#PreshiasHarris Archives - Page 6 of 7

The Oak Ridge Boys bring Christmas Cheer and their greatest hits to Opryland

‘Christmas in Tennessee’ Dinner Show runs through December 25

By Preshias Harris

Right now, The Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville is proudly hosting The Oak Ridge Boys, in residence through December 25. Boasting one of the longest backstories in the entertainment industry, the Oaks can trace their history back to the 1940s when they were known as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in Southern gospel genre, changing their name to The Oakridge Boys in the mid 1960s and more than twenty-five ‘Boys’ have been part of the group over the past seventy-five years. Enough of the backstory!

I attended the opening night of what will be a thirty-one-show residency, and, like all the other enthusiastic members of the capacity audience, I wish everyone could see the Oaks’ Christmas show, aptly titled ‘Christmas in Tennessee’ that marks the resort’s 38^th annual ‘A Country Christmas’ event.

*The Oak Ridge Boys ‘ Christmas in Tennessee.’ Photo credit: John Mir*

The ‘Christmas in Tennessee’ Dinner Show continues through Christmas Day and features a delicious holiday meal prepared by the resort’s culinary team followed by The Oak Ridge Boys and their band performing Christmas classics, new favorites, and a few of the timeless hits that have shaped their legendary career. Scroll down for ticket info.

Hit writers inducted into Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

Classes of 2020 and 2021 honored at double gala event

by Preshias Harris

It was a scintillating evening of songs, stars, special memories and – above all – some of the worlds finest songwriters being honored by their peers when The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame welcomed ten new members to its ranks.

*Garth Brooks paying tribute to Kent Blazy during his induction into the NaSHOF. Photo: Preshias Harris*

It was a unique gala: because of the pandemic, the 2020 gala was postponed so it was double the pleasure, double the fun as the Classes of both 2020 and 2021 were inducted at the same ceremony as part of the NaSHOF’s supersized 50^th and 51^st Anniversary Hall of Fame Gala. The musical contributions of the newest inductees were celebrated through star-studded performances of some of their biggest songs for the capacity crowd at Nashville’s Music City Center.

The Class Of 2020: Kent Blazy and Brett James in the songwriter category; Spooner Oldham in the veteran songwriter category, Steve Earle in the songwriter/artist category and Bobbie Gentry in the veteran songwriter/artist category.

*Class of 2020 Pictured (l-r) are: NaSHOF Board Chair Sarah Cates, inductees Brett James, Kent Blazy, Steve Earle, Spooner Oldham and NaSHOF Executive Director Mark Ford. Photo: Bev Moser*

The Class of 2021: Rhett Akins and Buddy Cannon in the songwriter category; John Scott Sherrill in the veteran songwriter category; Toby Keith in the songwriter/artist category and Amy Grant in the veteran songwriter/artist category.

Class of 2021 Pictured (l-r) are: NaSHOF Board Chair Sarah Cates, Inductees Rhett Akins, Toby Keith, Buddy Cannon, Amy Grant and John Scott Sherrill and NaSHOF Executive Director Mark Ford. Photo: Bev Moser

The inductees and the musical guests who honored them shared so many fascinating stories and insights about how they reached the pinnacle of their artistry.

Love From Music City Gala raises $35,000

Crystal Gayle honoured with Bill Anderson Icon Award

By Preshias Harris

The elegant Estate at Cherokee Dock, former home of Reba McEntire, was the setting for Love From Music City’s 5^th Annual Gala on October 5th with an evening of music, entertainment, surprises, and support for foster children throughout Middle Tennessee and orphans abroad.

The special event began with a VIP red carpet where I was able to talk to many of the artists and celebrities in attendance. You’ll find some of the comments they shared with me below.

Pictured L-R:
Stairs: JD Shelburne, Denny Strickland, Tim Atwood, Nathan & Suzanne Young,
Danica Hart, Trea Swindle, Devynn Hart (Chapel Hart),
Front row: Jeff Shannon, Cherish Lee, Makenzie Phipps, Charlene Tilton, Jonny and Crystal Brown, Crystal Gayle, Shanda and Robb Tripp, Devon O’Day, LaVerne and Edith Tripp, Buddy Jewell, Melissa Luman, NEDY.
(Photo by: Tanya Long /Reflections By Tanya)

The red carpet was followed by hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, and live musical performances. Artists present at the gala included Pam Tillis, Buddy Jewell, Marty Raybon, Devon O’Day, Cherish Lee, Charlene Tilton, JD Shelburne, Tim Atwood, Chapel Hart, NEDY, Makenzie Phipps, Denny Strickland, Billy Mason, Chris Golden, Nathan & Suzanne Young, who joined Crystal Gayle, the recipient of this year’s Bill Anderson Icon Award. Gayle was recognized for her contributions made to the community and for her role as a trailblazer and legendary performer, epitomizing everything Love From Music City stands for. The organization has a 50 year legacy of feeding and clothing orphans across the globe, with 10 years including local, Middle Tennessee foster children.

*Crystal Gayle on the red carpet. Photo: Preshias Harris*

“It’s an honor to be given the Bill Anderson Icon Award by Love From Music City,” shared Crystal Gayle. “And it’s an honor to be associated with Love From Music City and the great work they do helping and loving orphans and foster children.”

Crystal Gayle’s reign in the music business includes 20 No. 1 country hits, six albums certified Gold by the RIAA, and the first female artist in country music history to reach platinum sales with her 1977 album, We Must Believe in Magic.

On the red carpet…

Sneak peek at October ‘Inside Track’ column

Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Dallas Remington, Riley Green, Brett Young, Graciela and more

By Preshias Harris

My column, Inside Track on Music Row, is posted every month at Nashville Music Guide with dozens of news items about the recording artists, songwriters, record labels and the industry ‘movers and shakers’ that are the heart and soul of Music City.

Here is a quick ‘sneak peek’ at just a few of the items you’ll find in the October column. Meanwhile, you can read the entire September column, complete with audio and video links, here at Nashville Music Guide.

Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde join voices on cheating song

Two powerful songstresses – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde – have combined forces, and the ravaged country tradition of the ‘hard truth cheating song’ is reignited with the brand-new single “Never Wanted To Be That Girl.” Watch the lyric video here.

Written by Pearce, McBryde and co-producer Shane McAnally, the clarity bomb is sung from the perspective of two women – the single girl thanking the guy who helped change her flat tire and the wife at home – discovering the man they’re involved with has someone else. The shattering truth in a text – for McBryde – and the reality of where he’s been when he gets home – for Pearce – finds the two women reeling as they consider their own blind spots in a painfully sobering moment.

CMA Awards nominees announced

Eric Church, Chris Stapleton lead with 5 noms apiece

By Preshias Harris

Mark your calendar and set your DVR for the 55^th Annual CMA Awards set to air live from Nashville, Wednesday, November 10, 8:00 pm EST (7:00 CST) on ABC.

Chris Stapleton and Eric Church lead the pack with five nominations each; Gabby Barrett, Jason Hall (mix engineer) and Jay Joyce (producer) each have four nominations. With three noms each: Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris and Chris Young.

Among the first-time CMA nominees: Kane Brown, Mickey Guyton, Ryan Hurd, Jordan Davis and more.

Eric Church

Here are the nominations in each category. Make your predictions now and keep this list handy during the broadcast on November 10 to see how often your picks match the votes of the eligible CMA members! If you are like most country fans, you’ll have some ideas about who should win and who probably will win!

Entertainer of the Year

Eric Church
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood

Mid-August Music News Roundup

Catch up on what’s happening in and around Nashville

By Preshias Harris

Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival features hit writers and rising stars
Mikayla Lane showcases new project, Miles From Nowhere
David Adam Byrnes signs with Reviver Publishing
Mechanical Licensing Collective offers Educators Toolkit
Songwriter, producer Jim Femino passes
The Isaacs to join Grand Ole Opry
Midland launches Set It Straight podcast
Music industry ‘alive and well’ in 2021
New inductees set for Hall of Fame
Western artists honored at Will Rogers Awards
Gibson TV show premieres on Circle Network
Inside Track on Music Row for August
Scroll down to read all these stories…

Nashville Music Line Showcase at Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival

Chasity Bailey (accompanied by Heath Coleman), Andrew Hopson, Mikayla Lane and Ethan Wynn will be performing a Showcase at the Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival on Friday, August 20 from 12 noon to 2:00 pm EST at the Gatlinburg Inn. The Showcase is presented by Nashville Music Line and Magic Hills Artists. Appearing for Magic Hills Artists are: Presley Aaron, Jake Bleu and Hunter Taylor.

The Gatlinburg Songwriters’ Festival takes place Aug 19 – 22, 2021 at the Gatlinburg Stages – Gatlinburg Inn, Ole Red, Ole Smoky, Park Vista and Skylift Park – and at the Pigeon Forge Stages – Listening Room and Dollywood. More info about the Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival here. Among those appearing: Lee Roy Parnell, Tony Arata, Brady Seals and many more.

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Mikayla Lane showcases new EP

Rising star Mikayla Lane will present a full band showcase to celebrate the release of her new EP, Miles From Nowhere, at 6:00 pm, CST, Wednesday September 8, at The Local in Nashville. The Local is located at 110 28^th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203.

The sixteen-year-old singer from the Tulsa, OK, area is already making her mark in country music with her dynamic vocals and songwriting chops. Mikayla’s remarkable stage presence has made her a regular performer at Ole Red, Tishomingo, OK, Blake Shelton’s popular restaurant and music venue. Mikayla initially appeared there at the tender age of 13 and has since made several memorable appearances at the Nashville Ole Red.

On Friday, August 20, Mikayla makes her Ole Red Gatlinburg debut, bringing her music to the Smoky Mountain venue. Mikayla co-wrote the four-song collection on Miles From Nowhere with friend and producer John Conrad, including her current single, “Wild Like the Wind.” More about Mikayla at her website here and on Facebook here.

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame to induct five of Music City’s finest

Class of 2021 and Class of 2020 to be honored at November Gala

By Preshias Harris

Country music fans think of Nashville as a city built on the success that many Country recording artists found in the studios of Music City. But the artists themselves will readily tell you that the real stars are the songwriters. When Number One parties are held in Nashville, they celebrate the songwriters who wrote the chart-toppers, rather than the singers and bands on the recording. The 1982 hit song “16^th Avenue” (written by Thom Schuyler and recorded by Lacy J. Dalton) summed it up this way: “God bless the boys who make the noise on 16^th Avenue,” referring to one of the streets than comprise Nashville’s fabled Music Row.

For many years, the songwriting community mainly consisted of “boys” (and old boys) and while more females are now seeing their names on songwriting credits, only one female writer will be among the inductees into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Amy Grant, Toby Keith, Rhett Akins, Buddy Cannon and John Scott Sherrill will be inducted into the Hall this November, according to an announcement made July 13 by Sarah Cates, chair of the Nashville Songwriters Hall off Fame Foundation board of directors, and Mark Ford, its executive director.

Inside Track Summer Edition now posted

Warm weather, hot music news

Inside Track on Music Row, my monthly music column, is now posted and ready to read at Nashville Music Guide. This month’s column is a special ‘Summer Edition’ with even more news than usual including info on upcoming tours, album releases, artist and songwriter news and more. Inside Track is the longest running monthly country music column in the USA. Read the entire column here. Meanwhile, here is a teaser with just a few of the stories in this month’s column…

Country’s top stars pay tribute to Charlie Daniels on new album
Thomas Rhett and dad Rhett Akins team up on “Things Dads Do”
Doyle Lawson set to release final album before retiring
Male trio Texas Hill‘s 8-song collection Stabal Session (Live Acoustic)
Buck Owens albums from the 60s and 70s re-released on CD & digital
Chris Lane will kick off Fill Them Boots Tour in October

scroll down to read these items…

ALBUM NEWS: Walmart is helping pay tribute to the late Charlie Daniels by exclusively carrying an upcoming collaborative album that features the Country Music Hall of Fame member dueting with some of the biggest stars in country music, bluegrass, and southern rock. The physical edition of Charlie Daniels & Friends – Duets (via Blue Hat Records & BFD / Audium Nashville) will be available for purchase in all Walmart stores and walmart.com on Friday, July 16.

“It goes without saying that it’s been a rough year for my mom and I, our CDB family and dad’s fans,” says Daniels’ son, Charlie Daniels Jr. “But his music will live on forever, and we’re happy that this Duets collection will add to his legacy.” The nineteen-track compilation features Daniels singing and pickin’ with a slew of top-notch stars including Dolly Parton, Brooks & Dunn, Darius Rucker, Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Brenda Lee, Gretchen Wilson, Marty Stuart and more. Album details and pre-order info here.

Music news update: Mid-June 2021

Nashville is opening up and the music is center stage again

It feels like the good times are coming back in Music City and here’s the music news update for mid-June, 2021. As always, all these items and more appear in the June edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row, the longest-running country music column in the USA. You can catch it every month in the Nashville Music Guide. Here are some more items from my current column:

The Americana Music Association has announced the nominees for the Awards Show set for September at the Ryman
Netflix movie The Ice Road features hot songs woven into its soundtrack
CMT Awards: here are the big winners!
Brett Young sets date for Caliville Weekend and announces headliners
Songwriters heading to the Smoky Mountains for Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival
Explore the electric guitar in an online program from the Country Music Hall of fame and Museum
Shenandoah will livestream from historic FAME studios in Muscle Shoals
Dallas Remington’s “Princess” inspired by a Royal wedding

Scroll down to read these news items…

The Americana Music Association has announced the nominees for its 20th annual Americana Honors & Awards during a socially-distanced ceremony at Nashville’s National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM). This year’s nominations were revealed by GRAMMY® Award-winner Keb’ Mo’ and Ketch Secor, frontman and fiddler of the Americana Award and GRAMMY®-winning band, Old Crow Medicine Show. The intimate event was streamed live to the Americana Music Association’s Facebook page.

The winners of each category will be announced during the Americana Honors & Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. The celebrated program is the hallmark event of AMERICANAFEST, which returns for its 21st year on Sept. 22-25, 2021. Find ticketing information and a full list of nominees or purchase passes to AMERICANAFEST here.

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When it comes to the road, nobody understands hard driving like Big Machine Label Group founder and chairman Scott Borchetta. The longtime racer, NASCAR team owner, IndyCar sponsor and race historian loves the feel of the asphalt in a way that transcends transportation. When Jonathan Hensleigh, the writer and director of Netflix’s The Ice Road wanted a label to deliver a multi-genre film soundtrack, he knew that Big Machine was the only choice. The Ice Road, an action thriller starring Liam Neeson, debuts on Netflix on June 25.

Music news update: Mid-May 2021

Summer is on the way and the Nashville music scene is heating up!

Acts are already planning tours that had been put on hold and new albums are getting set for release. Here is a quick roundup of some of the stories that will be part of the June 2021 edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row, the longest-running monthly country music column in the USA. Scroll down to catch up on these news items:

Steve Wariner celebrates his 25th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry
Justin Moore receives the Pandora Billionaire plaque in recognition of 3 billion streams on the platform
Carrie and Luke are heading to Vegas for residencies at Resorts World
Chris LeDoux Estate set to release Wyoming Cowboy – A Collection in July
Rhonda Towns releases “Walking In Your Wonderful Light,” title track from upcoming EP
Allie Colleen says “Don’t Give Your Heart To A Cowboy” on second single from Stones album
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s new album, A Few Stars Apart, will be released June 11
Natalie Madigan signs with ASCAP for PRO representation
I’ll Fly Away Foundation uses the power of music to engage children and improve their lives through songwriting
Sturgill Simpson has recorded his own version of “Paradise,” one of John Prine’s best-loved songs
David Frizzell’s fan-favorite album, Frizzell & Friends: Roundup Live in Concert, reissued by Time-Life

Scroll down to read all these news items…

Few have attained the achievements of multi-GRAMMY®, CMA and ACM Award-winning performer Steve Wariner. The singer-songwriter-instrumentalist recently celebrated his 25th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member with appearance on the Opry stage May 8 and May 11. Wariner’s lifelong dream came true when he was inducted May 11, 1996 and performed “A Woman Loves,” as well as a duet with Bill Anderson of “Tips Of My Fingers” and then joined Chet Atkins on “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?”