Thomas Rhett, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood and more bring their best
Rain didn’t stop the music
Jordan Davis entertains at the Chevy Riverfront Stage. Photo credit: Catrina Engelby
The Firestone Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater was packed with fans at a sold-out show headlined by Brett Young. Meanwhile, Chevy Riverfront Stage was filled with capacity crowds for three back-to-back performances. These included Jordan Davis,The Voice alumni Morgan Wallen and Hunter Hayes’ set.
Elvie Shane performs at the Chevy Riverfront Stage. Photo credit: Catrina Engelby
More Enthusiastic fans were cheering on Elvie Shane (BBR’s newest signee) and former American Idol alumni and country sweetheart Lauren Alaina. Fans were singing along to their favorite songs throughout the sets.
LOCASH also had the crowd singing along at the Radio Disney Country Stage and CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship recipient Travis Denning brought the energy to the Chevy Breakout Stage at Walk of Fame Park.
When the 2019 CMA Fest got under way on Thursday, June 06, country music fans were fired up and ready for almost 100 performances on eleven stages across downtown Nashville.
Jimmie Allen performs at CMA Fest. Photo credit: Catrina Engelby
Now in its 48th year, the annual CMA Fest began as Fan Fair in 1972, initially staged at the Municipal Auditorium. the festival moved to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds in 1982. Fan Fair became the extravaganza we know it today when it was officially renamed the CMA Music Festival in 2004 and by then it was expanding to more venues including Bridgestone Arena, Riverfront Park and what is now Nissan Stadium. The name was later shortened to CMA Fest, attracting fans from 40+ countries every year.
Trisha Yearwood show featured songwriters
On Day One of the festival, fans were treated to performances from many of their favorite artists with music from morning to night. Trisha Yearwood opened the CMA Close Up Stage for Thursday’s special Artist of the Day session at Xfinity Fan Fair X (an event named to honor the festival’s original title) with songwriters featured on her forthcoming album including Ashley McBryde, Karyn Rochelle and Lucie Silvas. The venue also featured ‘meet and greets’ and prize giveaways.
Michael Ray on stage during Day One of CMA Fest. Photo credit: Catrina Engelby
Randy Houser and Chase Rice headlined the Firestone Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater Presented by BBR Music Group. Also on stage were Warner Brothers artist Michael Ray and BBR Music Group’s Jimmie Allen and super guitarist and talent Lindsey Ell.
Lindsay Ell shreds during CMA Fest. Photo credit: Catrina Engelby
Tuesday, June 11, 2019 is a date that Chase Rice will remember for a long time. It was the date of his first Number One party. Chase celebrated the success of “Eyes On You” with co-writers Ashley Gorley and Chris DeStafano at The Tin Roof in Nashville.
Left to right: Ashley Gorley, Chase Rice and Chris DeStefano talk with the media at the Tun Roof. Photo: Preshias Harris
Chase, Ashley and Chris met with members of the music media before the awards presentation and recalled the day that they wrote “Eyes On You.”
“That day was pretty pivotal because it was not good in my career the day we wrote that,” admitted Chase. “I was on my way out of Sony. I think I had, like, a week left in my contract. It was a scary time for me, even though, looking back, I probably wasn’t acknowledging that as much, but it was a tough time. Like, ‘if we don’t get something going big right now, this could go south real quick.’”
Sad but true: Music Row is disappearing, one historic building at a time.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has now designated Music Row as one of “America’s Eleven Most Endangered Historic Places for 2019.” Sign the petition here.
Those modest little houses along Sixteenth and Seventeenth Avenue are where so many of Country music’s best-known songs were written or recorded. Some of the buildings had signs outside, identifying the name of the music publishing company or the recording studio that was hidden inside. But many remained anonymous, their identity known only to the session musicians, sound engineers, songwriters and recording artists that could be seen entering or leaving at all hours of the day and night. Continue reading “Speak Up for Music Row”
Vince Gill, Brett Young, Garth, Chris Young and more in June column
The June edition of my column, “Inside Track on Music Row,” is now available! The column is published monthly at Nashville Music Guide’s website. You can find copies of the print edition of June’s NMG at many music venues throughout Nashville.
You can read a free PDF version of the entire print edition of the magazine here. NMG is full of music news, reviews and info. My column appears on pages 29 through 36.
Inside Track is the longest-running monthly country music column in America. The June column features dozens of news items about new releases, upcoming tours and more.
Among this month’s music news items…
New Vince Album set to drop in August
Brett Young launches Acoustic Sessions videos
John Paul White is The Hurting Kind
Zach Stone offers “Hands On” track
and much more in my seven page column of music news at Nashville Music Guide
New Vince Album set to drop in August
ALBUM NEWS: Vince Gill is set to release his new album, ‘Okie,’ on Aug. 23. The word ‘Okie’ was once a derogatory term to refer to inhabitants of Oklahoma who migrated to the west coast as a result of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression. Gill is an Oklahoma native and has proudly appropriated the term for the upcoming album that embraces his Oklahoma roots. Gill wrote or co-wrote all 12 tracks on the album. “I thought this was going to be a songwriter record, not a concept album,” Gill says. “It wound up being more information than I’d envisioned.” Continue reading “June ‘Inside Track’ ready to read”
When does John Rich find time to sleep? He is currently running numerous parallel ventures, any one of which would be a full-time career for most people.
A solo recording career, his association with Big Kenny as the hit-making duo Big and Rich, rolling out the Redneck Riviera brand (including his restaurant on Nashville’s Lower Broad), fundraising for the charity Folds of Honor, starting up the all-American-made Redneck Riviera Whiskey, and now a Special Reserve blend named for his dear old Granny… But wait, there’s more, as they say in the informercials. John also has the No. 1 song on the Country download charts with a quirky story behind it.
“A blank sheet of paper is the most boundless thing you can ever look at. The Declaration of Independence started out as a blank sheet of paper. The Bible started out as blank sheets of paper. Songs are blank sheets of paper before you turn them into something.” – John Rich
We sat down to catch up with John at his unique Nashville home, aptly named Mount Richmore, and we were joined by John’s 87-year-old grandmother who is affectionally known as Granny Rich.
Granny Rich inspires strong work ethic
John Rich and Granny Rich
Yes, the same Granny Rich who is the inspiration for Redneck Riviera Granny Rich Reserve, the new addition to John’s line of whiskey. John admitted that your grandmother wouldn’t be the first person you’d normally go to when you’re thinking about launching a new whiskey. But as he pointed out, Granny Rich isn’t your normal grandmother. Continue reading “John Rich says “Shut Up About Politics!””
Set for June 06 – 09 June in Nashville with 11 official stages
The annual CMA Fest is set for Thursday June 06 through Sunday June 09, and Nashville will welcome many country music fans from every state plus Europe and the rest of the world. Full details are available here.
Artist lineups announced
The Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience™ began in 1972 as Fan Fair®, which drew 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. Now in its 48th year, the legendary festival has become the city’s signature Country Music event that hosts tens of thousands of fans from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 36 international countries.
In 2018, CMA Fest featured 11 official stages with hundreds of artists performing—all to benefit music education. CMA Fest is a one-of-a-kind festival with artists donating their time to perform so ticket proceeds can directly benefit high-quality music programs across the country through the CMA Foundation.
Fans enjoy last year’s CMA Fest
CMA Fest has revealed the lineups for three daytime stages that are free to the public during the four-day festival in June. Chevy Breakout Stage at Walk of Fame Park, Maui Jim Broadway Stage at Bridgestone Plaza and Nashville Acoustic Corner Stage will feature over 110 performances Thursday, June 6 through Sunday, June 9, highlighting fan favorites and rising Country stars daily. Continue reading “CMA Fest 2019 welcomes country music fans from all over the world”
It was party time for Chris Young and co-writers Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge on Monday, April 29, as they were feted at a Number One party for “Hangin’ On.” This was a party with a slight difference: it was a lunchtime event, instead of the usual afternoon or early evening get-togethers. The party was co-hosted by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.
(Left to right) Front row: Liz Rose (Liz Rose Music), Corey Crowder, Chris Young and Josh Hoge. Back Row: Michael Martin (Vice President ASCAP Nashville), Beth Brinker (Associate Creative Director ASCAP), Scott Ponce (Liz Rose Music) and Mike Sistad (Senior Creative Director ASCAP). Photo credit: Preshias Harris.
In answer to a question at the press briefing before the party, Young spoke about the unusual timing of the party. “It’s the only time when all of us can get together,” he said. “It’s not like it’s not a huge, huge deal and people don’t dream of getting up one day and writing a song that goes to number one. That’s why these [No. 1 parties] are so important, no matter what form they take. It’s something so special for all that stuff to come together at once and you’d have a number one. I had a [number] 37, a 52 and a 37 at the start of my career, so a number one feels really, really good and we should celebrate it.”
“Hangin’ On” is Young’s eleventh No. 1 as an artist and his ninth as a songwriter.
“The first place I wrote a song”
(L to R) Corey Crowder, Chris Young, Josh Hoge at the press briefing. Photo credit: Preshias Harris
The celebration took place at BMI’s Nashville office, and Young noted that it seemed to be the perfect location as it marks a special place on his career trajectory. “This building we’re in right now [BMI Nashville]; this was the first place I wrote a song,” he revealed. He went on to explain how that first writing session came about. Continue reading “Chris Young “Hangin’ On” for eleventh No. 1”
Sammy Sadler was an emerging artist in the late 1980s on the brink of a successful career with a record deal at Evergreen Records. He was full of optimism and high hopes when he and his friend Kevin Hughes were walking along Music Row in Nashville on March 9, 1989.
Hughes was a chart researcher at Cash Box magazine. While still a student at Belmont University, he had worked as an unpaid intern before being put on the magazine’s payroll by Richard “Tony” D’Antonio, Cash Box’s director of Nashville operations.
Hughes had become suspicious that money was changing hands in order to push certain records up the charts. He had voiced his concerns to friends and family and was considering leaving Music City and returning home to Illinois.
Marty Brown is truly an irrepressible and unique personality in the world of Country music as anyone who has seen him play live can tell you. The Maceo, Kentucky, native came to Nashville and recorded several albums in the 1990s that garnered a lot of critical acclaim.
He then took a break from recording but was co-writing songs for other artists including Brooks and Dunn, Trace Adkins and Tracy Byrd.
America’s Got Talent brought him new fans
Marty Brown. Photo credit: America’s Got Talent
Marty found an entire new audience with his appearance on the eighth season of America’s Got Talent. The YouTube clip of his audition generated more than 11 million views. He reached the semi-finals, endearing himself to viewers and listeners with his voice and his lovable character.
