Author Archive for Sarah Skates
Sarah Skates is News Editor of MusicRow Communications. Now in her fifth year with the company, she handles much of the publication's news flow and contributes to @MusicRow, Afternoon News, and the print magazine.
Rider Named Stoney Creek GM
Stoney Creek Records CEO/President Benny Brown announced today (2/8) the addition of April Rider as General Manager of Operations for Stoney Creek Records, effective Feb. 15.
Rider recently exited her position as Curb Records VP Promotion after ten years with the label. She now joins fellow former Curb promo exec Carson James at Stoney Creek, an [...]
Turner On Letterman; Lambert Meets Foxx; Steel Magnolia In LA
Josh Turner is set for his first performance on The Late Show with David Letterman tonight (2/8), as he preps for tomorrow’s release of both deluxe and standard versions of his fourth studio album, Haywire, via MCA Nashville. “Why Don’t We Just Dance,” the hit lead single is at No. 7 on MusicRow’s Country Breakout [...]
IEBA Board; Tin Pan Passes; CRS Rates
The International Entertainment Buyers Association has elected several new board members and a new executive committee. The organization is also busy planning its 40th anniversary conference, set for October 3-5 in Nashville.
IEBA Executive Committee
Chairman: Barry Jeffrey, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment
Outgoing Chairman: Randy Wright, Integrity Events
President: Linda Smith, Glenn Smith Presents
VP: Rick Murray, Greylock Entertainment
Treasurer: Karen [...]
Underwood First CMA Music Festival Performer
Carrie Underwood surprised one of her biggest fans last week with a phone call telling her she will be among the stars performing at this year’s CMA Music Festival Thursday through Sunday, June 10-13 in Nashville.
Underwood took time out of her packed Super Bowl rehearsal schedule, where she sang the national anthem last night, to [...]
BBR Adds Ferris; Capitol CRS Lunch
Broken Bow Records VP of Promotion Lee Adams and SVP of Promotion Carson James have added Dawn Ferris as Manager Regional Promotion, Midwest. She takes office Monday, Feb. 8 and will report directly to Adams. Ferris is a veteran of the Midwest region, having worked over 10 years at Arista Nashville, followed by a year [...]
Oscar Noms; Grammy Ratings Spur Digital Sales; CMT Special
Academy Award nominations were revealed this morning (2/2), with country music movie Crazy Heart getting a few nods. Nominated for Best Music (Original Song) is “The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart),” by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett. The film’s star Jeff Bridges secured a nod for Actor in a Leading Role, and Maggie [...]
Former Echo Execs Launch Sponsorship Agency
Former echo/Ticketmaster executives Tawn Albright, Kevin Brown and Joe Kustelski have formed sponsorship agency Rockhouse Partners, which officially launches today (2/2) with a full slate of clients. The Nashville based company will focus on connecting sponsor brands to consumers in the music and sports industries through digital marketing strategy, online/offline activation programs, and new digital [...]
Lifenotes: Tom Howard
Local musician Thomas L. Howard passed away suddenly on January 29, 2010. He was 59 years old. Howard was an accomplished pianist, composer, arranger, and producer, mainly on the Christian circuit. He also recorded under the name Dorian.
Howard is survived by his wife, Dori; children, Katie and Joseph; and sister, Susann (John) Anderson.
A memorial service [...]
ACM Noms. Coming Soon; AMA Sets SXSW Show
Nominees for the 45th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be announced sometime during the week of February 22. Nashville will also be buzzing that week with the annual Country Radio Seminar. ACM reps say the nominations will be revealed during a press conference at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in [...]
Industry Helps Children’s Hospital With Concert, Tennis Tourney
Members of the music industry are working together to raise much-needed funds for the Center for Child Development at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital. They are organizing the 37th annual Music City Tennis Invitational, scheduled for on April 24-25 at Vanderbilt University, and a special pre-tournament concert taking place this Thursday, Feb. 4 at the Bluebird Cafe. [...]
Music City Shines At Grammys
Taylor Swift is thrilled she gets to take her trophy for Album of the Year back to Nashville, she said accepting the top Grammy last night (1/31) at the L.A. Staples Center. She is now the prize’s youngest winner and only solo country female winner in history. Swift won four Grammys, leading a show [...]
Nashville Rocks: Kesha; Road To Bonnaroo
Nashville native Kesha is raging the pop scene from her new base in Los Angeles. Her just released debut album Animal entered the Billboard Top 200 chart last week in the No. 1 slot, with 152,000 units sold, driven mostly by hit lead single, “Tik Tok.” The former Brentwood High student Kesha Sebert is daughter [...]
Gibson Luthier Hutchins Passes
One of Gibson Guitar’s most accomplished and dedicated luthiers, James “Hutch” Hutchins, passed away last night, Jan. 25. He was 72 and had been battling an undisclosed illness.
Hutch’s career with the company spanned 45 years, two states, three changes of ownership, and thousands of guitars. He joined Gibson on March 25, 1963 in the original [...]
Gill’s “Love Songs,” Urban/Mayer “Crossroads,” More
Vince Gill’s love songs have been compiled into a new album being released today (1/26). Love Songs is out via MCA Nashville. The Country Music Hall of Famer personally selected and sequenced his favorites for the 14-track compilation that spans his most popular albums released from 1991 to 2006. Among his numerous hits on [...]
Videos From Gokey And Harp Get Exclusive Premieres
The music video for Warner artist Jessica Harp’s new single, “A Woman Needs” premiered exclusively on AOL’s The Boot yesterday (1/25). Directed by Kristin Barlowe, the video chronicles three girlfriends as they go through childhood, teen and adult years, and their tradition of marking a star symbol on their hands—first with stickers, then ink and [...]
Ty Williams’s “More” Offers Moving Message
The team at AristoWorks put together a slide show using images of the devastation in Haiti set to the song “More,” from Cherry Heart Records artist Ty Williams. The 24-year-old veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom wrote the song about the importance of giving to others.
Williams recently visited the MusicRow offices to meet the staff and [...]
PLEASE COME BACK TO AUGUSTA MAINE...I was 1st in line for tickets...front row seats..Does not get any better then that, ...
I love WYNONNA! 
Just wondering why you stated that Rory Bourke is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame but not that ...
Hats off to J.D. Haas! 
Come to Tallahasse, FL P-L-E-A-S-E!!!!