Filmmaker Ken Burns and his collaborators on PBS’ upcoming “Country Music” documentary series had no inside connections to the country music community when they began work on the eight-part series more than eight years ago. And that’s a good thing, in the view of Vince Gill, the renowned singer-songwriter. “Country Music,” a masterful chronicle of
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Just six months after being acquired by Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, Atlas Music Publishing has announced a joint venture deal with legendary producer, songwriter and executive Quincy Jones. Atlas CEO Richard Stumpf, who founded the music publishing company in 2013 with financing from Aronson Media Ventures, Goldman Sachs and advisors Sword, Rowe & Company, first
NBC has renewed the unscripted series “Songland” for a second season. The series takes an inside look at the creative process behind songwriting, and each episode provides one up-and-coming songwriter the opportunity to have their song recorded by a major artist and released immediately after the episode airs worldwide. The show features producer-mentors Ryan Tedder,
Snoop Dogg will receive the Sony/ATV Music Publishing “Social Leadership” Award at the 15th annual Songs of Hope event. The honor will be presented by Sony/ATV chairman and CEO Jon Platt, the 2018 Spirit of Life honoree, at the Sept. 19 gathering in Los Angeles. Cancer research and treatment center City of Hope celebrates the
Redd Kross are one of the longest-running bands Los Angeles has spawned in its history, with a career that launched in the city’s late 1970s punk scene (when its brother founders, Jeff and Steve McDonald, were aged 15 and 11, respectively), carried into the power-pop era of the 1980s, then into the alt-rock boom of
Earlier this year, the United Nations named the Dave Matthews Band a Goodwill Ambassador for its Environment Program, and it’s hard to imagine a group of more action-oriented musicians in terms of environmental advocacy and fan engagement. Since 2005, the rock band has partnered with the nonprofit organization Reverb on the BamaGreen Project, an ambitious
David Gray and Walter Jones have been named co-heads of A&R at Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), the company announced today (Sept. 9). Gray will be based out of New York City and Jones will continue to be work out of Santa Monica. The two will work collaboratively to oversee A&R creative strategy for UMPG
Bruce Springsteen, Jon Stewart, John Oliver and Hasan Minhaj will again Stand Up for Heroes. Comedian Ronny Chieng will join the multi-talented group on stage for a night of music and comedy in honor of military veterans and their families at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 4. The 13th annual event
BMI announced record revenues this morning, with $1.283 billion, up 7% over the previous year. The performing-rights organization also distributed and administered $1.196 billion to its songwriters, composers and publishers, its highest distributions ever, and a 7% or $78 million increase over last year. The surveyed fiscal year ended on June 30. According to the announcement, these results mark the
In what it describes as a strategic move to strengthen and restructure the top levels of its executive leadership team, Def Jam Recordings has promoted Rodney Shealey to Executive Vice President of the label, and has promoted Theda Sandiford to Senior Vice President of Commerce, it was announced today by chairman & CEO Paul Rosenberg. In his newly expanded role, Shealey (pictured
BMI announced record revenues this morning, with $1.283 billion, up 7% over the previous year. The performing-rights organization also distributed and administered $1.196 billion to its songwriters, composers and publishers, its highest distributions ever, and a 7% or $78 million increase over last year. The surveyed fiscal year ended on June 30. According to the announcement, these results mark the
Following their sold-out headlining spot at New York’s Madison Square Garden Friday night, Vampire Weekend announced more dates in support of their latest album “Father of the Bride,” stretching into next year. The news was first reported by Spin; a rep for the band confirmed the dates to Variety. Variety said of “Father of the
September 9, 2019 8:35AM PT Sony/ATV Music Publishing has signed a worldwide deal with singer, songwriter and producer King Princess. The 20-year-old multi-instrumentalist and Brooklyn native (real name: Mikaela Straus) is signed with Mark Ronson’s Zelig label, which released her debut single “1950.” Her father is recording engineer Oliver Straus. Sony/ATV SVP of A&R Jennifer
Post Malone today announced details of his second annual Posty Fest, which will include performances by Meek Mill, Pharrell Williams, Rae Sremmurd, Jaden Smith, Dominic Fike, Doja Cat, Yella Beezy, Tyla Yaweh, Saint Jhn, Iann Dior, Beach Fossils, Snowy, Maj and Kerwin Frost, as well as special surprise guests. The show will take place Nov. 2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington,
Several fans were injured during a crowd stampede at Lil Wayne’s outdoor Lil WeezyAna Fest in New Orleans on Saturday night. According to the city’s Times Picayune, “large segments of an audience” estimated at 15,000 on the grounds of the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena panicked and began running after Meek Mill’s set; police
Tens of thousands are expected to flock to Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park this weekend for One Musicfest, the Southeast’s largest annual urban progressive music festival. Founded by Jason Carter in 2010, the two-day festival boasts a lineup of diverse acts such as Queen Naija, Busta Rhymes, Tory Lanez, Three 6 Mafia , Gucci Mane, Rae
September 6, 2019 9:25PM PT Shawn Mendes had romance on his mind on Friday night. Headlining a triumphant homecoming show at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Mendes brought on Camila Cabello for a steamy guest appearance. Cabello slinked onto the stage as Mendes segued from piano to guitar, slowly inching towards the 21-year old Canada
Former Pitchfork critic Matt LeMay offered a mea culpa on Friday, apologizing to Grammy nominated singer Liz Phair for a review he wrote of her 2003 self-titled album. The famously scathing take-down gave the album a score of 0.0 on Pitchfork’s scale of 8.0. In an in-depth Q&A with Vulture published on Sept. 5, Phair,
If you believe there can be such a thing as an instant country classic, “The Highwomen” is that. Speaking of high (the group’s cheeky-sounding name is meant to confer exaltation, not stoner-dom — honest), the all-star foursome has put together an album full of high comedy and high pathos, zingy group-sings and gut-wreching solo turns,
Kobalt today announced that Dominique Keegan has been promoted to vice president of creative. Based in Kobalt’s New York office, Keegan was previously senior director of creative. His recent signings include Marshmello and Duke Dumont. Keegan joined Kobalt Music Publishing in 2012, initially serving as a Creative Director where he focused on artist signings and
With her self-titled debut album for United Artists Records in Nashville nearly 45 years ago, singer Crystal Gayle immediately established a winning sound that would take the 24-year-old younger sister of country music legend Loretta Lynn repeatedly to the top of the music charts. Hit records such as “Wrong Road Again,” “I’ll Get Over You,”
Post Malone discussed his new album “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” Mac Miller and Lil’ Peep’s death and much more in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music’s Beats 1 that even features a cameo from the rapper’s dad. Lowe and Post sat down to talk in Provence, France, where the musician is busy making rosé. He
The founder of Crushers Club, one of the two charities splitting a $400,000 donation from Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and the NFL as part of their social-change partnership, has apologized for posting “insensitive” photos of her cutting the dreadlocks of two black teenagers, according to USA Today. She said the two tweets, which were posted in
You’re a Northern-born rapping singer on somewhat of a Southern tip, melding country, rock, hip-hop and modern soft soul into one frothy whole. You’ve gone platinum many times over, with 2016’s “Stoney” and 2018’s “Beerbongs & Bentleys,” for that same sandy mix and its drowsy drawl. On your brand new album, you’re playing host to
Sofar Sounds has made a name, a culture and a thriving business for itself by staging “secret gigs and intimate concerts” featuring emerging artists for an invited, engaged audience. Its model has been a rousing success, in terms of popularity and, presumably, profitability. Launched in London in 2009, Sofar has spread to four countries (the
September 5, 2019 12:05PM PT Kylie Rae Harris, a country singer, died on Wednesday in a three-vehicle car crash near Taos, New Mexico. She was 30. Harris and a 16-year-old girl were killed and a third driver was uninjured, reported the Associated Press. The Taos Sheriff’s Office suspects alcohol played a role in the crash.
Nicki Minaj claims she’s retiring to “have my family,” according to a tweet she posted Thursday afternoon. “I’ve decided to retire & have my family. I know you guys are happy now. To my fans, keep reppin me, do it til da death of me, [X] in the box- cuz ain’t nobody checkin me. Love
Fans of the Howard Stern Show are all too familiar with the host’s distaste for air travel, but Stern will have to brave a cross-country flight next month as he jets off to Los Angeles in order to celebrate the opening of Sirius XM’s new Hollywood studio complex. His Oct. 7 appearance at the complex
Forty-one years after the theatrical release of “The Last Waltz,” Robbie Robertson gets the last word on that era in “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band,” a documentary picked by the Toronto Int’l Film Festival as its opening night gala premiere. It covers Robertson’s tenure in the Band from the group’s early ’60s
Eleven more women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against opera star Placido Domingo, according to the Associated Press. The news follows an article by the organization published last month in which nine women made similar claims against the singer. The women accuse Domingo of unwanted touching, persistent requests for private meetings, late-night