Spirit Music Acquires Selection Of HARDY’s Song Catalog, Signs Go-Forward Deal
Pictured (L-R, front row): Derek Wells (Spirit Music Nashville/2Mix); Michael Hardy; Frank Rogers (Spirit Music Group, Spirit Music Nashville) and Andy Hodges (Spirit Music Nashville); (L-R, back row): Brian Bradford (Spirit Music Nashville); Kennedy Murphy (Spirit Music Nashville); Matthew Beckett (Milom/Crow/Kelley/Beckett/Shehan PLC); Michelle Davey (Lyric Capital Group); David Crow (Milom/Crow/Kelley/Beckett/Shehan PLC); Jesse Matkosky (Relative Music Group); Thomas Hartsock (Lyric Capital Group); AJ Burton (Fluid Music Revolution/Spirit Music Nashville); Will Cooper (Spirit Music Nashville); Mikey Fiorentino (Spirit Music Nashville); Troy “Tracker” Johnson (TRACK mgmt.); Jasmine Pettus (Spirit Music Nashville) and Lexie Rigler (Safford Motley PLC). Photo: Courtesy of Spirit Music Nashville
Spirit Music has acquired select compositions from the music publishing catalog of country rock superstar HARDY. He has also signed a go-forward exclusive songwriting agreement with Spirit Music Nashville.
“HARDY is a multi-genre force of nature as an artist, a world-class songwriter and a great human being,” says Frank Rogers, Chief Creative Officer, Spirit Music Group/Chief Executive Officer, Spirit Music Nashville. “Spirit could not be more excited to welcome HARDY to the family and we are excited about helping him build on his already legendary career.”
“After years of making music together, I couldn’t be more proud to start this new chapter with my pal HARDY here at Spirit,” adds Derek Wells, Vice President, A&R/Production, Spirit Music Nashville/2Mix. “Great music with great people is the business we want to be in here, and HARDY hits that nail on the head. He is truly a ‘1 of 1’ talent and human that elevates every room he’s in.”
“I’m pumped to be joining the Spirit Music family,” shares HARDY. “They believe in the songs I write and that means a lot to me. I’m excited to see what we can build together.”
HARDY is a five-time ACM award winner and two-time CMA Award winner. He has won three CMA Triple Play awards, was named the 2022 BMI Country Songwriter of the Year and is a three-time AIMP Songwriter of the Year with 16 No. 1 singles under his belt. Some of his chart-topping hits include his own triple-Platinum “One Beer” featuring Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson; the Platinum Dierks Bentley and BRELAND collaboration “Beers On Me,” the triple-Platinum duet “Wait In The Truck” feat. Lainey Wilson and his first-ever rock radio No. 1 “JACK.”
HARDY has also collaborated with Morgan Wallen (“Born With A Beer In My Hand” and “Tennessee Fan”); Jelly Roll (“Church”); Carrie Underwood (“Hate My Heart”); with other songs recorded by Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Toby Keith, Dierks Bentley, Thomas Rhett, Dylan Scott, Nate Smith, Florida Georgia Line, Cole Swindell, Mitchell Tenpenny, Brantley Gilbert, Vince Gill, Diplo, Zac Brown, Danielle Bradbery, Chase Rice, Ryan Hurd, Michael Ray, BRELAND, Brian Kelley, Nelly, George Birge, Kolby Cooper, Matt Stell, Dillon Carmichael, Lily Rose, The Reklaws, Jon Langston and more.
His new album COUNTRY! COUNTRY! is set for release on Sept. 26 via Big Loud. He is currently on his “JIM BOB World Tour” for a slew of festivals and headline dates, culminating with his first-ever headline show at Madison Square Garden the week of the album’s release.
HARDY was represented in the deal by Scott Safford (Safford Motley PLC). Spirit was represented by Matthew Beckett and David Crow (Milom/Crow/Kelley/Beckett/Shehan PLC).
Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame Announces JJ Cale As 2025 Legacy Inductee
JJ Cale. Photo: Jane Richey
The late JJ Cale will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Oct. 6 at the organization’s 55th Anniversary gala at Nashville’s Music City Center.
Cale was elected in NaSHOF’s Legacy category, designed specifically to honor hall of fame-worthy candidates who are deceased. He will be inducted posthumously along with the previously announced members of the Class of 2025: Steve Bogard, Don Cook, Emmylou Harris, Jim Lauderdale, Tony Martin and Brad Paisley. The seven new electees will join the 247 existing members of the Hall, which was established in 1970.
Famed for his bluesy, rootsy, laid-back style, Oklahoma native JJ Cale moved to Nashville in 1959 and found work as a guitarist with touring Grand Ole Opry troupes. After stints in Los Angeles and Tulsa, Cale returned to Music City in 1970 to record his debut album. In 1972, he built his own studio in Nashville, where he continued to record and live part-time throughout the ’70s and early ’80s. Both Eric Clapton and Mark Knopfler have acknowledged JJ’s influence as a guitarist, with Clapton making international hits of Cale’s “After Midnight” and “Cocaine.”
Over the years Cale’s various albums have yielded “Crazy Mama” (a pop hit in 1972), “Call Me The Breeze” (turned into a Rock standard by Lynyrd Skynyrd),“Clyde” (a Top 10 country hit for Waylon Jennings in 1980), “Any Way The Wind Blows” (Brother Phelps in 1995) and “The Sensitive Kind” (Santana in 1981), as well as the oft-covered “I Got The Same Old Blues,” “Magnolia,” and “Travelin’ Light.” As an artist, Cale released 16 albums, including the Grammy-winning collaboration with Clapton, The Road to Escondido (2006). In 2014, after Cale’s death, Clapton released the tribute album The Breeze: An Appreciation of JJ Cale.
“We are thrilled to have JJ Cale join this year’s class,” says chair of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame’s board of directors Rich Hallworth. “With classics such as “After Midnight,” “Cocaine” and “Call Me The Breeze,” JJ’s work as both a songwriter and an artist will be remembered always. He is richly deserving of our ultimate recognition.”
Scooter Carusoe Inks With Endurance Music Group & Carnival Music
Pictured (L-R): Carnival Music’s Emily McMannis and Frank Liddell, Scooter Carusoe, EMG’s Lauren Funk and Michael Martin, and Carnival Music’s Brittany Hamlin
Songwriter Scooter Carusoe has signed a worldwide joint co-publishing agreement with Endurance Music Group and Carnival Music.
Throughout his decades-long career, Carusoe has penned cuts for a variety of artists including “Better as a Memory” and “Anything but Mine” for Kenny Chesney, “Wanna Be That Song” and “Mean to Me” for Brett Eldredge, “For the First Time” by Darius Rucker and “You All Over Me” by Taylor Swift, among others. His songs have earned awards from NSAI, ASCAP and SESAC, and have been recorded by Gary Allan, Lee Brice, Kane Brown, Jordan Davis, Eli Young Band, Lady A, David Nail, Rascal Flatts, Chase Rice, Sugarland, Uncle Kracker and more.
Carusoe’s recent cuts include Eric Church’s “Hands of Time,” which reached the top 15 and is currently climbing the Billboard Country Airplay chart, as well as Dierks Bentley’s “Never You” featuring Miranda Lambert, Parker McCollum’s “My Blue,” Ty Myers’ “Morning Comes” and Charles Wesley Godwin’s “Better That Way.”
“Honestly, I can’t believe we have the opportunity to join forces with Frank Liddell and Carnival Music for this next creative season with Scooter and Endurance,” says Michael Martin, EMG President and Chief Creative Officer. “The history they have together has made a significant impact on Music Row, and it’s pretty special to have it all come full circle with EMG.”
Emily McMannis, Chief of Creative at Carnival Music, adds, “I spent my childhood trying to figure out who Scooter Carusoe, the guy in my favorite CD liner notes, was, and now it’s my job to really figure out who he is. He’s an artist who evolves and creates and should never be told how or why – just given the space to do. His songs are a big reason why I love country music, and to know that he’s back at Carnival – the company he started with Frank – is beyond amazing. Scooter has what this town needs: great songs. I’m really lucky to work with him.”
“Some relationships transcend the hits, holds, and heartbreaks of this business,” says Carusoe. “That’s what this team represents to me. They are as much family as they are publishing.”
Frank Liddell, Producer and Co-Founder of Carnival Music, simply states, “Welcome home, Scooter.”