Country
Kris Kristofferson to be Honored as Icon at 57th Annual BMI Country Awards

Kris Kristofferson will be honored as a BMI Icon at the 57th annual BMI Country Awards, the oldest awards saluting country's top music makers. Slated for Tuesday, November 10 at BMI's Music Row offices in Nashville, the black-tie, invitation-only gala will also celebrate the songwriters of the past year's most-performed country songs from the extensive BMI catalog. The Icon designation is given to BMI songwriters and artists…
Legends Toast Hank Cochran at BMI

Living legends gathered to salute iconic songwriter Hank Cochran Monday, June 15 at BMI’s Music Row offices. Merle Haggard, Bobby Bare, Dean Dillon, Jamey Johnson, Lee Ann Womack, Gene Watson, Red Lane, and Whitey Shafer took turns delivering acoustic versions of Hank Cochran classics, while guests including Elvis Costello, Cowboy Jack Clement,…
Iconic Musician, Producer Barry Beckett Dies
Legendary pianist, producer, and songwriter Barry Beckett died Wednesday, June 10, in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He was 66. An architect of the profoundly influential Muscle Shoals sound crafted in Fame studios, Beckett first made his mark in Alabama. His unmistakable keys-playing can be heard on classics including James and Bobby Purify’s “I’m Your Puppet,” Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman,”…
2009 Inductees Announced for Musicians Hall of Fame

The 2009 inductees into the Musicians Hall of Fame include a slew of BMI legends: Chet Atkins, Fred Foster, Charlie Daniels, Billy Cox, and band TOTO will all become members of the prestigious club that already includes Booker T. & The MGs, The Crickets, Duane Eddy, Al Kooper, The Memphis Horns, The…
Justin Townes Earle Leads BMI Nominees for 2009 AMA Honors and Awards

Roots music enthusiasts, industry executives, and artists gathered on BMI’s Music Row rooftop Wednesday, May 20 as mandolin virtuoso Sam Bush and the Belleville Outfit’s Phoebe Hunt announced the nominees for the 2009 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards. Justin Townes Earle received three nods, including album of the year for Midnight at the Movies, as well as artist and emerging…
Key West Fest Enjoys Record-Setting Year

The 14th Annual Key West Songwriters Festival invaded the Florida hotspot April 29 through May 3. Presented by Better Angels Music and benefiting the Muzak Heart & Soul Foundation, the industry- and fan-favorite launched another year of songs in the sun Wednesday, April 29 with BMI’s kick-off party at La Concha Hotel, which was followed by a slew of intimate songwriter showcases and Key West-only moments. This year's lineup boasted…
2009 Kauai Music Festival Slated for July 29 - August 1
The Kauai Music Festival will celebrate the art of songwriting Wednesday, July 29 through Saturday, August 1, 2009 in Kauai, Hawaii. BMI is a charter sponsor of the event, which is designed to encourage and inform aspiring troubadours. Award-winning songwriters, producers, and industry heavy hitters offer one-on-one advice, intimate educational seminars, and unique networking opportunities in Kauai’s paradisiacal setting. Creators and executives slated to attend the 2009 festival include producer-songwriter…
Taylor Swift’s Fearless Ascension

Country music’s newest contribution to the crowded mainstream has succeeded in surpassing the industry’s previous expectations and perhaps even dreams: At 19 years old, Taylor Swift is coolly staring down superstardom. 2008’s best-selling artist in the United States, Swift enchanted critics and fans alike with her eponymous debut: The New York Times called it a “small masterpiece of pop-minded country,” and in a year of flagging record…
Carrie Underwood, Taylor Swift Earn Top Honors at 2009 ACM Awards
Carrie Underwood made history at the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards, as she became the seventh female in the organization’s history to take home the coveted entertainer of the year trophy. Underwood joins exclusive ranks featuring Shania Twain, Barbara Mandrell, the Dixie Chicks, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, and Reba McEntire,…
Jace Everett Reaps Good Fueled by ‘Bad Things’

For one week in 2006, Jace Everett’s “Bad Things” was downloaded for free by about 210,000 iTunes users – and one of them just happened to be Six Feet Under creator Alan Ball. Country radio ignored the single but Ball ultimately resurrected the spooky-but-sexy song to play under the opening credits of his HBO vampire drama, True Blood. “He just fell in love with it,” Everett says.…
