…and a new Number One song: ‘Blue Ain’t Your Color’
Keith Urban celebrated his latest Number One, “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” with the songwriters of the hit at The Basement East in Nashville. At the press conference before the celebration, we (the media) had a chance to interview everyone involved. With Keith in the middle, the questions started.
Pictured (l-r): Producer Dann Huff, songwriter Steven Lee Olsen, Keith Urban, songwriters Hillary Lindsey and Clint Lagerberg.Photo Credit: Ed Rode, ASCAP
“The Idea (for Blue Ain’t Your Color) came to me when I was waking up and the TV was on and the word “Blue” was on the screen,” said Toronto native Steven Lee Olsen. “I brought it to Clint [Lagerburg] first then we knew Hillary needed to be a part of this.”
Hillary Lindsey said her thoughts on the creation of the song were, “It was all for the song. Making the song the best it could be.”
Then it was Keith’s turn. “It was just a feeling, the melody, where the words went. It was an immediately love,” said Keith of his first time hearing “Blue Ain’t Your Color.”
Keith was asked, “What are you most proud of?” Keith responded very quickly and with a big smile, “Marrying Nic,” he said, referring to his wife Nicole Kidman. He went on to brag about how they have an understanding and love in their marriage, that has brought them through the bad times and the good. Continue reading “Keith Urban celebrates career milestone”
Concert Benefitting Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center with special guests Tracy Lawrence & Randy Owen
Country Hits Back Against Cancer
Acclaimed country hit maker and colon cancer survivor Wade Hayes is set to host the 2nd Annual Country Hits Back concert supporting the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at the historic Franklin Theatre at 7:00pm on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Joining him will be Randy Owen, Country Music Hall of Fame member and lead singer of the super group Alabama, and multi-platinum award winning singer/songwriter Tracy Lawrence. Tickets range from $79.00-100.00 and are available at FranklinTheatre.com.
Texas native Zach Stone, dubbed Country Music’s “Fresh Face” of 2017, made the rounds at Country Radio Seminar (CRS) last week and was acknowledged by many as a captivating newcomer to the annual event. The Belmont graduate and former “Best of The Best” made introductions, shaking hands with radio personalities and conducting interviews throughout the course of the seminar.
Zach Stone performs at SOUTH for Spotlight 615
A featured artist at the Spotlight 615 Showcase, Zach performed before a packed house at SOUTH on Friday evening, February 27.
The former Team USA member destined to play Major League baseball turned down the “pitch” to pursue his music career. Since hitting Nashville just a few short years ago, the young, dynamic showman and road warrior has already canvased 32 states to stake his claim as a must-see entertainer.
Zach partnered with Music Row’s most accredited A-list songwriters to lay the groundwork for his sophomore EP, titled ASHES; the six-song recording project [produced by Rex Schnelle (Brooks & Dunn/Trace Adkins)] was released late last year and is available via all major digital retail outlets.
Over the course of his 68-year career, Jim Halsey has been a pioneer of country music innovation and expansion, transforming a once colloquial commodity into a global force. Halsey played a key role in the direction and management of country music giants. He has guided the careers of some of the most iconic figures in country music, including, Roy Clark, Waylon Jennings, The Judds, Hank Thompson, Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire, Wanda Jackson, Freddy Fender, Roy Orbison, Tammy Wynette, Rick Nelson, Clint Black, Dwight Yoakam, Minnie Pearl, James Brown and The Oak Ridge Boys, who he’s managed for 43 years.
When asked what advice he would give to anyone just starting out on a career in music, he kept it simple. “Don’t be afraid to follow your dreams,” he told me.
World’s biggest country music agency
Halsey’s vision, marketing, and passion were fundamental to the rapid growth of a genre that may otherwise have taken many more years to develop. His leadership and vision resulted in The Jim Halsey Company becoming the biggest country music agency in the world. Halsey’s artists have sold hundreds of gold and platinum records, received countless awards, including Grammy awards and nominations, and sold out shows at The Grand Ole Opry, Carnegie Hall, and headlined festivals and performances all over the world.
Country legend, Roy Clark
Halsey has represented 25 of the 125 artists selected to the Country Music Hall of Fame, as well as 10 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and has played a pivotal role in bringing country music to television. To date, he is the only producer or manager who has ever presented every artist on a single episode of the Hollywood Squares as well as book his acts in every Las Vegas showroom for an entire week. Continue reading ““Follow your dreams,” says Jim Halsey, music pioneer”
finds its ‘true north’ in support of music education in schools
The Grand Rally for Music Education on Saturday, January 21, at The 2017 NAMM Show brought artists full circle. The NAMM Foundation’s annual salute to music education welcomed NAMM Members, music educators, college music students and faculty to join together in celebration of the benefits of music education.
Perfect Fourth Quartet
The Perfect Fourth Quartet, a program of the Sphinx Organization, opened the Grand Rally, and was welcomed with an enthusiastic standing ovation. Last year, the quartet was a recipient of the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award and was honored by former First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House.
The crowd applauded as Turnaround Artists Keb’ Mo’ and Bernie Williams took to the stage, to be interviewed by NAMM Foundation executive director, Mary Luehrsen.
Here is the full text of a press release about a subject very close to my heart: animal welfare. I encourage you to support this great cause and listen to some fine music, too! – Preshias.
12-song compilation is a labor of love for rescue animals
Blue Night Records has announced the forthcoming release of a very special project. Some of acoustic music’s most respected and gifted artists have come together for the creation of Rescue Me! which is truly a “cause for paws.”
‘Rescue Me!’ Now available for pre-order
From its inception, the project has had one driving purpose: to support the furry creatures who so enhance our lives with love and loyalty. Now, at last, that purpose has materialized with energy and joy as a 12-track compilation album of tender tunes that honor our four-legged friends. Rescue Me! is a heartfelt collection of Americana music featuring songs that are thought-provoking, uplifting, engaging, and downright funny.
“We invite others to join us in raising awareness of and providing financial support to animal rescue organizations,” says Blue Night Records President, Steven Briggs, who co-produced the album with singer/songwriter Amy White.
All of the tracks on Rescue Me! were donated to the project by the songwriters and performers: Mary Ann Kennedy, Kathy Chiavola, Cindy Mangsen, Robin Flower, Libby McLaren, Annie Lalley, Heidi Muller, Mark Weems, Ashley Jo Farmer, Friction Farm (Aidan Quinn & Christine Stay), Effron White, Jamie Anderson, Amy White, and Joel Mabus. And with great joy, Blue Night Records has pledged to donate all of its profits from Rescue Me! sales and full CD downloads to animal welfare organizations.
Pre-orders now available
Pre-orders for Rescue Me! are available now here, and the formal release date is National Adopt a Shelter Pet Day, April 30, 2017.
Here are a few excerpts from the February 2017 edition of my monthly column, “Inside Track on Music Row,” the longest continually-running country music column in the USA. You can read the entire column (and previous columns) on my blog page at the website for my country music Q&A book, “I Know Country!”
CD NEWS
Ronnie McDowell
Ronnie McDowell, known for 40 years of hit singles and genuine warmth that fills seats show after show, is set to release Songs I Love, a brand new album featuring his versions of his all-time favorite songs, as well as two original tracks. Fans can pre-order the album, along with McDowell’s most recent print, as part of an exclusive bundle on Ronnie McDowellStore.com. McDowell is accompanying the album with his most recent artwork in the exclusive pre-order bundle. “Just In The Nick Of Time” features Elvis Presley and his 1950’s band (Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana and Bill Black) on their way to a show. Each print and CD will be autographed by McDowell.
COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has revealed their 2017 Exhibit lineup. Mark your calendar now for the following: Jason Aldean Exhibit May 26 to November 5, 2017; Shania Twain Exhibit June 26 2017 to June 17, 2018; Loretta Lynn Exhibit August 25, 2017 to June 11, 2018; Tim and Faith Exhibit November 17, 2017 to May 13, 2018. See full details, photos and videos relating to the upcoming Exhibits at countrymusichalloffame.orgContinue reading “A Taste of February’s “Inside Track…””
Songwriters from all over America (and beyond) are already clearing their calendars to be part of the biggest week of the year for those who share their craft.
The Tin Pan South 2017 poster designed by Micah Mathewson, Watkins College of Art, Design & Film
The Silver Anniversary of The Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival has bumped the scheduled show count up to triple digits. For the first time in the event’s 25-year history, fans will have the opportunity to choose between over 350 songwriters performing at a record 100 shows at ten of Nashville’s top venues March 28 through April 1, 2017. 3rd & Lindsley has a full slate of 10 shows, and Blue Bar, The Bluebird Cafe, The Country, Commodore Grille, Douglas Corner, Hard Rock Cafe, the Listening Room Cafe, Station Inn and Whiskey Rhythm are back to present nightly shows.
Produced by Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Tin Pan South reigns as the world’s largest all-songwriter festival. Regions Bank returns for the tenth year as the presenting sponsor of the Festival.
‘All Show’ passes available
Planning to go to some of the shows? First stop: www.tinpansouth.com where you can buy passes for the entire festival. The price is $115.00 for NSAI members and $125.00 for non-members. Note that passes cannot be purchased by phone and must be picked up at the NSAI office as they will not be mailed out. Continue reading “Tin Pan South returns for ‘biggest event in 25 years’”
His first number one song, four years in the making
Congrats to Warner Bros / WMN’s newcomer William Michael Morgan and the co-writers Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally and Trevor Rosen who were feted on January 30th for Morgan’s Number One hit “I Met A Girl.” The Number One party, held at South, was co-hosted by ASCAP and First Tennessee Bank. The song, produced by Scott Hendricks (Blake Shelton) and Jimmy Ritchey (Mark Chesnutt), is from Morgan’s debut studio album, VINYL (Warner Bros Nashville) which was released on September 30, 2016, following his self-titled EP.
Photo Credit: Preshias Harris Left to Right: Shane McAnally, William Michael Morgan and Trevor Rosen. Not pictured is Sam Hunt.
“I Met a Girl” is the debut single and first number one record for Morgan and has sold over 300,000 copies since its radio add date of August 24, 2015. It was also included on his debut studio album, “Vinyl,” which was released on September 30, 2016, following his self-titled EP.
During the media interviews prior to the Number One celebration, Shane said that they’d written the song about four years ago. Morgan said, “We hung on to it and hung on to it.” He recalled. “Once it was recorded, we kept listening to it. We believed it was just a wonderful song all around.”
The lyrics have special meaning for Morgan
The song has a poignant meaning for Morgan. Thinking back to the birth of his daughter and meeting his fiancé brings a whole new meaning to the song for him. “God was moving the chess pieces around,” he said. “We found out the song was Number One on the same day as the album ‘Vinyl’ came out.”
“I Met A Girl” Number One Party
It seems the song has resonated with listeners, too. “I Met A Girl” spent 52 weeks on the charts and has reached an airplay audience of 1.1 billion. The song has also been streamed 25 million times.
The song has received positive reviews from music critics. Taste of Country® awarded “I Met a Girl” with the Taste of Country® Critic’s Pick, saying that the single is “a warm country love song that slows time” adding that “strong songwriting and Morgan’s smooth baritone make the song tough to resist.” So hit replay! More at www.williammichaelmorgan.com.
It takes perseverance
Personal note: Aspiring artists and songwriters should take note of Morgan’s progress along the road to chart success. Around four years elapsed between the time the song was written and the afternoon he stood up to receive his Number One award. If you expect fame and fortune within months of arriving in Music City, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. It takes perseverance and strength of character to keep improving your musical skills, perfecting your stagecraft, building your network of industry contacts and learning from your co-writers. When the real opportunity appears, you’ll be ready to grasp it!
Helping singers and songwriters ‘Learn more, earn more, be more.’
If you are fairly new to the music business (and even if you’re not) it can feel like your career is a mainly solitary enterprise. But fear not: You are not alone!
Let me point you in the direction of MusicStartsHere, an aptly named website that is like a virtual coffee shop where songwriters and musicians can hang out online. Unlike ‘real’ coffee joints, you don’t have to buy a five dollar mocha latte: it’s free to hang out. Just sign up and you’re in.
The site’s three co-founders – Will Carter, Adam Melcher and Doak Turner* – share a love of music and an understanding that artists and songwriters need opportunities to network with their peers and increase their skills and experience.
The ‘Knowledge’ section of MusicStartsHere is divided into five categories: Songwriters, Artists, Production, Musicians and Industry. Under the ‘Songwriters’ tab, for example, you’ll find subheads such as Songwriter Articles, Songwriter Video Interviews, Contributing Songwriters and WSM-AM Songwriter Show.
It’s all about community
MusicStartsHere is all about community, and, sure enough, under the ‘Community’ section you’ll find links to blogs aimed at songwriters, musicians, singers and others in the music industry. There’s also a section devoted to News and Events to keep you up to speed with info about the music biz and upcoming shows.
Doak Turner. Photo credit: MusicCityNashville.net
According to co-founders Will, Adam and Doak, the mission of MusicStartsHere is quite simple. It was created with the purpose of informing, educating, and connecting those in the music and entertainment industries. They see it as an online resource, marketplace, and gathering square for like-minded individuals to work, earn, inspire, and create together.
The ‘ultimate sandbox’
As they say at the website, “The nature and culture of MusicStartsHere is a collaborative one, that understands that success can’t be reached alone. By sponsoring local events, allowing industry professionals to solicit their services, and offering a venue for singer/songwriters or producers to showcase their music catalogs, MusicStartsHere has provided the ‘ultimate sandbox’ allowing each member an opportunity to build their own sand castles of creativity and success to help them on their personal journey through this crazy adventure better known as the music business…”
If you are serious about your music career or if you’re just beginning to wiggle your toes in the ‘sandbox,’ I suggest you click here to see how MusicStartsHere might be a useful resource for you.
* Doak Turner is my longtime BFF in the music business. It was Doak who introduced me to the Governor of West Virginia way back when I handled promotion and media relations for the NY Times bestseller, “Chicken Soup for the Country Soul.”
Let me point you in the direction of 