Author Archive: Sarah Skates
Sarah Skates has worked in the music business for more than a decade and is a longtime contributor to MusicRow.
Les Paul Bio
From Gibson Guitar: Born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9, 1915, Les Paul was already performing publicly as a honky-tonk guitarist by the age of 13. So clear was his calling that Paul dropped out of high school at 17 to play in Sunny Joe Wolverton’s Radio Band in St. Louis. As […]
Category: Featured
Photos: Music City Songwriters Make The Rounds
Songwriters Lisa McCallum, Steve Diamond, Kelley Lovelace and J. D. Souther traveled to Fallsview Casino Resort in Niagara Falls, Canada to perform in-the-round at an invitation-only event for the Casino’s top customers. Pictured are ASCAP’s Herky Williams, writers Lisa McCullum, Steve Diamond, ASCAP’s Pat Rolfe; Kelley Lovelace, J. D. Souther, and Fallsview VP of Marketing […]
Category: Featured, Publishing
Paisley, Chesney on “GMA,” And More
Brad Paisley—busy celebrating last week’s No. 1 country debut of his album American Saturday Night—will be the first country artist featured on the MySpace Music Feed. The exclusive interview, in which Paisley talks about his new project and the creative thread flowing through his family, is online now and viewable here. The album’s chart-topping first single, […]
Category: Artist, Featured, Sales/Marketing
Luminaries Set For Leadership Music Awards
Leadership Music will present the organization’s prestigious Dale Franklin Awards to legendary label executive Jim Foglesong, superstar artist Garth Brooks, and Brooks’ longtime producer Allen Reynolds during a gala fundraising dinner on Sunday, August 23 at Nashville’s Renaissance Hotel. Roy Clark, Cowboy Jack Clement, Crystal Gayle, Bruce Lundvall, Steve Wariner and Trisha Yearwood are Honorary […]
Category: Artist, Featured, Organizations
Twitter Bridges Fan/Artist Connection
Twitter is becoming an increasingly common way for artists to communicate with fans. Stoney Creek Records’ Megan Mullins has been using it and other popular social networking sites for her “Total Request Video” extravaganza. Keeping within the weekly theme (ex. classic country), fans log onto Mullins’ Facebook, MySpace or Twitter account and request a song. Each week, […]
Category: Artist, Featured, Sales/Marketing
Nashville Music Awards Noms End 7/15
Next Big Nashville and Leadership Music are working together to revive the Nashville Music Awards (NMA), which were originally produced by Leadership Music from 1995-2000. The NMAs recognize all genres of music, and celebrate the diversity and quality of artists and music professionals who call Nashville home. Winners of this year’s awards will be announced […]
Category: Featured, Organizations
Media Moguls At “Summer Camp”
Allen & Co., a New York-based investment bank, is hosting its annual conference of the top national entertainment and technology leaders in Sun Valley, Idaho this week. The brainstorming and socializing event, often described as “summer camp” for the media world, is closed to the press though some are attending as guests and others remain […]
Category: Featured, Sales/Marketing
MJ Memorial, MCN Fan Club Concerts, Much More
Almost 31 Million viewers tuned into Michael Jackson’s memorial service on Tuesday (7/7). It aired on 19 networks from approximately 1-4 p.m. By comparison, the most recent season finale of American Idol drew just under 29 million pairs of eyes. ————— Copyright Office fees for various services concerning the registration of claims are increasing starting […]
Category: Artist, Featured, Sales/Marketing
Cyrus, Swift Score Spots on Forbes’ Under 30 List
Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus ranked among Forbes’ new list of the top 12 highest-earning celebrities under 30. The powerful group, with an average age of 23, collectively pulled in $410 million between June 1, 2008 and June 1, 2009. Cyrus, 16, banked $25 million to tie for No. 7 along with the Jonas Brothers, […]
Category: Artist, Featured, Financial/Legal
Country Stars Align For Ft. Campbell Troops
Carrie Underwood, John Rich, Rodney Atkins and Jake Owen will perform Aug. 14-15 as part of nearby Ft. Campbell’s Week of the Eagles to welcome home troops from overseas deployment. The free event, celebrating the homecoming of the 101st Airborne Division “Screaming Eagles,” is open to the public. Week of the Eagles is held every […]
Underwood, Love And Theft, Randy Rogers Band
Love And Theft’s Brian Bandas, Eric Gunderson and Stephen Barker Liles recently spent the day shooting a video in Memphis for their debut single, “Runaway,” with director Kristin Barlowe. The day wasn’t without challenges—Liles had food poisoning, and the engine of the 1971 Mustang Mach 1 featured had to be rebuilt—but everything turned out okay. […]
