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Copyright 2023
Stacy's Music Row Report All Rights Reserved  

RONNIE McDOWELL, whose first band was called Patch, a nod to Ronnie's Portland, Tennessee roots (Portland being the Volunteer State's strawberry capital), is once again recording- and painting.

Ronnie's newest recording Easy to Love incorporates inspiration from FREDDIE HART's classic, Easy Loving, while LISA MARIE PRESLEY's passing was the inspiration for The King Is Gone singer to send PRISCILLA PRESLEY a painting depicting ELVIS PRESLEY'S daughter being welcomed in the heavenly simplicity of her father's boyhood home by Lisa Marie's departed loved ones: Elvis, Lisa Marie's paternal grandparents and her son, BENJAMIN KEOUGH.

BTW, Ronnie's nephew, JODY McDOWELL serves as Portland's current vice-mayor.
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Are you interested in receiving the producer's share of FRANKIE BALLARD's sound recording royalties from Ballard's last two recordings (i.e., Sunshine & Whiskey and El Rio?)

If so (realizing that streaming royalties account for 98% of the earnings with further stability of Ballard's catalog evinced by the virtually insignificant $63 difference between the three-year average and last year's royalties), make your best offer here.
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Column's sympathy to the family of my fellow JOHNNY CASH and CARTER FAMILY biographer, PEGGY KNIGHT.

Peggy passed away just five months short of what would have been her 80th birthday (on August 14, 2023).
          



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Column's thanks to MADI FLORENCE for inviting yours truly to join THE HAILS on April 15, 2023 at The Basement East. 

The occasion is a preview performance of the quintet's debut album featuring their latest single, Breathless.

... to
MELISSA MUNATO O'TOOLE for the invitation to attend the March 21, 2023 Stoned Cold Country album release party and panel conversation at Soho House.

(Follow a reception, panelists LAINEY WILSON, BROTHERS OSBORNE, ELVIE SHANE and the producer of "Nashville' love letter to the ROLLING STONES," ROBERT DEATON will discuss the 14-track project and their contributions to it.  Other artists featured on the tribute album include ASHLEY McBRIDE, BROOKS & DUNN, MAREN MORRIS, THE WAR AND TREATY, JIMMIE ALLEN MARCUS KING, LITTLE BIG TOWN, ZAC BROWN BAND, STEVE EARLE, ERIC CHURCH and KOE WETZEL.)


... to Grammy-winning mu
sic producer DENNIS SCOTT for inviting yours truly to attend a "private media/industry in-person event in Nashville" on March 20, 2023 featuring "musical performances by TEEA GOANS, PARKER HASTINGS and GARY JANNEY."

... and to JENNIFER GROSS for the invite to the March 14, 2023 launch of ADELE BERTELE's latest book, Twist: An American Girl at Skylight Books.     
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From the emailbag (and used with permission), RAY MATERNICK writes
: "Hi, STACY.

"I happened upon your name by googling Music Journalists in Nashville.

"I have an incredible story lead for you.  On 17 March, an artist by the name of ANDREW NEIL will be opening for the RAELYN NELSON BAND at the GLEN CAMPBELL Museum, Rhinestone Stage....

"In a town filled with so much music, you might be wondering why this is so special.  Andrew Neil is a... unique artist who has been compared to DANIEL JOHNSTON and ROKY ERICKSON in many ways.  He is considered an 'outsider artist' and is included on Ranker's list of Beat Outsider Music Artists. In fact, he is listed among the top five.

"Here is some background: Andrew began writing songs out of nowhere after sustaining a bad head injury in a car accident in the Spring of 2009.  Since then, he has written nearly 450 songs, in multiple genres... He taught himself to play keys and guitar by writing songs and has never played a cover.  This is what makes him unique among self-taught musicians.

"To this day, Andrew Neil does not know even the most basic chord shapes.  He has made up his own shapes on the fretboard.  
 
"Since the accident in 2009, Andrew has battled with mental illness issues.  He was in and out of hospitals where he had brief stays.  Unfortunately, the treatment and help were not consistent.  He basically became a recluse in our basement, writing songs and poetry.

"In July 2013, Andrew had a very bad psychotic episode and stabbed his younger brother through the arm.  The State of Virginia charged Andrew with felony malicious wounding

"His brother healed quickly, and no major damage was done to his arm.  However, the State pressed charges despite our pleas to get Andrew help instead of jail.

"Andrew was tossed in a cell in the Central Virginia Regional County Jail, where he remained for 7+ months until he was found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGRI) and committed to the Virginia State Hospital system. 

"Andrew remained at Western State Hospital for three years, until he was conditionally released in May 2017.  He finally got the help he so desperately needed.  Following his release, he lived in group homes for three years.  
 
"While he was hospitalized, he continued writing songs.  He recorded them on a cheap battery powered recorder in his room.  When he got out, he wanted to share his music and his story, so we decided to put together an album containing a selection of songs he had written and recorded while hospitalized.  We chose 11 songs and released them, just the way he recorded them, in an album called Code Purple.  Turns out, this is the only complete album ever produced in which all the songs were written and recorded in a state mental hospital.   

 
After Code Purple was released in the Fall of 2017, Andrew began working with music producer ANDY WALDECK, and his first studio album Merry Go Round was recorded and released in 2018.  This was followed up by an album called Freak in 2019. 

"During the recording process of Freak, Andrew was diagnosed with a very aggressive non-Hodgkins Lymphoma Cancer.  Andrew completed the album in between chemo treatments. A member of the Recording Academy, WILL STENNER, heard about Andrew's story and the album and submitted it for "Grammy Consideration" for best alternative album.  Unfortunately, it was not nominated, but it was cool nonetheless to be considered.  
 
"In 2021 and 2022, Andrew released two more albums, Sunny Side and Alien respectively.   
 
"Raelyn Nelson heard about Andrew's story and agreed to have Andrew Neil open for her at one of her concerts.  Originally it was to be in Hershey, Pennsylvania, but that concert was canceled due to various reasons. 

"So, her manager contacted us and asked is Nashville would be ok.  So....on 17 March we are heading down to Nashville to open for the Raelyn Nelson Band at the Glen Campbell Museum. 
 
"Here is a recent article written about Andrew.
 
 "Andrew recently formed a band just for this event.  The band has not been named yet." 




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It might be a first for an aspiring country-music recording artist, but Minnesotans, or others prepared to make a cross-country or cross-continent  trip, as the case may be, to Paisley Park, have the opportunity to record (Thursdays only) in Studio C.  That's just a part of The Ultimate Experience, a package deal available for $160 awaiting those touring the PRINCE estate's Chanhassen museum.  

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Column's sympathy to
RAY PILLOW, Ray's wife, JOANNE, their daughter, SELENA and son, DARYL PILLOW, on the passing of Ray and Joanne's son and Selena and Daryl's brother, RONNIE DALE PILLOW.   
 
Condolences also to Ronnie's widow, JULIE, the couple's three children and all who mourn Ronnie who died while in hospice at age 64.

The family indicates a Celebration of Life is being planned in Ronnie's memory.


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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.

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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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