Vince Gill performs with Albert Lee at the Crossroads Guitar Festival. Photo: Vince Cunetto.
Vince Gill was among the guitar gods who took the stage at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival over the weekend. He joined fellow headliners B. B. King, Jeff Beck, John Mayer, Buddy Guy and, of course, Clapton at the Chicago event.
Sheryl Crow performed as well, pairing with Gill for the Clapton classic “Lay Down Sally.”
Gill’s A-list band backed up sets by guitar slingers Keb’ Mo’, Earl Klugh and Albert Lee. And Clapton’s band was comprised of guest stars Beck and Steve Winwood.
Pete Huttlinger was also among the 24 musicians on the line-up for the day-long event at Toyota Park.
It was the third festival Clapton has organized to benefit his Crossroads addiction treatment facility in Antigua.
Gill and Clapton onstage at Clapton's Nashville concert in March. Photo: Danielle Pope
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00Sarah Skateshttps://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngSarah Skates2010-06-28 08:47:542010-06-28 08:47:54Gill At Clapton’s Crossroads Festival
Noted Nashville instrumentalist and veteran radio and television broadcaster Norm Ray died Saturday, April 17, at age 73.
He is perhaps best remembered for the wit and humor he displayed for 20 years on the Ralph Emery Morning Show, WSM’s The Waking Crew and for the 10 years he spent in the house band on TNN’s Nashville Now. For a time, he was also the host of WSMV’s The Saturday Morning Show.
A native of Hamtramck, Michigan, Norm Ray began playing saxophone at age 5. He started his recording career in the Motown studios in Detroit, backing The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Martha & The Vandellas, Marvin Gaye, The Four Tops and other r&b stars. He moved to Nashville in 1965, joining Orchestra XII, one of the city’s last big bands.
In 1967, he broke into recording-studio work on Music Row by performing on the Elvis Presley soundtrack for Clambake. He subsequently recorded with Chet Atkins, Ray Stevens, Boots Randolph and others. He also played saxophone and flute in Randolph’s nightclub band.
Norm Ray is survived by his children Sherry Rau Carver, Norman Rau and Andrew Rau and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have not been finalized.
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00Robert K Oermannhttps://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngRobert K Oermann2010-04-19 12:21:552010-04-19 12:21:55Veteran Nashville Broadcaster Norm Ray Passes
Nashville Scene writer D. Patrick Rodgers on the local songwriters and musicians featured in the upcoming Gwyenth Paltrow, Tim McGraw flick, Love Don’t Let Me Down.
It’s a Thursday night at Skyline recording studio, just off Eighth Avenue, a recording and rehearsal space much like any other in Music City. A few 12-packs of Coors Lite sit nearby, casually offered to visitors. A crop of young studio players has gathered to practice some songs. They’re cruising through a pop-country number called “Words I Couldn’t Say,” no sweat. It sounds like it could be a Taylor Swift or Carrie Underwood tune — the sort of sugar-sweet, radio-ready gem these guys could track in a pass or two on any given day.
But they aren’t playing it live. They’re playing along to a track. All the pristinely pre-recorded parts are issuing forth from the P.A. speakers: drums, steel, bass, guitars, keys, a crystalline female lead vocal. The boys are just miming along.
Skylar Wilson barks out chord changes in the Nashville number system. This is his family’s studio, and, though he’s playing drums on these numbers, he seems to know every chord. He’s typically more of a keyboard guy, but like most everyone else in the room, he can get by pretty well on just about anything he picks up.
So why are they playing along to tracks? They’ve been cast as the backing band for two of Love Don’t Let Me Down’s lead characters, and they’re making sure they have all the changes just right for when they film a performance scene in the morning. This song, penned by Greg Becker, Tammi Kidd and Steve Robson, is to be performed by Chiles Stanton, a somewhat Taylor Swiftian up-and-coming singer played by Gossip Girl’s Leighton Meester.
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00contributorhttps://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngcontributor2010-03-15 10:29:312010-03-15 10:29:31“Scene” Digs Into McGraw Movie
MUSICIAN/BANDLEADER/INSTRUMENTALIST (MBI) AWARDS (MBI awards are presented to honorees at “ACM Honors,” an annual event held in Nashville in the fall.)
PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Buddy Cannon
Nathan Chapman
Dann Huff
Frank Liddell
Frank Rogers
AUDIO ENGINEER OF THE YEAR
Ben Fowler
Steve Marcantonio
Justin Niebank
Ed Seay
Clarke Schleicher
TOP BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Dennis Crouch
Mike Brignardello
Mark Hill
Michael Rhodes
Jimmie Lee Sloas
TOP PERCUSSIONIST/DRUMMMER OF THE YEAR
Eddie Bayers
Mark Beckett
Chad Cromwell
Shannon Forrest
Chris McHugh
TOP GUITARIST OF THE YEAR
Pat Buchannan
J.T. Corenflos
Kenny Greenberg
Brent Mason
Bryan Sutton
TOP FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Stuart Duncan
Larry Franklin
Rob Hajacos
Deanie Richardson
Jonathan Yudkin
TOP PIANO/KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tim Akers
John Hobbs
Charles Judges
Steve Nathan
Michael Rojas
TOP SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT(S) PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Nashville String Machine
Randy Scruggs
Bryan Sutton
Ilya Toshinsky
Jonathan Yudkin
TOP STEEL GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Bruce Bouton
Paul Franklin
Mike Johnson
Gary Morse
Russ Pahl
INDUSTRY AWARDS (Industry awards are presented to honorees at “ACM Honors,” an annual event held in Nashville in the fall.)
VENUE OF THE YEAR
BOK Center – Tulsa, OK
Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion – Gilford, NH
Sommet Center – Nashville, TN (effective March 2, 2010, this venue was renamed the Bridgestone Arena)
Sprint Center – Kansas City, MO
Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion – Raleigh, NC
NIGHTCLUB OF THE YEAR
Billy Bob’s Texas – Ft. Worth, TX
Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace – Bakersfield, CA
Cotton Eyed Joe – Knoxville, TN
George’s Majestic Lounge – Fayetteville, AR
Wild Bill’s – Duluth, GA
CASINO OF THE YEAR
Agua Caliente Casino – Rancho Mirage, CA
Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa and Casino – Las Vegas, NV
Mystic Lake Casino Hotel – Prior Lake, MN
Peppermill Casino – Wendover, NV
WinStar World Casino – Thackerville, OK
DON ROMEO TALENT BUYER OF THE YEAR
Todd Boltin – Variety Attractions, Inc.
Jimmy Jay – Jayson Promotions, Inc.
Gary Osier – Gary Osier Presents
David Snowden – Triangle Talent, Inc.
Suzanne Wilson – Wilson Events, Inc.
PROMOTER OF THE YEAR
Brad Garett – Police Productions
Ali Harnell – AEG/The Messina Group
Darin Lashinsky – Outback Concerts of TN, Inc.
Brian O’Connell – LiveNation
John Ruffino – Red Mountain Entertainment
RADIO AWARDS (NOTE:Radio awards nominees were previously announced. Winners will be presented awards at a reception in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 17, prior to the ACM Award telecast.)
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – NATIONAL
Blair Garner After MidNite with Blair Garner
Cody Alan CMT Radio Live with Cody Alan
Crook & Chase Crook and Chase Countdown
Kix Brooks American Country Countdown with Kix Brooks
Lia The Lia Show
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
KNIX-FM (Phoenix, AZ) Ben Campbell & Matt McAllister
KSONFM (San Diego, CA) Cliff & Company: Cliff, Morgan, Tanner and Tori
KYGOFM (Denver, CO) Kelly Ford & Rider
WIL FM (St. Louis, MO) The Cornbread Show featuring: Cornbread, Pat James, Annie Henson, Harry Schroeder, Mac Douglas
WSOC-FM (Charlotte, NC) Catherine Lane
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
KUBL-FM (Salt Lake City, UT) Tommy & Joe Johnson
WFMSFM (Indianapolis, IN) Jim Denny, Deborah Honeycutt & Kevin Freeman (Jim, Deb & Kevin)
WSIX-FM (Nashville, TN) Gerry House, Mike Bohan, Al Voecks, Duncan Stewart, Richard Falken
WTQRFM (Greensboro, NC) The Jeff Roper in the Morning Show (Jeff Roper, Angie Ward & Adam “Flash” Dellinger)
WUBEFM (Cincinnati, OH) Chris Carr & Company (Chris Carr, Statt & Maverick)
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
KIIM-FM (Tucson, AZ) Buzz Jackson
WBBSFM (Syracuse, NY) Tom and Becky B104.7 Morning Show (Tom Owens and Becky Palmer)
WKSJ-FM (Mobile, AL) Dan Brennan & Shelby Mitchell, The 95 KSJ Breakfast Club
WPCV-FM (Lakeland, FL) Roger Todd, Tom O’Brien & Melissa Moran
WYRK-FM (Buffalo, NY) Clay and Dale
ON-AIR PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
KCLR-FM (Columbia, MO) Scotty & Carissa in the Morning
KKNU-FM (Eugene, OR) Barrett, Fox & Berry
WFRE-FM (Frederick, MD) Jess Wright
WGSQ-FM (Cookeville, TN) Gator & The Styckman
WKSF-FM (Asheville, NC) Eddie Foxx and Sharon Green
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MAJOR MARKET
KKGO-FM (Los Angeles, CA) Southern California’s Country Station
KMPSFM (Seattle, WA) Today’s Country
KSCS-FM (Dallas, TX) The Texas Original
KYGOFM (Denver, CO) Denver’s #1 For New Country
WUSN-FM (Chicago, IL) America’s Country Station
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – LARGE MARKET
KNCI-FM (Sacramento, CA) News Country 105.1
WFMSFM (Indianapolis, IN) The Country Station
WQDRFM (Raleigh, NC) Today’s Best Country
WUBEFM (Cincinnati, OH) Cincinnati’s Country!
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – MEDIUM MARKET
KIZN-FM (Boise, ID) Kissin’ 92
KUZZ AM/FM (Bakersfield, CA) Bakersfield’s Best Country
WGNAFM (Albany, NY) Country 107.7
WKSJ-FM (Mobile, AL) 95 KSJ
WYRKFM (Buffalo, NY) Today’s Country & Your All Time Favorites
RADIO STATION OF THE YEAR – SMALL MARKET
KMDL-FM (Lafayette, LA) Acadiana’s Best Country
WGSQ-FM (Cookeville, TN) The Country Giant
WKSF-FM (Asheville, NC) 99.9 Kiss Country
WKXCFM (Augusta, GA) Number One for New Country and More Variety
WUSY-FM (Chattanooga, TN) Chattanooga’s Best Country & The Legends!
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00Sarah Skateshttps://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngSarah Skates2010-03-02 08:02:542010-03-02 08:02:54ACM Noms: Industry, Musician, Radio
Joe Chambers, founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum, was on Fox News’ Fox and Friends this morning (2/22) discussing the recent eminent domain ruling that caused the Museum to shut its doors to make way for a new Nashville convention center. See the video.
The museum closed on Saturday, February 13th after Judge Barbara Haynes ruled in favor of the Metro Development and Housing Authority (MDHA), ordering Chambers and company to be out of The Musicians Hall of Fame within seven days.
The museum represented a key piece of property that the MDHA needed in order to move forward with the construction of the Music City Center.
Although the museum’s new physical location is currently undecided, The Musicians Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Awards Show will take place once again in Nashville in the fall of 2010. Further details will be announced at a press conference in late spring.
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00Sarah Skateshttps://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngSarah Skates2010-02-22 11:17:172010-02-22 11:17:17Joe Chambers on “Fox and Friends”
Iconic Nashville-based guitar manufacturer Gibson said claims it colluded with other manufacturers and a retailer in a price-fixing scheme are “wholly without merit.” Gibson, along with competitors Yamaha and Fender, retailer Guitar Center, and the National Association of the Music Merchants, an industry group, are charged in a number of lawsuits in California and Washington, D.C., alleging a conspiracy to secure higher retail prices. The suits are filed under the names of various purchasers of guitars and are expected to be treated as a class action. Read more here.
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00contributorhttps://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngcontributor2010-02-08 16:33:412010-02-08 16:33:41NashvillePost: Gibson goes on defensive against price-fixing claims
One of Gibson Guitar’s most accomplished and dedicated luthiers, James “Hutch” Hutchins, passed away last night, Jan. 25. He was 72 and had been battling an undisclosed illness.
Hutch’s career with the company spanned 45 years, two states, three changes of ownership, and thousands of guitars. He joined Gibson on March 25, 1963 in the original Kalamazoo, Michigan plant, making a name for himself there before transferring to Nashville in 1983.
The company says he worked every job from maintenance to pattern making with an unflinching attention to detail and an abiding pride in the Gibson name. Gibson says he helped define its legacy, heritage and tradition through the many guitars and people he worked with.
Hutch became the plant’s liaison for legendary artists who wanted custom guitars. He was integral to designing the Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, and became friends with Atkins in the process. Hutch retired March 31, 2008.
“Hutch was a remarkable man, with a talent all his own,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, CEO and Chairman of Gibson Guitar. “His light will shine forever through every corner, every hall and with every team member of the company. His legacy will live on.”
Hutch loved to hunt and fish and spend time with his three grown sons, all of whom live in the Nashville area. He is survived by his wife his sons and wife Gail.
Drummer Eddie Bayers will be honored Feb. 13 as part of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum’s series Nashville Cats: A Celebration of Music City Musicians. Hosted by Bill Lloyd, the tribute to Bayers will include a brief performance and an in-depth, one-on-one interview illustrated with vintage recordings, photos and film clips from the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive. The program will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will also be streamed live at www.countrymusichalloffame.org.
Serving as a first-call session drummer for over thirty years, Eddie Bayers has contributed to modern country classics such as Vince Gill’s “Liza Jane,” Alan Jackson’s “Here in the Real World” and George Strait’s “Blue Clear Sky.” His credits also include work with pop stars John Fogerty, Elton John, Mark Knopfler and Bob Seger, among others. He was also named one of the “Top Ten Greatest Session Drummers of All Time” by Drum! Magazine, and has recorded on hundreds of gold and platinum selling albums.
Bayers earned the Academy of Country Music’s Drummer of the Year Award a record 11 straight times (13 total) and has been nominated for CMA’s Musician of the Year 10 times. He also received MusicRow’s Top Ten Album All-Star awards from 1989-1995, and another four non consecutive years after that.
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00Michellehttps://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngMichelle2010-01-26 11:03:422010-01-26 11:03:42Hall of Fame To Honor Eddie Bayers
Loretta Lynn, Harold Bradley, and Walter Miller will be honored by the Recording Academy this Grammy season. They will be feted at a special invitation-only ceremony to be held Saturday, Jan. 30, as part of Grammy week. A formal acknowledgment will also be made during the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards telecast, set for the next day at the L.A. Staples Center.
Lynn, a three-time Grammy winner, will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for her nearly 50 years in the music industry. She strutted to the forefront of country music with her 1960 debut single “I’m A Honky Tonk Girl,” and an illustrious career followed. She has had more than 70 hits including the classics “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)” and “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” which was also the name of her autobiography that was later adapted into a Hollywood film. Her most recent success came in 2004 when she won a pair of Grammys for her collaboration with Jack White on the album Van Lear Rose.
Harold Bradley
Acclaimed musician Bradley and longtime CMA Awards producer Miller will receive Trustees Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions to the industry in a non-performing capacity.
Often called the most recorded musician in history, Harold Bradley and his brother Owen built Music Row’s first recording facility the Quonset Hut in the 1950s. Harold was president of AFM Local 257 for 17 years and has served as its international vice president for the past 10 years. He was the first president of The Recording Academy’s Nashville Chapter and was also a Nashville session musician for more than 50 years, which earned him a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2006.
Walter Miller
Miller has worked in television for more than 60 years as a producer and director of the Tony Awards, CMA Awards and for the last 29 years, the Grammy Awards. Miller was instrumental in helping shape some of Grammys’ most memorable moments including Aretha Franklin’s last-minute, unrehearsed rendition of “Nessun Dorma”; Bono presenting an award to Frank Sinatra; and Herbie Hancock and Lang Lang’s complex and thrilling piano performance of “Rhapsody In Blue.” The six-time Primetime Emmy® winner remains one of the most respected directors in the industry.
The Lifetime Achievement and Trustees awards are voted on by The Recording Academy’s National Board of Trustees. Leonard Cohen, Bobby Darin, David “Honeyboy” Edwards, Michael Jackson, André Previn, and Clark Terry will also receive Lifetime Achievement Awards; and Florence Greenberg joins Bradley and Miller as a Trustees Award winner. AKG and Thomas Alva Edison will receive Technical Grammy Awards.
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00Sarah Skateshttps://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngSarah Skates2009-12-10 14:22:022009-12-10 14:22:02Grammys To Honor Loretta Lynn, Harold Bradley, Walter Miller
Mac McAnally probably doesn’t want 2009 to end. This year he scored his first No. 1 as an artist, and received more awards and nominations than any other time in his career. His most recent feat—yesterday’s release of Jimmy Buffett’sBuffet Hotel, which he co-produced with Mike Utley.
Mac McAnally
As a member of the Coral Reefer Band, McAnally has long been a key Buffett collaborator. He has produced a number of Buffett’s studio albums, and has writing credit on three of the new collection’s 12 songs.
McAnally is also a Show Dog Nashville recording artist, touring performer, musician and songwriter. He was most recently honored with a Grammy nomination for his collaboration with Kenny Chesney on the song “Down The Road,” and won the CMA Award for Musician of the Year in November.
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png00Sarah Skateshttps://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.pngSarah Skates2009-12-09 15:58:302009-12-09 15:58:30Mac McAnally Co-Produced New Jimmy Buffett Album
Nashville Scene writer D. Patrick Rodgers on the local songwriters and musicians featured in the upcoming Gwyenth Paltrow, Tim McGraw flick, Love Don’t Let Me Down.
One of Gibson Guitar’s most accomplished and dedicated luthiers, James “Hutch” Hutchins, passed away last night, Jan. 25. He was 72 and had been battling an undisclosed illness.
Hutch became the plant’s liaison for legendary artists who wanted custom guitars. He was integral to designing the Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, and became friends with Atkins in the process. Hutch retired March 31, 2008.
