WSM Partners w/ AJ’s Good Time Bar – News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 4, 2018

650 AM WSM AND AJ’S GOOD TIME BAR

PARTNER FOR 2018 WSM ROAD SHOW TALENT COMPETITION

Grand prize winner to open for Alan Jackson at upcoming Grand Ole Opry performance!

NASHVILLE, TN — 650 AM WSM, the radio home of the Grand Ole Opry, is pleased to announce the launch of the 2018 WSM Road Show, a live performance talent competition highlighting up and coming country music singer/songwriters. Presented by AJ’s Good Time Bar, which is owned by Grand Ole Opry member Alan Jackson in Nashville, Tennessee, the talent competition will award one grand-prize winner the opportunity to play the Grand Ole Opry in 2018 on the same evening Jackson makes an Opry appearance.

A two-hour matinee competition, the WSM Road Show will broadcast live on 650 AM WSM and wsmradio.com from 1-3 p.m. CT, from the stages of these historic Tennessee theaters:

January 27 | The Palace Theatre | Crossville, TN

February 17 | The Palace Theatre | Gallatin, TN

February 24 | The Roxy Regional Theatre | Clarksville, TN

March 10 | Sugarlands Distilling Co. | Gatlinburg, TN

March 14 | The Capitol Theatre | Lebanon, TN

The final round of the competition will take place on Saturday, March 24 from 1-3 p.m. CT at AJ’s Good Time Bar in Nashville, Tennessee.

“The WSM Road Show takes us back to a day when radio stations would visit outer lying areas and seek up and coming talent,” said Chris Kulick, WSM General Manager. “I am thrilled to give new country artists the opportunity to further their careers, and to be awarded the chance to play the Grand Ole Opry along with a legend like Alan Jackson is career-changing!”

To be considered for the WSM Road Show talent competition, applicants can visit wsmradio.com for submission information. All submissions will be reviewed in advance and selected contestants will be contacted directly with onsite audition information. Contest limitations can be found at wsmradio.com.

About Alan Jackson:

Recently inducted to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Alan Jackson’s membership among country music’s all-time greats is the latest in a long line of career-defining accolades that include three CMA Entertainer of the Year honors, more than 25 years of membership in the Grand Ole Opry, a 2016 Billboard ranking as one of the Top 10 Country Artists of All-Time, induction to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Heritage Award as the most-performed country songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years. The man from rural Newnan, GA has sold nearly 60-million albums worldwide, ranks as one of the 10 best-selling male vocalists of all-time in all genres. He has released more than 60 singles – registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard chart-toppers). He has earned more than 150 music industry awards – including 18 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards. Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music. He is in the elite company of Paul McCartney and John Lennon among songwriters who’ve written more than 20 songs that they’ve recorded and taken to the top of the charts. Jackson is one of the best-selling artists since the inception of SoundScan, ranking alongside the likes of Eminem and Metallica.

About 650 AM WSM:

650 AM WSM’s first official broadcast day was October 5, 1925.  The station is the radio home of the Grand Ole Opry, which has been broadcast live over the WSM airwaves since its inception.  650 AM WSM is owned by Ryman Hospitalities (NYSE:  RHP).  A weekly listing of all 650 AM WSM programming is available at wsmradio.com.

About AJ’s Good Time Bar:

Recently named the #1 honky-tonk in Nashville by Billboard and located at 421 Broadway in the heart of downtown Nashville, AJ’s Good Time Bar is named for Jackson’s 2008 chart-topper “Good Time.” Each floor sports a different personality, showcasing Jackson’s varied interests and hobbies. On the first floor, “AJ’s Honky Tonk” prominently features live country music, while the second-floor “GT Bar” offers a sports- and car-themed atmosphere. The “Hullbilly Bar” on the third floor is proving to be one of the venue’s biggest draws — it’s modeled after Jackson’s Merritt Sportfish boat seen in his music videos for “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” and “Long Way to Go.” That level also features karaoke and live music. The rooftop “Star Bar” caps AJ’s Good Time Bar, providing a panoramic view encompassing the historic Ryman Auditorium, Broadway, Nissan Stadium and all of downtown Music City from its vantage point four stories above the stretch of road commonly called the “Honky Tonk Highway,” just like Jackson’s current tour. As sole owner and visionary behind the venue, Jackson is known to make appearances at AJ’s during the week and when not on the road. He’s also a majority owner in ACME Feed & Seed, located just blocks away at 1st Avenue and Broadway.

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Media Contacts:

Nicole Judd | WSM Radio | 615-458-9429 | nicole@wsmradio.com

Jaclyn D. Carter | Shore Fire Media | 615-280-5330 | jcarter@shorefire.com

WSM Road Show Info Found HERE!

ROUTE 650 Americana – WSM News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 13, 2017

 650 AM WSM LAUNCHES NEW 24/7 AMERICANA MUSIC STREAMING STATION

NASHVILLE, TN – 650 AM WSM, the radio home of the Grand Ole Opry, has launched ROUTE 650, a new 24/7 Americana music streaming station available online at wsmradio.com and via the station’s mobile app.

ROUTE 650 will feature music from current Americana artists such as Jason Isbell, Margo Price, and Amanda Shires, plus explore cuts from the founders of Americana including Kris Kristofferson and John Prine. The stream is also the new home for Whiskey Wednesday, a popular Americana-based weekly show hosted by Wild Ponies, an eclectic Americana duo fronted by husband and wife team Doug and Telisha Williams.

“Americana is beyond just a music genre, it’s a community of artists that have come together to create an outlet for great music to be heard,” said Eric Marcum, ROUTE 650 show host. “WSM is honored to have created and launched ROUTE 650 – our 24/7 Americana music streaming station.”

WSM’s terrestrial ROUTE 650 Americana-focused show hosted by Marcum and airing weeknights from 6-7 p.m. CT on 650 AM and wsmradio.com, launched in April 2016. Since its inception, the show has held strong market ratings and featured interviews and performances from the likes of John Paul White, Todd Snider, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Holly Williams, Old Crow Medicine Show, Jim Lauderdale, and more. Most recently, the show celebrated a full on-air take over with the artists of John Prine’s Oh Boy Records programming the entire hour.

“In the process of planning this new digital station, it became clear that what our terrestrial ROUTE 650 show has become is largely the embodiment of what we envision the 24/7 stream to be, while also giving a tip of the hat to its genesis in WSM-AM,” remarked Chris Kulick, WSM General Manager.

As part of the station’s launch week programming, listeners can tune in for special behind-the-scenes interviews, content, and performances from the 18th Annual Americana Music Festival and Conference, a must-attend event for anyone who loves the melting pot of Americana’s influences including roots, folk, country, blues and soul-based music.

About 650 AM WSM:

650 AM WSM’s first official broadcast day was October 5, 1925.  The station is the radio home of the Grand Ole Opry, which has been broadcast live over the WSM airwaves since its inception.  650 AM WSM is owned by Ryman Hospitalities (NYSE:  RHP).  A weekly listing of all 650 AM WSM programming is available at wsmradio.com.

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Media Contact:

Nicole Judd

615-458-9429

nicole@wsmradio.com

Download the FREE WSM App HERE!

Sports Night with George Plaster – WSM News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 26, 2017

650 AM WSM LAUNCHES NEW SPORTS TALK SHOW

HOSTED BY GEORGE PLASTER

NASHVILLE, TN – Country radio icon 650 AM WSM today announced the July 30 premiere of Sports Night, a weekly sports talk radio show hosted by industry veteran George Plaster airing on 650 AM WSM, online at wsmradio.com, and via the station’s mobile app.

Sports Night will air Sunday evenings from 5-8 p.m. CT and will provide an appealing and informative look at all things sports. The format of the show will be similar to the No. 1 rated sports talk shows Plaster has hosted on various FM stations in the Nashville market in the past. WSM Program Director Jonathan Shaffer will serve as show co-host.

“No matter the season or year, there’s always great stuff to talk about in sports,” Plaster said. “I’m thrilled Jonathan is going to be part of the show with me, and I’m excited to get back in the studio and talk with the fans. I know I’ve got the station’s complete confidence in what I want to do and I know they’re going to allow me to do this the way I want to do it. That’s the only way I would have agreed to this show.”

“We’re excited to welcome George back to the airwaves of WSM,” Shaffer said. “When you have the chance to add a legendary talent to a legendary signal, you do it.”

Plaster got his start in radio at 650 AM WSM as a reporter for the Waking Crew with host Ralph Emery. More recently, in addition to the role of sports talk show host, Plaster has been a radio and television play-by-play broadcaster for several college teams.

“I always liked WSM because of its strong signal, and the thought that I’ve got a chance to talk to people in 38 states and half of Canada just intrigues the daylights out of me,” Plaster said.

Sports Night joins other one-of-a-kind programming on 650 AM WSM including an array of country music programs hosted by the station’s nationally-recognized broadcast staff and the world-famous Grand Ole Opry, a member of the Radio Hall of Fame. For more information on WSM or Sports Night, visit www.wsmradio.com or https://www.facebook.com/wsmradio/.

About 650 AM WSM:

650 AM WSM’s first official broadcast day was October 5, 1925.  The station is the radio home of the Grand Ole Opry, which has been broadcast live over the WSM airwaves since its inception.  650 AM WSM is owned by Ryman Hospitalities (NYSE:  RHP).  A weekly listing of all 650 AM WSM programming is available at wsmradio.com.

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WSM Road Show – Talent Competition

Saturdays, 1 – 3pm

WSM is taking the Show on the Road! Beginning March 11, WSM will hit the road to visit some of the beautifully renovated historic theaters throughout the south. Singer/Songwriter contestants will compete for one of three opening performance slots during Tracy Lawrence’s Mission: Possible Benefit Concert at The Franklin Theatre in Franklin, Tennessee on Sunday, May 7. One grand-prize winner will have the opportunity to play a solo spot at the new Opry City Stage venue in New York City’s Time Square.

See below for audition submission and performance details!

Audition Details

Auditions will take place at The Roxy Regional Theatre in Clarksville, The Palace Theatre in Crossville, and The Palace Theater in Gallatin. Three finalists from each of these audition sites will move to our final round of competition, which will take place at The Capitol Theatre in Lebanon, TN on April 28.

Audition Sites:

  1. Saturday, March 11 | The Roxy Regional Theatre | Clarksville, TN
  2. Saturday, March 25 | The Palace Theatre | Crossville, TN
  3. Saturday, April 8 | The Palace Theater | Gallatin, TN

Competition Finals:

  1. Friday, April 28 | The Capitol Theater | Lebanon, TN

Submission Options:

  1. Upload via SonicBids HERE!
  2. Email either an MP3 or performance video to Julie Wallace directly HERE!
  3. Mail your CD to WSM at 2644 McGavock Pike, Nashville, TN, 37214

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