harris16464@bellsouth.net, Author at Nashville Music Line

David Adam Byrnes lights up ‘Neon Town’

New album and single from a country artist on the rise

By Preshias Harris

Recently, I caught up with David Adam Byrnes, a singer-songwriter on the verge of major stardom with a new album, Neon Town, set for release in October.

I have known Arkansas-born David Adam for years, both as an industry friend and a fan of his music. I sent him a “12 Pack” of questions, and reading his answers (via e-mail) made me laugh and smile! It was definitely my dose of sunshine for the week.

But first, the big news about his new album. From a small-town Arkansas kid to a mainstream songwriting scholarship in Nashville to a return to his independent country music roots, David Adam Byrnes is making the scene in Texas with singles flying up the Texas radio chart.

On October 2nd, Byrnes released his new album Neon Town, and for several months its presence has already been felt with three back-to-back #1 hit singles. The very week the second single, “I Can Give You One,” hits #1 in Texas, the virus pandemic hits the world. Shows canceled, album release canceled…life as we know it, canceled. After months of shutdown David decided that the show must go on. On April 10th he released his new single “Neon Town,” the title track to the new album, and it has also reached the #1 spot.

Preshias talks about this week’s Nashville news

Mac Davis passes, new albums from Chris Stapleton, Shenandoah and Dolly, the Opry at 95 and more

Watch the show on YouTube here.

Among the topics they discussed:

The sad loss of singer-songwriter Mac Davis at age 78
“Cold,” the new song from Chris Stapleton’s upcoming album, Starting Over
Every Road is the title of the new album from Shenandoah – their first album of all-new music in 26 years
The Grand Ole Opry celebrates its 95th year with a lot of stars but not much of a ‘live’ audience
Carrie Underwood is set to perform songs from her Christmas album, My Gift, on an HBO Max Special
Time-Life is releasing a 19-DVD deluxe set titled Dolly: The Ultimate Collection, and Dolly Parton’s Holly Dolly Christmas album arrives October 2nd
An “I Know Country” Q&A from Preshias’ book of the same name, and more!

Find this week’s Y’all Show on YouTube here or see the show and read the program notes at the Y’all website here.

Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com

Preshias talks ACM Awards and more on Y’all Show

See Preshias talking with host John Rawl on this week’s Y’all Show, September 23, 2020

Nashville Music Line: Maddie & Tae Christmas CD, Keith Urban

Click on link above to watch the video

Among other topics, Preshias and Jon discuss:

The results of the 2020 ACM Awards, the first time the show has been held (without an audience) in Nashville
A new 16-track album from Keith Urban
Christmas albums from Maddie & Tae, Carrie Underwood, Runaway June Terri Clark and Dolly Parton
Alabama’s only gig in 2020
A biopic miniseries about George Jones and Tammy Wynette
A new outdoor stage at the Ryman Auditorium
This week’s I Know Country Q&A and more

See this week’s Y’all Show here.

Luke Bryan reaches out to fans on music.com

Talks about each track on new album, Born Here Live Here Die Here

By Preshias Harris

Recording artists are always looking for ways to promote their music, and emerging artists usually have an additional challenge: a limited promotion budget.

Read on to learn more about an innovative option and how one of country music’s biggest stars is making it work for him.

The worldwide pandemic has created major problems for musicians who need to get in front of their fans. With a total halt put on touring, country artists have now had to go for months without that all-important fan interaction.

Fan reaction to new songs

Most artists try out one or two new song at a concert to judge the fans’ reaction. Then they and their marketing teams can use that reaction to decide which new music to release. But no concerts mean no fan reaction.

Now many artists are using social media and the internet to reach out to their fans. One online destination – https://music.com/ – seems the ideal place to link artists with their fans, and Luke Bryan is one of country music’s biggest stars to take full advantage of the opportunity the site offers.

Music.com is focused on artist-forward, first-person storytelling. At the site, artists share personal thoughts and ideas about their music in a deeply personal way. Now Luke is doing just that, sharing personal details about each track on his new album, Born Here Live Here Die Here (Capitol Nashville). Released August 7, 2020, the album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Album charts. Here’s Luke’s page at music.com.

“World Gone Mad” Josiah Siska’s timely song

The top-talent creative team behind the song

By Preshias Harris

It’s always good to hear new music from a (relatively) new singer, but when that new music is a song written by four respected Nashville songwriters – two veterans and two emerging stars – it’s certainly a newsworthy event. But here’s where it gets extra special for me. The creative team behind the song includes two long-time and much-loved friends of mine.

“World Gone Mad” is the new release from Black River Entertainment’s Josiah Siska. The song was produced by Black River’s Doug Johnson who co-wrote it with Dave Gibson, Walker Montgomery and Nick Sturms. Download/stream “World Gone Mad” here.

Doug Johnson

Hard to believe, but my friendship with both Doug and Dave goes back more than a quarter of a century! Doug is probably best-known for the Randy Travis mega-hit, “Three Wooden Crosses” (co-written with Kim Williams) that became the CMA, ACM, CCMA and NSAI ‘Song of the Year,’ as well as Lee Brice’s “Love Like Crazy”, a Billboard Song of the Year. As a producer and A&R exec, he’s worked with a “who’s who” of country music talent from Clay Walker and Joe Diffie to Blake Shelton and Kelsea Ballerini.

Dave Gibson

Dave Gibson is another Music Row stalwart who has been a long-time friend of mine. His list (a long list) of writing credits includes songs for Confederate Railroad (“Daddy Never Was the Cadillac Kind”), Alabama (“Jukebox on My Mind”), Montgomery Gentry (“Lonely and Gone”) plus big cuts on Conway Twitty, Pam Tillis, Steve Wariner and more. Dave’s latest project is The Waterhole Bunch, a show that premiered on ROKU TV Worldwide in August that he describes as “puppets and humans making music and mayhem.”

Ashley Gorley hits 50th No. 1

The only songwriter in any genre with 50 Airplay No. 1s

by Preshias Harris

Ashley Gorley at the 2020 MusicRow Awards. Photo: Preshias Harris

Hitmaker and songwriting powerhouse Ashley Gorley set a new record August 3 as he notches his 50th No.1 song at Country radio with LOCASH’S Mediabase chart topper, “One Big Country Song.”

Gorley isn’t just the first songwriter in the Country format to achieve this feat, but it stamps him as the only songwriter of any genre to earn 50 No.1s in the history of the Mediabase and Billboard Airplay charts.

Gorley wrote “One Big Country Song” with fellow hitmakers Jesse Frasure and Hardy. The song follows Gorley’s 49th No. 1, “Hard to Forget,” recorded by Sam Hunt. Gorley’s first No. 1 was “Don’t Forget to Remember Me” for Carrie Underwood. in 2006. Scroll down for a full list of all 50 of Gorley’s chart-toppers.

Thank you, Ashley Gorley, for my delight at being able to watch you write your way into global music history. It makes me extremely proud of my Kentucky connection, along with our shared love of Kentucky Wildcats basketball. Now let’s get Ashley nominated for the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame! This would be a wonderful boost for our Kentucky Music legacy. Danville, Kentucky, native Ashley needs to be alongside the Everly Brothers, The Judds, Dwight Yoakum, The Kentucky Headhunters, Exile, Steve Wariner and the rest of our history of Kentucky Music inductees. – Preshias Harris

#kymusichalloffame #hitsongwriter #50number1s #ascapsongwriteroftheyear

Brett Eldredge, Bill Anderson, Chris Young, in the news

Catching up around Nashville’s Music Row

Despite the continued restriction on touring due to the pandemic, there is still a lot going on in country music. Among the good news: streams in the country music genre are up 21% for the first six months of 2020 vs the same period last year! But wait, there’s more. Including:

Tyler Childers’ hilarious new animated music video for “Country Squire”
‘Nash trash’ duo Hasting & Co. sport a new “Canadian Tuxedo”
Brett Eldredge takes fans on a Sunday Drive” with new single
Chris Young test-markets “If That Ain’t God” on social media
Whisperin’ Bill Anderson reimagines big hits on his 73^rd album
We need music more than ever during pandemic
Stars and fans honor Charlie Daniels at memorial service
An I Know Country Q&A to test you Country IQ!
…and more. Scroll down to continue reading

Need a reason to smile? You need to take a look at the official music video for Tyler Childers’ “Country Squire”! The hilarious animation is directed by Kentucky-based comic book artist, Tony Moore (known for his award-winning work on The Walking Dead, The Exterminators and Fear Agent), “Country Squire” is Moore’s first music video project and was created in partnership with Bomper Studio. Watch the animated video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxuLRkHn7rQ

A scene from Tyler Childers’ “Country Squire” video

Remembering Charlie Daniels: Preshias on the Y’all Show

Charlie Daniels – October 28, 1936 – July 6, 2020

This week’s livestream of the Y’all Show With Preshias was just one day after we heard the sad news about the passing of Charlie Daniels at the age of 83. Ya’ll Show host Jon Rawl and I had many memories to share. But we also caught up on some more of this week’s news from Music City.

Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood postpone Facebook Live show
Glen Campbell remembered: new memoir from Glen’s widow Kim
New music from Opry veteran Jeannie Seely
Carly Pearce surprised with Gold and Platinum Awards
Jimmie Allen’s new EP features all-star collaborations
Luke Bryan takes “One Margarita” to Airplay No. 1
An I Know Country Q&A for July 7
… plus more from this week’s Y’all Show With Preshias. Scroll down to read more

It’s hard to believe that we have lost one of music’s most iconic figures – Charlie Daniels. Even though he was 83, he still seemed so full of life and energy, right up to the end. Just a few weeks ago, he appeared in a “together-but-separate” type of video with Larry Gatlin, Ray Stevens, TG Sheppard and others, singing Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again.” In the video, Charlie even mentions how his tour bus is itchin’ to get back on the road when the virus has subsided.

I have known Charlie, his lovely wife “Miss Hazel” and son Charlie Jr for many years. Charlie always treated me with kindness and respect, as he did with everyone he met. I have so many memories of Charlie…

The Y’all Show with Preshias, June 30, 2020

Gabby Barrett, Rascal Flatts, Caylee Hammack & Reba, Tenille Townes, Kenny Chesney … Jon and Preshias talk about that and more!

Livestreamed on The Y’all Show

Another edition of our weekly livestream of the Y’all Show hosted by Jon Rawl. Watch the entire episode here on the Y’all Show YouTube channel.

Gabby Barrett is Country’s ‘golden girl’ breaking records with her album Goldmine
Rascal Flatts set to release seven-track EP July 31
Blake Shelton’s Ole Red Orlando ‘virtual’ launch party postponed
Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum remains closed – for now
Reba joins Caylee Hammack on “Redhead” song and video
Tenille Townes (Lemonade Stand) & friends have “Big Hearts for Big Kids”
Kenny Chesney score 31^st chart-topper with “Here and Now
A country music Q&A from my book I Know Country
…and more from this week’s Y’all Show With Preshias. Scroll down to read more

Gabby Barrett is Country’s new ‘golden girl’ as she continues to break records with her debut album Goldmine. Among her achievements:

Gabby is the first-ever female artist with a Country song to log over 10 million on-demand streams in a single week with 11.3 million.
The ACM New Female Artist Of The Year Nominee has racked up nearly 400 million on-demand streams to date.
Gabby is the youngest artist to have a debut #1 in over two decades.
Additionally, Goldmine breaks the first day Country streaming records on Amazon Music globally with first-day streams exceeding any other debut Country album ever.

Preshias on The Y’all Show, June 23, 2020

George Strait, Buddy Jewell, The Judds, Willie Nelson… so much to talk about this week!

Livestreamed on The Y’all Show

Our weekly livestream on the Y’all show with Jon Rawl. Here’s this week’s episode on the Y’all Show channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAEPlF3UCIw

George Strait takes advantage of the quarantine to rehab from knee replacement surgery.
Buddy Jewell sets June 26 for release of his most ambitious project yet: the 15 song Bluebonnet Highway.
A star on Hollwood’s Walk of Fame for the Judds, Kelly Clarkson, Trisha Yearwood and more.
Willie Nelson’s ‘new’ release is a 40-year-old song from his upcoming album First Rose of Spring.
CMA Summer Stay-Cay set for July 1, and CMA Best of Fest airs July 9.
Randy Travis No. 1… on the country book charts with his memoir, Forever and Ever, Amen.
A quick look at why Copyright is so important for singer-songwriters.
Billboard’s Country Airplay Top 5 for June 27, 2020
A country music Q&A from my book, I Know Country
…and more on this week’s Y’all Show with Preshias. Scroll down to read more

Having to cancel tours and stay home was a pain in the neck for most singers and bands. But in one way, the timing kinda worked out for the “King of Country” George Strait, who had a pain in the… knee!

So George recently underwent successful knee replacement surgery. He told Billboard, “I had a knee replaced right before the quarantine. I had been planning that for a while. It went very well, but I had to rehab on my own due to the obvious conditions. I’m ready to go again now though. All good.”

You can find info about tickets to George’s scheduled Strait to Texas shows in Las Vegas, and Honky Tonk Time Machine, George’s 30^th studio album at http://www.georgestrait.com/