Industry Ink: Carrie Underwood, Vibe Entertainment, Southern Halo, MV2 Entertainment

Carrie Underwood Celebrates Sold-Out Show At Madison Square Garden

Pictured (L-R): Sony Music Entertainment executives Darren Stupak, EVP/GM, Sales; Steve Hodges, EVP, Promotion & Artist Development, Nashville; Dennis Kooker, President, Global Digital Business and U.S. Sales; Julie Swidler, EVP, Business Affairs/General Counsel; Richard Story, President, Commercial Music Group; 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville’s Carrie Underwood; Randy Goodman, Chairman/CEO, Sony Music Nashville; and Sony Music Entertainment’s Jason Iley, Chairman/CEO, Sony Music, U.K.; Lynn Hazan, GM/CFO, Epic Records; Ken Robold, EVP/COO, Nashville; Anne Molignano, SVP, HR, U.S.; and Jim Catino, VP, A&R, Nashville. Photo: Matthew Sperling

Carrie Underwood and the Sony Music team celebrated a sold-out show in front of more than 18,000 fans at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 25.

Underwood’s The Storyteller Tour-Stories In The Round has boasted 800,000 attendees so far this year.

Next week, Underwood returns to Nashville to co-host The 50th Annual CMA Awards with Brad Paisley as they return for the ninth consecutive year. Underwood has garnered her first nomination for the coveted CMA Entertainer of the Year award, as well as nominations for Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Storyteller, and Musical Event of the Year with Keith Urban for “The Fighter.”

Vibe Entertainment Group Launches

Randy Alan Shaffer, former Digital Marketing Manager for Streamsound Records, and Nicole Nehrbas, former Promotion Coordinator for Wheelhouse / Red Bow Records, have launched Vibe Entertainment Group.

The company will provide video production, digital design services, and content marketing. Shaffer will serve as lead videographer and director, and was recently nominated for Videographer of the Year by The Nashville Universe. Nehrbas is the co-owner and business manager.

Nehrbas can be reached at nicole@vibenashville.com.

Shaffer can be reached at randy@vibenashville.com.

Southern Halo Teams With Vietti Vinyl Family

Hannah, Natalia and Christina Morris.
Photo: Pete Horne

Country trio Southern Halo has joined the Vietti Vinyl Family in celebrating National Chili Month, by being featured on labels of 30-ounce cans of the brand’s Chili With Beans.

“We are beyond excited,” exclaims Natalia, the group’s spokesperson. “We love autumn and nothing goes better with football, hay rides and bonfires than Vietti Chili.”

Southern Halo includes Mississippi-born sisters Natalia, Christina and Hannah Morris. Natalia is the principal songwriter, guitarist and lead vocalist, while Christina plays drums. Younger sister Hannah is the group’s bassist. They recorded their first EP with Alabama‘s Jeff Cook, and their fall 2015 CD, Southern Halo, with SESAC’s 2012 Writer of the Year Catt Gravitt (Kelly Clarkson, Jake Owen) and Gerald O’Brien (writer of hits for Martina McBride, Trace Adkins) at the helm.

MV2 Entertainment Adds Digital Marketing Manager

Rebekah Haynes

MV2 Entertainment has expanded with the addition of Rebekah Haynes as Digital Marketing Manager.

“We are grateful to have Rebekah as our Digital Marketing Manager at MV2,” said MV2 GM Tony Harrell. “She is a bright young professional that brings new concepts to represent our artists and writers.”

Haynes is a California native, who relocated to Nashville to pursue her passion working in the country music industry. She attended San Diego State University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Television, Film and New Media. Rebekah previously worked as a Marketing Representative for Universal Music Group for two years. She also led the marketing team for Republic Records’ multi­-platinum selling band DNCE, led by frontman Joe Jonas.