Nashville Music Line

Jeff Stice is ‘Gonna Keep On’

New album from Edmonson County’s own ‘Mr Piano Man’

The kid from the old neighborhood makes good. Jeff Stice and I have something in common. We both went to Edmonson, KY, High School! But that’s where the similarity ends. Jeff is a Gospel Music Hall of Fame Inductee and multi-award winning pianist, and he is releasing his first project on Daywind Instrumental. The new project, aptly titled I’M GONNA KEEP ON, is a tribute to legendary songwriter and Gospel music icon Andrae Crouch.

Jeff is particularly delighted that his first Daywind release should feature the songs of Crouch, for whom he has great admiration. “It’s so apparent in the lyrics that he wrote, that Andrae Crouch had lived each word,” said Jeff. “He had the voice of experience!”

I’m Gonna Keep On releases nationwide through Daywind Instrumental/New Day Christian Distributors on Friday, June 2, 2017. It will also be on Jeff’s website and at http://www.lifeway.com the first week of June.

Multiple awards for Jeff Stice

Appropriately, Jeff Stice is known as “Mr Piano Man” and has achieved considerable success in the world of Gospel Music. During his twelve-year span with Triumphant Quartet Jeff was honored to receive a number of awards and recognitions. He was voted ‘Musician of the Year, in 2007 by the Southern Gospel Music Guild. He received the ‘Favorite Musician of the Year’ Award in 2009 and 2012 at The Southern Gospel Fanfare. In 2007, he was voted into the Edmonson County Music Hall of Fame in Brownsville, KY. In 2010 and 2011 he received Grammy and Dove Award nominations. In 2014 Jeff received an Absolutely Gospel Music Award (Ovation) for producing his last Triumphant project, and recently won a 2015 AGM Ovation for Musician of the Year.

Flashback’s new album ‘Foxhounds and Fiddles’

Bluegrass superpickers combine new with traditional

Bluegrass fans are enjoying a rare treat: a new album from bluegrass supergroup Flashback. Titled FOXHOUNDS AND FIDDLES, the album is now available following an album release party in April.

The band’s name, Flashback, is an apt one. The group features well-known bluegrass musicians and entertainers Phil Leadbetter, Don Rigsby, Richard Bennett and Curt Chapman, all from the original “Flashback” band that was formed as a 20-year reunion band for J.D. Crowe, which brought all original members together (including Crowe, who came out of retirement) for a 2015 tour in which they were known as The Flashback Band. Their band name comes from the title of the album they released with Crowe in 1995. After Crowe returned to his retirement, he was replaced by baritone Stuart Wyrick on banjo.

Since their early days playing Crowe, each of the original band members have gone on to become individually recognized stars in bluegrass circles as solo artists and members of other groups.

New single out now

The first single from the album is the title track, Foxhounds and Fiddles, written by Bennett and Rigsby. According to Leadbetter, the song is about the way things used to be for folks who grew up in the country.

The album is on Pinecastle Records and is available for purchase from their website as well as from iTunes, Google Play and Amazon. Read more about Flashback here.

LOCASH receive BMI’s Million-Air Award

“You Gonna Fly” for Keith Urban passes one million spins mark

Kudos to my friends LOCASH (Preston Brust and Chris Lucas) who received the prestigious BMI Million-Air Award from David Preston, BMI’s Senior Director, Writer-Publisher Relations. The Award recognizes the achievement of one million-plus spins on the radio. They received the award in a laid-back ceremony on the BMI rooftop patio, Tuesday May 23. Although they are successful recording artists in their own right, in this case Preston and Chris received the award as songwriters (along with ASCAP writer Jaren Johnston) for writing the song “You Gonna Fly” recorded by Keith Urban.

BMI’s David Preston presents Award to LOCASH. Photo: Preshias Harris

The BMI “Million-Air” Award is given to songwriters, composers, and publishers whose songs accumulate to over one million U.S. broadcast performances. The designation has been bestowed upon many of BMI’s iconic songwriters, including Sir Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton, Isaac Hayes and Roy Orbison. One million continuous performances of a song of the average length of 3 minutes represents 5.7 years of continuous airplay. Continue reading “LOCASH receive BMI’s Million-Air Award”

Amanda Williams’ groundbreaking show at unique venue

‘A Story of Love’ unique monthly concert series

Amanda Colleen Williams, a Grammy-nominated song co-writer and a dear friend of mine, has overcome extraordinary hurdles after her breast cancer diagnosis in 2015. Now cancer free, she is emerging with a new Nashville music venue, named 7695, and a groundbreaking concert series.

‘A Story of Love’ is a one woman show performed monthly at the 7695 venue. Shows are typically the last Saturday of the month, and the next showcase is scheduled for May 27th at 7695 River Road Pike in Nashville. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the concert begins promptly at 7PM. Parking is free with attendants on site. Tickets, $20.00 each, can be purchased in advance here. Continue reading “Amanda Williams’ groundbreaking show at unique venue”

Kentucky Headhunters set U.K. Tour in Fall 2017

‘Southern rock royalty’ crossing the pond

The Kentucky Headhunters. Photo credit: Joe McNally

My good friends and FFA buds, the Kentucky Headhunters are gearing up to take their rowdy, high-energy live show across the pond, as they return to the U.K. for a string of performances this fall. If any of my British friends are reading this, take it from me: don’t miss the opportunity to see these guys who put on a great rockin’ show. Supporting the American band will be U.K. rockers Bad Touch, who will join the Headhunters on all 8 shows this October.

“We first met Bad Touch when they were chosen as our support act after my son John Fred Young’s band, Black Stone Cherry, convinced us to do our first-ever U.K. tour in 2016. In a mere week of touring, the Headhunter’s and Bad Touch became like a band of brothers,” said Richard Young of The Kentucky Headhunters. “There is a certain charm and charisma between the two bands that transcends to the fans of both bands, on stage and off. We’re proud to announce their return for this year’s October U.K. dates. Simply put, it wouldn’t be the same without them.”

On Safari

The Kentucky Headhunters have been crisscrossing North America fresh off the 2016 release of On Safari, the band’s 12th studio album. A Plowboy Records/Practice House Records joint venture, the album combines southern rock, blues, Americana and country sounds sure to captivate audiences overseas. Click here to purchase On Safari.

Hear the Headhunters on the Heartland Network

The week of May 29, tune into The Heartland Network as members of the band look back on some of their most stand-out career memories. The half-hour interview show airs all week on various affiliates, check local listings here.

The Headhunters have a packed tour schedule in the USA before heading to England. Check out the current tour schedule at their official website www.kentuckyheadhunters.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

Inside Track on Music Row, May 2017

Entire May column now posted

My column, Inside Track on Music Row, is the longest-running country music column in America. It appears in Nashville Music Guide and on websites around the world.

Here’s a brief teaser of the May 2017 edition. You can read the full column here. And while you’re there, you can read about my book “I Know Country!” with 366 day-by-day country music Q&As.

ALBUM NEWS: Lady Antebellum has revealed the cover art and track listing behind their sixth studio album HEART BREAK (Capitol Records Nashville), out June 9th. Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott had a new mission — setting aside time to put themselves in new surroundings, and concentrate on writing and exploring musical endeavors with no distractions. They rented a house in Florida, living and working under the same roof, and when the creative process proved successful, the trio set up a second retreat in southern California. Pre-orders are available now at ladyantebellum.com. The trio had a hand in writing eleven songs on HEART BREAK. “This record is really our story,” said Kelley. “They have a universal feel to them, but there’s a lot of our personal stories here.”

AMERICANA MUSIC NEWS: Chris Stapleton’s sophomore album FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 1 is set for national release May 5, but the album’s first single is already at country radio. Titled “Broken Halos,” it is a co-write by Stapleton and former SteelDrivers bandmate Mike Henderson. Stapleton told Rolling Stone that, although he has written more songs with Henderson than with anyone else, none of their co-writes appeared on Stapleton’s Grammy-winning album, Traveller. “Broken Halos” has a redemptive message even if some angels have fallen. A second set, appropriately titled FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 2, is scheduled for release later this year. Stapleton is currently on his All-American Road Show Tour. Album pre-orders and tour dates at chrisstapleton.com

BENEFIT NEWS: Darius Rucker’s eighth annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert, sponsored by State Water Heaters, will take place Monday, June 5 and will be held for the first time at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The event, which leads into CMA Music Festival week, has received an overwhelming response in past years, with sellouts year-after-year and more than $800,000 raised for St. Jude’ Children’s Research Hospital. The lineup for this year’s event will be announced in the coming weeks. “This concert is a real highlight for me every year,” Rucker said. “And I couldn’t do it without the support of my friends who turn out to perform, tell stories and make this a memorable night for the fans, who are here from around the world.” Tickets for “Darius and Friends” are now available via Ticketmaster.

Read the full column at my blog page at www.iknowcountry.com

Dolly Parton surprises families with $5,000 checks

Dollywood Foundation pledges at least $3 million from My People Fund to the Mountain Tough Recovery Team

There’s no question about it: Dolly Parton’s heart is in the right place. She – and her Foundation – have always been among the first to respond when ‘her’ people are in need. When the devastating wildfires tore through the part of East Tennessee that Dolly calls home, she wasted no time in making much-needed funds available to the families who lost so much.

A ‘nice surprise’ from Dolly

The Dollywood Foundation administered the final distribution from the My People Fund on Thursday, May 4, with recipients noticing an extra surprise when they received the check.

Thanks to fundraising efforts, Dollywood Foundation officials were able to provide a $5,000 check to each family as they work to recover from the Smoky Mountain wildfires which occurred last November. Beginning last December, the My People Fund provided $1,000 each month to Sevier County families whose primary residences were completely destroyed due to the fires. Continue reading “Dolly Parton surprises families with $5,000 checks”

Music Biz 2017 hits Nashville in May

Hope to see you there!

If you have any connection to the music industry – or if you want to increase your knowledge of how it works – you have a great opportunity coming up in the next couple of weeks. I already have my ticket to Music Biz 2017 and I’m excited at the prospect of keeping current with whats happening. Even after 27+ years in various aspects of the Nashville music scene, I know there’s still plenty to learn. If you feel that way too, please read on.

FOUR DAYS OF MEETINGS, EDUCATION AND NETWORKING

Since moving the annual Music Biz convention to Nashville two years ago, attendance has grown by 50% … to 1,500. It’s the only music business event in North America that brings together the influential decision-makers from the commerce, content and creative communities under one roof for four productive days of meetings, education and networking.

You can find a complete schedule of events for Music Biz 2017 here. Just take a quick glance and you can see that this could be a great investment of your time and money if you have any involvement in music. Continue reading “Music Biz 2017 hits Nashville in May”

Oaks ‘dive in’ to Hendersonville diner

Oakridge Boys on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’

Classic American diner food and classic American country music. What a great combination! On Friday, May 5, the Food Network is airing one of their ‘classic’ episodes of ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives’ from around seven years ago.

Host Guy Fieri takes viewers to ‘greasy spoon’ joints across the country in his popular TV show. This episode, titled ‘Sauced and Spiced,’ features none other than the Oak Ridge Boys at the Café Rakka in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The Oaks were joined by Ricky Skaggs. You can find this particular show – Season 10 Episode 12 – online here.

THINGS CHANGE: First studio album in five years from Hall of Famer Bobby Bare

82-year-old Hall of Famer still has what it takes

Album review by Preshias Harris

They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. One thing that has stayed with us is the talent and artistry of one of country music’s living legends, Bobby Bare.

THINGS CHANGE is the title of the new album from Bare, a Country Music Hall of Famer who has chalked up close to sixty Top Forty hits starting back in 1962. And now here is, at age 82, out there still performing and promoting his new album.

Changes are no stranger to Bare. In 1959, he wrote a song, titled “The All American Boy,” for his friend Bill Parsons, and Bare cut a demo of the song for Parsons who went on to record it. However, the record label preferred Bare’s demo version and that was the one they released, taking the song to number two on the Billboard Hot 100. But nobody thought to change the information on the label, so every copy went out printed with the artist’s name as Bill Parsons, rather than Bobby Bare. Continue reading “THINGS CHANGE: First studio album in five years from Hall of Famer Bobby Bare”