musicrowreport

GRAYSON HAVER CURRIN is first to identify the non-family member who was present at the time of NAOMI JUDD's death as "a mediator who has worked with the entire Judd family for more than a decade." (Currin does not disclose the mediator's name nor whether the mediator is Rule 31 certified.)

Could be that the mystery mediator is TED KLONTZ. (Vulnerable entertainers, in general, and desperate country-music artists in particular, are drawn to gurus with credentials, like diploma mills, that may be claimed by anyone in the largely unregulated coaching industry who wants to put up a shingle and has the ability to convince a number of big names to fork over their dough). Regardless, interesting enough, WYNONNA JUDD told Recovery Living Magazine, prior to her mother's suicide, that "In my family, I tended to be the mediator, and carry the load, physically with the weight, and emotionally.

"I felt very responsible for my mom and sister.

"So we're all in this process and Ted facilitates a lot of it."

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From the "how quickly they forget" department: Writing about renovation of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop's flagship location, DREW HUTCHINSON quotes BRAD BARS as saying that "It's 'unlikely' that the honky-tonk will be celebrity-branded."

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Thanks to LIBBIE COFFEY for the invitation to join JARED JAMES NICHOLS at Gibson Garage on January 12, 2023.

The occasion is a party celebrating the release of Nichols' self-titled album.

DR. TAYLOR HAGOOD's book, Stringbean: The Life and Murder of a Country Music Legend is now available for preorder here.

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Thanks to Grandstand Media's KATIE NELSON, SARAH HABERFELD and DEVIN VELEZ for invitations to attend several January and February 2023 events.

Grandstand Media is expanding its Big Apple and Los Angeles presence, having kicked off the New Year in Nashville with ARCHERS OF LOAF's January 15, 2003 appearance at Basement East , followed a week to the day later by BONNY DUNE's performance at the Blue Room at Third Man Records.

On February 7, 2023 GUNNAR appears at Basement East , while Grimey's hosts a same-day book event featuring music executive/print and broadcast journalist-turned-author NABIL AYERS.

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Thanks to DOUG HALL for the offer to add me to the guest list for SAM PALLADIO's January 26, 2023 evening performance at the Blue Room at Third Man Records.

... and to LIBBIE COFFEY for the invitation to join other community leaders at Gibson Garage on January 26, 2023 for a morning announcement of Gibson Gives' TEMPO (Training and Empowering Musicians to Prevent Overdose) Program's sponsorship of Onebox. In alliance with the Metropolitan Nashville's Police Department, Tempo's partnership of 12 music industry-related non-profits across the United States will be visible in Music City thanks to the placement of these emergency response kits in more than 72 Metro Nashville live music venues.

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NFOCUS prides itself on being the favorite monthly magazine of Nashville's rich and famous, like the rest of the city's elite only relatively-recently acknowledging the Music Row community.

The publication's January, 2023 30th anniversary edition includes a captioned photo of Mr. and Mrs. JOHN CARTER CASH, however the embarrassing cutline refers to the couple as "John and Christina Carter Cash."

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TRACE ADKINS claims his casting, leading to a starring role in the since-canceled Monarch television series (that debuted September 11, 2022) began with an out-of-the-blue phone call from "somebody" that interested Trace enough to agree to a Zoom audition.

Adkins tells MICHAEL MALONE "Two weeks later I was on the set. It happened very quickly- there wasn't a lot of time to think about it too much."

Opinions differ as to why the series didn't last beyond a single season, but chemistry between Adkins and co-star SUSAN SARANDON wasn't instantaneous. Far from getting "a chance to know each other," Trace says he and Susan were "thrown into the fire together.

"I was very nervous going in, of course, working with a legend like Susan Sarandon. I was terrified.

"But I quickly realized that it's the easiest acting gig I ever had" because Sarandon is "such a pro." Trace says Susan did "all the heavy lifting," meaning Adkins' only remaining responsibility was "to hang on."

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Thanks to LIBBIE COFFEY for the invitation to join JARED JAMES NICHOLS at Gibson Garage on January 12, 2023.

The occasion is a party celebrating the release of Nichols' self-titled album.

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When most younger country-music fans think of THE HIGHWAYMEN, it's the quartet of JOHNNY CASH, WILLIE NELSON, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON and WAYLON JENNINGS that comes to mind rather than the famed '60s folk quintet of the same name.

That caused a problem for the famous folkies who sued Cash, Nelson, Kristofferson and Jennings.

However, the suit was dropped when the two groups came to an agreement: Though the folk group owned the name, it would provide Johnny, Willie, Kris and Waylon a nonexclusive, nontransferable license to continue use of its name.

Was the compromise amicable? Well, the two groups thought it in their best interests not only to make the terms of their settlement public, they went one better sharing the stage for "one night only" at a 1990 Hollywood concert.

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Didja know that JERRY LEE LEWIS' contract with promoters included a rider requiring a piano in Lewis' hotel room?

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