treatment continued throughout 2015. In early March 2016, his wife reported that he could no longer play the guitar and had lost most of his language skills.

Glen Campbell has had four families. His eldest daughter is Debby, the child of the star with his first wife, Diane Kirk. Debby Campbell sang backup in her father’s road band for 24 years and is the co-author of the 2014 memoir Glen Campbell: Life With My Father.

Second wife Billie Jean Nunley is the mother of daughter Kelli and sons Travis and Kane. Third wife Sarah Barg is the mother of son Dillon. In 2010, Dillon Campbell issued his debut pop EP, Save Yourself.

Campbell married Kim Woollen in 1982. She is the mother of sons Cal and Shannon and daughter Ashley, the three children who accompanied him in his final road band. Ashley Campbell co-wrote and recorded the 2015 Dot Records single “Remembering” to honor her father.

She also appears on his final album, Adios. Produced by his longtime sideman Carl Jackson, the record was released on June 9, in conjunction with the 2017 CMA Music Festival.

From Campbell’s official website:

It is with the heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and legendary singer and guitarist, Glen Travis Campbell, at the age of 81, following his long and courageous battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Glen is survived by his wife, Kim Campbell of Nashville, TN; their three children, Cal, Shannon and Ashley; his children from previous marriages, Debby, Kelli, Travis, Kane, and Dillon; ten grandchildren, great- and great-great-grandchildren; sisters Barbara, Sandra, and Jane; and brothers John Wallace “Shorty” and Gerald.
In lieu of flowers, donations for Alzheimer’s research may be made to the Glen Campbell Memorial Fund at BrightFocus Foundation through the donation page at Careliving.org.
A personal statement from Kim Campbell will follow.
The family appreciates your prayers and respect for their privacy at this time.

Weekly Register: Lucas Hoge Tops Country Albums Rankings

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In its second week of release, Rebel Engine Entertainment artist Lucas Hoge tops the Nielsen Soundscan Country Albums rankings, with Dirty South moving 9.9K and rising from No. 3 to the top slot.

Chris Stapleton takes the second and third slots on the country charts, with From A Room at No. 2 with 9.2K, and Traveller at No. 3 with 6.4K. Now That’s What I Call Country 10 rises one spot to No. 4, with 6.1K moved this week.

Lady Antebellum‘s Heart Break rises from No. 6 to No. 5, with 5.4K.

Joe Nichols‘ Never Gets Old debuts at No. 6 on the country albums chart this week, with 4.8K. Logan Mize‘s Come Back Road debuts at No. 20 on the country albums rankings with 1.6K.

Digital Songs

Thomas Rhett makes this week’s top debut on the country digital songs chart, with “Unforgettable” landing at No. 2 country and moving 29K in its first week. The singer-songwriter has two tracks in the Top 5 this week on the country digital songs chart, with “Craving You” (ft. Maren Morris) at No. 5, with 14K.

Sam Hunt‘s “Body Like A Back Road” continues at No. 1 , with 40K moved this week, and 1.471 million to date.

Kane Brown‘s “What Ifs” (ft. Lauren Alaina) is at No. 3, with 18K, while Dustin Lynch‘s “Small Town Boy” is at No. 4, with 17K.

Information provided by Nielsen Soundscan

 

 

Weekly Chart Report 8/4/17

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

DisClaimer: Florida Georgia Line’s “Smooth,” Funky New Single

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The superstars are in short supply this week.

Fortunately, Florida Georgia Line’s new single is so strong that it doesn’t matter. They would have blown everybody else out of the water, no matter how big. Give those Belmont fugitives a Disc of the Day.

Our many newcomers this week include Marty Heddin, Jagertown, Candy Fernaux, Tara Shannon, Jesse Rice and our hands-down, no-contest DisCovery Award winners Benji Harris.

Benji is a Dallas native who moved to Music City in 2009. He has been on the road working in the bands of folks like Sam Hunt, Jana Kramer, Mickey Guyton, Bo Bice and, currently, Cassadee Pope (singing Chris Young’s part on “Think of Me”). Here’s hoping he gets his own spotlight.

BENJI HARRIS/That’s How You Get a Girl
Writers: none listed; Producer: Sean Giovanni; Publisher: none listed
– It has a very cool, stuttering, hooky groove. His jaunty, youthful voice has personality and bounce. The production is flawless. Absolutely play it.

 

 

BAILEY JAMES/Run Girl
Writers: Bailey James Koehler/Steve O’Brien/Julie Downs; Producer: Jeffrey Teague; Publisher: none listed, ASCAP/BMI
– I’ve liked everything she’s ever put out so far, and this continues her winning ways. The band is cooking, and she’s a master chef as a singer. Toe-tapping tempo, a catchy tune and a home-run performance are the ingredients.

RONNIE DUNN/I Worship the Woman You Walked On
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed
– His vocal is as perfect and piercing as ever on this power ballad. I don’t much care for the synth-y, string-soaked, processed production.

 

JESSE RICE/Hope Town
Writers: Jesse Rice/Patrick Davis/Django Walker/Phillip Lammonds/Mark Bryan; Producer: Jesse Rice; Publisher: none listed
– Well sung and extremely well played. But in this case, the whole isn’t more than the sum of its parts. Oddly colorless, in a bland, beach-y kinda way.

TARA SHANNON/Take This Rock (And Roll)
Writers: J. Gregory/T. Shannon; Producer: Hayley McLean; Publisher: Willow Sound/James Gregory, SOCAN/ASCAP/BMI
– This Canadian thrush displays plenty of finger-snapping sass on this rollicking, bluesy “attitude” tune.

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE/Smooth
Writers: Tyler Hubbard/Brian Kelley/Nicole Galyon/Jordan Schmidt; Producer: Joey Moi; Publisher: Big Loud Mountain/T Hubb/Prance Ringle/Round Hill/Warner-Tamerlane/A Girl Named Charlie/Freshy/We-Volve/Tri Star, BMI/ASCAP
– Funky and loosey-goosey, in a very cool way. The backbeats, drawled voices, twang tones and saucy flavor combine for a sensational summertime jam. I’m in.

 

MARTY HEDDIN/Hammered
Writers: none listed; Producer: Keith Stegall; Publisher: none listed
– As the “house” bandleader at the Cowboys clubs in Dallas, San Antonio and Atlanta, this fellow has opened for everyone from Tim McGraw to Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney. His debut, six-song EP is produced by Keith Stegall. If you expect solid professionalism, confident honky-tonk singing and assured personality, you won’t be disappointed. This man has the goods.

JAGERTOWN/Small Town Superstars
Writers: Preston Creed; Producer: Jim Gist; Publisher: none listed, ASCAP
– This kicks off with what sounds like drum-line percussion and Queen-style, arena-rock shouting. And it goes downhill from there, coming across like a cover-band version of “Cum on Feel the Noize.”

MARGO PRICE/Weakness
Writers: Margo Price/Jeremy Ivey; Producer: Margo Price, Alex Munoz, Matt Ross-Spang & Jeremy Ivey; Publisher: Peach Pit/Fisheye, SESAC
– Thin and rinky-dink sounding. Under produced.

 

CANDY FERNAUX/Gone Fishin’
Writers: Candy Fernaux/Wyatt Easterling; Producer: Considerable Music & Wyatt Easterling; Publisher: none listed, ASCAP
– Pleasantly listenable. But little more.

EXCLUSIVE: Industry Executive Shannan Hatch Celebrates 15 Years With SESAC

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SESAC Vice President of Creatives Services, Shannan Hatch. Photo: Jason Krupek

In her role as SESAC Vice President of Creative Services, Shannan Hatch is an industry-revered songwriter advocate. She leads the PRO’s Nashville-based creative services team in recruiting, signing and nurturing songwriters and publishers, as well as retaining existing writers and publishers.

Since landing her position with SESAC exactly 15 years ago today on August 2, 2002, Hatch has worked closely with songwriters including Steve Bogard, Lee Brice, Jamey Johnson, Runaway June, Craig Campbell, Rob Hatch, Josh Hoge, Jesse Lee, Richard Leigh, Restless Road, Jaron Boyer, Cary Barlowe, Lance Miller, Monty Powell, and Michael Tyler, along with Americana tunesmiths Hayes Carll, Jim Lauderdale, and Allison Moorer, among many others.

To celebrate her 15th anniversary with the organization, MusicRow sat down with Hatch to discuss her impressive career, past accomplishments, and contagious excitement for the future.

How did you first get into the music business? What was the first step that led you into such a successful career?

When I was 18 or 19, running amok, trying to figure out what I wanted to do, a lady named Susan Collier was doing PR and she needed some help. I started working for her part-time. She was friends with Ed Morris who was writing a book and needed help researching. I spent the summer working for her and researching Ed’s book in the old Hall of Fame library.

I gained an appreciation for styles of music that I didn’t gravitate towards naturally. Through that, I learned I really loved the country music business and I loved working with people. So I went back to college and got a degree in public relations at MTSU. I received a marketing and psychology minor, and I find sometimes that psychology minor comes in more handy than anything else.

After college, AristoMedia was looking for someone to work in their PR department under Kay Clary. She hired me so I got the opportunity to work with Jeff Walker. We had a great time and I got to work a lot of his projects including Keith Urban’s first two solo projects.

2016 SESAC Songwriter of the Year Award recipient Josh Hoge, the writer of two No. 1 songs this year, “I’m Comin’ Over” and “Think of You,” with RCA Nashville Recording artist Chris Young and SESAC’s Shannan Hatch.

What was your first job at SESAC and how did you land that position?

My first job was in writer/publisher relations in 2002. I had been doing PR for about ten years and was out every night seeing the shows and meeting the songwriters. I was always looking at the liner notes and seeing who the writers were. Then I’d go out and see them. A lot of my friends were in the tape copy rooms at the publishing companies and were starting to get jobs in publishing. SESAC called me and asked if I was interested in coming over there to work in writer/publisher relations. I was already pretty much doing that anyway so it was a natural transition for me to join them. And 15 years later, I’m still there.

Let’s talk about your creative services team, which is responsible for recruitment, signing and nurturing. Can you talk more about the nurturing aspect?

It’s different for everyone and that’s one of the great things about SESAC. We don’t have to sign everyone that comes through the door. We look at whether it fits with licensing objectives or whether it is a good fit for filling an open slot. But a lot of it has to do with personalities and who we want to work with and who we can work with, which is a really great liberty we have. We all see the same goal and work together, nurturing writers. We set up co-writes and set up publisher meetings. If they’re looking for producers, booking agencies, management, or whatever they need to get to the next step in their career, we help.

What’s the most important advice you give to your writers?

I find that a reoccurring thing I say is, “No one is going to work harder for you than you are working yourself on your career.” So don’t expect me to be working harder than you’re going to work. We all see writers and artists that come to town who think they’ve got a lot of talent. But they haven’t gotten out there on the street and seen what’s actually out there. There can be a lack of reality with a lot of people who come to town. If people don’t live in Nashville, I like to invite them to town to experience Tin Pan South. That’s a really good bar. If you think you can compete with that, then this is a town that you should move to. But if you don’t, then you need to stay where you are. Don’t relocate your family because there are other people doing it every day and are willing to work very hard on their careers.

Name a time in your career when you said to yourself, “Wow, this is really cool!”

Wow, there are so many great things that have happened. My most memorable moments are usually when someone else has done something really great. One of my favorite moments was when my husband won Songwriter of the Year at SESAC. It was a good night. Also having my son at a No. 1 party was a special moment. Being able to see my friends go from pounding the doors, up and down the Row, and writing songs, to having record deals and publishing deals. Each one of those things is celebrated. In those moments, I think, “I’m so glad and so thankful that I get to work in this business and get to celebrate with people who deserve it.”

Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Pat Collins, Tim Fink, Shannan Hatch, Songwriter of the Year Rob Hatch and SESAC’s John Mullins at the 2014 SESAC Awards in Nashville.

It’s important to celebrate the women in our industry who are succeeding, like yourself. How has being a female in our industry personally shaped your career?

In the music business, it’s changed a lot. When I first started, there were only a handful of women who broke the mold. There were certain jobs that females did. I got to see, for instance, Frances Preston and Connie Bradley running big companies and doing some really great things. I came up in a time that it was starting to change. I feel like it’s going in a really great direction right now. People like Leslie Fram, Tracy Gershon, and Beverly Keel with Change the Conversation, is a great example. I look up to those women and have a lot of respect for what they’ve done. I’ve been very fortunate. My mother is a very strong personality and has always been able to point me in the right direction when I may not be seeing the big picture. She’s my source of inspiration and has always been a person who I can pick up the phone and call. And I’ve got a sister who is a badass and very successful in real estate here in Nashville. I’ve been very blessed to have a lot of great women around me.

What advice would you give someone wanting to succeed? What would you tell yourself 15 years ago?

Don’t ever underestimate yourself. Through the years, I realized that I have an opinion. I have an opinion that matters and people actually want to hear my opinion. I feel like I’ve grown in a business sense a lot in the last five or six years. Things that I was hesitant to say in a room before, I’m not. I wish that I had not hesitated years ago because I do know what I’m doing. I think we all give ourselves a hard time and underestimate what we know and what people want to hear.

The growth of Nashville is changing so much with so many people moving here. How is this growth affecting the industry from your perspective?

I feel like one of the beautiful things about Nashville is the sense of community, and no matter how spread out our entertainment music business gets, I feel like we still have that. There is something very exceptional and unique to this town and this genre of music. I see it growing but I don’t see that sense of community going away. Our sense of community will always set this town and our music business apart from others. The music business is not only a business to me—it’s my lifestyle. The people I’ve chosen to work with and those who have chosen to work with me are an extension of my family. That’s what I love about what I do and I’d like to see that continue. Our generation can really help the younger generation keep that sense of family here in Nashville.

Big Winners: 2010 Publisher & Songwriter of the Year (who wrote Song of the Year “Need You Now”): Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s John Mullins & Shannan Hatch, EMI Foray Music’s Ben Vaughn, SESAC’s Pat Collins, Hillary Scott & SESAC’s Tim Fink. Photo: Ed Rode

What are your thoughts about celebrating 15 years with SESAC?

Old [laughs]. When I first came to SESAC, it wasn’t necessarily a home. It was the next transition in my career. But it became my home and there have been so many fabulous transitions in my journey inside SESAC. People like Kelli Turner, John Josephson, Dennis Lord and Sam Kling have given me a lot of strength and courage to do things differently at SESAC. SESAC’s adapting and changing, just like everything else.

I can honestly say I’m more excited at the future of SESAC than I have been of the previous 15 years, which is a really cool thing to say about a company that you’ve been working at for so long. I don’t have to go out and sell SESAC. People come to SESAC and ask questions now.

It’s not just SESAC, a performing rights organization, it’s SESAC, a music rights organization. That really drives me to expand and learn different things. Being able to look into all of these ways to help writers get more money and having a company that’s growing like this, makes it a brand new day at SESAC.

 

Exclusive: Big Loud Rebrands, Launches New Capital Venture

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Today (Aug. 1), Big Loud Records, led by industry veteran Clay Hunnicutt, celebrates two years in operation. The label boasts a roster including Morgan Wallen, Jillian Jacqueline, and Chris Lane, who last year celebrated his first No. 1 with “Fix,” which was also the first single Big Loud Records ever promoted to radio.

To celebrate, Big Loud partners Craig Wiseman, Kevin “Chief” Zaruk, Joey Moi, Seth England, and Big Loud Records president Hunnicutt have revealed a rebranding for the overall Big Loud operations, which places the company’s various divisions, including Big Loud Shirt Publishing, label Big Loud Records, artist management company Big Loud Mountain and a newly-announced venture fund, Capital, all under the name Big Loud.

The rebranding also includes the newly-created, centralized website bigloud.com, new signage at the company’s 16th Ave. S. headquarters in Nashville, as well as a new logo, which simplifies the original Hawaiian shirt logo that represented Big Loud Publishing.

“Craig did a great job branding Big Loud Shirt. Especially in Nashville, it’s an iconic name and an iconic logo,” says Zaruk. “Instead of trying to explain to people that we are four companies and four logos, we are just Big Loud. So we simplified the original logo.”

Big Loud began in 2003, with the launch of Wiseman’s Big Loud Shirt Industries, which has earned 45 No. 1 singles to date. The publishing company’s current roster includes Wiseman, Sarah Buxton, Rodney Clawson, Matt Dragstrem, Joey Moi, Chris Tompkins, Jamie Moore and the Warren Brothers.

In 2012, the company expanded with the launch of its management arm, Big Loud Mountain. The division spearheaded the career of superstar country duo Florida Georgia Line, who have sold more than 29 million tracks worldwide, earned 13 No. 1 hits and have country music’s only diamond-certified single with “Cruise.” In 2015, Big Loud expanded again with the launch of label division Big Loud Records.

Pictured (L-R): Joey Moi, Craig Wiseman, Chief Zaruk, Seth England, Clay Hunnicutt. Photo: Delaney Royer

England says the need to integrate all the company’s offerings into one overall brand became increasingly evident. “I found when I was traveling around the country, and globally, the first thing people ask is ‘What is your company?’ We had gotten to the point where we had three or four different companies with Big Loud as part of the name, along with something more unique, like Big Loud Shirt. It was cool because it reflected each company, but as we‘ve grown and had success, I find myself needing to explain more instead of just saying, ‘We are Big Loud.’”

Newly added to the Big Loud offerings is Capital, a venture capital fund launched by Wiseman, Zaruk, Moi and England.

The idea for Capital came after Big Loud’s business manager introduced the executives to Los Angeles-based Plus Capital.

“They had experience working with entertainers and helping them build side investments and venture capital,” England says. “They also had a firm within their company that helped entertainers build businesses for themselves. At the time I met them, they were working with Paramore’s Haley Williams and helping her build a hair dye company [GoodDYEyoung]. So we started the fund and made the business plan for ourselves.”

England cites managers like SB Projects’ Scooter Braun as well as Atom Factory and Erving Wonder founder Troy Carter as being “business builders” for their artists.

“If you choose to look at it that way, you build businesses in the best interest of your artists,” England says. “I think we were using that side of our cap so often, we knew one day that if we got introduced to the right people and developed the right network that we would love to sit down with young up-and-coming companies and evaluate different opportunities for us to disperse capital, as well as ways to be strategic and help people.”

England says Capital has invested in approximately 10 companies so far, a mix of music, tech, and non-music companies.

Chief among those is Stem, a digital distribution service co-founded by Milana Rabkin, Tim Luckow and Jovin Cronin-Wilesmith. Stem analyzes the share of income a vendor should receive from music platforms like Spotify and Pandora, collects revenues, and automatically splits the payments among different collaborators, who set up vendor accounts.

“Before we can ever release the song, the producer or any royalty participants—if there is a side artist featured, or something like that—they all have to sign off on how much they are due,” England explains. “As the revenues come in from all streaming services or iTunes, it comes into the account and it just splits it as told and then each of those collaborators don’t have to wait another 90 days. They just download their account right to their bank account. It gets faster more accurate pay for all the participants.”

Other companies Capital has invested in include augmented reality hardware company Magic Leap, alternative dairy source Califia Farms, and online retailer Casper Mattresses.

“When looking at companies, we always ask, ‘Is this company, app or brand a disruptor?’” says Zaruk. “Is it going to disrupt the flow of what the norms are now and what people are doing to convert over because this idea or company is better or different and it’s going to make a big change?’”

With the launch of Capital being the latest in Big Loud’s ongoing evolution, Zaruk says the rebranding comes at the perfect time.

“Through all of our networking and all we are doing, we realized we had so many interests in different things but they all touch each other and they can all overlap,” Zaruk says. “The more we can control in-house and build our company and our brand the more we and our artists benefit and the opportunities just allow us to do so much more than just one thing. It’s a natural evolution. We want to be all things Big Loud.”

Songwriter Bob McDill Donates Life’s Work To Country Music Hall Of Fame

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Pictured (L-R, Front row): Bobby Bare, Bob McDill, Don Schlitz; Back row: Jon Byrd, William Michael Morgan, Allen Reynolds, Thomm Jutz, Jamey Johnson, Kyle Young in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

During his nearly 30-year career, songwriter Bob McDill penned 31 No. 1 songs.

Among his numerous contributions to the country music world are classics including Keith Whitley’s “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “Amanda” (recorded by both Don Williams and Waylon Jennings), Dan Seals’ “Everything That Glitters Is Not Gold,” Alan Jackson’s “Gone Country,” Mel McDaniels’ “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On” and “Louisiana Saturday Night,” Alabama’s “Song of the South,” “It Must Be Love,” recorded by Don Williams and later by Alan Jackson, and Sammy Kershaw’s “She Don’t Know She’s Beautiful.”

McDill was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985. He retired from songwriting in 2000.

For years, the handwritten lyrics to those notable hits and numerous others, some 200 recorded songs, and written on 217 legal pads during this three decades as an active songwriter, sat in McDill’s basement.

Pictured (L-R): Governor Haslam, Bob McDill, and Kyle Young. Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

On Monday (July 31), McDill donated his personal collection to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, including all 217 legal pads of handwritten lyrics, along with 110 awards and plaques, and his Martin 1967 D-28-S that he played exclusively for songwriting for decades.

McDill made a rare public appearance for the donation ceremony, where Bobby Bare performed “Amanda,” Jamey Johnson offered a rendition of “The Door Is Always Open,” Don Schlitz performed “Good Ole Boys Like Me,” Jon Byrd offered “Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold),” and William Michael Morgan sang “Don’t Close Your Eyes.”

“McDill’s donation to this museum is one of astounding consequence,” said Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum CEO Kyle Young. “We are humbled and honored by his generosity, and we will use this collection to educate generations of songwriters and scholars on the extraordinary career and craft of Bob McDill.”

Pictured: Bob McDill, Bobby Bare, Jamey Johnson. Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum

McDill, a Beaumont, Texas native, was influenced by the writing of Thomas Wolfe, as well as played by radio DJs including WLAC (Nashville)’s John Richbourg and WXLR (Texas)’s Wolfman Jack. McDill began writing songs at age 15 and later played in the folk group the Newcomers. While a student at Lamar University, he wrote “The Happy Man,” which Perry Como recorded in 1967. The next year, McDill had his second hit, “Black Sheep,” recorded by Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs. Allen Reynolds helped McDill place the song, and in 1970, McDill and Reynolds began working for Jack Clement’s publishing company, Jack Music.

McDill’s first country success came with Johnny Russell’s 1972 recording of “Catfish John,” co-written with Reynolds. McDill began a rigorous schedule of completing one song per week for the next three decades and would go on to score dozens of Billboard #1 hits, for artists as diverse as Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Anne Murray, Lefty Frizzell and Joe Cocker.

 

Becky Gardenhire Named Partner At WME

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Becky Gardenhire

WME has promoted Becky Gardenhire to Partner. Gardenhire joined WME’s predecessor the William Morris Agency in 2002 in its Los Angeles office, and relocated to the Nashville office in 2003.

Her client roster includes Adam Craig, Charlie Worsham, Chase Bryant, Clare Dunn, Clayton Anderson, Courtney Cole, Ingrid Andress, Jake Owen, Jordan Davis, Justin Adams, LANCo, RaeLynn, Rascal Flatts, Sara Evans and many others. Additionally, she works across the WME Nashville roster booking concerts in arenas, amphitheaters, theaters, PACS and casinos in the South.

Gardenhire also started “Talk the Talk,” a monthly lecture series that connects the women in WME’s Nashville office with other successful women in the Nashville community. She has signed several artists, and is an integral part in the new artist development program.

In addition to her work at WME, Becky is also very involved in the community. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Nashville Symphony and the W.O. Smith Music School. She is an alumni of Leadership Music and Source, and she devotes her time to the WME Foundation. She was recently named to Nashville Business Journal’s “40 Under 40 List,” and is a member of CMA, ACM, GMA, and IEBA.

With the addition of Gardenhire, WME’s Nashville office, led by Rob Beckham and Greg Oswald, is now home to a total of 10 WME partners, including Beckham, Oswald, Gardenhire, Joey Lee, Shari Lewin, Keith Miller, Kevin Neal, Risha Rodgers, Jay Williams, and Lane Wilson.

Adele Moves To SESAC For Performing Rights Representation

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Adele has moved to SESAC Performing Rights for representation in the United States, it has been announced by John Josephson, chairman and CEO, SESAC Holdings, Inc. Adele was previously with BMI.

SESAC’s main headquarters are based in Nashville.

Adele joins artist-songwriters including Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, RUSH, Zac Brown, and Lady Antebellum on the SESAC roster. Among other benefits, SESAC pays royalties on a monthly rather than quarterly basis, and also offers singular licenses that include both performance and mechanical rights.

Adele’s chart-topping singles include “Rolling in the Deep,” “Someone Like You,” “Set Fire to the Rain,” “Rumour Has It,” “Skyfall” and “Hello.”

“We are humbled and grateful to have been selected to represent Adele’s performing rights in the United States,” said Josephson. “With each new release, she surpasses her own prior record of achievement and confirms her place as a global superstar in a category all her own.”

With the release of her multi-platinum debut album, 19, in 2008, Adele earned two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist. Her second release, 21, was named the 2012 Grammy Album of the Year and sold 35 million copies. Adele released her third studio album, 25, in late 2015. The album has gone on to sell more than 23 million copies worldwide, and has earned Adele five additional Grammy Awards.

During her career, Adele has garnered more than 130 awards and received more than 250 nominations for some of the industry’s most prestigious honors to include the Brit Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, Billboard Awards, American Music Award, and Ivor Novello Awards, among others.

Adele just completed a multi-year international tour, and performed her finale in the U.K. at London’s Wembley Stadium.