Nashville’s music industry got together Monday night to honor four of songwriting’s finest at the annual Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala at Music City Center. Aaron Barker, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Bob Morrison and Townes Van Zandt were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, bringing the total number of honorees over the years to 203.
I was proud to sponsor the ‘Preshias Music Family’ table at the Gala and it was a pleasure to bring about a dozen young songwriters and singer-songwriters to join in the recognition of these great writers and to hear their amazing stories.
The ‘future Stars’ in Preshias Music Family
We took a ‘photo opp’ just before we headed to our table. Pictured left-to-right are my ‘Class of 2016’: Nick Halsted, Bailey Callahan, Nick DeLeo, Lindsey Rebecca Harding, Carmen Mariea, Justin T. Dukes, Nikki Moore, Hannah Emerson, Anna Barrow, Courtney Bumbacher and Marie Mattei.
Here a few brief notes that, really, are far too brief to describe the achievements of the four Hall of Fame inductees:
Aaron Barker
Aaron Barker
It was a very special personal thrill for me to see Aaron receive the honor that is definitely his due. Aaron and I became friends when I joined BNA Records as an intern and he was a recording artist with the label. It was my first job in the music industry and Aaron was so gracious and helpful to this newbie!
The first of Aaron’s songs to be recorded was “Baby Blue” that was a Number One hit for George Strait in 1988. Not a bad start to a long career that included “Love Without End” (another George Strait chart-topper) and many more hits. In his acceptance speech, he encouraged young writers – like those seated at my table – to take advantage of opportunities to write with veteran songwriters, combining “the words and rhythms of today” with the experience that older writers can provide. More about Aaron here.
Bob Morrison
Bob Morrison Photo: Nash Country Daily
Speaking of songwriters with many years of success, Bob Morrison was recognized with his award as a ‘veteran songwriter.’ Among Bob’s huge hits: “You Decorated My Life” for Kenny Rogers, and “Whiskey if You Were a Woman” – co-written with Johnny MacRae and my great friend Mary W. Francis – for Highway 101.
In a long career, Bob has penned chartbusters for acts as diverse as Johnny Lee (“Lookin’ For Love”) and The Oak Ridge Boys (“You’re the One”). A list of Bob’s songs can be found here.
Beth Nielsen Chapman
Beth Nielsen Chapman
It was inspiring to hear Beth talk of the time when she almost gave up on her dream of being a singer-songwriter after her debut album flopped. She was performing at a hotel in Alabama and Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys was in the audience. He kept asking to hear another and another of her songs. Beth said that his encouragement reset her career compass.
Beth’s story is a life-lesson for fledgling songwriters who feel that they should just throw in the towel when in fact success could be just around the corner. She went on to create such iconic songs as “This Kiss,” a monster hit for Faith Hill as well as songs recorded by Martina McBride, Trisha Yearwood, Lorrie Morgan, Alabama and many more. Click here for Beth’s website.
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
The award to Townes Van Zandt was presented posthumously: he passed away on New Year’s Day 1997 at the age of 53. The award was accepted by his daughter, Katie. His biggest hit was “Pancho and Lefty,” recorded by Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, and he wrote “If I Needed You” a hit for Don Williams and EmmyLou Harris. Van Zandt was regarded as a mentor and an inspiration to a generation of writers who followed in his wake. More about Townes Van Zandt here.
The evening was crammed with amazing performances by artists such as Olivia Newton-John, Kim Carnes, The Indigo Girls, Mac Davis, Phil Vassar, Mo Pitney and many more. Additionally, the Nashville Songwriters Association International was on hand to name the ten songs from the past year that NSAI members had voted on as “Songs I Wish I’d Written.” For a list of those songs, see a story posted at CMT’s website.
An amazing evening and, for the budding songwriters at my table, an inspiration for what might lie ahead in their own careers.
Wariner’s collaborators include Ricky Skaggs, Duane Eddy, Eric Johnson and more
My dear friend – and fellow Kentucky native – Steve Wariner has a great new album about to drop at the end of October. It really is a special project with a who’s who of guests and family members contributing their combined talent. Please give it a listen!
Steve Wariner releases “All Over The Map.” Photo: David McClister
For his 20th studio album, four-time GRAMMY Award winner Steve Wariner knew he had to do something really special. When All Over The Map began coming together, it became clear just what that would be.
The 12-track album evolved into a remarkable tribute to the Grand Ole Opry member’s influences, both living and deceased, in addition to a celebration of his lineage. While packed with acclaimed guest musicians, the set — to be released Oct. 28 on SelecTone Records — artfully showcases Wariner’s own musical talents. In addition to producing the album, he plays guitar, upright bass, drums and both pedal and lap steel, as well as singing on seven of the songs. (The other five are classic instrumentals.) Wariner also penned 10 of the tracks.
Tribute to Chet Atkins
A touching tribute to late mentor Chet Atkins, titled “CGP,” takes its name from the coveted title Atkins bestowed on Wariner: Certified Guitar Player. On the track, Wariner enlisted the talents of the only two other living musicians to have earned the same title from Atkins, Tommy Emmanuel and John Knowles. The album also includes “When I Still Mattered To You,” a song Wariner wrote with Merle Haggard on a cruise ship in 1996 but had never previously recorded.
Ricky Skaggs guests on “All Over The Map”
Close friend Ricky Skaggs, with whom Wariner won his first GRAMMY in 1992, is featured playing mandolin on “Down Sawmill Road.” Other celebrated musicians featured on the album include: Musicians’ Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Duane Eddy (“Nashville Spy-Line”), GRAMMY Award winner Eric Johnson (“Meanwhile Back In Austin”), Greg Martin of The Kentucky Headhunters (“Way It Goes”) and Jack Pearson (“Drop Top”).
Wariner family heritage
But it’s Wariner’s own family that provides the bulk of the inspiration for the album, which was 20 months in the making. Throughout the creation of the album, Steve relied heavily on his son Ross, who lives in New York, for advice and consultation on the technical production aspects of the album. He wrote the Western swing tune “Mr. Roy” as a tribute to his musician father, and “Down Sawmill Road” is named for the Kentucky road where his mother grew up. His GRAMMY-nominated son Ryan Wariner wrote and plays on the track “The Last Word.” Wariner reached back deep into his rich family history for the album’s closing instrumental track, “Augustine’s Dream,” inspired by his maternal four-times great grandfather who served in the Revolutionary War.
“Getting to play and record with these wonderfully creative people means the world to me. I am grateful to all! Some I’ve collaborated with before, others… well, it’s pure bucket list for me! This project is the perfect example of what keeps me going…what keeps me excited,” notes Wariner. “Traveling into territory I’ve never been to before. And there’s lots of that here on this album. It’s hard to describe the joy I feel making music with my sons…and family for that matter. Now I know how my father used to feel. I am so very proud of my musical roots and heritage. ”
You can watch a video of the creation of the album cover for “All Over the Map” here.
14 Number Ones; 30 Top Ten hits
In his storied career, Wariner has achieved 14 No. 1 songs and more than 30 Top 10 hits, including such classics as “Holes in the Floor of Heaven,” “Life’s Highway,” “The Weekend,” “I’m Already Taken,” “I Got Dreams,” “Small Town Girl,” “Two Teardrops,” “Some Fools Never Learn,” “Lynda” and more. An award-winning songwriter, Wariner has also composed hit songs for Clint Black (“Nothin’ But the Taillights”), Garth Brooks (“Longneck Bottle”), Bryan White (“One Small Miracle”) and Keith Urban (“Where the Blacktop Ends”), as well as artists such as Country Music Hall of Fame members Alabama, Kenny Rogers, The Statler Brothers, Conway Twitty and Don Williams; pop music icon Peter Tork (of The Monkees); R&B singer Ruben Studdard; bluegrass music’s Del McCoury Band and many more. Wariner is a member of the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. For more information, visit Steve’s website
Here are just a few ‘teasers’ from the October 2016 edition of my monthly column, ‘Inside Track on Music Row,’ the longest-running country music column in America. You can read the entire column in the Blog section of my website www.iknowcountry.com
CHRISTMAS CD RELEASES
Rascal Flatts’ Christmas album: The Greatest Gift of All
Chris Young is releasing “It Must Be Christmas” on RCA Records Nashville, and Loretta Lynn is releasing “White Christmas Blue” on the Legacy Recordings label. On a SPECIAL NOTE: Rascal Flatts will release THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL, their first-ever Christmas album, on Oct. 21. The much-anticipated 10-track collection was produced by Rascal Flatts and features moving and powerhouse performances that the trio is known for, while offering personal touches to some fan-favorite staples of the festive season. The album is available for pre-order at rascalflatts.com. The album opens with a rousing rendition of “Joy To The World and features a sentimental version of “Silent Night” opening with vocals from the children of all three band members, and Stevie Wonder’s “Someday At Christmas.”
NUMBER ONE NEWS
Dierks Bentley
Hailed as “King of the Breakup Song,” Dierks Bentley notched his 15th career No. One with “Different for Girls” (featuring Elle King) on both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase radio charts. It is the second consecutive No. One hit off his critically acclaimed album BLACK (Capitol Records Nashville).“This is one of those ‘once-in-a-career’ songs, and I’m so glad we decided to take a risk and release it as a single,” said Bentley. “Being part of Elle’s first No. One country song is a really cool thing too.” Bentley’s ‘Somewhere On A Beach Tour’ was recently extended into the fall with arena dates scheduled through the end of October. More info and tour dates at dierks.com.
ROAD NEWS
Mark Chesnutt
Traditional country music fans can rejoice because, due to high demand, sold out shows and the success of his brand new album, Mark Chesnutt is extending his Tradition Lives Tour into next year. In celebration of his first album of all-new material in eight years, Tradition Lives, Chesnutt has hit the road to share songs from the new release, as well as his biggest hits, with concert-goers around the U.S. Tradition Lives is available on iTunes, Amazon and at MarkChesnutt.com. Here’s another item that will be featured in more detail in the November edition of my Inside Track on Music Row column: Chesnutt has been named the official spokesperson of the recently established Texas Country Music Association (TCMA). He is also spokesperson for the TCMA’s charity,Texas Country Cares. More about TCMA here.
SONGWRITER NEWS
Brady Seals
Grammy-nominated hit singer/songwriter Brady Seals from Little Texas (God Blessed Texas, Kick a Little, My Love, What Might Have Been and Amy’s Back in Austin) and award-winning songwriter/producer Gordon Kennedy (Change The World by Eric Clapton) are kicking off a new weekly concert series, Music City Pickers LIVE! The opening night will be Thursday, November 3, 2016 with two shows (6-7:30pm CST and 8:30-10pm CST), followed by a special performance on Tuesday, November 8th and then two shows every Thursday evening starting in December.
Gordon Kennedy
This weekly singer/songwriter show will be held at The Factory at Franklin (230 Franklin Road/Franklin, TN) at The Little Brick Theater and will consist of hit writers, prominent artists and guitar pickers. Tickets are on sale now. Schedule for opening night (November 3, 2016) is as follows: 6-7:30pm: Brady Seals, Gordon Kennedy and Larry Stewart (Restless Heart) 8:30-10pm: Legendary mega-picker Ricky Skaggs, Brady Seals and Gordon Kennedy. Full details here.
Jean Shepard broke down barriers and inspired female artists who followed
Jean Shepard was more than ‘just’ a country music artist. She was instrumental in changing the way country fans – and the music industry – regarded female singers.
Jean Shepard pictured in 1971
In the early 1950s, solo female country artists were very few and far between, Kitty Wells being one of the most notable of the few. The absence of female country singers was something of a self-fulfilling prophesy on the part of record label executives: they were convinced that nobody wanted to hear female artists so they didn’t sign any, and then of course, no female singers were cutting songs and no records by female artists were showing up on the charts. Those record execs could look at the charts and say, “See? Songs by female artists aren’t selling.”
Her big break came thanks to her own determination when she pretty much invited herself onto the stage in 1952 while Hank Thompson, a big star at the time, was performing. Thompson was impressed both by Shepard’s talent and her resolve and convinced the very reluctant execs at his label (Capitol Records) to sign her.
After one non-charting single, Capitol teamed her with one of their male artists, Ferlin Husky, on “A Dear John Letter,” a million-plus seller that topped the Country charts and became a pop hit too. Touring with Husky – he was appointed her legal guardian as she was still a minor – she quickly became a fan favorite in her own right. Her popularity was such that, when she was only 22, she became only the third female artist invited to join the Grand Ole Opry, the other two being Kitty Wells and Minnie Pearl. (At the time of her death, Shepard was the only female artist to have been a member of the Opry for sixty years.)
Inspiration to female artists
By breaking through as a female singer in a male dominated music world, she inspired other young women to persevere with their craft and not give up the dream. So many female country stars that came along after her have cited Shepard as a true role model.
Shepard’s resilience was also remarkable in the face of so much adversity in her personal life. She grew up desperately poor, the daughter of a sharecropper with her nine sibling in a home without running water or electricity. Later, at the height of her career, when she was eight months pregnant, she lost her husband Hawkshaw Hawkins in the 1963 plane crash that also killed Patsy Cline and Cowboy Copas. Despite her grief, she returned to the Opry and the recording studio, determined to maintain her career and support her small children.
Country’s first ‘concept album’
A rarity for female artists at the time, Shepard was not afraid to sing and record songs, including “The Root of All Evil (Is A Man)” and “Twice The Lovin’ In Half The Time,” that focused on ‘gritty’ subjects such as adultery and broken marriages from a woman’s point of view. Artists such as Loretta Lynn note that Shepard’s album “Songs of a Love Affair” opened the door for them to sing about subjects that might have otherwise been nixed by record labels. “Songs of a Love Affair” is recognized as the first ‘concept’ album in Country music.
Jean Shepard, with Bill Anderson, celebrating 60 years as an Opry member in 2015. Photo: Chris Hollo
Often described as ‘feisty’ – she made no secret of her distaste for modern ‘pop-country’ music – she had strong convictions and a strength of character that stayed with her throughout her personal and professional life. Jean Shepard was a pioneer and an inspiration to any aspiring artist who feels the odds are stacked against them. As Brenda Lee said when Shepard was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2011: “She busted down the doors.”
For a discography and more about Jean Shepard’s long career at the Opry, click here.
Ollie Imogene (‘Jean’) Shepard, November 21, 1933 – September 25, 2016. She is survived by her husband, Benny Birchfield, and sons Don Robin Hawkins, Harold Franklin Hawkins II and Corey Birchfield.
Preshias with Joni Twitty and John Wesley Ryles, listening to the remastered Conway Twitty tapes
Monday morning started out great with Joni Twitty and John Wesley Ryles. I was with them at Ricky Skaggs‘ studio putting the finishing touches of musical magic to the rare 1970 recordings that Joni’s father Conway Twitty cut with Scotty Moore for the U.S. Armed Forces Network. The long-lost songs are soon to be released by Country Rewind Records. www.countryrewindrecords.com
Working on Conway Twitty’s ‘Lost Tapes’
Pictured (left to right) are: John Wesley Ryles (back up vocalist and Conway’s son-in-law), Ron Oates (‘The Bomb’ piano player!) Joni Twitty, and engineer Mark Capps (Mark worked on Conway’s last album). Not Pictured: Guitarist Kevin Williams, who has played with The Gaithers for 24 yrs. Everyone at Country Rewind Records is so excited to be ‘a spoke in this wheel’ as these historic recordings finally get to be heard by Conway’s fans!
Reproduced below is the press release announcing the Waylon Jennings album for which I wrote the liner notes. It is a remarkable album of tracks long thought to have been lost forever. In addition to its historical significance, it’s a heck of a good album! I recommend you give it a listen. – Preshias Harris
COUNTRY REWIND RECORDS (NY) INTRODUCES THE LOST NASHVILLE SESSIONS FROM WAYLON JENNINGS
Gem Features 14 Never-Heard-Before Tracks, And One Bonus Track (Digital Only)
The Sixth In The Label Series — Due Mid-October 2016
The Lost Nashville Sessions (Waylon Jennings)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (September 13, 2016)—Country Rewind Records (a division of Hindsight Records, NY), will introduce one of its newest collections of country music’s hidden treasures—THE LOST NASHVILLE SESSIONS (Waylon Jennings). The project will be available October 21, 2016* via all major digital retail outlets.
An impressionable country music singer, who became a Grammy recipient early in his career (for “MacArthur Park”) and forged his name as an iconic figure in American music history, Waylon Jennings was a member of the “Outlaw Country” music movement and genre. He shared the billing with renowned, award-winning recording artists such as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson. THE LOST NASHVILLE SESSIONS showcases Jennings’ stout talents as a young and promising recording artist (spotlighting the number one hit “Only Daddy That’ll Walk The Line”) and highlights a piece of music history that may have easily been lost and forgotten.
The musical gem features 14 never-heard-before tracks originally recorded at Scotty Moore’s Music City Recorders (July 1970) as part of a U.S. military recruitment radio program. The 15-minute recorded shows hosted performances by, and banter with, popular country artists (Jennings, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty and Tammy Wynette to name a few). Created to encourage recruitment, the shows were distributed for “promotional-use only” on vinyl to 2,000 participating radio stations. Country Rewind Records President, Thomas Gramuglia, dusted off the masters from each and every recorded program with the idea to bring these performances to life via today’s contemporary and digital musical formats. (THE LOST NASHVILLE SESSIONS is just one of hundreds of recordings.)
Grammy award-winning musician and producer, Robby Turner (who is also the late country legend’s longtime steel guitarist and producer, and now plays with Chris Stapleton), added instrumentals and background vocals to the raw original tracks (including Waylon Jennings’ classics and his renditions of Chuck Berry’s “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” and Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down”).
With audio quality of the highest twenty-first century standard, the project has been described as “Delightful” (Robert K. Oermann/Music Row Magazine). The production sounds as if Waylon and A-list musicians recorded the project just yesterday. Jennings’ widow, Jessi Colter, and their son (Shooter Jennings) have given their permissions and blessings to release the project.
Music City Media will head up the press and social media campaign; Williams Promotions will oversee the radio promotion campaign. The project is being distributed by Select-O-Hits.
THE LOST NASHVILLE SESSIONS digital retail release date: October 21, 2016. iTunes pre-sale begins September 23, 2016; purchasers who take advantage of the iTunes pre-sale will be offered “Kentucky Woman” as the instant gratification track.
For more on THE LOST NASHVILLE SESSIONS and other Country Rewind Records productions, visit countryrewindrecords.com.
Send me music stuff, I love to get it! Preshiaswriter@hotmail.com TN/USA.
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VERSE OF THE MONTH: ‘Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and him and spiritual songs. – Colossians (3:16)
ACM NEWS
The 10TH ACM Honors™ is an evening dedicated to celebrating the special honorees and off-camera category winners from the 51ST Academy of Country Music Awards. Dierks Bentley, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton and Keith Urban will take the stage at the 10TH ANNUAL ACM HONORS™ for a special tribute to Glen Campbell, who as previously announced will be honored with the ACM Career Achievement Award. The country music luminaries will perform an all-star medley of Campbell’s greatest hits, culminating to an ensemble performance of the iconic “Rhinestone Cowboy.” Kim Campbell will accept the award on behalf of her husband of 35 years. Other scheduled performers are: Alicia Keys, Miranda Lambert, Chris Young, DAN + SHAY and The Band Perry. Mike Fisher, Emmylou Harris, Martina McBride, Thomas Rhett and more will present at the Gala. Hosted by multi-ACM Award-winning group Lady Antebellum, the two-hour special was taped at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, and will make its television debut on Friday, September 9 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. For more info on the Academy of Country Music and the ACM Honors, visit www.acmcountry.com.
ALBUM NEWS
As Thomas Rhett’s sophomore release TANGLED UP (The Valory Music Co.) has earned PLATINUM certification by the RIAA. On August 20, before his set as direct support on Jason Aldean’s SIX STRING CIRCUS TOUR in Irvine, CA, Rhett was surprised backstage by his team and friends with news of the new benchmark. “It’s crazy to think about all the fans who are taking this journey with me and are helping make things like this happen,” said Rhett. “I’ve had an amazing year already, but finding out that the album went Platinum is one of the coolest moments so far.” Tour dates and appearances at thomasrhett.com.
AMERICANA MUSIC NEWS
The AMA has its 17th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, September 20-25, 2016. The AMA receives enormous support from the Tennessee Dept. of Tourism, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, Lagunitas Brewing Company, Music City Networks, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, SoundExchange, and AT&T. The Americana Music Association announced this year’s slate of more than 50 panels and workshops with approximately 200 experts representing the best and the brightest in the music business. This year’s Conference will offer once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to hear from artists who have shaped musical history – including Bob Weir, Jody Stephens, Wanda Jackson and a special presentation by Del McCoury on the legendary Woody Guthrie — and from those currently making history, like Margot Price John Paul White, and Lori McKenna. The AMA will present Including A Rare Performance and Q&A with Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead. Programming Highlights Include Dwight Yoakam, T Bone Burnett and Jonathan Taplin, Margo Price & Friends, Del McCoury, John Paul White, John Moreland, William Bell, Timothy B. Schmit, Rodney Crowell, Muddy Magnolias, Sarah Jarosz, The Secret Sisters, Travelin’ McCourys, Syd Straw, Dan Layus, Erin Rae & The Meanwhiles, & Sam Bush. The Americana Honors & Awards Show will take place September 21st at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Festival Wristbands Only $60 and Conference Registrations $325 – $425. More info at americanamusic.org.
ARTIST NEWS
Big Machine Label Group President/CEO Scott Borchetta and Justin Moore celebrate Kinda Don’t Care with #1 Waffles at Waffle House® in Indianapolis
Justin Moore has much to celebrate as his fourth studio album KINDA DON’T CARE (The Valory Music Co.) notched the #1 spot on the Billboard Country Albums chart. The project features his newly minted Top 5 single “You Look Like I Need A Drink” and also earned the singer his fourth Top 10 All Genre debut, landing at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Moore has been celebrating after each recent show on his TAKE IT OUTSIDE tour by cooking up some of his favorite dishes at Waffle House® locations in each market. Tour dates and more at JustinMoore.com.
CD NEWS
Jennifer Nettles stretched out musically and pushed herself on her latest album, PLAYING WITH FIRE (BMLG), but it was more of a byproduct of trying to be authentic. She says, “I’m always pushing myself as a person, and the way that art then imitates life and specifically my art and my life, because of that, I would say that, yes, I pushed myself in ways. But really, what I wanted to do was keep myself open to be even more and more authentic on this record and to share and talk about the themes that are happening in my life.” More at JenniferNettles.com.
CD RELEASES
September ALBUM Releases are as follows:
Billy Ray Cyrus/Thin Line/Blue Cadillac
Waylon Jennings/The Lost Nashville Sessions /Country Rewind Records
Jack White/Jack White Acoustic Recordings 1998-2016/Third Man Records-Columbia
Paper Bird/Paper Bird/Sons of Thunder Records-Thirty Tigers
CHARITY NEWS
Thomas Rhett Charity Concert, October 4
Thomas Rhett will host his first-ever charity concert event THOMAS RHETT & FRIENDS on Oct. 4th benefitting 147 Million Orphans at Nashville’s The Old School. The night will be filled with intimate acoustic performances in an outdoor barn setting by Thomas Rhett and first announced special guest multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley as well as newcomer Walker Hayes and Grammy award-winning songwriter/producer Shane McAnally. 147 Million Orphans was established in 2009 to provide food, water, medicine, shelter, & education to vulnerable children in the name of Jesus, so that they may thrive through sustainable care. More at thomasrhett.com or 147millionorphans.org.
CONCERT NEWS
Jason Aldean will bring new music off his upcoming seventh studio album THEY DON’T KNOW (Broken Bow Records), available Sept. 9, to Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series this Friday (8/26 on ABC at 8:00A). Live from Central Park, Aldean will be the final guest on the morning show’s Country music themed week with multiple performances including his new single “A Little More Summertime” along with some of his biggest hits.
COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME NEWS
The Country Music Hall of Fame ® and Museum and the Country Music Association (CMA) will partner to host Forever Country Live presented by Southwest Airlines®, a FREE concert to celebrate the 50th anniversary of both the museum’s opening and the CMA Awards (Family activities start at 3pm). The community event will be held on Sunday, Sept. 25, at Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville, with performances by Warner Bros. recording artist Charlie Worsham and Grammy-nominated ensemble The Time Jumpers, featuring Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill, Kenny Sears, “Ranger Doug” Green and Paul Franklin. Past CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Patty Loveless will join The Time Jumpers for a special appearance. Follow countrymusichoffame on Facebook.
CRACKER BARREL NEWS
Dolly Parton is Cracker Barrel Old Country Store®’s latest Spotlight Music artist. The legendary singer exclusively released a deluxe version of her new album Pure & Simple in Cracker Barrel stores nationwide and online at crackerbarrel.com. This deluxe offering of Pure & Simple features 10 new tracks inspired by Parton’s East Tennessee roots. The album is complemented by several pieces of content exclusive to Cracker Barrel, including two versions of the singer’s chart-topping hits “Jolene” and “9 to 5” recorded live at Glastonbury Festival and a 48-page magazine filled with photos and interviews highlighting memorable stories from Parton. The deluxe edition also includes coupons to various Parton attractions. NOTE: Dolly Parton, who released her 43rd studio album, Pure & Simple, a disc of 10 new songs, also announced the exclusive Walmart 2 CD package which includes Pure & Simple with Dolly’s Biggest Hits available now.
INDIE ARTIST NEWS
Singer-songwriter Marty Brown
Veteran singer-songwriter and former ‘America’s Got Talent’ finalist Marty Brown knows how to make an appearance. On August 29, he played the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville – at a Sheriff’s Convention! Never one to miss an opportunity, the unique entertainer turned it into an industry showcase, inviting some of Nashville’s movers and shakers to see him tear the place up – figuratively speaking – fronting a band of top-ranked touring musicians, all with 20+ years’ experience backing superstar artists. The Wildhorse date was just one stop on his current tour that will take him back to his hometown of Owensboro, KY, on September 23. Tour dates, bio, merch and more at martybrownmusic.com.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Artists and songwriters paid tribute to songwriter Lance Miller at Warner/Chappell’s ‘Everybody Loves Lance’ songwriter series event. Warner/Chappell Music signed the hit songwriter and 2014 SESAC Song of the Year winner (for his co-write on Jerrod Niemann’s “Drink To That All Night”) to a worldwide co-publishing agreement in 2015. He also has writing credits on Lee Brice’s “Beautiful Every Time”, Thomas Rhett’s “Beer With Jesus”, Michael Ray’s “Real Men Love Jesus,” Jerrod Niemann’s “Shinin’ On Me” among others.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Brandy Clark’s Big Day in a Small Town
It’s a long way from her hometown of Morton, Wash., but Brandy Clark returns to the U.K. in September for a series of acoustic shows with an entire new album, Big Day in a Small Town, to play live. “We played London and Dublin as part of C2C in 2015 and while we were over there we also got to do a show in Glasgow,” said Clark. “I’ve been waiting to go back ever since!” Having recently been on the road with Jennifer Nettles on the CMT Next Women of Country Tour, the singer/songwriter has also toured with Eric Church and Alan Jackson during the last two years in addition to solo shows. For upcoming tour dates, visit brandyclarkmusic.com.
LABEL NEWS
(Dot Records) Drake White proved he’s “Livin’ The Dream” as he appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America recently. Drake performed the Top 25-and-rising single from his new album on Dot Records. Upon release, SPARK blazed up to #1 on the iTunes Top Country Albums chart with a collection of heartwarming lyrics and swampy grooves. A few days later, the Alabama native departed on a cross-country adventure to highlight his charitable initiative, “Flight to Light the Spark.” Drake will make stops in each time zone to give back to local communities and fuel change across the country. Drake is currently on the road on Zac Brown Band’s BLACK OUT THE SUN TOUR and will join Dierks Bentley’s SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH TOUR later this fall. For more dates, visit DrakeWhite.com.
MEDIA NEWS
Photo from the set of Eric Church’s “Record Year” music video (Directors: John Peets and Reid Long)
Eric Church’s second single off Mr. Misunderstood hit No. 1 just in time for fans to celebrate his seventh summit to the top of both MediaBase and Billboard charts. “Record Year” was co-written by Church and his guitarist/banjo player, Jeff Hyde – who also penned “Cold One” (with Luke Hutton), “Springsteen” (with Ryan Tyndell), and “Smoke A Little Smoke” (with Driver Williams) – and outlines a story of a heartbroken music-lover finding consolation in the records of some of music’s greatest masterminds. Fan loyalty has always meant a lot to the seven-time GRAMMY nominee, ACM and CMA-award winning singer/songwriter, which was made obvious when he directly shipped copies of Mr. Misunderstood on vinyl to his Church Choir before making it available to the general public. Tour updates at ericchurch.com.
MILITARY NEWS
Charlie Daniels and Middle Tennessee State University’s lengthy association continue to make amazing strides. With the unveiling of a plaque and a new logo for MTSU’s Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center named for them, MTSU formally recognized the couple and The Journey Home Project he co-founded to assist veterans during a celebration at the Miller Education Center. Daniels and his wife, who have been married 52 years, were humbled and moved by MTSU’s recognition. Tutoring assistance, VetSuccess on Campus and more are part of the center’s offerings. The center staff features five full-time staff, including a mental health counselor and more than 12 part-time student-veterans. To learn more, visit mtsu.edu/military. NOTE: Charlie’s new album, NIGHT HAWK, pays homage to his favorite cowboy songs. It offers a collection of both familiar and obscure songs, each given the unique Charlie Daniels vocal treatment. Some feature Daniels on acoustic guitar, others get new instrumentation. The ten tracks include “Billy the Kid,” “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” “Old Chisholm Trail” and “Yippie Ki Yea.” Album details and tour tickets at charliedaniels.com.
MUSIC NEWS
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family topped the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart and secured the No. two position on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with the critically acclaimed debut album LOVE REMAINS (EMI Nashville), after moving over 31,000 units in its first week. Its lead single “Thy Will” also claimed the No. One position on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs for the second week while dominating Billboard’s Christian Digital Songs for its eighth consecutive week. Hillary Scott is one-third of the one of the world’s most popular groups, Lady Antebellum. Album info and more at hillaryscott.com.
NUMBER ONE NEWS
Songwriter Jon Nite
BMI and ASCAP came together with UMG Records (Capital) to celebrate Keith Urban’s 20th Number One song “Break On Me.” Co-written by Jon Nite and Ross Copperman. Produced by Nathan Chapman (Taylor Swift), the song spent two weeks at the Number One spot, and is the second single from the album “Ripcord.” This was a worldwide chart milestone: No other male country artist has had a number one record in the US, Canada and Australia for the same song at the same time.
Songwriter Ross Copperman
“Break On Me” is Keith’s 36 consecutive top 10 record… another Milestone! Cool Facts: This was Ross’s tenth #1 and he was ACM’s 2016 Songwriter of the year. He currently has 7 songs on Billboard’s country chart. Jon Nite celebrated his sixth # 1. Jon won a CMA ‘triple play’ last year and has been nominated for CMA and ACM Awards for the past 4 years. He also co-wrote Keith Urban’s previous smash hit “We Were Us.”
OPRY NEWS
Jason Aldean
Jason Aldean continues to find new ways to raise awareness for breast cancer research, and for the first time in his career he partners with the Grand Ole Opry and incorporates his 11th annual “Concert for the Cure” as part of the eighth annual “Opry Goes Pink,” the annual special performance staged to fight breast cancer. In addition to flipping the switch on the Opry’s signature barn backdrop, turning it pink for the Grand Ole Opry’s two shows on Tuesday, October 25, Aldean will take the stage to perform along with other favorites and raise awareness and funds for Women Rock for the Cure™ and Susan G. Komen®’s Nashville Chapter. A host of artists joining Aldean for the Opry shows will be announced soon. Tickets are available at opry.com.
ROAD NEWS
Rascal Flatts
Known as one of the hottest-selling “Road” touring acts in any genre, superstar trio Rascal Flatts celebrated in August a major milestone of 10 million tickets sold, following a rousing run of headlining shows. The group was presented with a commemorative ticket at their show in Hartford, CT, to recognize the occasion. Rascal Flatts is currently out on the road as part of their headlining RHYTHM AND ROOTS TOUR. The best-selling country vocal group of the past decade Rascal Flatts has sold over 23.1 million albums, over 31 million digital downloads worldwide, as well as earning over 40 trophies from the ACAs, ACMs, AMAs, CMAs, People’s Choice Awards and more, also making them the most awarded country group of the past decade. Tour updates at rascalflatts.com.
SINGLE NEWS
Here are a few of the singles dropping in the next week: Alan Turner “Windows And Mirrors”, Carrie Underwood “Dirty Laundry”, Chris Lane “For Her”, The Hobbs Sisters “Boomerang” , Darrell Ryan “Not Enough Town”, Ellie May Kay “Girl With A Fishing Rod” and The Tacketts “And I Know.”
TOUR NEWS
Old Dominion L to R: Whit Sellers, Brad Tursi, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Geoff Sprung
Old Dominion, a road-built band who has performed more than 200 dates over the last calendar year, surprised fans with the announcement of 30+ new shows coast-to-coast on their fall Meat and Candy Tour with special guest Steve Moakler. Fifteen of the 2016 dates will be billed as the Stagecoach Spotlight: Old Dominion Meat and Candy Tour, as the five-piece band is the first act selected by producers of the world-famous Stagecoach Festival for the inaugural Stagecoach Spotlight Tour. For more information, visit olddominionband.com/tour.
My monthly column, ‘Inside Track on Music Row,’ is published in magazines and on websites worldwide. To read archived columns, go to www.iknowcountry.com and click on the ‘Blog’ link. You can also find out about my new e-book, “I Know Country!” – a collection of 366 country music Q&As – and follow a link to where you can buy your own copy.
Send me music stuff, I love to get it! / Preshiaswriter@hotmail.com TN/USA. Google “Preshias”
VERSE OF THE MONTH
“When I am afraid, in you I place my trust.” – Psalm 56:4
ALBUM NEWS
New album from John McEuen
John McEuen, the Grammy-award winning producer, songwriter and musician, has announced his plans to release his sixth solo album titled MADE IN BROOKLYN (Chesky Records). The 16-track collection was created in similar fashion to the landmark ‘Will the Circle Be Unbroken’ that McEuen initiated in 1971. The new album is scheduled for a September 30, 2016 release. McEuen convened an exceptional group of musicians, all of whom have been instrumental in molding American Music in their own right, for a project produced to give the listener an “in-studio experience.” The album is part of Chesky’s Binaural + Series: the live performances were captured in high-resolution (24-bit/192kHz) with the single “Dummy Head” microphone system. The dummy head’s ear microphones are specially calibrated to recreate the spatial characteristics of human hearing to offer a spacious, lush and multi-dimensional listening experience. More at chesky.com
ARTIST NEWS
Without a doubt, Dolly Parton continues to be one of the most aggressive artists in music when it comes to marketing themselves, and the Country Music Hall of Fame member continues that trend with the upcoming August 19 release of her new disc Pure & Simple – with four different pre-order bundles to help promote the album. The bundles range from the Standard Bundle ($40) to the Commemorative Bundle ($400). Fans can go to shop.dollyparton.com for more information regarding the bundles. In other Dolly news, the entertainment icon has just released the title track lyric video, which can be viewed at dollyparton.com.
BLUEGRASS NEWS
Ronnie Reno, host of ‘Reno’s Old Time Music’
Many of the top nominees for the 2016 IBMA awards are among the featured guests on “Reno’s Old Time Music” show throughout the month of August. This year’s Entertainer and Vocal Group of the Year nominee, Balsam Range will kick off the month with a “Reno’s Old Time Music” full-performance show, followed by the “Queen of Bluegrass” and Female Vocalist of the Year nominee, Rhonda Vincent. Rhonda returns as to guest co-host the “best-of” series, “Hats Off to Bluegrass,” as does Sierra Hull, who is poised to be the to take home Album of the Year and Mandolin Player of the Year honors. To fill out the month, “Reno’s Old Time Music” has compiled all of the fan-favorite performances from its popular “Front Porch Gospel” series. For a full schedule and show times visit ronniereno.com.
BOOK NEWS
Singer, songwriter, author Jimmy Wayne
Jimmy Wayne’s three-time New York Times best-selling book, Walk to Beautiful, has celebrated a milestone as it crossed the 100,000 sales mark for print copies. Jimmy’s memoir, released in October of 2014, has not only captivated readers, it has inspired positive change in the foster care system and compelled individuals to get involved in helping at risk foster kids. “I wrote Walk To Beautiful with best-selling author Ken Abraham after walking from Nashville to Phoenix to raise awareness for at-risk foster children,” says Jimmy. “When I was 16, I was given a home by Bea and Russell Costner, and I wouldn’t be here today if not for their kindness and generosity.” More at jimmywayne.com.
CD NEWS
Shooter Jennings’ new album
Shooter Jennings and BCR Los Angeles will re-release his 2010 album, Black Ribbons, in a limited-edition package that includes vinyl, cd and unreleased tracks. The reissue comes in at the perfect time for the genre-breaking, dystopian concept album… Election Day, November 8, 2016. Narrated by famed horror author Stephen King, Black Ribbons is a concept album set in the near future, when the U.S. Government has control over the airwaves, and a lone radio DJ vows to play the one band the authorities don’t want him to play. Along with the re-release, Jennings announced a limited series entitled “Beyond The Black,” which takes music lovers song by song through the story of Black Ribbons and how the concepts and theories behind the project still ring true today. Album info and tour dates at shooterjennings.com.
CD RELEASES
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland’s second music video, “Can’t Stay Away,” premiered during CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown in late July. The track is the latest release from Sutherland’s debut album Down In A Hole, which will be released August 19 by Warner Music Nashville/Ironworks Music. Down In A Hole will be available for pre-order August 5. Sutherland, who co-wrote every song on the upcoming 11-track album with producer Jude Cole just wrapped up a North American tour that included sold-out dates across the U.S. and Canada. Updates at kiefersutherland.com.
CMT NEWS
Michael Tyler’s debut single
Reviver Records recording artist Michael Tyler is providing a glimpse of his Missouri roots in a CMT premiere of his debut single “CRAZY LAST NIGHT,” available now through digital retailers. The song was recently selected as one of Billboard’s Country Songs of the Summer Picks and is currently playing on country radio. Tyler, already a No. 1 songwriter, co-penned Dierks Bentley’s two-week No. 1 smash “Somewhere on a Beach” as well as cuts by Jason Aldean and LOCASH and the Aldean/Kelsea Ballerini duet “First Time Again.” See the video and check out tour dates at themichaeltyler.com.
CMH of FAME NEWS
Charlie Daniels
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will examine the life and career of 2016 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Daniels in the exhibition Charlie Daniels: Million Mile Reflections, opening Sept. 23, 2016, and running through March 2017. Featuring musical instruments, stage wear, manuscripts, awards, childhood mementos and previously unpublished photographs from Daniels’ personal collection, the exhibit will describe his significant impact on American entertainment and explore the new musical style and image he brought to country music. Daniels moved to Nashville in 1967 at the urging of Columbia Records producer Bob Johnston, who hired him to play on albums by Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Marty Robbins. See countrymusichalloffame.org.
DUO NEWS
Dailey & Vincent
Fans of American music superstars Dailey & Vincent will get an up-close and personal experience as the award-winning duo hits the road throughout 2016 with a jam-packed tour schedule which includes stops throughout North America. Fans will get the opportunity to meet the multi Grammy-nominated group during autograph sessions at venues and festivals. The Springer Mountain Farms sponsored tour kicked off earlier this year, with additional stops recently added. The dynamic duo will also host additional episodes of their hit music-driven television show, “The Dailey & Vincent Show.” The 30-minute program appears weekly on RFD-TV, which is available in 63 million households across all 50 states. For update tour dates and TV show info, go to daileyandvincent.com.
DVD NEWS & RELEASES
Brian Wilson & Friends: ‘Live’ DVD & CD
Music legend Brian Wilson and BMG, in collaboration with the groundbreaking television series “Soundstage” (PBS) have released Brian Wilson and Friends, a new live CD/DVD set and Blu-ray. Filmed live at the Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas on December 12, 2014, the 19-track CD and 26-track DVD/Blu-ray editions feature many of the top hits and fan favorites spanning Wilson’s 54-year career with The Beach Boys and as a solo artist. Brian Wilson & Friends originally aired on PBS nationwide throughout 2015. Details and track listing at BrianWilson.com.
INDIE NEWS
Kenny & Amanda Smith
Kenny and Amanda Smith have released the first single, “You Know That I Would,” from their forthcoming album, Unbound. The CD, the 7th release from the Smiths and their band, is set for release on September 23, 2016, and is available for pre-order now. Unbound features 13 remarkable cuts from some of today’s most prolific writers, including Ed Williams, Ronnie Bowman, Dennis K. Duff, Roger Helton, Barry Bales, Lisa Shaffer, Elli Rowe, Jason Burleson, Tim Stafford, Thomm Jutz, Kylie Sackley, Lacy Green, and Craig Market. The collection is described as “a warm and winning musical journey.” Kenny is a two-time IBMA Guitarist of the Year award winner, and Amanda won the 2014 IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year Award. More at kenny-amandasmith.com
INDUSTRY NEWS
Singer-songwriter Kelsey Waters
Little Extra Music singer/songwriter Kelsey Waters has signed with booking powerhouse William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME) for representation. Raised in the 30-A region of the Florida panhandle, Kelsey was playing bars before she could even drive. She moved to Nashville at 20 and quickly began making inroads in the music scene. After signing her publishing deal with Little Extra Music, she was soon hard at work with some of her songwriting idols like Lori McKenna (“Girl Crush”, “Humble & kind”) and Tia Sillers (“I Hope You Dance”, “There’s Your Trouble”, “Blue On Black.”) She’s built a growing catalog of songs that are both universal and reflective of her unique slant on life. See LittleExtraMusic.com.
INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC NEWS
Hillary Scott and the Scott Family
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family gathered with over two hundred of their closest friends and family at Nashville’s The Bell Tower, as they introduced music from their new album LOVE REMAINS (EMI Nashville). The album, a 13-track collection of faith-based songs, is a combination of hymns Hillary grew up singing in church, newly-written originals and songs made popular by other artists. With the help of producer Ricky Skaggs, the album blurs the lines between gospel, bluegrass, country and pop. It follows more than 11 million album sales worldwide for Hillary Scott as one-third of the one of the world’s most popular groups, Lady Antebellum. For more information on new music, a full list of upcoming tour dates and more, visit hillaryscott.com.
LABEL NEWS
(UMG) Dierks Bentley has announced the extension to his 2016 SOMEWHERE ON A BEACH TOUR with the addition of arena dates following two nights at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre (9/26 & 9/27). Beginning Oct. 13 in Ft. Wayne, IN, the tour will continue through the end of October with Randy Houser and special guest Drake White & The Big Fire. Fans can now purchase presale tickets to first announced dates at Dierks.com. “We’re about 30 shows in so far, and I feel like we are just getting started…the songs from the new album are really connecting like nothing I’ve experienced before, the band and crew are in a great groove and we’re having the time of our lives out there,” said Bentley.
MEDIA NEWS
Chesney & Pink: “Setting the World on Fire”
‘Noise’ set a milestone for Kenny Chesney when the song became his ‘most added’ first week single ever; ‘adds’ indicating a song being added to country radio station playlists. The song was co-written by Chesney with Shane McAnally, Ross Copperman and Jon Nite. Chesney’s album, with the working title of ‘Some Town Somewhere,’ originally scheduled for a July 8 release, has been pushed to October 28 due to a collaboration with Pink on ‘Setting the World on Fire.’ Additionally, Chesney announced a change to the title of his new album. It will now be titled ‘Cosmic Hallelujah.’ Chesney said that album titles are around for a very long time and he tries to have titles that give people a sense of what the music is, and what the album is all about. He added, “When I pulled back and listened: these songs are all about taking ‘The Big Revival’ to the next level; that level is Cosmic Hallelujah.” Tour info, etc, at kennychesney.com.
MUSIC NEWS
Caitlyn Smith’s debut album, due out early 2017
Songstress Caitlyn Smith has spent the last several years behind the curtain, penning songs for artists such as Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, Cassadee Pope, Kenny Rogers, Meghan Trainor and more. She has now released five tracks from her Paul Moak-produced, full-length debut album, Starfire, expected early next year. The five tracks, each co-written by Smith, are a sampling of what’s to come from the expectant mother’s full-length album. The five songs, available everywhere digital music is sold and streamed. More at caitlynsmith.com.
SINGLE NEWS
The Trinity River Band’s new album
When you win a whole mantle full of awards – from both fans and critics – you must be doing something right. In the case of the Trinity River Band, they’re doing a whole lot of things right. Now, the Trinity River Band have released their brand new album titled Things We Do For Dreams (Orange Blossom Records). The first single from the album, “Come Back Train,” written by Jerry Salley and Cassidy Lynn Alexander, has already entered the Bluegrass Today Top 20 Chart and the Roots Music Report Top 50 Bluegrass Singles chart. The new project presents the band’s popular mix of inspirational country, acoustic roots and bluegrass that has created a loyal following of fans nationwide. For a current list of tour dates and more details about their albums, visit www.thetrinityriverband.com.
TOUR NEWS
Jason Aldean on the road with his Six String Circus Tour
Jason Aldean’s SIX STRING CIRCUS TOUR launched May 19th in Rogers, AR, with support from Thomas Rhett and A Thousand Horses (A few dates with DJ Silver). As the first-ever Country artist to take the stage at Boston’s Fenway Park, Aldean will route the tour to the home of the Red Sox on Sept. 9 to co-headline with multi-Platinum award-winner Kid Rock. The tour is a 27-city run. The last date listed to catch his 2016 show is October 1st in Bristow, VA. **MUSIC NOTE EXTRA** “Lights Come On” marks the 17th career chart topper for Jason. Landing the # 1 position on the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase radio charts, Aldean also announced his seventh studio album THEY DON’T KNOW (Broken Bow Records) will be available Sept. 9th (Same day as album drops) and fans can pre-order the album at all available digital retailers. Aldean is currently headlining his Six String Circus Tour. For more information on new music and for a full list of upcoming tour dates, visit www.jasonaldean.com.
VINYL NEWS
Dierks Bentley’s album on vinyl
Dierks Bentley’s BLACK will be released on vinyl, available on Aug. 12. Bentley’s most personal record yet has already delivered a one-two punch of critical and commercial muscle with the multi-week No. one smash of the summer anthem “Somewhere On A Beach,” and the provocative and vulnerable “Different For Girls,” featuring 2x Grammy nominated friend Elle King. “When we created this album, I kept imagining the flow of this record being told with an ‘A’ side and ‘B’ side,” said Bentley. “With BLACK, every little detail has mattered to me and I can’t wait for fans to hear the whole album this way.” Details at dierks.com
Summer NAMM 2016 is finally history, and thousands of musicians and music industry executives filled Nashville’s Music City Center to browse the hundreds of exhibits and see what’s new. In fact, according to the show’s organizers, 14,055 industry professionals registered for Summer NAMM, a 1% increase over 2015 and 14% over 2014. Of that, international attendees accounted for 12% growth over 2015, and 59% growth since 2014, making for the largest number of international participants at Summer NAMM in over a decade.
The week kicked off with a pre-show party. D’Addario, the Farmingdale, New York-based manufacturer of guitar strings and other musical accessories, hosted their sixth annual invite-only pre-NAMM party at Soundcheck rehearsal studios in Nashville. With Tennessee BBQ along with beer and whiskey, authorized dealers and endorsers enjoyed music from Stephen Mougin’s Bluegrass All-Stars, resonator guitar virtuoso Rob Ickes and guitarist Trey Hensley, ambient looper William Tyler and the Andy Wood Trio.
Charlie Daniels Band gave 2016 Summer NAMM attendees an unforgettable performance from the NAMM Nissan Terrace Stage.
The music continued on Thursday, when attendees were treated to a blistering set from the legendary Charlie Daniels Band, performing on the NAMM Nissan Terrace Stage.
As in previous years, Summer NAMM provided a robust platform for buyers, exhibitors and professionals to engage with the latest products, learn new business strategies, connect with other industry peers, and to position their businesses for a successful second half of the year.
The show counted a variety of new and returning exhibitors including Dunlop, Ernie Ball, Fender, Ovation, and Pearl, among many others, and with Summer NAMM veterans like Martin, Peavey, Roland, Sabian, Taylor, Yamaha, and Zildjian returning to showcase their latest gear. This year’s show saw a rise in exhibitors with 1,650 brands represented by 517 exhibitors, an increase of 5% over 2015.
On Saturday, the doors were opened to music industry professionals for a record-setting Music Industry Day with nearly 1,800 attendees, an increase of 1% over 2015. Early in the afternoon, country rocker and “The Voice” winner of season seven, Craig Wayne Boyd, performed for the day’s attendees.
Summer NAMM American Eagle Awards
Emmylou Harris and Vince Gill, honorees, along with the Grand Ole Opry, at the 2016 American Eagle Awards, presented during the Summer NAMM show.
In the Davidson Ballroom, the 33rd Annual American Eagle Awards honored Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris and the Grand Ole Opry. The awards annually recognize individuals that have made significant contributions to music in America.
When it comes to new products, there were a great many to be seen in every area. Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) showed several new additions to their industry-leading amplifier and accessories categories including of the ’57 Custom Tweed series of guitar amplifiers and the Bassman 800 amp. In addition, Fender debuted the ShawBucker 1 and 2 Humbucking Pickups and FTN-1 Tuner.
One of the more unusual items came from young entrepreneur Hunter Marlowe, a recent graduate of MTSU. It’s the Jambourine: the world’s first sound hole tambourine for acoustic guitars. It slips easily behind the guitar strings in the sound hole, allowing the guitarist to add an extra dimension to his or her picking or strumming.
AMV Sales showed a number of unique instruments, including a cigar box guitar and ‘Rozanna’s Butterfly Dream Fuschia’ student violin that can be customized with school colors.
Additionally, there were many other new items as well as familiar instruments, equipment and accessories from the world’s leading musical manufacturers.
Music industry pros are already marking their calendars for next year’s shows: January 19-22, 2017 in Anaheim, CA, and July 13-15, 2017 in Nashville, TN.
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Note: Some information in this report originated in the official post-show summary found at NAMM’s website https://www.namm.org/summer/2016 where visitors can learn more about the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) and their activities.
When Aaron Tippin sings about the life of a working man, he speaks from experience. This is a guy who has got his hands dirty working up a sweat to earn his paycheck while writing his way to a record deal.
Aaron Tippin and Preshias at the 2016 CMA Music Festival
Born in Pensacola, Florida, but growing up in South Carolina, he was earning his living singing in local bars and working on getting his pilot’s license. By the age of 20, he had already found employment as a commercial pilot. Flying may be one of Aaron’s passions, but an even stronger one is music, leading him in 1986 to Nashville with his eyes on the prize of a record deal.
Once in Music City, he began to develop his craft as a songwriter, landing a song publishing contract with Acuff-Rose in 1987. Before long he was co-writing songs for Charley Pride, Mark Collie and David Ball among others. But a publishing deal and cuts by well-known artists didn’t exactly mean Aaron was on Easy Street. As the sun went down each day, he was driving north to Logan County, Kentucky, working a night shift at Logan Aluminum.
Aaron did not give up on his goal of being a recording artist and he developed his stage skills in Nashville clubs and honky tonks while continuing to write and sing demos of the songs he’d written or co-written. One day, RCA’s legendary A&R exec, Mary Martin, heard his voice on a demo and asked who he was. She was told, “It’s that Tippin guy down there who writes for Acuff-Rose – the muscle guy.” Martin said she wanted to hear what else he’d got.
His first record deal
A few days later, Aaron met with RCA’s label head Joe Galante who signed him to a record deal, adding him to a star roster that, at that time, included Clint Black, Keith Whitley and the Judds. Aaron’s first RCA single release, “You’ve Got to Stand for Something,” (co-written with Buddy Brock) was an immediate hit, peaking at number six on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1991. The patriotic theme of that song led to Bob Hope inviting Aaron to join him on a USO Tour, the first of many.
Other hits followed both at RCA and later at Lyric Street, including “I Wouldn’t Have it Any Other Way,” “There Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong With the Radio,” “When the Stars and Stripes and Eagle Fly” and “Working Man’s PhD.”
Stonehouse Winery’s Aaron Tippin Country Jam wine
In 2016, Aaron is celebrating his twenty-fifth year as a recording artist. To mark the occasion, he has teamed with Stonehouse Winery (also celebrating their twenty five years in business) who launched the ‘Aaron Tippin Country Jam’ blackberry wine.
Aaron’s unflagging determination is an inspiration to aspiring artists who can begin to feel disheartened when their careers seem to be heading nowhere. It would have been easy for Aaron to throw in the towel, quit songwriting and maybe take that full-time position at Logan Aluminum. But he didn’t. He kept at it; stayed ‘in the loop,’ continued co-writing, performed at bars and clubs, recorded demos for himself and other writers.
Success takes time
Many aspiring artists – and sometimes their families – come to Nashville and assume that if they haven’t ‘made it’ in six months or a year, then they don’t have what it takes. What it actually takes is perseverance, and Aaron Tippin is the poster child for stick-to-itiveness.
He was in Nashville for four years – four long years, it must have seemed – before he sat in Joe Galante’s office and signed his first record deal. If he had quit after six months or a year, nobody today would know the name Aaron Tippin. But after a quarter of a century he’s still going strong, recording new albums and touring year-round. At his shows, after he’s performed for ninety minutes or so, he always stays around until everyone who wants an autograph or a hug and a photo has had a chance to meet him – another lesson on how build an unshakably loyal fan base.
Aaron says, “I’m the luckiest hillbilly that ever lived.” But he is one of those people who makes his own luck. Remember the saying: Luck is what happens when Preparation meets Opportunity.” Aaron spent years preparing: writing, performing, recording demos. When the opportunity to meet the head of RCA came up, he was fully prepared and was launched on a twenty five year recording and performing career.
The psychologist Richard Wiseman carried out a ten-year study into the nature of luck that suggests that, to a large extent, people make their own good and bad fortune, and that it is possible to enhance the amount of luck that people encounter in their lives. Wiseman states:
“Lucky people generate their own good fortune via four basic principles. They are skilled at creating and noticing chance opportunities, make lucky decisions by listening to their intuition, create self-fulfilling prophesies via positive expectations, and adopt a resilient attitude that transforms bad luck into good.”
If you are an aspiring artist, Dr. Wiseman’s findings are words to live by. And Aaron Tippin’s career path, his strong determination and his preparation to seize the opportunity when at last it was presented to him prove that luck is what you make it.
Aaron Tippin’s new double album, ’25’
Visit Aaron Tippin’s website to read more about his life, his music and his tour schedule. And check out his new CD titled ‘25,’ a 2-disc album of his hits and brand new songs.
Send me music stuff, I love to get it! Preshiaswriter@hotmail.com TN/USA. 
Charlie Daniels and Middle Tennessee State University’s lengthy association continue to make amazing strides. With the unveiling of a plaque and a new logo for MTSU’s Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family Center named for them, MTSU formally recognized the couple and The Journey Home Project he co-founded to assist veterans during a celebration at the Miller Education Center. Daniels and his wife, who have been married 52 years, were humbled and moved by MTSU’s recognition. Tutoring assistance, VetSuccess on Campus and more are part of the center’s offerings. The center staff features five full-time staff, including a mental health counselor and more than 12 part-time student-veterans. To learn more, visit mtsu.edu/military. NOTE: Charlie’s new album, NIGHT HAWK, pays homage to his favorite cowboy songs. It offers a collection of both familiar and obscure songs, each given the unique Charlie Daniels vocal treatment. Some feature Daniels on acoustic guitar, others get new instrumentation. The ten tracks include “Billy the Kid,” “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” “Old Chisholm Trail” and “Yippie Ki Yea.” Album details and tour tickets at 
My monthly column, ‘Inside Track on Music Row,’ is published in magazines and on websites worldwide. To read archived columns, go to 
artists in music when it comes to marketing themselves, and the Country Music Hall of Fame member continues that trend with the upcoming August 19 release of her new disc Pure & Simple – with four different pre-order bundles to help promote the album. The bundles range from the Standard Bundle ($40) to the Commemorative Bundle ($400). Fans can go to 
