Artist Updates: Carrie Underwood Welcomes Child, YouTube Music Awards, James Carothers

Photo courtesy of Carrie Underwood/Instagram

Carrie Underwood and husband Mike Fisher welcomed their first child, son Isaiah Michael Fisher, on Friday, Feb. 27.

Underwood shared the news via Instagram, with the caption, “Tiny hands and tiny feet … God has blessed us with an amazing gift! Isaiah Michael Fisher – born on February 27. Welcome to the world, sweet angel!” 

The baby’s gender was revealed onstage during the 2014 CMA Awards by Underwood’s co-host Brad Paisley.

Underwood has been married for nearly five years to professional hockey player Mike Fisher.

She has also announced a clothing line with Calia that will release soon, and earned a Grammy Award earlier this year for Best Country Solo Performance for “Something In The Water.”

• • •

Brad Paisley, Florida Georgia Line, Hunter Hayes, and Meghan Trainor are among the winners at the 2015 YouTube Music Awards, alongside others from various musical genres. Together, the 50 artists have been viewed more than 47 billion times, and have 164 million subscribers. The winners were selected based on growth in views, subscribers and engagement over the past six months on YouTube.

• • •

Renegade Mountain Records’ James Carothers kicked off his first Country Radio Seminar last week by hosting a full Southern breakfast performance at Puckett’s. He performed three songs, including single, “I Must Be Alive,” and entertained the audience of broadcasters and press with stories and impersonations of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson.

Standing: MusicRow CountryBreakout Reporter of the Year Ryan McCall (WGLR), Dr. Dave (KDKD), Mike Thomas (KFAV). Seated: James Carothers and Dave Stanford (WDHR)

• • •

Rick Hall, known as the “Father of the Muscle Shoals Sound,” the man behind classics including Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally,” Aretha Franklin’s “I Ain’t Never Loved A Man,” and Alicia Keys’ “Pressin’ On,” will share his stories from working with legendary artists at Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala.

Hall has produced more than 300 pop chart singles, including more than 40 Gold and Platinum records.

His new tell-all memoir, The Man From Muscle Shoals, will be released March 17 (Heritage Builder Publishing), with a foreword by music historian Peter Guralnick. The book comes with the bonus DVD of the Grammy award-winning Muscle Shoals.

• • •

Kent Finlay

Kent Finlay, longtime owner of Cheatham Street Warehouse, the San Marcos, Texas venue that was a breeding ground for numerous artists died early morning Monday, March 2 at home in Martindale, Texas. He was 77.

He was a lifelong champion of songwriters and a musician himself. Among those who performed at his establishment were George Strait, Randy Rogers Band, Todd Snider, James McMurtry, Bruce Robison, Hal Ketchum, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt.

“Country music-and just music in general really-lost a great friend today,” said George Strait via a statement. “His legend will live forever in Texas, though. We’ll never forget our friend Kent Finlay. Sad day.”

Finlay is survived by family members including daughter Jenni Finlay, a music manager and marketer.

• • •

Ed Sheeran X Signature Edition Guitar by C.F. Martin Guitar Co.

C.F. Martin & Co. has teamed again with Ed Sheeran, this time for another Signature Artist Edition guitar from the Martin Custom Shop, the Ed Sheeran X Signature Edition.

In 2013, Martin Guitar and Sheeran released the LX1E Ed Sheeran Signature Edition. The latest model is available for pre-order.