Best legislation ever
In a Republican-controlled state assembly,
Tennessee Democrats drafted a bill to
discourage sexual harassment in the music
industry. In the wake of singer Austin Rick’s
recent disclosure of alleged abuse by a
prominent Nashville promoter, and singer-
songwriter Katie Armiger’s claim of sexual
harassment as a teenage contractee with
Cold River Records, state Senators Brenda
Gilmore and Jeff Yarbro, both of Nashville,
filed legislation to thwart regulatory restrictions
on contractees, keeping them from suing over
sexual misconduct. That bill, slated for a mid-
March hearing, would expand the current state
law that permits only employees of a company
to file such lawsuits. Artists work in the industry
on a contract basis.
After Armiger spoke out about being
harassed since age 15, while on promotional
visits to country radio stations by some DJs
and program directors, Cold River filed a
breach of contract suit against their artist.
Now encouraged by the #MeToo Movement
that took wing last fall, she and others are
lashing out against such good ol’ boy gestures.
Armiger, now 26, recalled as a teen being
informed by her label she should dress sexy
and be nice to radio staffers, because that’s
how it’s done to get your record played and
charted. In 2013, Katie scored finally with a
Top 10 album Fall Into Me, but failed to garner
higher than Top 40 on singles warranting better
airplay, notably Best Song Ever, Scream and
Better In A Black Dress.
She was told by label staffers the way things
were out in la la land: “It was typical to do a
show, go out to dinner, go out somewhere
afterwards and be like, ‘Hey, this person drinks
a lot, watch out!’ or if they do touch you or do
proposition you, you’re just supposed to laugh
it off” but, of course, pick up the check.”
Yarbro has high hopes their bill will pass,
as it shouldn’t be viewed as a partisan
problem, revealing Republican Sen. Mark
Green has agreed to sign on as co-sponsor.
Gilmore added, “It’s time for us to stop
blaming the victim and start taking the issue
seriously.”
ACM nominees
Chris Stapleton led the list of Academy of Country Music award nominees, SONGWRITER - Rhett
announced March 1st, with eight nods, including Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Akins, Ashley Gorley, Hillary
Album, Single, and Song of the Year. Hot on his heels are Thomas Rhett with six Lindsey, Shane McAnally
nominations, Keith Urban and Shane McAnally with five, followed by female artists and Josh Osborne. NEW
Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris, each with four. FEMALE SINGER - Lauren
So here’s the list: ENTERTAINER - Stapleton, Urban, Jason Aldean, Garth
Descrimination?
We were stunned to see, via his Feb. 26
Tweet, that rising star Kane Brown, 24,
was experiencing alleged discrimination
from some Nashville songwriters. Hard
to believe, since Brown is currently
enjoying recognition, thanks to his RCA
#1 self-titled album, a #1 duet What Ifs
with Lauren Alaina, and his Top Five solo
single Heaven. His Tweet groused, “Damn,
some people in Nashville, who have
pub(lishing) deals, won’t write with me
because I’m black! Aight... I’m still gonna
do my thing 100 (percent)!” Incidentally,
the Tweet has since been removed.
Two years back, the biracial singer-
songwriter signed with SonyMusic, and
soon became a social media sensation,
sporting millions of followers. Since that
time, he co-wrote with such writers as
Allen Shambling, Tom Douglas and Jordan
Schmidt.
Alaina, Danielle Bradbery,
Brooks and Luke Bryan; FEMALE VOCALIST - Lambert, Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce, and Raelynn;
Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood; MALE VOCALIST - Aldean, Rhett, NEW MALE SINGER - Kane
Stapleton, Urban and Chris Young; VOCAL DUO - Brothers Osborne, Dan+Shay, Brown, Luke Combs, Devin
Flori da Georgia Line, LoCASH, Faith Hill & Tim McGraw; Vocal Group - Lady Dawson, Russell Dickerson,
Antebellum, LANCO, Little Big Town, Midland and Old Dominion. BEST ALBUM Brett Young; NEW DUO
nominees - Breaker, Little Big Town; California Sunrise, Jon Pardi; From A Room OR GROUP - High Valley, LANCO, LoCASH, Midland, and Runaway June. Vying
Vol. 1, Stapleton; Happy Endings, Old Dominion; Life Changes, Rhett; Single - Better for BEST VIDEO are Black, Dierks Bentley; It Ain’t My Fault, Brothers Osborne;
Man, Little Big Town; Body Like A Back Road, Sam Hunt; Broken Halos, Stapleton; Legends, Kelsea Ballerini; Marry Me, Thomas Rhett; We Should Be Friends, Miranda
Drinkin’ Problem, Midland; I’ll Name The Dogs, Blake Shelton; BEST SONG - Body Lambert. TOP VOCAL EVENT - Craving You, Thomas Rhett and Maren Morris’ Dear
Like A Back Road, by Sam Hunt, songwriters Hunt, Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally, Hate, Maren Morris and Vince Gill; Funny (How Time Slips Away), Glen Campbell
Josh Osborne; Female, Urban, songwriters Ross Copperman, Nicolle Galon and and Willie Nelson; The Fighter, Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood; What Ifs, Kane
Shane McAnally; Tin Man, Lambert, writers Lambert, Jack Ingram, Jon Randall; Brown and Lauren Alaina. Hosting the ACM awards gala, April 15 in Las Vegas, will
Whiskey And You, Stapleton, writers Stapleton and Lee Thomas Miller. BEST be Reba McEntire (above) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, telecast live on CBS.
APRIL 2018 - cmp 5