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CARLTON ANDERSON UNVEILS ACOUSTIC VIDEO FOR “DROP EVERYTHING”
Cypress, Texas-bred singer/songwriter Carlton Anderson returns to his roots with an acoustic music clip for his rising single, “Drop Everything.” The video, which features Anderson playing in the downtown honky-tonk, where he collected tips and caught the attention of Nashville’s music industry elite, premieres exclusively on HollywoodLife.com today. See it HERE.
The music video was shot at the Swingin’ Doors Saloon, where Anderson got a gig after moving to Nashville to pursue a music career and degree in Music Business from Belmont University. Anderson no sooner dropped his bags in the dorm and he was driving to the famed honky-tonks of Broadway to find work and a way to pay the bills. Swingin’ Doors was the first club he entered and he asked the manager if he could play a couple songs. Five years later, he was still playing weekly sets for a devoted following of regulars and enthusiastic tourists from around the world.
Like Anderson, his debut single, which was co-written by Rhett Akins, Matt Dragstrem, and Ashley Gorley, is about taking chances, going after what you want, and having the juice to back it up.
“Drop Everything” “is a love song about a guy speaking up for the girl that he wants and taking a chance,” Anderson said. “I first heard ‘Drop Everything’ at the last minute when we were cutting our first batch of songs in the studio. It was catchy and sexy, and, if anyone could relate to the lyrics, it was me.”
Anderson is gaining a reputation for his steadfast belief in authenticity before trends. Billboard opined that his debut “matches a masculine, southern voice with an anthemic chorus, a catchy melody, a swag lyric and a tight, retro-fit production.” And Taste of Country summed it up writing that “Drop Everything” is “reminiscent of a lot of things, but not a copycat of any.”
Carlton Anderson’s “Drop Everything” is available now to stream and download HERE.
Follow Carlton Anderson on…
Website: www.carltonandersonmusic.com
Facebook: facebook.com/carltonanderson
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Twitter: twitter.com/carltonanderson
LUKE COMBS CONFIRMS 2019 HEADLINE ARENA TOUR
Luke Combs will kick off his “ Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour ” in 2019—his first ever headline arena tour, marking another major career milestone for the breakthrough musician. The extensive tour—which will feature special guests LANCO and Jameson Rodgers—will commence January 31 at Birmingham’s Legacy Arena at the BJCC and will span through the spring featuring stops at legendary venues across the country including New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom and Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater, among many others.
The tour—which was originally announced by Combs earlier this morning on SiriusXM’s The Highway channel—will go on-sale next Friday, September 14 at 10:00 am local time. In an effort to combat scalping, fan club tickets will be sold through the Ticketmaster Verified Fan™ program and all tickets will have fan-focused pricing offered between $25-$50.
His second headline tour, the “Beer Never Broke My Heart Tour” follows Combs’ record-breaking, 55-city sold-out “Don’t Tempt Me With A Good Time Tour”—completed earlier this year—and will be preceded by a series of fall U.K./European headline shows—which sold out months in advance. See below for details.
The tour culminates a massive breakthrough year for Combs, which saw the release of his Platinum-certified debut album, This One’s For You, released on River House Artists/Columbia Nashville and two recent nominations at the 2018 CMA Awards for Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year .
This One’s For You is currently the most-streamed country album of 2018, achieving over 1 billion streams and was also the largest album debut from a new country artist in 2017. The album debuted at #1, on the Billboard Country Albums Chart, where it has spent a total of 12 weeks at #1 and at #5 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. Additionally, Combs has had three consecutive #1 radio singles—3x Platinum “Hurricane,” 2x Platinum “When It Rains It Pours” and Platinum “One Number Away.”
In addition to his breakout debut album, Combs released the deluxe edition, This One’s For You Too, earlier this summer, which landed at #1 on Billboard Country Albums Chart and #4 on Billboard 200 Chart.
Since the release of This One’s For You, Combs has been named Billboard’s Top 100 Artist and Top New Country Artist of 2017, “Best New Country Artist” at the iHeart Radio Awards, Music Row’s “Breakthrough Artist Of The Year” and 2017 Artist To Watch by Amazon Music, Billboard, Bobby Bones, CMT, HuffPost, Nashville Lifestyles, Pandora and Rolling Stone.
LUKE COMBS’ “BEER NEVER BROKE MY HEART TOUR”
January 31—Birmingham, AL—Legacy Arena at the BJCC*
February 1—Huntington, WV—Big Sandy Superstore Arena*
February 2—Greensboro, NC—Greensboro Coliseum Complex*
February 7—Wichita, KS—INTRUST Bank Arena*
February 8—North Little Rock, AR—Verizon Arena*
February 9—Baton Rouge, LA—Raising Cane’s River Center*
February 14—Greenville, SC—Bon Secours Wellness Arena*
February 15—Knoxville, TN—Thompson-Boling Arena*
February 16—Evansville, IN—Ford Center*
February 21—Hershey, PA—Giant Center*
February 22—Columbus, OH—Schottenstein Center*
February 23—Charlottesville, VA—John Paul Jones Arena*
February 28—New York, NY—Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom†
March 1—Bangor, ME—Cross Insurance Center*
March 2—Worcester, MA—DCU Center*
March 8—Tupelo, MS—BancorpSouth Arena*
March 9—Orange Beach, AL—Amphitheatre at The Wharf*
March 28—London, ON—Budweiser Garden*
March 29—Oshawa, ON—Tribute Communities Centre*
March 30—Kingston, Ontario—Leon’s Centre*
April 11—Duluth, MN—AMSOIL Arena*
April 12—Moline, IL—TaxSlayer Center*
April 13—Saginaw, MI—Dow Event Center*
April 25—Green Bay, WI—Resch Center*
April 26—La Crosse, WI—La Crosse Center*
May 10—Tulsa, OK—BOK Center*
May 11—Omaha, NE—CHI Health Center Omaha*
May 12—Morrison, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheater*
*with LANCO and Jameson Rodgers
†with Jameson Rodgers
MITCHELL TENPENNY’S “DRUNK ME” BLITZES TOP 20
Riser House/Columbia Nashville’s Mitchell Tenpenny first noticed his boozy “Drunk Me” felt different than the other songs he’d released independently while on the road earlier this year with Maren Morris. However, it wasn’t until this week when the single breached Top 20 at Country radio that it really clicked for the Nashville native who grew up playing in the hallways of some of the most esteemed Music Row houses under the watchful eye of his grandmother, industry veteran and first female CEO of Sony/ATV, Donna Hilley.
“Growing up around the business of the music industry, I remember thinking some days really inspire creativity and others can just take it right out of you. I think that’s why I write the way I do as the business is like songwriting: there’s beauty and pain, it just depends on your perspective,” reflects Tenpenny. “‘Drunk Me’ is an aberration, yet we’ve all been there. We’ve had fans tell us after performing it on the road that it’s helped them – and not just kept them from drunk dialing, but it’s helped them grieve and connect in a way we never expected the song to do, so in that way, this being our first Top 20 is really special as it’s taken on different meanings with so many people.”
It’s that unique perspective that has Billboard predicting Tenpenny’s breakout success in 2018, noting, “Whether it’s the desperation in ‘Drunk Me,’ the acidic revenge in ‘Bitches’ or the lack of self-control in ‘Alcohol You Later,’ he approaches a microphone with a biting ferocity,” and has Taste of Country opining, “Tenpenny doesn’t just write — he builds songs.”
Tenpenny wrote 56 songs for his first full album expected later this year, having since narrowed it down to what will become his first major label release. He adds, “I’m so humbled to be in this position – I know the work that goes into even getting a song played on the radio, so to be Top 20 on our first single, and to have the fans requesting it like they are, is so special. I’ve waited my whole life for his moment. Thank you for giving ‘Drunk Me’ a shot!”
For more information, visit mitchelltenpenny.com.
DOLLY PARTON TO BE HONORED AS 2019 MUSICARES PERSON OF THE YEAR
Parton will be the first artist from the Nashville music community to be honored by MusiCares. She is being recognized as the 2019 MusiCares Person of the Year for her considerable creative accomplishments and her longtime support of a number of causes through her Dollywood Foundation, including the Imagination Library, which, since 1996, has provided more than 100 million books to children from birth to 5 years of age in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the U.K.”Dolly Parton has always been and continues to be a courageous trailblazer and indomitable inspiration for creators and artists—so for us to have the opportunity to honor her at our annual MusiCares Person of the Year gala is to pay tribute to a true pillar of strength and someone who we all look up to and cherish,” said Portnow. “With her legendary talent, she has forged a career that spans decades, and her gifts as a performer resound on both stage and screen. Dolly also knows the power of philanthropy and she has used her stardom to contribute to a wide range of causes from natural disasters to education and literacy programs.”“I am so excited and humbled to be honored as MusiCares Person of the Year,” said Parton. “It’s even more special knowing the gala benefits music people in need. I can’t wait to hear all of the great artists singing my music.”
Remarks Parton’s manager Danny Nozell, CEO, CTK Management, “I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving to be the first MusiCares Person of the Year representing the Nashville music community. It’s been a privilege to witness her generous heart firsthand for the last 14 years.”
“With each passing year, the goal of MusiCares remains clear: to do more and serve more music people in need,” said Michael McDonald, MusiCares’ Board Chair. “Over the course of our last fiscal year, we provided more than $6.4 million to more than 8,500 members of the music industry—the largest number of clients served and dollars distributed in a single year in our charity’s history. We are confident that our 2019 Person of the Year tribute to Dolly Parton will help us raise the funds that sustain and expand our mission.”
The MusiCares Person of the Year tribute ceremony is one of the most prestigious events held during GRAMMY Week. The Person of the Year gala will begin with a reception and silent auction offering an exclusive and unparalleled selection of luxury items, VIP experiences, and one-of-a-kind celebrity memorabilia for bidding guests. The reception and silent auction will be followed by a gala dinner sponsored by AEG; a live auction; a tribute concert featuring renowned musicians and other artists; and the award presentation.
For more information, visit www.musicares.org, “like” MusiCares on Facebook, and follow @MusiCares on Twitter and Instagram.
KANE BROWN ANNOUNCED AS NEW ERA CAP AMBASSADOR FOR 2018 NFL SEASON
“This year, New Era sought a diverse group of athletes and artists to represent our 2018 NFL product collection,” said Ryan DiNunzio, Director of Football for New Era Cap. “This group pushes boundaries both on and off the football field aligning with our continued efforts to push the boundaries of sports and style with every NFL cap we create.”
This year’s ambassador line-up features familiar names including Dak Prescott and Sterling Shepard, who New Era worked with last year. Prescott and Shepard have continued to showcase their professionalism both on and off the field, making them ideal ambassadors for New Era Football. The company has also added Jimmy Garoppolo, JuJu Smith Schuster and Jamal Adams, three young players who are energizing the fan bases in their respective markets. For the first time ever, New Era has partnered with a country music artist for an NFL campaign, Kane Brown. A record-breaking multi-platinum country artist, Brown is a rising star who is also an avid fan of the NFL and New Era. Rounding out this year’s ambassador group is Victoria Brito, a model who embraces inclusion and diversity, core pillars of the New Era brand.
The campaign kicked off with the introduction of the 2018 Sideline Collection which features caps for both home and away games. Creative can be seen in-store at headwear and sporting goods retailers globally. Furthermore, original video content featuring the ambassadors will be released throughout the season. This content will be showcased on New Era’s social channels and ecommerce site. To learn more about New EraCap’s ambassadors, please visit https://www.neweracap.com/ambassadors.
The announcement is the latest news as Brown works to complete the highly-anticipated follow-up to his multi-week #1 Platinum-certified debut album. Kane Brown holds 2018’s longest reign on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart with 10 weeks at #1 and has hit a total of 12 weeks at #1. Already Top 20 and rising on Billboard and Mediabase Country Airplay charts and Nielson’s Country Core On-Demand Audio and Video Streaming charts, Brown’s first single off the new project, “Lose It,” continues to gain momentum and critical-praise, with the New York Times calling it “urgent and saucy…broad-spectrum ecstasy.” Additionally, Brown’s “Lose It” is spotlighted in Amazon Music’s brand-new advertising campaign, A Voice is All You Need. The ads highlight the powerful vocals of notable songs by Brown and superstars Ariana Grande, Kendrick Lamar, SZA and Queen while demonstrating the simplicity of voice with Alexa. See the animated video for “Lose It” HERE.
Brown first topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with the release of his self-titled debut album (2016) and Kane Brown Deluxe Edition (2017), which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and Top 5 on Billboard 200 Charts. Brown made history as the first-ever artist to top all five Billboard Country Charts with his breakthrough #1 Top Country Album; #1 debuting Country Digital Song, the Double-Platinum “Heaven”; and #1 Country Airplay, Hot Country Song and Country Streaming Song, the Triple-Platinum “What Ifs.” To date, Kane Brown remains the best new artist country debut of the past four and a half years and is available HERE.
RYAN HURD RELEASES NEW SONG, “TO A T”
With more than 90 million career streams worldwide, the appetite for new music from breakout artist/songwriter Ryan Hurd is ferocious. He delivers Friday, Aug. 31 with the perfect fit in “To A T.” The song captures Hurd’s trademark powerful lyrics and melodies woven around a sexy, imploring vocal. “To A T” is available to stream and download HERE.
The song has caught the attention of men’s lifestyle playbook, Esquire Instagram Live, which will feature a live performance of the song by the RCA Nashville artist at noon/ET on Friday, Aug. 31.
Esquire isn’t the only media gatekeeper paying attention to the Kalamazoo, MI native. Hurd was named an “Artist To Watch” by VEVO, Pandora, CMT, Huffington Post and Rolling Stone Country, which lauded him for “generating major buzz” and “making waves online.”
The praise is earned. Hurd is one of Nashville’s most multi-dimensional young songwriters. He has had co-pen credits on some of the format’s biggest chart-topping hits including “Lonely Tonight” (Blake Shelton), “You Look Good” (Lady Antebellum), and “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset” (Luke Bryan). Now with the release of his own music, fans are discovering the fuel that drives Hurd is often love with all its avatars.
Prolific in the writing room, studio, and via social media, Hurd released his self-titled debut EP in 2017 which featured “Love In A Bar,” “We Do Us,” “City Girl” and “Hold You Back,” each track released over a four-month period. Attracting fans eager to embrace the soulful country artist’s new sound, his EP to date has garnered over 11 million streams.
In March, Hurd released “Diamonds Or Twine” as a present for his then soon-to-be wife Maren Morris after secretly recording the track with his long-time producer Aaron Essuis.
Hurd has been on the road with Thomas Rhett, Morris, and Florida Georgia Line. For more information on Ryan Hurd, visit RyanHurd.com.
SETH ENNIS RELEASES “CALL YOUR MAMA” FEATURING LITTLE BIG TOWN
The poignant track, written by Ennis and Michael Hardy, and produced by Ennis and Jordan Reynolds, features Grammy-winning country group, Little Big Town, whose stunning four-part harmonies add to Ennis’ emotional vocal delivery; the end result being a moving tribute that has already started a social media movement.
“Call Your Mama” was written late last year on Music Row and was inspired by a series of repetitive texts Ennis received from his mother when she wanted to speak to her son. Ennis and Hardy wrote the song in under 30 minutes, the fastest to-date he has ever completed a song.
“A couple weeks after I wrote it, I was in the U.K. opening for Little Big Town,” said Ennis. “My mom ended up coming overseas and surprising me at a show. So I decided to play the song, for the first time, and surprise her. Karen and Kimberly were listening backstage and the second I walked off stage they said that I had to play that song in my set for the rest of the tour. The response on the road was so amazing and special that I knew I had to cut the song and put it out.”
With Little Big Town being such a huge part of Ennis cutting the song, he asked the foursome to be a part of it, to which they quickly agreed. Vocals were captured at Blackbird Studio in Nashville a few weeks ago.
Fans are already sending Ennis hundreds of moving messages via social media about the power of the song and the impact it has made in their lives; many expressing how it has helped them to mend an argument, inspire communication, and simply love more.
“I 100% believe music can bring healing and move people in a way that nothing else can,” said Ennis. “I already see a movement happening with this song and that is so much bigger than me, and I’m just humbled to be a small part of it.”
RACHEL WAMMACK JOINS BRETT YOUNG’S “CMT ON TOUR’ CONCERT SERIES
Rachel Wammack and Tyler Rich have been tapped as a special guest to Brett Young when he bring his “crowd-pleasing” set to fans across the country this fall with CMT ON TOUR: HERE TONIGHT. Tickets for CMT ON TOUR: HERE TONIGHT go on sale in select markets Friday, August 24 at 10:00AM local time via www.BrettYoungMusic.com. Additional markets will be announced in the coming weeks.
“This tour has got me pumped already,” said Young. “We teamed up with CMT to name it after a new song I’ve been working on. It’s all about losing track of time because you’re so wrapped up in the moment. That’s what I want it to be all about out with the fans each night, and Rachel and Tyler are going to be a great way to get it started.”
First Announced CMT ON TOUR: HERE TONIGHT 2018 Dates:
11.16 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Theatre
11.17 – Northfield, OH – Hard Rock Live Northfield Park
11.18 – Saint Louis, MO – The Pageant
11.29 – Charlotte, NC – The Fillmore Charlotte
11.30 – Columbia, SC – Township Auditorium
12.1 – North Myrtle Beach, SC – House of Blues
12.2 – Lake Buena Vista, FL – House of Blues
12.6 – Albany, NY – Palace Theatre
12.9 – New York, NY – Playstation Theatre
12.14 – Atlanta, GA – Coca Cola Roxy Theatre
12.16 – Kansas City, MO – Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland
Rachel Wammack, a 24-year old native from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, describes her sound as the trifecta of Country, Soul and Adult Pop. Being influenced heavily from the rich music history of her hometown, Rachel had no choice but to be shaped and sharpened by the artistic gusto that comes when those sounds merge. Rachel honed her craft not only as vocalist, but as a songwriter. At the age of 12, Rachel wrote her first song. Throughout the following adolescent years, Rachel expressed her art in her songwriting, storytelling, playing in the High school band, and pursuing a degree in professional writing. At the age of 17 she was discovered by a Sony Music Nashville executive while Rachel was performing at a fine cuisine, piano restaurant in Muscle Shoals. Five years and many written songs later, Rachel would receive a record deal from Sony Music Nashville. In April 2018 Rachel released her self-titled, four song EP via the RCA Records Nashville imprint, giving her ever growing fan base a taste of the music that’s still to come. Wammack’s EP, which includes her newly-released debut single “Damage,” proves that the young singer/songwriter is standing at the starting line of what promises to be an exciting, self-fulfilling and stunning career. For additional information, visit RachelWammack.com
SONY NASHVILLE CLAIMS 9 NOMINATIONS FOR 2018 CMA AWARDS
Brad Paisley will co-host the 2018 CMA Awards which will air live on ABC on Wednesday, November 14, 7-10 pm CT/8-11 pm ET/PT.
Luke Bryan
Chris Stapleton
Kenny Chesney
Keith Urban
Female Vocalist of the Year
Miranda Lambert
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Kelsea Ballerini
Carrie Underwood
Male Vocalist of the Year
Dierks Bentley
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
New Artist of the Year
Lauren Alaina
Luke Combs
Chris Janson
Midland
Brett Young
Vocal Duo of the Year
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae
Sugarland
Single of the Year
“Broken Halos” Chris Stapleton
“Drinkin’ Problem” Midland
“Drowns The Whiskey” Jason Aldean/Miranda Lambert
“Meant To Be” Bebe Rexha/Florida Georgia Line
“Tequila” Dan + Shay
Album of the Year
Chris Stapleton, From A Room: Vol. 2
Kacey Musgraves, Golden Hour
Keith Urban, Graffiti U
Thomas Rhett, Life Changes
Dierks Bentley, The Mountain
Song of the Year
“Body Like A Back Road,” Sam Hunt
“Broken Halos,” Chris Stapleton
“Drowns The Whiskey,” Jason Aldean w/Miranda Lambert
“Drunk Girl,” Chris Janson
“Tequila,” Dan+Shay
Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
LANCO
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Musical Event of the Year
“Burning Man,” Dierks Bentley ft. Brothers Osborne
“Dear Hate,” Maren Morris ft. Vince Gill
“Drowns The Whiskey,” Jason Aldean ft. Miranda Lambert
“Everything’s Gonna Be Alright,” David Lee Murphy and Kenny Chesney
“Meant To Be,” Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line
Music Video of the Year
“Babe,” Sugarland ft. Taylor Swift
“Cry Pretty,” Carrie Underwood
“Drunk girl,” Chris Janson
“Marry Me,” Thomas Rhett
“Tequila,” Dan+Shay
Musician of the Year
Jerry Douglas – Dobro
Paul Franklin – Steel Guitar
Dann Huff – Guitar
Mac McAnally – Guitar
Derek Wells – Guitar