Aug
05

Jack Skuller Wins Holly Prize 2014

The 2014 Holly Prize, an award made possible by Songmasters and administered and juried by the Songwriters Hall of Fame as a tribute to the legacy of SHOF inductee Buddy Holly has been awarded to Jack Skuller. Started in 2009, Holly Prize recognizes and supports the “all-in songwriter,” an exceptionally talented and inspired young musician/singer/songwriter whose work follows the legacy of Holly’s music.

See the press release at SHOF. For more of Jack Skuller’s music visit his website at: www.jackskuller.com. 

 

 

Jun
19

Good Things Come in Threes

Songmasters Wins Three Telly Awards Honoring Its TV, Video and Online Productions from “Listen to Me: True.Great.Original.” Tribute to Buddy Holly

Songmasters’ Third Annual Holly Prize Awarded By Songwriters Hall of Fame 

Buddy Holly “Listen to Me” Guitar Featured Item in Julien’s “Music Icons” Auction

New York, NY  – June 19, 2012 – Songmasters was named a three-time winner by the 33rd Annual TELLY Awards for its television, video and online productions related to the inaugural year of its “Listen to Me: True. Great. Original.” series featuring a year-long celebration of the music and legacy of Buddy Holly.  Competing against more than 11,000 entries, Songmasters received two of the highest SILVER TELLY awards and one BRONZE TELLY Award in the Entertainment Category:

  • 2012 Silver Award: – Buddy Holly: Listen to Me/ PBS Broadcast – TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces -  for Songmasters’  PBS Special, first aired in December 2011 (link is to preview only)
  •  2012 Silver Award:  Behind the Scenes: Listen To Me: Buddy Holly – Non-Broadcast Productions –  For a mini-documentary available only on DVD through PBS
  • 2012 Bronze Award: – Listen To Me: Buddy Holly – You Tube – Internet/Online Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces  – for its online segment on the album released by Songmasters in September 2011

Songmasters’ Listen To Me platform produces year-long multi-media celebrations of the True. Great. Original. recording artists who forever changed modern music and culture.  Each campaign feature today’s leading and emerging artists paying tribute to their musical forebears to raise support and awareness for the next generation of songwriters, performers, and music entrepreneurs.  Buddy Holly was the focus of this inaugural year of the series.

Two TELLY Awards were awarded for video productions related to Verve Forecast and Songmasters’ release “Listen To Me: Buddy Holly” which received wide acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone, Billboard and more, achieving #3 rank on Amazon after its release. Executive Produced by Songmasters and the GRAMMY® Award-winning Peter Asher, top artists from three generations recorded modern, authentic versions of the best of Buddy Holly songs. Rock legends such as Ringo Starr, Brian Wilson, Jeff Lynne, Stevie Nicks and Jackson Browne were joined by contemporary artists The Fray, Zooey Deschanel, Patrick Stump, Cobra Starship, Imelda May, Natalie Merchant, Pat Monahan (of Train) and Chris Isaak.  The one and only Eric Idle, of Monty Python fame, also contributed a track.   These two TELLY-Award winning productions feature these artists performing their album tracks and in interviews.

Songmasters also won a SILVER TELLY Award for its production of Buddy Holly: Listen To Me – The Ultimate Buddy Party, a tribute celebration for Holly’s 75h birthday recorded live on September 7, 2011 at The Music Box in Hollywood. This celebration, recorded for PBS, premiered in December 2011 and its first encore presentation airs on PBS throughout June 2012. The Ultimate Buddy Party featured outstanding performances – which Rolling Stone declared “Rock History!” – including Stevie Nicks, Graham Nash, Lyle Lovett, Cobra Starship’s Gabe Saporta and Victoria Asher, Patrick Stump, Raul Malo, Chris Isaak, Michelle Branch, Boz Scaggs, Shawn Colvin, and Paul Anka.  A special, rare performance of the one and only Phil Everly, Holly’s personal friend, was also captured in the rousing all-star finale.

Listen To Me also provides support for emerging talent by boosting and empowering new artists through support for numerous music-related organizations – including the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the GRAMMY Foundation’s GRAMMY Camps® and Artists’ House Music – each of which support the artistic growth and professional development of young musicians and industry innovators.

On June 17th, Songmasters presented its third annual Holly Prize, which it endows through the Songwriters Hall of Fame to recognize an outstanding young all-in-one singer/songwriter/musician.  This year’s winner is EMILY KING.  Recently completing the Euro-tour with Maroon 5 as their opener, GRAMMY-nominated King has also toured with John Legend, Floetry and opened for artists such as Nas, Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan and Erykah Badu.

Completing an amazing trifecta this week, Songmasters proudly announces the auction of the one and only “Listen To Me” Holly Guitar, a handcrafted work of art and a superb musical instrument that exactly replicates Holly’s famed J-45 and his personally hand-tooled leather case.   Viewable and biddable online at www.julienslive.com from June 18-22, this singular instrument goes on live auction on Sunday afternoon, June 24 in LA at the renowned Julien’s “Music Icons” auction. Made possible through Songmasters’ Listen To Me project in collaboration with the Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation, all proceeds from the auction will benefit the scholarship programs of the GRAMMY Foundation’s GRAMMY Camps®.

Buddy Holly, the true, great, and original recording artist featured in Listen To Me programs this year, continues to be an essential component of rock ‘n’ roll’s historical catalog as seen from Universal Music Enterprises (UME) continuous sales of its Buddy Holly: Millennium Collection, which is the No. 1 seller of the Holly catalog. More than fifty years later, new fans continue to discover the genius of Holly and his accolades continue to grow through projects such as Listen To Me: Buddy Holly.

Jun
18

Listen to Me Buddy Holly Winner of 3 Telly Awards

Songmasters was named a three-time winner by the 33rd Annual TELLY Awards for its television, video and online productions related to the inaugural year of its “Listen to Me: True. Great. Original.” series featuring a year-long celebration of the music and legacy of Buddy Holly.  

Competing against more than 11,000 entries, Songmasters received two of the highest SILVER TELLY awards and one BRONZE TELLY Award in the Film/Video Category:  

  • 2012 Silver Award: - Buddy Holly: Listen to Me/ PBS Broadcast - TV Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces -  for Songmasters’  PBS Special, first aired in December 2011 (link is to preview only)
  • 2012 Silver Award:  Behind the Scenes: Listen To Me: Buddy Holly – Non-Broadcast Productions –  For a mini-documentary available only on DVD through PBS
  • 2012 Bronze Award: - Listen To Me: Buddy Holly - You Tube – Internet/Online Programs, Segments, or Promotional Pieces  - for its online segment on the album released by Songmasters in September 2011

 

May
18

Emily King Wins Holly Prize 2012

The Holly Prize, an award made possible by Songmasters and administered and juried by the Songwriters Hall of Fame as a tribute to the legacy of SHOF inductee Buddy Holly, will be awarded to Emily King. The Holly Prize recognizes and supports the “all-in songwriter,” an exceptionally talented and inspired young musician/singer/songwriter whose work follows the legacy of Holly’s music.
Click to view full press release here
For more on Emily King’s music and songs, visit www.emilykingmusic.com/

May
01

Only Holly Guitar Available to Public to be Auctioned for Grammy® Foundation’s Grammy Camps

May 1, 2012 (New York City) The one and only Buddy Holly died on February 3, 1959, a day many believed was the “day the music died,” as immortalized in Don Maclean’s famous song, “American Pie”, which first hit the charts 40 years ago this year. Jackson Browne noted when doing his album track, “True Love Ways” for the album “Listen To Me: Buddy Holly”, that Holly’s death “was not the day the music died; it was the day the music became immortal.”
True to this spirit, Songmasters, in collaboration with Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation, will auction the one and only “Listen To Me” Holly Guitar through the famed Music Icons Auction held by Julien’s Auctions in LA in June 2012 to benefit the GRAMMY® Foundation’s Grammy Camps. Only a limited number of these unique, hand-built re-creations of Buddy Holly’s customized Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar and hand-tooled leather case exist. This guitar is more than a slice of music legend – it is a work of art and an extraordinary musical instrument. Of these, all but one of the Holly Guitars – this “Listen To Me” guitar – have been awarded by the BHGF on a long-term “legacy loan” basis to guitar icons and legendary performers such as Pete Townsend, Peter Frampton, Jackson Browne, and Graham Nash, among others.
The auction of this guitar – the only one available to the public – will bring to life one of Buddy Holly’s personal dreams: to support exceptional young musicians and music innovators. Songmasters’ Listen to Me: Buddy Holly campaign continues to prove that Holly’s
 music – and musical legacy – lives and thrives.

Read more about the J-45 guitar and Listen to Me program here.
Read more about making of the guitar here. 

Jan
10

The Day The Music Became Immortal: Songmasters’ “Listen To Me: Buddy Holly” Brings Holly’s Dream To Life

‘Listen To Me’ Holly Guitar To Be Auctioned To Support Emerging Music Talent

Only ‘Holly Guitar’ Available To Public

New Superstars Cobra Starship, Patrick Stump, Imelda May, More
Join Iconic Artists Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne And Others In Supporting Next Generation Of Music’s Great Talent

Auction Proceeds Benefit Grammy® Foundation ‘Grammy Camps’

On Buddy Holly’s 75th birthday in September 2011, Songmasters officially launched its unprecedented, year long multi-media campaign, “LISTEN TO ME: BUDDY HOLLY” to help benefit the next generation of music-makers, beginning with the Verve Forecast release of a star-studded album of the same name featuring contemporary takes on this pioneering rock ‘n’ roller’s timeless songs. Jackson Browne noted when doing his album track, “True Love Ways”, that Holly’s death on February 3, 1958 “was not the day the music died; it was the day the music became immortal.”

As we approach that anniversary date, Songmasters’ “Listen to Me” project proves that Holly’s music and legacy is indeed alive and well as it ushers in the new year with a new initiative in the program’s continued efforts to realize one of Holly’s personal dreams – to support the development of emerging music talent.

In collaboration with the Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation, Songmasters will auction the one and only “Listen To Me” Holly Guitar through CharityBuzz to benefit the GRAMMY® Foundation’s Grammy Camps. The auction, slated to coincide with GRAMMY 2012 festivities and events in February, is expected to generate great interest among rock aficionados, guitar collectors and music curators while it raises significant money for charity.

Only 20 of these unique, hand-built replicas of Buddy Holly’s customized 1943 Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar and leather case exist in the world. The “Listen To Me” Holly Guitar is the only Holly Guitar in existence that is available to the public. Notably, it will be the only one owned outright by anyone. All other Holly Guitars have been awarded on a long-term “legacy loan” basis to guitar luminaries such as Pete Townsend, Jackson Browne, Graham Nash, Phil Everly, Brian May, Dave Stewart, James Burton, Waddy Wachtel, Peter Asher, Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Peter Frampton, and Albert Lee, among others – a veritable “who’s who” of world-class guitarists and performers.

Each Holly Guitar has been named after one of Holly’s most popular songs. This guitar recognizes and supports the Listen to Me/True. Great. Original. program’s charitable efforts to help young artists as well as for the classic Holly song, “Listen To Me” for which this on-going music series was originally named. A personal letter from Maria Elena Holly will accompany the “Listen To Me” guitar as will an exact replica of the original leather case which Holly himself hand-tooled, modified only with the addition of the words “Listen to Me” on the upper shoulder of the case. A second Holly song, “Blue Days, Black Nights” is in the lower shoulder, as it was on Holly’s self-tooled leather case to honor his first official recording of one of his songs.

The Buddy Holly Guitar Foundation (BHGF) has worked closely with Songmasters to provide this unique and exceptional instrument, consistent with the Foundation’s mission to recognize those who support talented young people “to express their musical voice.” The Foundation requires that recipient artists use these guitars in a manner consistent with Mr. Holly’s “dreams and wishes” and for the purpose of raising funds for designated charitable organizations. Artists receive the guitars for a two-year term, renewable at the option of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. These legacy guitars will be passed on by the present awardees to another guitarist in the tradition of Holly, with BHGF Board approval. However, only the “Listen To Me” guitar will belong to the person who acquires it through this auction.

Songmasters’ campaign continues to prove that Holly’s music – and musical legacy – lives and thrives, having already delivered an album that soared to #3 on Amazon’s Top 100 upon release, an historic concert which received outstanding reviews, and an acclaimed PBS special that premiered on over 290 stations in December. A whole new generation of recording artists – both established and emerging as superstars in their own right – have joined together with legendary producer Peter Asher to celebrate Holly’s legacy and to bring to life his dream of helping young music-makers through Listen to Me: True. Great. Original platform. Cobra Starship, Patrick Stump, The Fray, Imelda May, Zooey Deschanel and Michelle Branch have joined with established stars like Stevie Nicks, Lyle Lovett, Jeff Lynne, Natalie Merchant, Pat Monahan (of Train), Raul Malo, Boz Scaggs, and Shawn Colvin to honor Holly’s legacy together with such avowed Holly fans as Brian Wilson, Ringo Starr, Graham Nash, Phil Everly, Paul Anka, and Eric Idle. “Buddy did everything he could to make sure that talented young musicians and songwriters got a real chance,” explains Maria Elena Holly, Buddy Holly’s widow. “He would be especially thrilled, as I am, that so many outstanding artists are part of this effort to honor his personal commitment to recognize and help great young musical talent.”

Brian Wilson encouraged this when he noted “Young artists should know Buddy Holly’s spirit, the spirit of his music.” This spirit is the force behind the efforts of this newest generation of music superstars to support Holly’s dream. “I love that this project really encourages the generation coming up to dig into the roots of music that they listen to now, “ says Listen To Me: Buddy Holly contributor Isaac Slade of The Fray, “where it came from, and who influenced who, all the way back to people like Buddy Holly.”

Songmasters’ continuing support for emerging talent carries on Holly’s legacy of boosting and empowering new artists. Since 2009, Songmasters has endowed The Holly Prize, an annual award juried and presented by the Songwriters Hall of Fame to recognize and support an exceptionally talented and inspired young musician/singer/songwriter whose work exhibits the ambition and artistic qualities of Holly’s music. Listen To Me: Buddy Holly also benefits numerous music‐related organizations – including The GRAMMY Foundation’s GRAMMY Camps, the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Artists’ House Music – each of which support the artistic growth and professional development of young musicians and industry innovators.

“Songmasters is proud that we have created a platform for great music performed by outstanding artists who share Buddy’s dream of supporting great young talent,” noted Songmasters’ Managing Partner, Jennifer Cohen. “Technology has made it easier to create and produce music, but harder to develop a music career. Young talent today has more competition, more pressure to fit a mold, fewer resources, and almost no guidance in how to develop a successful life in music. We thought we might be able to help in our own small way to give young artists a real shot.” The Listen To Me project was created by Songmasters out of that impulse. “Music lives by being passed on,” noted Cohen. “Talent thrives with encouragement and opportunity. ‘Listen to Me’ does both.”

Listen to Me: Buddy Holly is the inaugural year of Songmasters’ Listen to Me series which celebrates the True. Great. Original. artists who forever changed contemporary music and culture through campaigns featuring today’s legendary and breakthrough artists paying tribute to their musical forebears to raise support and awareness for the next generation of songwriters, performers, and music innovators.

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PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

For more information, please contact:
DOREEN D’AGOSTINO MEDIA
office: 212-231-3917
cell: 917.916.2626
doreendagostino@earthlink.net
www.doreendagostinomedia.com
Other links of interest: www.listentomebuddyholly.com
www.grammy.org
www.buddyhollyguitarfoundation.org/
www.charitybuzz.com

Listen To Me™ and True.Great.Original.™ are trademarks of Songmasters

Nov
07

Not Fade Away – Goldmine Magazine

Mike Greenblatt writes a lovely article about Listen to Me: Buddy Holly celebration for Goldmine Magazine’s December issue. Read the article here.

Nov
07

‘Tis the Season to be Holly!

Join Songmasters’ celebration with PBS’s December premiere of a star-studded, once-in-a-lifetime concert, Buddy Holly: Listen To Me. In this season of giving, every Listen to Me DVD will benefit PBS and, along with every Listen to Me CD, will benefit the next generation of music’s greats. Watch this sneak preview of the extraordinary and historic concert – the ultimate Buddy party – featuring an incredible line-up of performers including Stevie Nicks, Lyle Lovett, Chris Isaak, Graham Nash, and Patrick Stump rocking the house with superstar guests including Boz Scaggs, Raul Malo, Michelle Branch, Shawn Colvin, Paul Anka, Cobra Starship, Phil Everly, and famed guitar slingers James Burton and Albert Lee. With special appearances by Keith Richards, Ringo Starr, Jackson Browne, Brian Wilson, and Eric Idle. The DVD of the show available exclusively through PBS. Check local listings.

Sep
20

The Ultimate Buddy Party

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. KingLoaf.com covers the Ultimate Buddy Party.

See pictures and clips from the concert on our Facebook page.

Sep
15

Listen to the “Listen to Me: Buddy Holly” album

Rollingstone.com ran an exclusive album stream of the Listen to Me: Buddy Holly on Sept 2nd, 2011. The album came out in US and Canada on Sept 6th, 2011. It celebrates what would have been 75th birthday of Buddy Holly.
Stevie Nicks, Pat Monahan, Brian Wilson, Imelda May, Jackson Browne, Cobra Starship, The Fray, Ringo Starr, Chris Isaak, Linda Ronstadt, Jeff Lynne, Lyle Lovett, Natalie Merchant, Patrick Stump, Zooey Deschanel and Eric Idle cover some of his best-loved hits.

Click Here to listen to the “Listen to Me: Buddy Holly” album

Purchase the album at amazon.com or download from iTunes

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