Music News (11/05/14)
Swift celebrated by lip syncing to Kendrick Lamar. Click to watch.
Taylor Swift continues her wild success story with latest album, 1989, which sold 1.3 million copies during release week, according to today’s Nielsen Soundscan report. It’s the bonafide pop star’s third album to debut with sales totaling more than 1 million units, following Red (2012, 1.208 million) and Speak Now (2010, 1.047 million). She’s the only artist to have three million-selling weeks with an album.
1989 scores the largest sales week for an album since 2002, when Eminem moved 1.322 million units.
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Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, and Dierks Bentley were early morning CMA Awards winners on Wednesday (Nov. 5). A couple of the awards winners for the 48th annual CMA Awards were revealed in downtown Nashville, as Urban and Lambert made an appearance on Good Morning America. Prior to the duo performing their hit single, “We Were Us,” awards winners were announced for the categories of Musical Event of the Year and Music Video of the Year.
Lambert and Urban’s “We Were Us” won for Musical Event of the Year.
Dierks Bentley’s airplane antics in the video for “Drunk On A Plane” earned the clip Music Video of the Year honors. The video was directed by Wes Edwards.
Additional CMA Awards winners will be revealed tonight during the 48th annual CMA Awards, which will air live at 7 p.m. from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
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It’s Awards Week!!!
BMI Winners
BMI Icon: Vince Gill
Songwriter of the Year: Rhett Akins
Publisher of the Year: Sony-ATV
Song of the Year: “Wagon Wheel”
Pictured (L-R): BMI Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations Jody Williams; Song of the Year award scribe Ketch Secor; Sony/ATV Music Publishing Co-President Danny Strick; Sony/ATV Music Publishing Nashville President and CEO Troy Tomlinson; Sony/ATV Music Publishing Chairman & CEO Martin Bandier; BMI Icon recipient Vince Gill; Songwriter of the Year winner Rhett Akins; BMI President & CEO Mike O’ Neill; and BMI Assistant Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations Clay Bradley
This year’s 62nd BMI country awards banquet (Nov. 4) was an evening-long lovefest for BMI Icon honoree Vince Gill. The widely beloved songwriter, singer, instrumentalist, humanitarian and all-around great guy was saluted by video segments that repeatedly paused the procession of songwriters and publishers. In the middle of the gala, standing ovations greeted tribute performances by Ashley Monroe (“Whenever You Come Around”), Keith Urban (“I Still Believe in You”), Michael McDonald (“When I Call Your Name”) and a band rave-up (“Little Liza Jane”) with Keith, Ashley, John Hobbs, Paul Franklin and more.
ASCAP Winners
Pictured (L-R): Song of the Year co-writer Ben Hayslip, Songwriter of the Year Ashley Gorley and Song of the Year co-writer Jimmy Robbins. Photo: Ed Rode
ASCAP is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and appropriately, its 2014 country awards banquet (Nov. 3) looked backward as well as forward.
The performance-rights society honored superstar Alan Jackson with a Heritage Award recognizing him as its top country songwriter-artist of the past century. “From his dearest friends to his millions of fans, he is…The Real Deal,” said presenter Connie Bradley. “I’m just a singer of simple songs,” responded the ever-humble Alan. “I just came here to sing country music. I’ve had so much help along the way. I’m just overwhelmed by all of this.” He thanked his steadfast wife, author Denise Jackson, and added, “I’m just an ol’ country boy who’s had a lot of blessin.’”
Chris Oglesby saluted Craig Wiseman with a Heritage Award as ASCAP’s top country songwriter of its first 100 years. Publisher of the Year Warner-Chappell Music has both a distinguished history as a heritage firm as well as loads of contemporary country activity. No foolin’ — the company garnered 19 citations during the banquet. ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento presented its award.
Pictured (L-R): ASCAP’s Michael Martin, Song of the Year co-writer Ben Hayslip, Songwriter of the Year Ashley Gorley, Song of the Year co-writer Jimmy Robbins, ASCAP Heritage Award Honoree Craig Wiseman, Publisher of the Year Warner/Chappell Music Publishing’s Ben Vaughn and Jon Platt, and ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan. Photo: Ed Rode
SESAC Winners
Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Pat Collins, Tim Fink, Shannan Hatch, Songwriter of the Year Rob Hatch and SESAC’s John Mullins. Photo: Ed Rode
The annual SESAC awards banquet (Nov. 2) has always had a family feeling, but this year the organization took it literally.
Rob Hatch, who is married to SESAC senior director of writer/publisher relations Shannon Hatch, was named SESAC’s 2014 Songwriter of the Year. Fittingly, she presented the award to, “my best friend, my awesome husband and a fabulous father.”
For the second year in a row, Legends of Magic Mustang Music was named SESAC’s Publisher of the Year.
Pictured (L-R): SESAC’s Tim Fink, Song of the Year honoree Lance Miller, Tim McGraw, artist Jerrod Niemann and SESAC’s Shannan Hatch and John Mullins. Photo: Ed Rode
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John Allen. Photo: Rebecca Ward.
Veteran music industry executive John Allen has been appointed President of notable independent label New West Records, New West Independent Music Publishing and its developing artists imprint, Normaltown Records. Allen joins New West from BMG Chrysalis where he was Vice President. He will open New West’s first Nashville office, bolstering its offices in Los Angeles and Athens, Ga.
“I have known John Allen for as long as I have been in this business and there is no one I respect more than him,” said owner of New West Records, George Fontaine, Sr. “New West is extremely fortunate to bring John on board to lead the label in our future endeavors.”
“I’ve worked with George Fontaine and New West Records for years and I have always been impressed with their unbridled passion for quality music and the integrity in which they run their business,” said Allen. “I’m thrilled to be part of the New West family.”
Allen has had a longstanding relationship with New West for more than a decade as publisher to many of the label’s artists including Buddy Miller, Rodney Crowell, The Devil Makes Three, The Whigs and Nikki Lane.
Allen has more than two decades of industry experience and brings an extensive knowledge of music publishing, rights management, licensing, songwriting and A&R expertise.
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Ashley Worley, Rachel Kice, and entrepreneur Brad Baack have launched Fruition Songs by Worley Baack Music. The full-service publishing house’s roster includes writers Isaac Rich, Laura Reed, Jerry Navarro, and Max Abrams. The company also specializes in single song or partial catalog deals. Additionally, the company is seeking pop/track oriented staff writers.
Worley spent 15 years working with Paul Worley Productions, acquiring songs for Martina McBride, the Dixie Chicks, and others. Worley also served as Creative Director for Rich Entertainment Group and Skyline Music. Kice previously worked with Warner/Chappell Music and is an original member of the MuzikMafia.
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Tim Fink
Tim Fink was playing in a band, running live sound and studying music education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater when a friend told him about a college that offered a degree in audio engineering. It piqued his interest and in the late ’80s Fink made a life-changing move to Tennessee and enrolled in MTSU’s music production program. He expected to return to his hometown Chicago after graduation, but a job at SESAC changed his course. “Little did I know that it would turn into a career for me,” he says.
Today SESAC has around 150 employees, with their headquarters in Nashville and additional offices in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami and London. Fink serves as Vice President, Writer/Publisher Relations and is approaching his 25th year at the performing rights organization.
Click here to read the full Q&A.
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Brandy Clark. Photo: David McClister
Brandy Clark has signed a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records in Los Angeles. Clark, who is currently a CMA nominee for New Artist of the Year and Song of the Year (for co-writing Kacey Musgraves‘ “Follow Your Arrow”), was previously signed with Slate Creek Records, recording home to Angaleena Presley.
“I am thrilled to be working with Dan McCarroll and the Warner Bros. LA staff,” Clark said. “I’m so lucky to have a musical home that embraces and encourages originality and creativity. I’m so excited to be making music with them and look forward to this next step in my career.”
“Brandy is an accomplished songwriter, well-regarded in the country music scene and with multiple No. 1 singles under her belt,” said Dan McCarroll, president of Warner Bros. Records.
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