Rock Hall Inductions Monday

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 03/09/2007

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will hold its annual induction ceremony on Monday, March 12 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The ceremony will honor inductees Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (inducted by Jay-Z), R.E.M. (inducted by Eddie Vedder), The Ronettes (inducted by Keith Richards), Patti Smith (inducted by Zach De La Rocha), and Van Halen (inducted by Velvet Revolver). The induction ceremony will also honor Ahmet Ertegun, legendary founder of Atlantic Records, and there will be a special performance by a surprise artist in his honor. Ertegun was a crucial figure in the careers of artists ranging from Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin to the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin. For the first time ever, the ceremony will broadcast live by VH1 Classic and streamed live by AOL (http://spinner.aol.com/rockhall). The show will air later on VH1.

LifeNotes: Joni Foraker

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 03/09/2007

Longtime Borman Entertainment Vice President Joni Foraker passed away this morning (3/9). She had been battling cancer in, what a co-worker called, “a courageous and valiant fight.” Foraker had been with the company more than 13 years and headed the Nashville office of the Los Angeles-based management firm. She is survived by husband Brian and son Jackson. Funeral arrangements were not available at press time.

Lyric Street Hosts CMT Radio Affiliates

03/09/2007

Lyric Street Records held an appreciation breakfast for CMT Radio Affiliates attending CRS on Feb. 28. Lyric Street recording artists Josh Gracin and Sarah Buxton performed for representatives from over 25 CMT Radio affiliates as well as stations interested in becoming CMT Radio Affiliates. Also in attendance was CMT Radio correspondent, Ericka Dunlap, and CMT Radio Insider host, Lance Smith. Pictured (L-R): Joe Zanger, Sr. Producer/Managing Editor CMT Radio; Roger Coletti, Dir. MTV/VH1/CMT Radio; Buxton; Chris Parr, VP Music Programming and Talent Relations CMT; and Evan Kroft, Dir. Music Programming & Talent Relations CMT. Photo: Ed Rode

Artist News Daily (3/9/07)

Little Big Town will be featured on the premiere episode of Academy of Country Music and GAC Present..., a nine-week series that details the lives of country music stars. Lorianne Crook is set to...

Benefits/Lifenotes Daily (3/09/07)

Radio veteran and Country Music DJ Hall of Famer Billy Cole passed away March 8 at age 47. Most recently, Cole had been broadcasting a Sunday night classic country show for MR Reporter KMGO/Centerville...

Industry News Daily (3/9/07)

The Christian Music Trade Association, a sister organization to the GMA, has elected Don Noes chairman of the Board of Directors. Noes, who is Sr. VP of Distribution at Provident-Integrity Distribution, takes over the...

ACM 4th Annual Motorcycle Ride

03/08/2007

The ACM announced yesterday (3/8) that more than 36 country artists will participate in the Academy of Country Music 4th Annual Motorcycle Ride benefiting its Charitable Fund on Sunday, May 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the fourth time in the Motorcycle Ride’s history, Montgomery Gentry will host the event. Artists participating in this year’s event are Keith Anderson, Dierks Bentley, Big Kenny of Big & Rich, Carolina Rain, Emerson Drive, Cory Gierman, Josh Gracin, Heartland, Steve Holy, Buddy Jewel, Little Texas, Montgomery Gentry, Craig Morgan, Heidi Newfield, Jon Nicholson, James Otto, The Road Hammers, Ray Scott, Trent Tomlinson, Trick Pony, Two Foot Fred, The Warren Brothers and Trent Willmon.

The ride will kick-off from Las Vegas Harley-Davidson and riders will cruise through desert and mountain landscapes to Fremont Street for a concert extravaganza. To register for this year’s ride please visit www.acmcountry.com. Registration fees start at $30.

ASCAP Elects New Board

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 03/08/2007

Twelve writer and twelve publisher members have been elected to ASCAP’s Board of Directors, for two-year terms commencing April 1. The writer members who were elected in the at-large field are: ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board, lyricist Marilyn Bergman; composer Charles Bernstein; composer Bruce Broughton; lyricist Hal David; songwriter Wayland Holyfield; songwriter Jimmy Jam; composer Johnny Mandel; composer Stephen Schwartz; songwriter Jimmy Webb; songwriter Paul Williams and composer Doug Wood. Elected in the Symphonic and Concert field is composer Stephen Paulus.

The publisher directors elected in the at-large field are Freddy Bienstock, Bienstock Publishing Company; John L. Eastman, Edwin H. Morris & Co., Inc.; Roger Faxon, EMI Music Publishing; Nicholas Firth, BMG Songs, Inc.; David Hockman, Sony/ATV Music Publishing; Dean Kay, Lichelle Music Company; Leeds Levy, Leeds Music; Jay R. Morgenstern, Warner Chappell Music; David Renzer, Universal Music Publishing Group; Irwin Z. Robinson, Famous Music Corporation and Kathy Spanberger, Songs of Peer. Elected as publisher director in the Symphony and Concert field is Arnold Broido, Theodore Presser Company.

NFF Welcomes Music Supervisors

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 03/08/2007

The Nashville Film Festival will present the panel Music Supervision: How and Why Songs Are Chosen on Mon., April 23 at the Regal Cinema in Green Hills from 2:15-3:45 p.m. The panel, co-sponsored by CMA and SESAC, will be hosted by Liz McNicoll (VP Music Business Affairs/Paramount Pictures). Music Supervisors scheduled to attend are Darren Higman, VP Music/Warner Bros. Pictures; Michael Fey, Music Supervisor/Sweet Home Alabama; PJ Bloom, Music Supervisor/Neophonic/Running With Scissors, CSI:Miami; Alan Brewer, Composer/Publisher/Music Supervisor/ Come Early Morning; Rashidi Hendrix, Music Supervisor/Music Producer/Hitch, Deliver Us From Eva.

NFF is once again giving publishers and songwriters the opportunity to book meetings with these music supervisors. Attendees will be able to bring music to the appointments, however, the intent of these meetings is not to pitch material, but to network and obtain advice. In addition to a face-to-face meeting, participants will receive a ticket to the panel. The cost is $300 per appointment. Meetings will take place at SESAC on the mornings of Monday, April 23, and Tuesday, April 24. Appointments may be booked by contacting Cie Hoover of PLA Media at (615) 327-0100 or cie.hoover@plamedia.com

MCA Roster Update

Sarah Gilbert Skates – 03/08/2007

MCA and Hot Apple Pie have parted ways. The group made up of Brady Seals, Trey Landry and Keith Horne released its self-titled debut album in 2005, with “Hillibillies” as the lead single...Meanwhile, sources at UMG confirm that longtime label star Trisha Yearwood is currently in contract renewal negotiations. Her most recent release, Jasper County, came out in 2005 and was certified Gold. Yearwood first signed with MCA in 1991 and, that spring, burst onto the country music scene with smash hit “She’s In Love With The Boy.”