Ashley Gorley Kicks Off 2020 Atop The MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart
The 2019 Songwriter of the Year, Ashley Gorley, is kicking off 2020 in a place he’s grown accustomed to: atop the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. With co-writer credits on Brett Young’s “Catch,” LOCASH’s “One Big Country Song,” Thomas Rhett’s “Remember You Young” and Dustin Lynch’s “Ridin’ Roads,” Gorley sets himself up for another chart-dominating year.
Laura Veltz follows Gorley with credits on “The Bones” (Maren Morris), “To A T” (Ryan Hurd) and “What If I Never Get Over You” (Lady Antebellum). Jesse Frasure takes third with credits on “Blessings” (Florida Georgia Line), “One Big Country Song” (LOCASH), “One Thing Right” (Marshmello & Kane Brown) and “Remember You Young” (Thomas Rhett).
Luke Combs takes the No. 4 position and Zach Crowell rounds out the top five.
The MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart, published every week, uses algorithms based upon song activity garnered from airplay, digital downloaded track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the first songwriter chart of its kind.
Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.
Josh Osborne Renews Deal With ASCAP
Josh Osborne has renewed his membership agreement with ASCAP.
“Josh is one of country music’s most talented and successful hitmakers, and he has earned a reputation as one of the most in-demand collaborators on Music Row,” said ASCAP Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Matthews. “He is truly a songwriter’s songwriter, and we are excited to be by his side as he continues to shape the genre with his insightful yet universal writing style.”
Osborne earned his first No. 1 song in 2012 with “Come Over,” recorded by Kenny Chesney, and since then has been nominated for numerous awards by the Academy of Country Music, Billboard Music Awards, Country Music Association, NARAS and more. In 2014, Kacey Musgraves’ single “Merry Go Round,” co-written by Osborne, earned a Grammy for Best Country Song. The RIAA certified double platinum No. 1 hit “Take Your Time,” recorded by Sam Hunt, earned Osborne a Song of the Year nomination at the 2015 CMA Awards, and that year he also won his first ASCAP Country Song of the Year Award for Sam Hunt’s “Leave The Night On.” He also co-penned Hunt’s record-breaking, multi-platinum 2018 ASCAP Song of the Year smash, “Body Like a Back Road.”
“I am so thankful for the success that I have had as an ASCAP writer, and I am so excited to get to continue to be a part of the ASCAP family,” said Osborne.
Kelsey Wise Joins Given Music Publishing
Kelsey Wise.
Kelsey Wise has been announced as Given Music Publishing’s new Creative Director. Wise has previously worked for Sony/ATV Music and Big Deal Music Group. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Belmont University with a degree in Music Business.
“Kelsey’s passion and drive for championing songwriters is beyond impressive, as are her incredible creative instincts,” says Given Founding Partner Cindy Owen. “She brings a number of invaluable skills to our company and is a tremendous asset as we continue to build our team at Given.”
“I am incredibly excited to be starting this next chapter with Given Music Publishing and couldn’t be more grateful for Cindy’s confidence in me,” Wise said. “There are so many cool things coming down the pike for our writers and the company in general, and I am just thrilled for the opportunity to work with such talented writers and staff.”
Wise can be reached at kelsey@givenmusicpublishing.
On The Row: Mitch Rossell
Mitch Rossell. Photo: Haley Crow/MusicRow
Mitch Rossell has turned heads in Nashville as the songwriter behind hits including Garth Brooks’ “Ask Me How I Know,” which topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase/Country Aircheck chart in 2017. For Rossell, the sole writer on “Ask Me How I Know,” the chart-topper is also a testament to staying true to his own artistry.
“When I came to town the whole bro-country thing was starting to be really big and I grew up on the Garth and ‘90s country stuff. What I was doing wasn’t popular at the time. I kept doing it for a few years, had no traction,” Rossell recalls of his early days in Nashville.
When Brooks put out the word to Nashville publishers and songwriters that he was looking for songs to include on his 2014 album Man Against The Machine, Rossell pitched the legendary entertainer a few songs.