The Academy of Country Music recently welcomed RECORDS Nashville newcomer George Birge to the Academy’s headquarters in Nashville’s Wedgewood Houston neighborhood, where he mingled with ACM staff and performed songs from his Cowboy Songs EP.
The intimate performance included the project's title track as well as Birge's first country radio #1, “Mind On You,” from the Academy's Red Barrel Lounge Stage. The performance is available for fans to watch now on the official ACM YouTube channel.
Pictured with their minds definitely not on us are (l-r) ACM EVP/CBO Gil Beverly, Birge, ACM CEO Damon Whiteside and ACM Director, Industry Relations & Awards Haley Montgomery.
Sony Music Nashville (SMN) celebrated Country Music Hall of Fame inductees Brooks & Dunn’s illustrious career on Wednesday (7/31) with a plaque commemorating 16 new single RIAA sales certifications and four new album certifications. The duo carved out some time to post up at the SMN offices as they continue working on their follow-up to 2019's Reboot.
Pictured wishing we'd get the boot are (l-r): Maverick's Clarence Spaulding, SMN SVP, A&R Taylor Lindsey, SMN EVP/COO Ken Robold, SMN Chairman/CEO Randy Goodman, Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Maverick's Marne McLyman, SMN SVP, Marketing Jen Way and SMN EVP, Promotion Steve Hodges.
Burgeoning singer-songwriter Drew Green has been signed to RECORDS Nashville, the boutique outpost of industry veteran Barry Weiss’ label, RECORDS. The signing follows the release of Green's viral hit, “Lotta Bit Of You,” which already has more than 25m streams and over 25m views on TikTok.
The announcement coincides with the release of Green’s first RECORDS Nashville single, “Town Drunk,” currently available on all digital platforms. His next release, “Colorado," will feature HARDY and will lead into an album release in early fall.
“Green writes from the heart and his songs have truly resonated with fans and artists alike," Weiss said. "We are excited to work together to further expand his career and songwriting canon and to deliver wonderful new music for fans to enjoy.”
Green initially gained traction as a songwriter before catching the artist spotlight with his 2020 tracks, "Little More Be Alright' and "She Got That." Both cuts appeared on his debut EP, Dirt Boy Vol. 1. His 2021 follow-up, Dirt Boy Vol. 2, included the streaming hit "Hooch" which has since racked up more than 15m Spotify streams. Green followed up with the gold-certified "Good Ol' Man" as he's continued writing, recording and touring.
Pictured wishing anybody but HITS was making this announcement are (l-r) 5eightysix Management's Scott Mason Thomas, Weiss, Green, RECORDS EVP A&R Joe Fisher and Columbia Records SVP, A&R Ben Maddahi.
Old Dominion will receive the 2024 Angels Among Us Award for outstanding commitment and service to the mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, joining past recipients Brothers Osborne, Lady A, Brad Paisley and Darius Rucker, among others. The band will receive its award at the 35th Annual Country Cares Seminar, a yearly gathering of music artists and industry professionals, who lend their voice and platform to raise funds and awareness for St. Jude. This year's celebration takes place 10/21-22 at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis.
“By uniting with fellow artists and country radio fans, we want to help make sure that no family receives a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food so they can focus on helping their child live,” Old Dominion's Matthew Ramsey said. “Supporting such a remarkable mission is a privilege, and we are thankful to be part of it."
Jon Pardi will usher in the two-day event with a performance at Graceland, while Megan Moroney will help close out the event with a show at the Angels Among Us dinner. She will be followed by Old Dominion's set, which will include a special duet with Alabama frontman and Country Cares founder, Randy Owen.
Old Dominion first attended St. Jude’s annual Country Cares Seminar in 2016 after signing to RCA Records Nashville. The band has since participated in seven #ThisShirtSavesLives campaigns, played the Bobby Bones Million Dollar Show, lent their songs to support fundraising, performed at numerous fundraising events and spent time with patients.
Read more about Music Gives here.
Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern was honored with the Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award at the Opry House in Nashville on Monday night (7/22).
Performances included Tom Douglas, Chris Janson, Ryan Larkins, Craig Morgan, Maura O’Connell, Carly Pearce, Marty Stuart and Trisha Yearwood. Remarks were provided by Suzanne Alexander, Robert Deaton, Joe Galante, Tiffany Kerns, Jeannie Seely, Susan Swain, Jody Williams and Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell. All proceeds benefited the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund.
Hailed as an advocate for country music, Trahern represents the industry on a national and global level. The Bob Kingsley Living Legend Award was established a decade ago to celebrate the remarkable career of veteran country radio broadcaster Bob Kingsley. It has raised more than $350k for the Grand Ole Opry Trust Fund since.
Pictured (l-r) are event producers Maurice Miner and Heather McBee, Nan Kingsley, Jeannie Seely, Trahern, Yearwood and event producer John Zarling.
BMG Nashville has formed a joint venture with the Jason Aldean's publishing company Triple Play Music, which he co-owns with bandmates Kurt Allison and Tully Kennedy.
The first signing under the deal is songwriter Neil Thrasher, who joins John Edwards and John Morgan on the Triple Play roster.
Thrasher is something of a household name in the Nashville songwriting community, having penned material for Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts and Reba McEntire, among many others. He has written several songs for Aldean, including the hits “Tattoos on This Town," “Fly Over States," “Night Train” and “Rearview Town."
"Jason, Kurt, and Tully are BBR Music Group/BMG family. We are thrilled to partner with Triple Play and welcome Neil Thrasher," " said BMG Creative Director Amy Hendon Scott. It is amazing to watch the creative energy between these longtime friends. The talent is unmatched, and we are proud to be on this journey with them."
Celebrating the partnership above are BMG's Chris Oglesby, Allison, Aldean, Thrasher, Kennedy, Scott and BMG's Camryn Clark.
Say Aloha to Carrie Underwood Day. On Thursday (7/18) Director of the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism James Tokioka on behalf of Governor Josh Green and Mayor of the City & County of Honolulu Rick Blangiardi presented the country star with ceremonial proclamations declaring the date Carrie Underwood Day.
The proclamations precede her first-ever performances in Hawaii on 7/19-20. Not once in the history of the Aloha State have ceremonial proclamations been issued concurrently by the state of Hawaii and the city and county of Honolulu to honor an entertainer.
"History has been made with Carrie becoming the first artist to receive ceremonial proclamations from both the state and city," local promoter Rick Bartalini said. "She is in prestigious company of entertainers that have been previously honored by either the Mayor or the Governor in this manner, including Elvis Presley, Janet Jackson, Bruno Mars and Diana Ross.”
Both proclamations were presented to Underwood at an official ceremony inside the Blaisdell Arena by Blangiardi and Tokioka on behalf of the governor.
Underwood added a second show at Blaisdell Arena in March after selling out the first in under an hour. Pictured looking forward to Mai Tais without anyone from HITS involved are (l-r) Blangiardi, Underwood and Tokioka.
On 7/17, Old Dominion’s Brad Tursi celebrated the upcoming release of his solo album, Parallel Love, at Nashville’s The Blue Room. Arriving 7/19 via Sony Music Nashville, the project was created and released with the award-winning band's full support.
Produced by Tursi, with select tracks co-produced with Ben West and Marc Scibilia, the project features co-writes with Stephen Wilson Jr., Dan Isbell, Jessi Alexander and Matt Jenkins.
Outside of his role with the reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year, Tursi has earned multiple CMA Triple Play Awards for penning three #1 songs in a 12-month period, been named AIMP Artist Writer of the Year twice and has co-written hits for Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Tyler Hubbard, Josh Turner, Darius Rucker and Cole Swindell, among others, with nine #1 cuts to his name.
Pictured above wondering how skewed our definition of “love” can be are (l-) SMN’s Randy Goodman, Morris Higham’s Buffy Cooper, Tursi, SMN’s Ken Robold, Morris Higham’s Dustin Stout and Clint Higham.
Photo credit: Mason Allen
