Music News (8/14/13)

Reba with Michael McCall. Photo: Donn Jones

To celebrate the opening of Reba McEntire’s 10-month exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame, entitled Reba: All The Women I Am, the iconic entertainer gave fans a glimpse into the memories and anecdotes accumulated throughout her career on Saturday (Aug. 10), for 1 ½ hours in the Ford Theater. The interview took place after a Reba-themed songwriter round.

Reba didn’t net a No. 1 radio hit until her fifth studio album. Her first single, “I Don’t Wanna Be A One-Night Stand,” reached No. 88 on the Billboard chart in 1976. “I am lucky that I came out in the middle of the ‘70s, to a point where I had time to build my career,” she said. “Unfortunately, you don’t have that time these days for a career to slowly build.”

In 1984, she earned her first No. 1 single, “Can’t Even Get The Blues,” Though she finally achieved significant chart performance, the singer was still largely recording songs given to her, instead of songs of her own choosing. She gave credit to then-MCA label head and producer Jimmy Bowen who allowed her to seek out her own material. “I met with Bowen at his house and said, ‘I want to play my own kind of music,’ recalled Reba. “He said, ‘Well, what are your kind of songs?’” She presented him a cassette tape of songs by Dolly Parton and Ray Price. “He said, ‘You need  to find your own songs.’ So we went from publishing company to publishing company looking for songs.” The decision to record her own chosen songs was the first of many she would make in taking responsibility for her career and setting its course. “When you have success, you have more confidence,” said Reba.

My Kind of Country, her second project for MCA Nashville followed in 1984. The project earned McEntire her third and fourth No. 1 songs—“How Blue” and “Somebody Should Leave.” My Kind of Country also garnered her her first CMA Award in 1984. The outfit she wore to accept the award, which Reba recalled as costing $5,000, is on display in the CMHoF exhibit, which is now open through June 8, 2014.

Hannah Post

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Sony/ATV Nashville’s Hannah Post has been promoted to the position of Creative Manager. She joined the creative staff at EMI Music Publishing in August 2005; Post later joined Sony/ATV in July 2012 after EMI integrated with Sony/ATV.

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The Bluebird Cafe is set to make changes to each Sunday evening schedule, due to the large number of attendees. Beginning Sunday (Aug. 18), doors will open at 5 p.m., with seating on a first come, first-served basis. Sunday Night Spotlight performances will begin at 6:10 p.m., ending at 7:10 p.m. with the room cleared  for the following Writer’s Night show. Doors reopen at 7:40 p.m. for another group of attendees—seated on a first come, first-served basis—to enjoy the Sunday Writer’s Night performances at 8 p.m.

Additionally, a Sunday Writer’s Night audition has been scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 22. Sign-ups will take place online at bluebirdcafe.com on Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. CT. Audition slots are limited.

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George Strait

ASCAP will honor George Strait with the ASCAP Founder’s Award during the 51st annual ASCAP Country Music Awards, to be held Nov. 4, 2013, at the Music City Center in Nashville. The invitation-only, black-tie gala will also honor several songwriters and publishers behind Country music’s most performed songs from April 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013.

The ASCAP Founders Award honors songwriters and composers who have made pioneering contributions to music. Past recipients of the award include Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Emmylou Harris, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry, Stevie Wonder, and others.

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Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, NOTES for Education/Baldacci Family Vineyards’ Debi Cali, Jonathan Singleton, Travis Hill, David Lee Murphy, Striking Matches (Sarah Zimmerman and Justin Davis), Don Schlitz, Baldacci Family Vineyards’ Fran Leach and NOTES for Education’s Julie Meirick. Photo by ASCAP’s Alison Toczylowski

ASCAP and NOTES for Education held its fifth annual “Nashville in Napa” fundraiser on Aug. 3rd in California. The event brings Nashville songwriters together with top winemakers for an intimate evening of entertainment and wine tasting. Sponsored by Baldacci Family Vineyards, guests enjoyed live music and fine wine presented directly by those who hold the stories of their creation – the winemakers and songwriters – in an intimate writers round and chef-hosted dinner on the grounds and in the wine caves of the vineyards.

David Lee Murphy, Don Schlitz, Jonathan Singleton, Travis Hill, and Striking Matches’ Justin Davis and Sarah Zimmerman performed their tunes for the crowd among the gorgeous Napa backdrop as guests enjoyed vintages from the Baldacci and Trespass vineyards, as well as the Hope and Grace, Mi Sueno, Aonair, Chimney Rock, and Date Night wineries. An additional NOTES for Education fundraising event was held on Aug. 1 at Vintners Collective in downtown Napa featuring Striking Matches.

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The Internet Policy Task Force (IPTF) recently revealed it’s 2013 report, which includes recent discussions from stakeholders, public comments, and submitted comments to other agencies.

Receiving recent media attention is the report’s recommendation to upgrade misdemeanor criminal charges for illegally streaming copyrighted works (both audio and visual) to felony charges. Currently, criminal repercussions for reproducing or distributing the same work can be a felony charge. This recommendation is backed by the current Administration and the Copyright Office, who have both called on Congress to appropriately amend the Copyright Act.

Additional items in the report regarding sound recordings include broadcasting public performances, music license reform, remix availability, the digital impact on the first sale doctrine, statutory infringement damages, examination of the DMCA’s takedown system, and the appropriate role for the government, if any, to help the private sector improve the online licensing environment.

The IPTF was launched in April 2010 by then-Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, comprising input from multiple agencies and more than a dozen listening sessions from stakeholders and hundreds of public comments, and submitted comments to other agencies.

Click here for the 105+ page report.