Jon Randall appears in...
Hal Ketchum Celebrates Release of ‘Father Time’
Esteemed troubadour Hal Ketchum celebrated the release of his new album, Father Time, Monday, September 15 amidst industry peers and fans in BMI's Nashville Writer/Publisher lobby. Ketchum recorded the ambitious labor of love live to two-track over two stacked days in the studio. Released on his longtime label home Curb Records, the album dropped Tuesday, September 16. Hal Ketchum grins…
Inaugural Amelia Island Songwriter Festival Claims Place in the Sun
The First Annual Amelia Island Songwriter Festival recently celebrated its inaugural installment in Fernandina Beach, Florida, August 27 through 31. The BMI-sponsored event offered an innovative mash-up of hit songwriter showcases, aspiring troubadour workshops, song contests and networking opportunities. Successful songwriter and author Jason Blume transplanted his invaluable workshop south, sharing encouragement and insight with songwriting hopefuls. In the Song of the Festival contest, honors went to…
First Annual Amelia Island Songwriter Festival Slated for August 27-31
The First Annual Amelia Island Songwriter Festival will drop anchor in Fernandina Beach, Florida, August 27-31. The BMI-sponsored event offers a unique combination of workshops, showcasing and networking opportunities for aspiring songwriters of all levels. Established Nashville hitmakers will also attend, performing their smashes at evening showcases on the island and offering invaluable insight during daily seminars led by songwriter and author Jason Blume. Favorite local venues…
Bill Anderson’s Career Comes Full Circle

The Bill Anderson math is hard to believe. He wrote his first hit song 50 years ago. It was a Ray Price hit called “City Lights,” and he wrote it when he was a disc jockey at a Georgia radio station. He had his first Top 10 record as a solo artist 47 years ago and he joined the Grand Ole Opry 46 years ago. And he…
Mission to ‘Change and Save Lives’ Front and Center at CITR XII
Country in the Rockies XII, the annual signature fund-raising event for the T.J. Martell Foundation's Nashville division brought music fans to Club Med in Crested Butte, Colo., for four days of mingling with artists and songwriters in one of the best winter sport settings in the Rocky Mountains. Proceeds from the event support innovative research at the Frances Williams Preston Laboratories, part of the Vanderbilt-Ingram…
BMI Writers Morgan, Shaver and Hart Join Nashville Hall of Fame
Career BMI songwriters Dennis Morgan, Billy Joe Shaver and Freddie Hart are the newest members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Morgan, Shaver and Hart, along with Guy Clark, were inducted November 7 during annual ceremonies hosted by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation at Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel in Nashville.
Country in the Rockies X: The Ultimate Backstage Pass
Country In the Rockies X lived up to its billing as "The Ultimate Backstage Pass," bringing legendary artists like Mel Tillis, Charlie Daniels and Kenny Loggins together with a new generation of singers and songwriters to make music and make money for cancer research. The event, chaired by BMI's Tom Annastas and Paul Corbin, is held at Club Med in Crested Butte, Colorado. …
