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Thomas Rhett, Virginia Davis, Rhett Akins, Roc Nation Launch Publishing Venture

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Thomas Rhett, Virginia Davis

Thomas Rhett, his longtime manager Virginia Davis (G Major Management), as well as his songwriter father Rhett Akins have launched a new creative endeavor with Jay Z’s Roc Nation, named Home Team Publishing.

Thomas Rhett’s personal publishing will stay with his long-standing publisher EMI/SONY.

Eric Olson is the company’s first signing. The Seattle, Washington native moved to Nashville in 2010 and connected with Kelly Clarkson’s musical director, Jason Halbert, with whom he went on to co-produce and write Clarkson’s smash hit “Catch My Breath.” Olson has collaborated with artists such as Dave Barnes, Danielle Bradbery, Mr Hudson, Dan Tyminski, Cappa, Chris Lane and Akins.

“Songwriting has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember,” shares Thomas Rhett who, along with his father Akins, are the only father/son co-write to ever top the country Billboard radio charts. Rhett’s most recent single, “Star of the Show,” garnered him his seventh No. 1 song on country Billboard radio charts.

“I was a songwriter before I was an artist, and I was lucky enough to find a team that believed in me really early on,” continues Rhett. “Songwriting the foundation for my artist career, so I’m excited and honored to be able to invest in the future of the songwriting community.”

“Thomas and Rhett are both naturals at identifying and nurturing talent,” offers Davis.

“I’m beyond excited to be a part of Home Team Publishing,” says Akins. “Why wouldn’t I be? I get to work with Virginia Davis and Thomas Rhett- two of the most hard-working, talented and creative people in the industry.”

“There are few teams that have the amazing track record of Virginia Davis, Thomas Rhett and Rhett Atkins,” added CEO Roc Nation, Jay Brown. “They have a deep appreciation for artists and an uncanny ear for hits. Home Team Publishing is an exciting and natural partnership for Roc Nation.”

In 2016, Roc Nation launched Roc Nation Nashville—a venture with Warner/Chappell—and Rhythm House—a venture with Jesse Frasure. Warner/Chappell’s BJ Hill was announced to work across the companies.

Warner/Chappell, Liz Rose Music, BMI Ink Deal With Cameron Bedell

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Pictured (Back row, L-R): BJ Hill (WC), Will Overton (WC), Leslie Roberts (BMI), Alison Junker (WC), Alyson McAnally, (LRM), Natalie Paslay (LRM), Travis Carter (WC), Scott Ponce (LRM). (Front row, L-R): Liz Rose (LRM), Cameron Bedell, Brad Beausir (LRM)

Warner/Chappell, Liz Rose Music and BMI have announced a new deal with Kansas native Cameron Bedell.

Bedell, who moved to Nashville in 2010 to attend Belmont University, spent his first years in Nashville playing shows and making albums both as a solo artist and with his band The Skunks.

After appearing on American Idol in 2014, Bedell began to focus on full-time songwriting and producing.

BREAKING NEWS: ACM Awards Announce New Artist Winners

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The Academy of Country Music has announced the winners in the new artist categories for the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Brothers Osborne earned the title of New Vocal Duo or Group of the Year Presented By T-Mobile. Maren Morris has been named New Female Vocalist of the Year Presented By T-Mobile, and Jon Pardi has been named New Male Vocalist of the Year Presented By T-Mobile.

Each of the winners will perform on the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards, which will be broadcast live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 2.

The awards mark the first ACM Award wins for Brothers Osborne, Pardi and Morris. Brothers Osborne are also nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year at this year’s awards show, while Morris has an additional five nominations, including Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Hero (as artist and producer), and Single of the Year for “My Church” (as artist and producer).

Lou Taylor To Be Featured Speaker At 2017 Rising Women On The Row Event

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Lou Taylor

MusicRow is excited to announce that Lou Taylor, CEO of Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, will be the featured speaker at this year’s Rising Women on the Row breakfast on Tuesday, April 25 at 8:30 a.m. at the Omni Nashville Hotel.

Guests will be treated to insights from Lou during an on-stage interview with MusicRow Publisher/Owner Sherod Robertson.

Nominations for the 2017 Rising Women event has closed. Selected honorees were announced as Tatum Allsep (Founder/Executive Director—Music Health Alliance), Virginia Davis (Managing Partner and Artist Manager—G Major Management), Kerri Edwards (President—KP Entertainment), Kella Farris (Business Manager—Farris, Self & Moore), Laura Hutfless (CEO and Founding Partner—FlyteVu Agency), Juli Newton-Griffith (Vice President—Magic Mustang/BMG). The 2017 performer was revealed as Kalie Shorr.

Tickets are sold out. More info can be found here.

For the last 25 years Lou Taylor has sat at the head of Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group providing business management services to actors, artist and athletes. In this role, she leads two Tri Star offices, one in Los Angeles and one in Nashville.

Clients of the firm include such notable artists as Britney Spears, country duo Florida Georgia Line, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani, NFL head coach Jeff Fisher, super model Taylor Hill, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Desmond Child, Nashville Songwriter Hall of Famer Bob DiPiero, Quantico lead actress Priyanka Chopra, actor Jack Huston and Game of Thrones producer/writer Bryan Cogman.

Taylor—a one-of-kind, highly sought after educator in the NFL and NBA—teaches financial responsibility through use of visual explanations. Her elaborate presentations have included a live albino python, magicians and 1 million dollars in real cash.

Since 2014, Taylor has consecutively landed on The Hollywood Reporter’s “Top Business Manager” lists as well as Variety magazine’s “Business Managers Elite” list. In August 2016, she was recognized in Billboard magazine’s inaugural “Top Business Managers” issue. Additionally she is featured as one of the top leaders in George Barnas’ business book, Master Leaders. Taylor was also a MusicRow Rising Women on the Row honoree in 2015.

Having spent 28 years as a business manager and several years as a consultant for Arthur Anderson, Taylor is no stranger to developing effective financial strategies for her clients. Tri Star provides all aspects of business management services, including accounting, financial statement preparation, royalty audits, participation rights audits, tour accounting, production accounting, estate planning and all required tax filings both national and internationally.

City National Bank is the Presenting Sponsor for the 2017 Rising Women on the Row.

Pandora Launching New Premium Service This Week

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Pandora is rolling out its Pandora Premium on-demand streaming tier this week. Invitations for a free trial of the new premium tier will go out to select listeners March 15, and an upgrade option will be available to all listeners in the coming weeks.

The premium option for $9.99 a month offers fans Pandora’s personalized radio with the ability to search and play any track or album as well as a unique set of playlist features tailored to each person’s distinct preferences. Playlists can be easily curated through the power of Pandora’s Music Genome Project and a “thumbs up” option, and a browse section is stocked with personalized suggestions from the latest releases. Existing Pandora Plus subscribers will enjoy six months of Premium for no additional charge but trial lengths for existing Pandora ad-supported listeners and new listeners vary. Premium is available now for iOS and Android, in the car via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and on Google Chromecast, and will be available on other platforms including the web in the coming months.

“Every day tens of millions of people trust us to choose the exact right song for them. That’s why they spend more time with Pandora than any other music service,” said Tim Westergren, founder and CEO of Pandora. “With Premium, we’re leveraging our immense trove of data and everything we’ve learned about personalization to offer a listening experience that sets a new standard for what a music service should be.”

Weekly Chart Report (3/10/17)

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

Kris Lamb Named VP, Promotion For Big Machine Records

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Kris Lamb

Kris Lamb has been named Vice President of Promotion for the Big Machine Records imprint, effective immediately.

“Kris has been on a mission since the day he joined Big Machine as a regional in 2010,” said BMLG President/CEO Scott Borchetta. “There’s nothing that I love more than young, smart, aggressive employees coming into the system and working their way to the top. I am so proud of Kris Lamb! This next chapter of his career is going to be the most prolific yet. Tighten your seatbelts…”

“To have the opportunity to take the promotion helm of Big Machine Records is a dream come true,” said Lamb. “Being reunited with the incredible staff and artist roster of one of the most dominate and respected labels on the planet is the opportunity I’ve been preparing myself for since I was a young executive. I cannot thank Scott Borchetta, Andrew Kautz, Jimmy Harnen, and the entire staff of Big Machine Label Group enough for their trust and belief. The next chapter for Big Machine Records starts NOW.”

Lamb has been an invaluable member of the BMLG team over the past seven years with past roles including Senior Director of West Coast Promotion for Big Machine Records and most recently Vice President of Promotion for Dot Records. He has been integral in developing the careers of Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, Steven Tyler, Rascal Flatts, Maddie & Tae, Drake White and Tucker Beathard.

He can be reached at 615.846.7750 or via [email protected].

MusicRow Launches New Merchandise Line

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MusicRow launches its new merchandise line this week.

Under the brand MusicRow Original, the company’s initial offerings include tee shirts, license plates, stickers, hats, etc. with new items being introduced in the coming months.

MusicRow Publisher and Owner, Sherod Robertson says, “Offering merchandise to highlight the brand that represents the heart beat of the Nashville music industry is a natural extension for our company. We wanted to create something special for people who appreciate the spirit and history of Music Row.”

Fulfilled by Richards & Southern, merchandise can be ordered online here.

Weekly Register: Little Big Town, Aaron Watson Reign On Country Albums Chart

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New albums from Little Big Town and Aaron Watson take the top two spots on the country albums chart this week.

Capitol Nashville group Little Big Town’s The Breaker debuted at No. 1 country (No. 4 overall), with 44K. They also land at No. 6 on the overall digital albums chart.

Independent artist Aaron Watson’s Vaquero debuts at No. 2 (No. 10 overall), with 37K. Watson also debuts at No. 1 on the independent album chart, and No. 2 on the overall digital album chart.

Other albums in the top 5 on the country albums chart are Garth Brooks‘ Ultimate Collection Exclusive, with 27K, putting the collection at over 500K sold to date.

Alison Krauss‘ Windy City is at No. 4, with 16K, while Reba McEntire‘s Sing It Now rounds out the top 5, with 12K sold.

Sam Hunt

On the Digital Tracks chart, Sam Hunt‘s “Body Like A Back Road” is the top country entry, with 62K (309K RTD). Little Big Town‘s “Better Man” moved 29K to land at No. 2, with 213K RTD.

Jon Pardi‘s “Dirt On My Boots” is at No. 3, with 22K, followed by Keith Urban ft. Carrie Underwood‘s “The Fighter” at No. 4, with 21K. Florida Georgia Line‘s “God, Your Mama, and Me” rounds out the Top 5 country digital tracks, moving 20K this week.

This week’s top country debut is Brett Eldredge‘s “Somethin’ I’m Good At,” landing at No. 7 country and No. 47 overall, moving 15K.

 

Sally Williams To Lead Opry Entertainment Group’s New Division

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Opry Entertainment Group today (March 6) announced it has created a programming and artist relations division which will be headed by Sally Williams. Her new post is Senior Vice President of Programming & Artist Relations for Opry Entertainment, and General Manager of the Grand Ole Opry, reporting to Opry Entertainment Chief Operating Officer, Michael Guth.

Williams, who was previously the Company’s Vice President of Concerts & Entertainment and General Manager of Ryman Auditorium, will lead a team that will be responsible for all booking, programming, artist relations and artist collaborations across Opry Entertainment’s growing portfolio of media and entertainment assets, among them: the Grand Ole Opry, Grand Ole Opry House, Ryman Auditorium, Opry City Stage (Summer 2017), Ole Red Nashville (Spring 2018) and Ole Red Tishomingo (Fall 2017).

As part of her new role, Williams will also serve as general manager of the Grand Ole Opry where she will be responsible for overseeing the show’s lineup, programming and member relations. She will continue to oversee programming for the Ryman.

The new division headed by Williams also includes Dan Rogers, promoted to Director of Marketing, Communication, and Artist Initiatives; Gina Keltner, promoted to Senior Talent Manager; Dolly Chandler in the new position of Opry Entertainment Group Talent Buyer; and other team members to be announced.

Colin Reed, chairman and chief executive officer of Opry Entertainment parent company Ryman Hospitality Properties, said, “In all of my time with this company, I have never been more excited about the opportunity we have to expand the Opry’s reach and share its story with more people than ever before. Given the growing breadth and depth of our assets, we are increasing the resources dedicated to partnering with the music community and better aligning our portfolio to support developing artists, honor today’s superstars, and celebrate country music’s legends. Sally is uniquely qualified to lead this new division.”

Williams, who is currently serving as the 2017 chairman of the County Music Association, joined the Company in 1999 and spent seven years managing concerts and other events for the Opry Entertainment Complex. After a brief stint with the Country Music Association, Williams returned to the Company in 2008 as General Manager of Ryman Auditorium. Under Williams’ leadership, Ryman Auditorium has been named Pollstar Magazine’s Theatre of Year for seven consecutive years and CMA’s Touring Awards Venue of the Year for five consecutive years. Williams has received numerous industry awards and recognitions for her expertise in venue management, talent buying and event promotion.

“It’s such a privilege to be part of Nashville’s music community,” said Williams. “The teams at the Opry and the Ryman are extremely passionate about being good partners in the creation of meaningful experiences for both artists and fans. I’m excited to work with them as we continue to expand these opportunities.”