ASCAP recently held its April Board of Directors meeting in Nashville. Pictured (L-R): Craig Wiseman, Owner, Big Loud Shirt Industries; Kathy Spanberger, Pres./COO peermusic; Todd Brabec, Exec. VP ASCAP; and ASCAP Sr. VP Connie Bradley. Photo: Jessica Tompkins

Troy Tomlinson has re-upped his agreement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, extending his position as President/CEO of Sony/ATV Nashville. The 20-year publishing veteran supervises all creative elements for Sony/ATV Nashville including the signing of new writers, catalogue exploitation, and contract negotiations.

Several songwriters with Nashville ties are in the top 20 of the American Idol Songwriter contest. In the running are songs from Amber Rhodes, Hugh Colocott, and Noel Cohen (“We’re Gonna Make It”) and Regie Hamm ("The Time Of My Life"). Fan voting is open online and the winning song will be revealed on the show’s season finale, when the song will be performed live and then released by the winner. http://songwriter.americanidol.com

John Michael Montgomery has secured Artist To Market Distribution (A2M) for his tenth studio album, Time Flies, being released in late summer on his Stringtown Records. Montgomery, CEO, and President Shelia Shipley Biddy have brought on CO5 and Grassroots Promotion to handle radio promotion and Ed Gertler Consulting to manage internet promotions. The first single, “Mad Cowboy Disease,” was written by Jamey Johnson, Jeremy Popoff and Jon Maddux. A2M is also working with sales consultant film Rocket Science LLC, and INgrooves for digital distribution. Following the launch of the Montgomery/ Byron Gallimore produced effort, Stringtown will begin looking for other artists to sign.

Rebecca Lynn Howard has renewed her exclusive songwriting and co-publishing agreement with Roger Murrah’s Castle Street Music, Inc. The Kentucky native has also signed with Ken Kragen and Pat Melfi for management. She has had cuts by Trisha Yearwood, John Michael Montgomery, Julianne Hough and others. Also known for her 2002 self-penned hit “Forgive,” Howard is one of the first artists signed to Saguaro Road Records, owned by Direct Holdings which releases the Time Life brand. Her album No Rules will be out in June.

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum will open the cameo exhibition Kitty Wells: Queen of Country Music in the Museum’s East Gallery on Aug. 15. It will run through June 2009. Wells is considered a trailblazer because she was one of the first solo female artists, who was not part of a family band, and her success paved the way for others.

Also at the Hall, its successful quarterly program series Nashville Cats: A Celebration of Music City Session Players returns Sat., May 3, with a salute to legendary guitarist Reggie Young. The 2:00 p.m. program, hosted by Stringed Instrument Curator Bill Lloyd, will include a performance and interview highlighted by vintage recordings, photos and film clips from the Museum’s Frist Library and Archive. With a career spanning 1950s rockabilly to 1970s Nashville, Young can be heard on Dobie Gray’s “Drift Away,” Waylon Jennings’ “Luckenbach, Texas,” Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind” and Reba McEntire’s “Little Rock,” among hundreds of others.

Gibson Guitar Corp. Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz will be honored alongside Deepak Chopra, M.D., and Patti LaBelle for their contributions to the We Are Family Foundation at an April 28 ceremony in New York. LaBelle, Eric Benét, Micky Dolenz (The Monkees), Nile Rodgers & Chic, and Slash will perform at the Sixth Annual Celebration Gala supporting the Foundation.

LIFENOTES
Dr. James Coleman passed away late last week. He was a friend and doctor to many in the Nashville music community, often seeing patients free of charge. Dr. Coleman was also a talented guitar player in his own right. Arrangements have not been finalized.

Columbia Nashville’s Jessica Simpson is in town writing and recording for her upcoming country album. While taking a break from the studio, Simpson joined Sony BMG Nashville executives for a private dinner at local hot spot Watermark. Simpson’s lead-off single is expected to hit radio this summer.

Pictured (L-R) front: Butch Waugh, Exec. VP; Tanya Welch, Dir. Artist Dev./Mktg.; Simpson; Joe Galante, Chairman; Heather McBee, VP Digital Business; CaCee Cobb, Simpson’s A&R; Paul Barnabee, Sr. VP Finance/Operations; Renee Bell, Exec. VP A&R; and Jensen Sussman, Associate Dir. Media. Back: Scott McDaniel, Sr. Dir. Creative; Jimmy Rector, VP Promotion Columbia Nashville; and Tom Baldrica, VP Mktg.