Author Archive: Bobby Karl
Bobby Karl Works The ACM Honors
Chapter 346 Inviting fans to the ACM Honors turned out to be an excellent idea – the event was punctuated by star-struck cheers of delight and spontaneous standing ovations. There was a whole new level of energy at this fourth annual gig. The appearances of Randy Travis, Kenny Rogers, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Martina McBride and [...]
Category: Artist, Awards, Featured, Organizations
Bobby Karl Works the 2010 ASCAP Awards
Chapter 345 ASCAP did a reboot of its country awards on Tuesday (9/14). Rather than placing its date next to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame banquet—or anybody else—the organization elected to stage a stand-alone ceremony. Which is fine with those of us who face multiple deadlines. For the first time, the event was held [...]
Category: Artist, Awards, Featured, Organizations
Bobby Karl Works the 9th Annual AMA Honors & Awards
Americana music may be a fringe genre, financially struggling, lacking major media exposure and a complete mystery to most mainstream music consumers, but its awards show was a total celebration of its star power. Presented at the Ryman Auditorium on Thursday (9/9), the event featured appearances by Rosanne Cash, Emmylou Harris, John Oates, Robert Plant, [...]
Bobby Karl Works The Dale Franklin Award Dinner
The speeches were kept to a minimum, and that left more time for music, music, music. The good folks at Leadership Music are going to be hard-pressed to top the talent parade that performed at this year’s Dale Franklin Award ceremony. Staged Sunday evening (8/29) at the Renaissance Hotel ballroom, the event saluted Fred Foster, [...]
Category: Artist, Awards, Featured, Organizations
MusicRow Readers Name “House” Song of the Year
Bobby Karl Works The Room, Chapter 341 Photos: Alan Mayor Host Clay Bradley has the magic touch: He actually got the capacity crowd of schmoozers to shut up during the presentation of the MusicRow Awards in the notoriously loud BMI lobby on Thursday (6/24). Anthony Smith, Frank Myers, Trisha Walker-Cunningham, Alan Kates, Chuck Thompson, Preston [...]
Category: Artist, Awards, Featured, Publishing
Bobby Karl Works The Room: Fan Fair Finale
Chapter 340 Inspirational, is what it was. Yes, the 2010 CMA Music Festival was a bounty of sounds. And, yes, it was intolerably hot. But the experience of being with those people, those fans, did my heart good. What spirit. What stamina. What love. I saw these things everywhere, from autograph lines, to concerts, from [...]
Bobby Karl Works CMA Music Fest
Chapter 338 The first celebrity I saw at the CMA Music Festival wasn’t a country star. It was my favorite Tennessee Titan, Cortland Finnegan, playing for the Opry team at the 20th annual City of Hope Celebrity Softball Challenge on Monday evening at Greer Stadium (6/7). He was kidding around with Luke Bryan, who was [...]
Category: Artist, Featured, Organizations
Bobby Karl Works The Tin Pan Kick-Off Party
Until a couple of years ago, Tin Pan South celebrated its successes with post-event bashes. [...][Subscriber-only] Login/Subscribe
Category: Artist, Featured, Organizations, Publishing
Bobby Karl Works Lady Antebellum at The Ryman
Chapter 334 Photo: Jamey Walls Lady Antebellum concluded its two-night stand at The Ryman Auditorium on Thursday (3/11) by demonstrating to a sold-out, A-List crowd that it is one terrific little party band. The set was peppered with bright, tightly harmonized rockers, including the concert opening “Stars Tonight” and such radio favorites as “Love Don’t [...]
Bobby Karl Works The Room: Grammy Nominees Party
Chapter 330 It’s all about the guest list. “Go on in,” I said to late-arriving Tracy Gershon. “It’s everybody you’ve ever met in your life.” “This is one of my favorite parties of the year,” said Tom Baldrica. “It’s January 21st, and I still get to wish everybody Happy New Year.” It’s true. The Grammy [...]
Bobby Karl Works The Room: CMA Awards
Chapter 328 Photographer: John Russell / CMA It’s Taylor’s world; the rest of us just live in it. As surely the entire known universe is aware by now, the country-pop princess bagged four CMA Awards Wednesday night (11/11), including the monumental Entertainer of the Year trophy. That win makes her the youngest person in history [...]
Bobby Karl Works The Room: BMI Awards
Chapter 327 More Stars Than There Are in the Heavens. That was the saying about the MGM lot during Hollywood’s golden age in the ‘30s and ‘40s. If there’s an organization in country music that can say the same in this golden age of country music, it is surely BMI. The performance rights organization’s 57th [...]
Category: Artist, Awards, Featured, Organizations, Publishing
Bobby Karl Works the SESAC Awards
Chapter 326 We Are Family. That concept was repeatedly invoked at Monday night’s SESAC banquet on Music Row (11/9). And, my, how the “family” has grown: The event is now double in size what it was just a few short years ago. “I’m proud to be a member of the SESAC family,” said Songwriter of [...]
Category: Artist, Featured, Organizations, Publishing
Bobby Karl Works The MusicRow Awards
The readers have spoken, and they have class. Both Jamey Johnson and James Otto were double winners at this year’s MusicRow awards ceremony. Jamey won the Breakthrough Artist award as well as the Song of the Year prize for “In Color,” co-written with James and Lee Thomas Miller. Because James also co-wrote his big hit [...]
Category: Artist, Featured, Organizations, Publishing
Bobby Karl Works CMA Music Fest (6/14)
Chapter 312-C SUNDAY, JUNE 14 Sunday Fan club activities began in the morning for Jo Dee Messina at The Belcourt Theater and concluded with Pam Tillis at The Wildhorse Saloon that evening. In the Sports Zone downtown, we had the fourth annual Michael Peterson Celebrity Tractor Race, sponsored by New Holland. The man to beat [...]
Category: Artist, Featured, Organizations
Bobby Karl Works CMA Music Fest (6/13)
Chapter 312-B SATURDAY, JUNE 13 This was our first really hot day of the fest. Boaters were out in force on the Cumberland behind the Riverfront Stage, and kids were frolicking in the Metro Courthouse fountains. I took Miss Mary with me downtown. “Don’t walk too fast,” she implored. I laughed: “Don’t worry: There are [...]
Category: Artist, Featured, Organizations
