harris16464@bellsouth.net, Author at Nashville Music Line

‘Inside Track’ mid-month update

Elvie Shane at No. 1, Chris Young and Kane Brown celebrate… and more

By Preshias Harris

Here’s a quick round-up of some of the stories that will be in my column in November. Scroll down for news about Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Chris Young, Kane Brown, this year’s NSAI Annual Song Contest, the 2021 inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame … and “My Boy” Elvie Shane’s long climb to No. 1!

“My Boy” tops Billboard Airplay chart

Elvie Shane is No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated Oct. 23, 2021! Elvie’s debut single, “My Boy” (Wheelhouse), leaps from No. 5 to No. 1 for its 54^th week on the chart, according to MRC Data. That’s right: a nail-biting fifty-four week climb!

On Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart (blending airplay, streaming and sales data), “My Boy” rose from No. 7 to No. 4. Written by Elvie along with Nick Columbia, Lee Starr and Russell Sutton, “My Boy” is a track from Elvie’s upcoming album Backslider, set for release Oct. 29.

Earlier on Instagram, I proudly posted:

*Sharing a plaque of memorable photos with Elvie Shane*

So excited for @elvieshanemusic. He has the #1 #countrymusic song for #Myboy. I gave him this 2021 music milestone plaque when he, Mandy and their baby stopped by the office a couple of weeks ago. Photos are of his first tour bus, his first Grand Ole Opry appearance, Bonnaroo stage, and Elvie, Mandy and Caleb in a People Magazine exclusive. I watched him work hard all these years and wanted to give him something to remind him how truly special 2021 has been for his career and his family. I was blessed to be there at the journey’s start. Love y’all Elvie.

“My Boy” was written from Elvie’s perspective as a stepfather. “We’ve been told for five years that this song was a No.1,” Shane told Billboard. “I always found it hard to believe that I could be part of something like that.”

Preorder/presave Backslider here.

NSAI’s Song Contest open for entries

Love From Music City Gala raises $35,000

Crystal Gayle honoured with Bill Anderson Icon Award

By Preshias Harris

The elegant Estate at Cherokee Dock, former home of Reba McEntire, was the setting for Love From Music City’s 5^th Annual Gala on October 5th with an evening of music, entertainment, surprises, and support for foster children throughout Middle Tennessee and orphans abroad.

The special event began with a VIP red carpet where I was able to talk to many of the artists and celebrities in attendance. You’ll find some of the comments they shared with me below.

Pictured L-R:
Stairs: JD Shelburne, Denny Strickland, Tim Atwood, Nathan & Suzanne Young,
Danica Hart, Trea Swindle, Devynn Hart (Chapel Hart),
Front row: Jeff Shannon, Cherish Lee, Makenzie Phipps, Charlene Tilton, Jonny and Crystal Brown, Crystal Gayle, Shanda and Robb Tripp, Devon O’Day, LaVerne and Edith Tripp, Buddy Jewell, Melissa Luman, NEDY.
(Photo by: Tanya Long /Reflections By Tanya)

The red carpet was followed by hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, and live musical performances. Artists present at the gala included Pam Tillis, Buddy Jewell, Marty Raybon, Devon O’Day, Cherish Lee, Charlene Tilton, JD Shelburne, Tim Atwood, Chapel Hart, NEDY, Makenzie Phipps, Denny Strickland, Billy Mason, Chris Golden, Nathan & Suzanne Young, who joined Crystal Gayle, the recipient of this year’s Bill Anderson Icon Award. Gayle was recognized for her contributions made to the community and for her role as a trailblazer and legendary performer, epitomizing everything Love From Music City stands for. The organization has a 50 year legacy of feeding and clothing orphans across the globe, with 10 years including local, Middle Tennessee foster children.

*Crystal Gayle on the red carpet. Photo: Preshias Harris*

“It’s an honor to be given the Bill Anderson Icon Award by Love From Music City,” shared Crystal Gayle. “And it’s an honor to be associated with Love From Music City and the great work they do helping and loving orphans and foster children.”

Crystal Gayle’s reign in the music business includes 20 No. 1 country hits, six albums certified Gold by the RIAA, and the first female artist in country music history to reach platinum sales with her 1977 album, We Must Believe in Magic.

On the red carpet…

Sneak peek at October ‘Inside Track’ column

Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Dallas Remington, Riley Green, Brett Young, Graciela and more

By Preshias Harris

My column, Inside Track on Music Row, is posted every month at Nashville Music Guide with dozens of news items about the recording artists, songwriters, record labels and the industry ‘movers and shakers’ that are the heart and soul of Music City.

Here is a quick ‘sneak peek’ at just a few of the items you’ll find in the October column. Meanwhile, you can read the entire September column, complete with audio and video links, here at Nashville Music Guide.

Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde join voices on cheating song

Two powerful songstresses – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde – have combined forces, and the ravaged country tradition of the ‘hard truth cheating song’ is reignited with the brand-new single “Never Wanted To Be That Girl.” Watch the lyric video here.

Written by Pearce, McBryde and co-producer Shane McAnally, the clarity bomb is sung from the perspective of two women – the single girl thanking the guy who helped change her flat tire and the wife at home – discovering the man they’re involved with has someone else. The shattering truth in a text – for McBryde – and the reality of where he’s been when he gets home – for Pearce – finds the two women reeling as they consider their own blind spots in a painfully sobering moment.

CMA Awards nominees announced

Eric Church, Chris Stapleton lead with 5 noms apiece

By Preshias Harris

Mark your calendar and set your DVR for the 55^th Annual CMA Awards set to air live from Nashville, Wednesday, November 10, 8:00 pm EST (7:00 CST) on ABC.

Chris Stapleton and Eric Church lead the pack with five nominations each; Gabby Barrett, Jason Hall (mix engineer) and Jay Joyce (producer) each have four nominations. With three noms each: Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Ashley McBryde, Maren Morris and Chris Young.

Among the first-time CMA nominees: Kane Brown, Mickey Guyton, Ryan Hurd, Jordan Davis and more.

Eric Church

Here are the nominations in each category. Make your predictions now and keep this list handy during the broadcast on November 10 to see how often your picks match the votes of the eligible CMA members! If you are like most country fans, you’ll have some ideas about who should win and who probably will win!

Entertainer of the Year

Eric Church
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood

Mid-August Music News Roundup

Catch up on what’s happening in and around Nashville

By Preshias Harris

Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival features hit writers and rising stars
Mikayla Lane showcases new project, Miles From Nowhere
David Adam Byrnes signs with Reviver Publishing
Mechanical Licensing Collective offers Educators Toolkit
Songwriter, producer Jim Femino passes
The Isaacs to join Grand Ole Opry
Midland launches Set It Straight podcast
Music industry ‘alive and well’ in 2021
New inductees set for Hall of Fame
Western artists honored at Will Rogers Awards
Gibson TV show premieres on Circle Network
Inside Track on Music Row for August
Scroll down to read all these stories…

Nashville Music Line Showcase at Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival

Chasity Bailey (accompanied by Heath Coleman), Andrew Hopson, Mikayla Lane and Ethan Wynn will be performing a Showcase at the Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival on Friday, August 20 from 12 noon to 2:00 pm EST at the Gatlinburg Inn. The Showcase is presented by Nashville Music Line and Magic Hills Artists. Appearing for Magic Hills Artists are: Presley Aaron, Jake Bleu and Hunter Taylor.

The Gatlinburg Songwriters’ Festival takes place Aug 19 – 22, 2021 at the Gatlinburg Stages – Gatlinburg Inn, Ole Red, Ole Smoky, Park Vista and Skylift Park – and at the Pigeon Forge Stages – Listening Room and Dollywood. More info about the Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival here. Among those appearing: Lee Roy Parnell, Tony Arata, Brady Seals and many more.

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Mikayla Lane showcases new EP

Rising star Mikayla Lane will present a full band showcase to celebrate the release of her new EP, Miles From Nowhere, at 6:00 pm, CST, Wednesday September 8, at The Local in Nashville. The Local is located at 110 28^th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203.

The sixteen-year-old singer from the Tulsa, OK, area is already making her mark in country music with her dynamic vocals and songwriting chops. Mikayla’s remarkable stage presence has made her a regular performer at Ole Red, Tishomingo, OK, Blake Shelton’s popular restaurant and music venue. Mikayla initially appeared there at the tender age of 13 and has since made several memorable appearances at the Nashville Ole Red.

On Friday, August 20, Mikayla makes her Ole Red Gatlinburg debut, bringing her music to the Smoky Mountain venue. Mikayla co-wrote the four-song collection on Miles From Nowhere with friend and producer John Conrad, including her current single, “Wild Like the Wind.” More about Mikayla at her website here and on Facebook here.

Elvie Shane’s “My Boy” continues chart climb

Opry debut, hot EP… and a new baby!

By Preshias Harris

Elvie Shane continues his steady rise up the country charts with his debut single, “My Boy,” released on Wheelhouse Records, a BBR Music Group imprint. For the survey dated Aug 14, 2021, “My Boy” climbs 15 to 13 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in its forty-fourth consecutive week charting there.

For the same week, “My Boy” jumps 22 to 19 after sixteen weeks on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart that combines sales, airplay and streaming data compiled by MRC Data.

Elvie’s success means a great deal to me personally. I first heard “My Boy” when he sang and played it to me in my office in Nashville, where he and I were working on developing his music career. His star quality and – equally important – his strength of character and vision were undeniable even in those early days.

One day, Elvie invited me to lunch. But when we were in the car, he had a surprise for me. “We’re not going to lunch,” he said. “I’m taking you with me when I sign my record deal at Broken Bow.”

*Preshias Harris with Elvie Shane as he prepares to sign with Broken Bow Records. Photo credit: Cody Heckber*

I shed tears of joy that day, and the photo commemorating that special event takes pride of place in my office today. He is an inspiration to my current roster of emerging songwriters and artists who can see that a successful career in music is attainable despite the many challenges.

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame to induct five of Music City’s finest

Class of 2021 and Class of 2020 to be honored at November Gala

By Preshias Harris

Country music fans think of Nashville as a city built on the success that many Country recording artists found in the studios of Music City. But the artists themselves will readily tell you that the real stars are the songwriters. When Number One parties are held in Nashville, they celebrate the songwriters who wrote the chart-toppers, rather than the singers and bands on the recording. The 1982 hit song “16^th Avenue” (written by Thom Schuyler and recorded by Lacy J. Dalton) summed it up this way: “God bless the boys who make the noise on 16^th Avenue,” referring to one of the streets than comprise Nashville’s fabled Music Row.

For many years, the songwriting community mainly consisted of “boys” (and old boys) and while more females are now seeing their names on songwriting credits, only one female writer will be among the inductees into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Class of 2021.

Amy Grant, Toby Keith, Rhett Akins, Buddy Cannon and John Scott Sherrill will be inducted into the Hall this November, according to an announcement made July 13 by Sarah Cates, chair of the Nashville Songwriters Hall off Fame Foundation board of directors, and Mark Ford, its executive director.

Inside Track Summer Edition now posted

Warm weather, hot music news

Inside Track on Music Row, my monthly music column, is now posted and ready to read at Nashville Music Guide. This month’s column is a special ‘Summer Edition’ with even more news than usual including info on upcoming tours, album releases, artist and songwriter news and more. Inside Track is the longest running monthly country music column in the USA. Read the entire column here. Meanwhile, here is a teaser with just a few of the stories in this month’s column…

Country’s top stars pay tribute to Charlie Daniels on new album
Thomas Rhett and dad Rhett Akins team up on “Things Dads Do”
Doyle Lawson set to release final album before retiring
Male trio Texas Hill‘s 8-song collection Stabal Session (Live Acoustic)
Buck Owens albums from the 60s and 70s re-released on CD & digital
Chris Lane will kick off Fill Them Boots Tour in October

scroll down to read these items…

ALBUM NEWS: Walmart is helping pay tribute to the late Charlie Daniels by exclusively carrying an upcoming collaborative album that features the Country Music Hall of Fame member dueting with some of the biggest stars in country music, bluegrass, and southern rock. The physical edition of Charlie Daniels & Friends – Duets (via Blue Hat Records & BFD / Audium Nashville) will be available for purchase in all Walmart stores and walmart.com on Friday, July 16.

“It goes without saying that it’s been a rough year for my mom and I, our CDB family and dad’s fans,” says Daniels’ son, Charlie Daniels Jr. “But his music will live on forever, and we’re happy that this Duets collection will add to his legacy.” The nineteen-track compilation features Daniels singing and pickin’ with a slew of top-notch stars including Dolly Parton, Brooks & Dunn, Darius Rucker, Travis Tritt, Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, Brenda Lee, Gretchen Wilson, Marty Stuart and more. Album details and pre-order info here.

Music news update: Mid-June 2021

Nashville is opening up and the music is center stage again

It feels like the good times are coming back in Music City and here’s the music news update for mid-June, 2021. As always, all these items and more appear in the June edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row, the longest-running country music column in the USA. You can catch it every month in the Nashville Music Guide. Here are some more items from my current column:

The Americana Music Association has announced the nominees for the Awards Show set for September at the Ryman
Netflix movie The Ice Road features hot songs woven into its soundtrack
CMT Awards: here are the big winners!
Brett Young sets date for Caliville Weekend and announces headliners
Songwriters heading to the Smoky Mountains for Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival
Explore the electric guitar in an online program from the Country Music Hall of fame and Museum
Shenandoah will livestream from historic FAME studios in Muscle Shoals
Dallas Remington’s “Princess” inspired by a Royal wedding

Scroll down to read these news items…

The Americana Music Association has announced the nominees for its 20th annual Americana Honors & Awards during a socially-distanced ceremony at Nashville’s National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM). This year’s nominations were revealed by GRAMMY® Award-winner Keb’ Mo’ and Ketch Secor, frontman and fiddler of the Americana Award and GRAMMY®-winning band, Old Crow Medicine Show. The intimate event was streamed live to the Americana Music Association’s Facebook page.

The winners of each category will be announced during the Americana Honors & Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn. The celebrated program is the hallmark event of AMERICANAFEST, which returns for its 21st year on Sept. 22-25, 2021. Find ticketing information and a full list of nominees or purchase passes to AMERICANAFEST here.

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When it comes to the road, nobody understands hard driving like Big Machine Label Group founder and chairman Scott Borchetta. The longtime racer, NASCAR team owner, IndyCar sponsor and race historian loves the feel of the asphalt in a way that transcends transportation. When Jonathan Hensleigh, the writer and director of Netflix’s The Ice Road wanted a label to deliver a multi-genre film soundtrack, he knew that Big Machine was the only choice. The Ice Road, an action thriller starring Liam Neeson, debuts on Netflix on June 25.

Country music tours are back!

Tour buses are heading out of Nashville again

by Preshias Harris

Country artists can’t wait to get back on the road – and their fans can’t wait to see ‘em! New announcements about upcoming tours are being released almost every day, but for now, here are the ones we have confirmed for Michael Ray, Brandy Clark, Scotty McCreery, Old Dominion, Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jason Aldean, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, The Cadillac Three, Brett Young and Blake Shelton:

Michael Ray is off to the beach – Myrtle Beach, SC – on June 13 for Carolina Country Music Fest, the first of twenty-plus dates on his 2021 Just The Way I Am Tour. The Carolina Fest runs June 10 – 13 with 30+ country acts including Luke Combs, Eric Church, Ashley McBryde, Darius Rucker and more. Ray then heads on to major stops throughout the summer and fall in cities such as Roanoke, VA, Birmingham, AL, Baltimore, MD, St. Louis, MO and Fargo, ND, before wrapping up November 14 at the Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale FL.

“I can’t wait to be back out on the road and be with all of you again,” said Ray. “There’s nothing better than being with one another and singing the songs that have brought us together over the years, and I’m so excited to share some new songs with you that have come to mean so much to me. Let’s make some memories!” Tickets and a full list of tour dates here.

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Brandy Clark will return to the stage this fall with her Who You Thought I Was headline tour, including stops at Seattle’s Neumos, San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, Los Angeles’ Lodge Room, Denver’s Lost Lake, New York’s Bowery Ballroom, Philadelphia’s World Café Live and Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley among many others. Tickets for the shows are on-sale now, full details can be found here.

The newly confirmed dates celebrate a landmark year for Clark, whose new deluxe album, Your Life is a Record (Deluxe), is out now on Warner Records (stream/purchase here). The special extended edition features all eleven tracks from her GRAMMY-nominated album plus six new songs including “Remember Me Beautiful,” which Clark wrote late last year with Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose for NPR’s Morning Edition Song Project. Produced by Jay Joyce, Your Life is a Record was nominated for Best Country Album at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards and landed on several “Best of 2020” lists including NPR Music, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Variety, Paste and Slate.

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Scotty McCreery will headline his You Time Tour kicking off in Fresno, CA, on June 18. On some dates, McCreery will be supporting Chris Young or Old Dominion. “This last year I was glad to get more ‘you time’ with my wife Gabi than ever before, as well as a lot of ‘you time’ with some of my favorite songwriters via zoom as we created new songs for the upcoming album,” said McCreery. “And now that we’re able to tour again, I cannot wait to get back on the road and have some ‘you time’ with fans this summer.”

The tour’s title refers to “You Time,” released in September 2020, a single from his next album set for release later this year. McCreery co-wrote the song with Frank Rogers and Aaron Eshuis. Additional dates for the You Time Tour will be announced soon. Tickets and info here.