Music News (6/24/15)

Toby Keith and Stephen Colbert Photo: Larry Busacca/ Getty/ SHOF

The 2015 Songwriters Hall of Fame 46th Annual Induction and Awards Dinner honored Bobby Braddock, Willie Dixon, Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia, Toby Keith, Cyndi Lauper and Linda Perry.

Stephen Colbert surprised the audience on stage to induct Keith, and gave an exciting performance of “As Good As I Once Was.” Keith wowed the crowd with a powerful rendition of “Clancy’s Tavern,” with Scott Emerick on guitar. Of his award, Keith said that it is “the only thing I ever wanted.”
Jennifer Nettles inducted Bobby Braddock after performing an emotional rendition of “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” which received a standing ovation. After his induction, Braddock performed what he called his “country rap” hit, “I Wanna Talk About Me,” made famous by fellow inductee Keith.

Jennifer Nettles with Bobby Braddock.

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Sturgill Simpson

Downtown Music Publishing has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson.

The agreement covers all of Sturgill’s studio albums including 2014’s Metamodern Sounds In Country Music (High Top Mountain/Thirty Tigers).

Simpson signed to Atlantic Records this year. He was named Emerging Artist of the Year at the 2014 Americana Music Awards, and nominated for Artist, Album, and Song at the 2015 Americana Music Awards.

The signing of Sturgill Simpson to Downtown bolsters an already impressive roster of country and Americana artists represented by the company including Old Crow Medicine Show, Natalie Prass, Rosanne Cash, Fruition, and Brandy Clark.

Downtown Music Publishing has offices in New York, Amsterdam, London, Los Angeles and Nashville. Catalogs in Downtown’s portfolio include the works of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, celebrated film composer Hans Zimmer, singer/songwriter Randy Newman and the pop band One Direction. 

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Pictured (L-R) standing: Randall Foster (ole, Sr. Director, Creative Licensing), Emily Mueller (ole, Creative Manager), and Ben Strain (ole, Creative Director). Front (L-R): ole songwriter Marty Dodson and John Ozier (ole, GM Creative)

Marty Dodson has extended his publishing agreement with ole. Dodson signed with the company in 2010 as part of ole’s acquisition of the Blacktop Music Group. The new agreement includes worldwide co-publishing rights for Dodson’s future songs and exclusive administration of his digital video rights.

Dodson has penned several chart-toppers, including Billy Currington’s “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right” (which spent two weeks at the top) and “Let Me Down Easy,” as well as Kenny Chesney’s “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven.”

Current ole writers include Rush, Timbaland, Tyler Farr, Josh Dorr, Gord Bamford, Brett Jones, Dave Turnbull, Jeremy Stover, and Dodson.

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Pictured (L-R): Jeff Skaggs, Beth Laird, Lori McKenna, Luke Laird. Photo: Spencer Combs

Hit songwriter and critically acclaimed artist Lori McKenna has signed a publishing and management deal with independent company Creative Nation.

The Boston-native has writing credits on recent hits/cuts including “Girl Crush,” “Your Side of the Bed” and “Sober” (Little Big Town); “I Want Crazy” (Hunter Hayes) and “God Made Girls” (RaeLynn). McKenna has released eight lauded studio albums.

McKenna was previously with Universal Music Publishing Group for the last six years.

McKenna joins Creative Nation’s roster of artists and songwriters: Luke Laird, Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby, Maggie Chapman, Native Run, Steve Moakler and recently signed Pulse/Creative Nation writer, Tyler Johnson.

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Jason Ingram. Photo: Ed Rode

Spirit Music Group has acquired a portion of the publishing catalog of top Nashville Christian songwriter and producer, Jason Ingram.

The deal includes a catalog of songs Ingram wrote under the Showdown/Sony joint venture. Ingram’s copyrights include Bebo Norman’s “I Will Lift My Eyes,” Salvador’s “Shine,” Chris Tomlin’s “White Flag” and “I Will Follow,” Hillsong’s “Forever Reign,” and Building 429’s “Where I Belong,” to name a few.

Ingram was named SESAC’s 2007 Christian Songwriter of the Year, and received nominations for addition to Gospel Music Association (Dove Award) Songwriter of the Year and Producer of the Year.

In July 2014, Spirit Music Group acquired Cal IV Entertainment, the established Nashville-based independent music publisher, production, and artist management company. The move marked Spirit’s first official presence on Music Row. In February, Spirit acquired the publishing assets of West Main Music, a leading independent Christian/Contemporary Praise & Worship publishing catalog, including “Never Once” co-written by Ingram and recorded by Matt Redman; and “Help Me Find It” co-written by Ingram and recorded by The Sidewalk Prophets.

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(L-R): David Israelite, Billy Joel and LeAnn Rimes

David Israelite (L) honors Bob Corker

The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) held its annual meeting in New York City at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square on June 17. During the event, several awards were presented and NMPA President and CEO David Israelite gave his State of the Industry Address.

John LoFrumento was awarded the NMPA Industry Legacy Award. Ralph Peer II was honored with the NMPA Lifetime Service Award. Billy Joel received NMPA’s Songwriter Icon Award, and LeAnn Rimes saluted him with a performance of his songs “Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel)” and “She’s Got a Way.” U.S. Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) was honored for his leadership on behalf of music publishers and songwriters.

In addition to awards and performances, the NMPA Board of Directors election results were revealed, with new members including Justin Kalifowitz, CEO of Downtown Music Publishing; Golnar Khosrowshahi, President of Resevoir Media Management and Jody Klein, CEO of ABKCO Music & Records. They join board members already serving, including Nashvillians Bob Doyle and Barry Coburn.

NMPA also announced the creation of the NMPA SONGS Foundation (Supporting Our Next Generation of Songwriters), which will kick off this fall with a fundraising golf tournament near Washington, D.C. The Foundation seeks to support aspiring creators with grants to continue their work and support music education. The NMPA SONGS Foundation will be chaired by Israelite, with charter Board members including songwriters Cara DioGuardi, Jewel and Nashvillian Lee Thomas Miller.

Also, the NMPA launched a revamped website at www.nmpa.org.

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Picture (L-R): Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley

Warner/Chappell Music announced it has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with Lady Antebellum. The deal brings all three hit songwriters, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley, and Hillary Scott to Warner/Chappell, which will represent the majority of the Lady Antebellum catalog.

The trio has co-written the vast majority of Lady Antebellum’s songs, including “I Run to You,” “Need You Now,” and “Bartender.” Beyond their own material, Haywood and Kelley have co-written songs for a number of notable recording artists, including Luke Bryan’s “Do I,” which landed at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, as well as Miranda Lambert’s “Love Song” and Hunter Hayes’ “Better Than This.” Kelly also co-wrote Darius Rucker’s No. 1 hit, “Homegrown Honey.” Scott co-wrote Sara Evans’ No. 1, “A Little Bit Stronger.”