“The Writer’s Share” Goes To Cancer Research

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writers“The Writers Share,” a new quarterly songwriter/artist series being launched at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe, will debut June 18 at 9:00 PM and will benefit cancer research. Hosted by singer/songwriter Jen Foster, the series will feature acclaimed songwriters and artists of all genres, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the T.J. Martell Foundation and their support of the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at Nashville’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. The first of the Writers Share shows will feature Grammy Award winner Richard Marx; Grammy Award winner and Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member Mike Reid; ACM Song of the Year Award winner Chuck Cannon and his wife, three-time Grammy winner and platinum-selling producer, Lari White. They will all join Foster in launching the series. With the songwriters and artists donating their talent and time, The Writers Share’s mission is to raise funds and awareness for cancer research with the hope of finding cures for these diseases. Tickets go on sale May 18. For more information, click here.

Country Star Vern Gosdin Dies at 74

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vern-gosdinCountry singer Vern Gosdin, whose hit songs include classics like “Chiseled In Stone,” “Do You Believe Me Now” and “Set ’em Up Joe,” died last night (4/28) in a Nashville hospital. He was 74. He had recently suffered a stroke. Gosdin grew up in rural Woodland, Alabama, and, after a start in bluegrass on the west coast, forming the Gosdin Brothers with his brothers Rex and Ray. The band was there for the birth of country rock, and Gosdin went on to play with The Byrds’ Chris Hillman and Gene Clark. Moving to Nashville in the late ‘70s, Gosdin quickly grew into one of country music’s very best honky tonk singers. Tammy Wynette referred to him as “the only other singer who can hold a candle to George Jones,” and he acquired the nickname, “The Voice.” In 1989, his recording of “Chiseled in Stone” was named the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year. A public visitation for Gosdin will be held Saturday, May 2, at Mt. Olivet Funeral Home, 1101 Lebanon Road, from noon until 4 PM. Funeral services will be private, but a public memorial service will be planned for a later time.

Industry Comments on the death of Vern Gosdin:

George Strait: “We will all miss Vern. He was one hell of a country singer and helped me out a lot on my very first tour. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Rory Feek (of country duo Joey & Rory: “Joey and I were so saddened to hear this morning that Vern Gosdin passed away. He truly was one of the greatest country voices of all time, and his songs like “Chiseled In Stone” set the bar for all of us and showed us what a great song is. We had the opportunity to meet Vern last year while we were on the CMT reality show “Can You Duet”…and we’re so thankful that we did. We had to live at Opryland Hotel for about 6 weeks while the show was taping and one morning we walked across the street to Cracker Barrel to have some breakfast. We saw a man walk by our table that looked like Vern. Both Joey and I were/are huge fans, so when he sat down, we walked over and said, ‘Excuse me…but are you Vern Gosdin?’ He looked up and with a big smile answered, ‘No, I’m Charlie Pride… pull up a chair, and sit for awhile.’ We spent the next hour just visiting with him and hearing stories about some of our favorite songs that he’d recorded over the years. He was so funny, inspirational and full of life. We were just honored to meet him and get to spend some time with one of our heroes….especially because at the time we were right in the middle of taping a TV show where we were doing all we could to lift up traditional country music and songs.”

Jack Ingram: “You can’t go into a bar room that plays real country music without hearing Vern Gosdin. ‘Chiseled In Stone’ is as sad a country song as ‘He Stopped Lovin’ Her Today,’ and ‘Set’Em Up, Joe’ is a call to anyone who’s ever had a reason to be in a bar like that to begin with…Vern Gosdin’s voice was truth… the hardcore country kind… and any time I heard him on jukebox, my car radio or my old tape of Chiseled in Stone, I knew there was a lot about life and loss and love left to learn.”

McGraw Moves To Red Light Management

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NASHVILLE– Coran Capshaw has signed megastar Tim McGraw to his Red Light Management artist roster. McGraw will be joining Dave Matthews Band and Phish as Capshaw’s primary focus.

“I am very impressed with the level of resources and creativity that Coran brings to the table,” says McGraw. “I have been blessed with an incredible career and look forward to breaking new ground with him.”

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with a visionary artist such as Tim,” said Coran Capshaw, founder and owner of Red Light Management. “He’s a leader who shares our entrepreneurial spirit, a natural pioneer who embraces the cutting edge in everything he does.”

Tim McGraw is one of the most prolific entertainers of his time. His multi-faceted career encompasses recordings, touring, music publishing, film, television, books, as well as branding and licensing.  Since his career began in the early 1990’s McGraw has scanned over 40 million records and dominated the charts with 30 #1 singles. McGraw has won 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards including the coveted Entertainer of the Year, 10 American Music Awards, three GRAMMY®s, three People’s Choice Awards and numerous other awards.  His enduring status as a respected performer has seen his concert tours consistently rank at #1. He and wife Faith Hill hold the record for the biggest consecutive multi-year tour in country music history with a box office gross of $142 million dollars for their “Soul2Soul Tour” outings in 2006 and 2007. McGraw has also launched an impressive acting career with 2004’s “Friday Night Lights,” 2006’s “Flicka,” followed by “The Kingdom” in 2007 and “Four Christmases” in 2008. He is currently filming a co-starring role in “The Blind Side” with Sandra Bullock.

Red Light Management was founded in 1991 by Coran Capshaw at the beginning of his 18-year role as the personal manager of Dave Matthews Band. The company has grown into one of the premier artist management companies in the industry. Sister company Starr Hill Presents promotes live music on a regional and national level, and together with its partners, Starr Hill Presents produces large-scale music festivals nationwide including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, San Francisco’s Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival and the Mile High Music Festival in Denver. The fully independent ATO Records Group, which was co-founded by Capshaw and includes its namesake label and the TBD Records label, also exists alongside Red Light Management.

More Layoffs at Clear Channel

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clear-channelClear Channel has followed up its layoffs from last January with another round of cuts, eliminating 590 more jobs, many of them in the areas of programming, IT, engineering, and back-office, though a number of on-air positions were eliminated as well. When combined with the approximately 1,850 people who lost their jobs in January, it brings the total to about 2,400, or around 12 percent of the company’s workforce. Additionally, Clear Channel has suspended 401(k) matching for now, but it may be restored retroactively if the company’s projected budget goals are met.

Today’s layoffs hit country radio hard, with on-air positions being eliminated from coast to coast at many mainstream stations. While January’s layoffs focused mainly on sales, this round focused on programming, a result of local PD decisions to replace under-performing dayparts with syndication, voicetracking and/or offerings from the company’s Premium Choice program.

The sad news is bound to have a strong effect on the operation of the network and perhaps raises more questions than it answers. Unofficial reports are that many of the remaining programmers will be responsible for music in a variety of markets, many of which are monitored and report to MediaBase. Mainstream country music singles charts are sure to reflect the extent to which these music programmers are able to create independent local stations—or not. In fact, were a number of reporting stations to adopt a syndicated approach it could seriously compromise the usefulness of the current chart spin data.

*Peter Cronin with reporting assistance from David M. Ross

Big Success For T.J. Martell’s Best Cellars

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best_cellars_tjmlogoThe Tenth Anniversary celebration of the T.J. Martell Foundation’s Best Cellars Dinner on Monday (4/27), was a great success, raising $160,000 for cancer research at the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at Nashville’s Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. The event, presented by Eco-Energy Inc., is one of the Foundation’s signature events and is known for pairing Best Sellers (country music’s top selling artists and other celebrities) with Best Cellars (Nashville’s top wine collectors) and an extraordinary gourmet meal prepared by a world renown guest chef. Martina McBride, Jamey Johnson, Amy Grant, Jay DeMarcus, Heidi Newfield, Chynna Phillips, Billy Baldwin, Big Kenny, Kellie Pickler, Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook, Michelle Branch, Jake Owen, Sara Buxton and Tennessee Titans Mike Heimerdinger were in attendance to celebrate the Foundation’s milestone. Guest chef Dean Fearing, chef/partner of Fearing’s at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, created a spectacular menu which was paired with a selection of wines from top wine collectors of Nashville and beyond. Big Kenny Alphin, along with wine host Tom Black, conducted a live auction that raised $94,000 by auctioning off dinners in the private homes of Alphin and LeAnn Rimes.  Country artist Jamey Johnson also got into the auction spirit by offering his presence at a dinner in the home of wine host Eliza Kraft Olander of Raleigh, North Carolina. Additional items included a trip to New York for the US Open Tennis Championship as well as the Best Cellars Collection of thirteen bottles of wine – a bottle donated by each of the participating wine hosts.

“The Best Cellars Dinner is one of the best events in Music City and it has raised more than $1.5 million for cancer research.” said Joe Galante, Chairman of Sony Music Nashville and Co-Chairman of the Best Cellars Dinner. “The dinner is a wonderful example of how artists give freely of their time and energies and, along with many other caring people, come together for a special evening of food and wine to help make a difference in the lives of others. I am proud of our success over the past ten years and look forward to another great event in 2010.”
For more information about the Best Cellars Dinner and the T.J. Martell Foundation, click here.

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(l-r) Big Kenny Alphin; Bill Hearn, President and CEO of EMI Christian Music Group and Co-Chairman of Best Cellars; Billy Ray Hearn, Co-Chairman of Best Cellars; Joe Galante, Chairman of Sony Music Nashville; Phran Galante; Chef Dean Fearing of Fearing’s at The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas; Dr. Hal Moses, Director of the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center; Laura Heatherly, Executive Director of the T.J. Martell Foundation – Nashville Division; RCA Artist Jake Owen; Jennifer Pietenpol, Director of the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. (Photo: Alan L. Mayor)

Chip Peay Returns to the Row

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cpe-logoAfter an eight year hiatus from the entertainment business, Chip Peay has returned to Nashville to re-open Chip Peay Entertainment, LLC along with three music publishing companies. Peay was recently joined by songwriters, producers and industry leaders as he announced his new endeavor at a party held at Regions Bank Music Row. Peay managed Alan Jackson from 1995 to 2000 and oversaw all facets of his career. Prior to that time he managed the careers of Ricky Skaggs, The Bellamy Brothers, Don Williams, Steve Wariner, Ronnie Milsap, Restless Heart, Michael Johnson, Baillie & The Boys, Kim Richey and others. He began his music industry career as a talent agent and worked with Crescent Moon Talent, United Talent, Inc., and with Top Billing, Inc.

All three of Peay’s new publishing companies, Big Wide Pants Music (ASCAP), Blue Canary Music (BMI) and Bogey Blue Music (SESAC), will focus on single song deals. In the late ‘70s, prior to his success as an artist manager, Peay dabbled in music publishing, scoring two big hits with Alabama’s “Close Enough to Perfect” and “Love’s Gonna Get You Someday” with Skaggs. When his management career took off, Peay sold his catalog to Welk Music. Returning to Music Row after an eight year absence, Peay found a drastically different landscape, where “big publishing deals are a thing of the past, and great writers are not having their deals renewed.” With so many hit writers and catalogs out of circulation, Peay decided the time was right to try something different. He’s currently working with a group of writers including Christina Aldendifer, Kathie Baillie, David Ball, Michael Bonagura, Dede Day, Jim McBride and Michael Spriggs, going through catalogs, dusting off the great songs and getting them back out on the street.

“There’s all kinds of ways to skin a cat,” Peay said. “And right now there are a lot of great songwriters and great catalogs in this town laying dormant. We’re trying to find the right deal for everybody involved.”

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(l-r) Michael Spriggs, Christina Aldendifer, Chip Peay, Dede Day, David Ball, Jim McBride, Kathie Baillie and Michael Bonagura (photo: Chris Hollo)

Jason Aldean to Meet Bryan Adams at Crossroads

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crossroadsPop superstar Bryan Adams will share the stage with Platinum-selling country rocker Jason Aldean, in an upcoming episode of CMT Crossroads. CMT Crossroads: Bryan Adams and Jason Aldean will be taped before jason1an invitation-only audience in Nashville at the beginning of May and will premiere on CMT on Friday, June 26 at 8:00 PM/CT. With his long list of hits, including “Summer of 69,” “Run To You,” “18 ‘Til I Die” and “It’s Only Love,” Adams has achieved No. 1 status in over 40 countries, and he continues to perform to sold out audiences on six continents. He also holds the distinction of being the first westerner to play in both Pakistan and Vietnam. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada and has been inducted into both the Canadian Juno Hall of Fame as wellbryan as Canada’s Walkway of Stars. After selling two million copies of his first two albums, topping the charts with smash hits, including “Hicktown,” “Why,” “Amarillo Sky,” “Laughed Until We Cried” and his current single, “She’s Country,”  Aldean is going strong with his third album, Wide Open. “She’s Country” continues to be one of the most digitally downloaded songs and ringtones in all genres. For more information on CMT Crossroads, visit www.CMT.com

Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation Heads to Key West

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muzakThe Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to redefining and supporting music education, has announced its partnership with the Better Angels Key West Songwriters Festival, which will take place in Key West, Florida April 28-May 3. The 14th annual event will feature more than 130 performing songwriters in over 30 shows. In connection with the festival, a limited edition CD will be sold to benefit the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation. The proceeds will be used by the Foundation to support educational programs and to foster opportunities for young, aspiring songwriters. The limited edition CD is a collection of hit songs performed by their writers, including Gary Burr and Kylie Sackley (“Nothin’ Bout Love Makes Sense”); Jamey Johnson (“In Color”); Tim Nichols (That’d Be Alright”); Bob DiPiero (“Till You Love Me”); and David Lee and David Turnbull (“Lucky Man”). The CD also features Desmond Myers and Kelsey Mula, alumni of Heart & Soul’s Noise! Camp, an annual two-week summer camp held at Vanderbilt University that gives students a first-hand look into the music industry. Only 1,000 copies of the CD will be sold at the festival. The cost will be $20 per CD, while supplies last, and all proceeds will go towards the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation.  Any remaining quantities of the CD will be available for purchase on the Heart & Soul Foundation’s website at www.heart.muzak.com, beginning May 5.

Vince Gill and Amy Grant Challenge America

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challengeAmy Grant and Vince Gill have announced plans to host an evening of music at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on Monday, June 8 at 8 PM, honoring wounded warriors and launching the nationwide Challenge America initiative. Challenge America — an outgrowth of Challenge Aspen, a non-profit organization that has provided adaptive recreation for people with disabilities since 1995 — will work with communities to support the development of recreational and occupational programs for returning injured military and their families. Musical guests slated to join Grant and Gill at the Kennedy Center launch event include Michael McDonald, Alison Krauss, Darius Rucker, Melinda Doolittle and Mac McAnally, with bestselling author Stephen Mansfield.

“I’m excited about getting to play on stage with all of these talented folks and to share what we believe in so deeply,” Gill said. “We want to make an impact on the individuals who have given to us in unimaginable ways. Challenge America is our way of honoring the men and women who truly are heroes.”

Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 2, and are priced at $50, $75 and $95 for general admission and $500 for Gold Circle Seating to include a post-show reception. Tickets are available at the Kennedy Center Box Office, via InstantCharge by calling (202) 467-4600, and online here.

Talent Merger Spawns WME

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logo_wma_smTop Hollywood talent shops William Morris Agency and Endeavor Agency agreed yesterday (4/27) to join forces. The newly combined entity would be called William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME). WM’s Jim Wiatt would serve as Chairman with three co-chiefs— Endeavor’s founder, Ari Emanuel; Endeavor managing partner Patrick Whitesell; and William Morris President Dave Wirtschafter. According to insiders, the move is more about consolidation and cost-reduction than about creating industry dominance.

WME is expected to have over 400 agents and more than 800 employees and will likely trim about 200 positions. According to the WSJ, the deal is still subject to approval by several Hollywood unions and government antitrust officials.

endeavorWMA represents artists such as Kanye West, Britney Spears and Russell Crowe; Endeavor claims Matt Damon, Adam Sandler and Robert DeNiro. Rival agencies which are likely to be carefully watching this deal include Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and International Creative Management (ICM). According to Billboard, motion picture agent and Endeavor co-founder  Tom Strickler has announced his resignation. WMA agent David Lonner has also announced plans to head for the door.

Nashville’s William Morris Agency office is co-headed by Rick Shipp and Paul Moore. Nashville artists represented include Brad Paisley, Brooks & Dunn, John Rich, Rascal Flatts, Taylor Swift and many more. The merger is not expected to have much effect in Nashville since Endeavor does not have a stand-alone Music City office, although it  has been affiliated with Buddy Lee Attractions and represents BLA for TV & Film projects.