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13 Mar 2023

Tucker Carlson’s Ex-Producer Calls Fox News Viewers “Terrorists” and “Cousin F*ckers”

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2022 FOX Nation Patriot Awards

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A former producer for Fox News host Tucker Carlson disparaged the network’s viewers as “dumb ones” and “cousin f—–s” in a new revelation from an ongoing lawsuit.

According to reports, more disclosures from the lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News for libel have further exposed how those at the network truly felt about the 2020 presidential election, their own news division’s handling of it and their viewers.

One such opinion came from Alex Pfeiffer, a producer for Tucker Carlson’s show during an exchange with Raj Shah, a former White House aide to former president Donald Trump before joining the network. The two were discussing false claims by lawyer and conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell alleging that Dominion rigged the votes with the help of Venezuela.

“Might wanna address this, but this stuff is so f—— insane. Vote rigging to the tune of millions? C’mon,” Shah wrote. Pfeiffer wrote back, “It is so insane but our viewers believe it, so addressing against how her stupid Venezuela affidavit isn’t proof might insult them.”

Pfieffer would go on to call the situation “surreal,” writing: “Like negotiating with terrorists, but especially dumb ones. Cousin f*cker types not Saudi royalty.” The producer has since left Fox News, but this adds to further revelations found in the lawsuit about how he and Carlson considered their viewers and Trump.

The current lawsuit continues to portray Fox News in a damning light, as Dominion seeks $1.6 billion in damages. There are also rumblings by those staffers at the network who are wondering how they will be treated in the wake of the litigation, as reports have shown that no one in the network’s management is talking to journalists about the ongoing case.

This also comes after reports from the revealed court filings show Fox News CEO Rupert Murdoch admitting under oath that the network knew that claims about the 2020 presidential election by Trump and other allies such as Rudy Giuliani were false, but they were afraid of losing viewers by challenging them.

13 Mar 2023

GloRilla & Finesse2tymes Facing Lawsuit Over Stampede At Their Concert

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65th GRAMMY Awards - Arrivals

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Last weekend tragedy struck a GloRilla and Finess2tymes concert when a stampede ensued after the show that resulted in nine people being injured and three people losing their lives.

Now the family of one of the deceased is preparing a lawsuit against both GloRilla and Finess2tymes. She alleges that the death of their loved one was completely avoidable under the circumstances. According to TMZ, the family of Brandy Miller has lawyered up and her sister Michelle tells them that they’ll be filing a lawsuit against both artists, promoters of the Rochester show and Main Street Armory.

Michelle says her fam is in the process of retaining an attorney — they’ve spoken to several since Brandy was pronounced dead on Monday, and aim to retain someone who’s high profile  … because the family “has no plans to back down.”

It isn’t clear exactly why the stampede broke out. But rumors swirled that a gun might’ve went off in the crowd which caused panic amongst attendees that led to the tragic incident. Though both GloRilla and Finesse had left the premises when the chaos erupted, the Miller family wants them and everyone else involved in putting the show together to be held accountable for Brandy’s passing. Something that Finesse apparently didn’t think was in the cards.

When TMZ Hip Hop got Finesse in NYC this week, he scoffed at the idea he might be blamed, and flat-out told us he wasn’t worried about potential lawsuits.
The Millers believe Brandy’s death could have been prevented. They say her brother was at the concert too, watching from a different area … and, from what he saw, the show was total pandemonium from the very beginning.Though both GloRilla and Finesse are about to be sued for the events that unfolded at the Rochester concert, neither artist is under criminal investigation at the time for the incident.What do y’all think? Should Glo and Finesse have to pay up for what went down at their show? Let us know in the comments section below.

13 Mar 2023

Adam Levine Says ‘It’s About Time’ Blake Shelton Leaves ‘The Voice’

Blake Shelton is saying goodbye to The Voice after the current 23rd season, but his former fellow coach Adam Levine seems to be the only one who isn’t sad about it.

“It’s about time,” Levine joked to Entertainment Tonight at the Vanity Fair Oscars After-Party on Sunday night (March 12). The musicians’ sat together in The Voice‘s spinning red chairs as coaches for 16 seasons before the Maroon 5 frontman left the show in 2019.

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Shelton announced his departure from The Voice back in October. “This show has changed my life in every way for the better and it will always feel like home to me,” he wrote in a statement posted to social media. “It’s been a hell of a ride over these 12 years of chair turns and I want to thank everyone at The Voice from NBC, every producer, the writers, musicians, crew and catering people, you are the best. It takes a lot of work, passion, and adult beverages (Ha!) to pull off a live show twice a week.”

As coach, Shelton remains the statistically best coach in terms of winning seasons — having crowned a champ from his team in nine of the show’s 22 completed seasons.

The country superstar, who has been on The Voice since it premiered in 2011, recently sat down with his fellow season 23 coaches Kelly Clarkson, Niall Horan and Chance the Rapper to reflect on why he has decided to leave the show. “I think I was close to calling it a day right when COVID hit and then, because of COVID, I didn’t want to walk away from the show and leave everybody in a bind,” Shelton revealed. “I mean, this show changed my life. I’ll stay until the world kind of gets back to normal.”

13 Mar 2023

Here’s Why Kelly Clarkson Was ‘Threatened’ By Chance the Rapper During ‘The Voice’ Auditions

Chance the Rapper stopped by Kelly Clarkson‘s talk show on Monday (March 13) to chat about his first season competing against her on The Voice.

Wearing a denim bomber jacket with a faux-fur collar and one of his signature ball caps, the rapper appeared more than confident about the team he’s assembled for season 23 of the NBC reality series. “Do I think I’m gonna win The Voice? I’m pretty sure I’m gonna win,” he told Clarkson. “Yeah! You know I’m gonna win The Voice. … Yeah, my team’s fire.”

Chance brings a producer’s mentality to the coaching panel, which Clarkson admitted was a source of intimidation for her. “I will say, that’s been my favorite part, watching you,” the original American Idol winner told him. “Because I don’t know if I’ve ever really done it with a full-on producer before. You know what I’m saying? You’re a rapper, a singer and a producer.

“And it was interesting to do the Blinds with you ’cause I was threatened,” she continued. “‘Cause I was like, ‘Oh wait, what? I can’t do that, like, what he just did.’ It was cool. You were, like, producing during the Blinds, like, that was part of your pitch.”

So far, Chance has added sister trio Sorelle, Idol favorite NOIVAS and R&B crooner Magnus to his freshman team to compete against Clarkson, Blake Shelton and fellow newbie Niall Horan. Season 23 of The Voice continues this week with another round of Blind Auditions on NBC.

Watch Chance and Kelly go back and forth about their coaching strategies below.

13 Mar 2023

Here’s When Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro’s Joint EP ‘RR’ Is Dropping

After teasing a collaboration for many months now, Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro officially announced Monday (March 13) a three-song project titled RR. Out March 24, the EP is comprised of three tracks: “Beso,” “Vampiros” and “Promesa.” It marks the first time that the couple recorded songs together.

The announcement on social media doesn’t give much away. The couple simply posted on both their accounts the artwork for it, which is two intertwined black Rs painted over a red canvas. They also shared the track list and wrote “24/marzo.”

In November, the Spanish star hinted at a potential collab with Alejandro during an interview with Billboard. “We’ve been in the studio together, as you know,” she teased without revealing much. “We’ll see, we’ll see.” Back in May, Alejandro also talked about collaborating with Rosalía during his panel at Billboard‘s MusicCon. “For sure we have a few stuff in the studio already,” he confirmed. “It’s a surprise. Those songs are [under] extra security. We’re planning to do the release, I’m not going to say when, but soon. We’re doing it for the love of the fans and she’s my girl and I did those songs with more love. No. 1 for sure.”

He also gushed about her producing skills in the studio. “She knows more about music than me. I’m just a guy from PR who parties and feels the vibe of songs. She’s an expert. That helps us in the studio, she adds her knowledge and I just put my craziness and feelings.”

RR will follow Rosalía’s Grammy-winning Motomami and Alejandro’s Saturno, which peaked at No. 2 on the Top Latin Albums chart.

13 Mar 2023

Billboard at SXSW 2023: Where to Find Our Staffers & Events This Week

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Billboard is returning to SXSW in Austin this year for three nights of star-studded concerts, an interactive content house and a plethora of panel discussions featuring musicians, music industry leaders and Billboard staff members.

Panels kick off Monday (March 13), while three Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW concerts are slated to follow later in the week. On Thursday (March 16), rapper and singer Lil Yachty will usher in the trio of shows with opening acts Lola Brooke and Armani White (presented by Doritos), followed by Feid and Eladio Carrión on Friday (presented by Samsung Galaxy) and Kx5 (Kaskade and deadmau5) on Sunday (presented by Carnival).

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Warner Chappell’s Guy Moot Leads SXSW 2023 First Round Speakers

All Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW concerts are set to take place at Austin’s Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park at 7 p.m CT.

Below is a list of where to find Billboard staffers and events at SXSW this week.

Monday, March 13

The Influence of Latin Music on Global Touring
11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CT | Austin Convention Center, Room 18AB
Billboard‘s senior Latin writer Griselda Flores will moderate a panel examining the impact that emerging and heritage Latin artists will have on the future of global touring. More info.

The Power of Connection with Emerging Technologies
4 – 5 p.m. CT | Empire, 607 East 7th Street, Austin
Billboard‘s senior director of touring/live entertainment Dave Brooks will moderate a panel with Dentity CEO Jefferey Schwartz, Rebecca Thorne of See Tickets, Stephen Chilton of Psyko Steve Presents and Dani Slocki of vSpace to discuss innovations in technology and how that relates to Web3, ticketing, access, Identity verification, fan appreciation, fan clubs, consumer engagement and more.

Tuesday, March 14

The Neighbors Have Money For You: Neighboring Rights Now
1 – 2:30 p.m. CT | Parkside, 301 E. 6th St, Austin
Billboard‘s deputy editorial director Rob Levine will host a panel of presenters to discuss neighboring rights and explain the different revenue sources and options rightsholders have to collect royalties. More info.

What to know: Royalties, Rights and Recording Artists
2 – 3:30 p.m. CT | Courtyard Marriott, Rio Grande Ballroom, 300 E. 4th St, Austin
Billboard‘s chief brand officer Dana Droppo will moderate a panel with SAG-AFTRA and top recording artists to discuss how the union can help artists protect themselves and what tools are available to help ensure a long-term career. This event will also be available online. More info.

Billboard at SXSW 2023: Where to Find Our Staffers & Events This Week

Audible is Bringing a Dynamic Music Storytelling Experience to SXSW

Wednesday, March 15

Rebuilding the Touring Industry from Scratch
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CT | Austin Convention Center, Room 17AB
Billboard‘s special features/power lists editor Taylor Mims will moderate a panel examining how the key players in the touring industry have rebounded from the ruins of COVID over the past two years. More info.

Featured Session: How Music, Entrepreneurship, & Independence Intersect
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CT | Austin Convention Center, Room 16AB
Billboard‘s R&B/hip-hop reporter Heran Mamo will moderate a panel on the steps needed to build a successful entertainment company that transcends cultural boundaries. This event will also be available online. More info.

Thursday, March 16

Featured Speaker: Music Publishing in the New Songwriter Economy
11:30am – 12:30 p.m. CT | Austin Convention Center, Room 16AB
Billboard‘s editorial director Hannah Karp will discuss the future of music publishing and the new songwriter economy. This event will also be available online. More info.

How Global Collecting Societies Change Publishing
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CT | Austin Convention Center, Room 17AB
Billboard‘s deputy editorial director Rob Levine will discuss how the rise of globalized collecting societies will affect the publishing business and the songwriters who depend on it. More info.

The Creator Boom: How the Industry Can Transform
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. CT | Austin Convention Center, Room 18CD
Billboard‘s music publishing reporter Kristin Robinson will moderate a panel discussing the rise of AI music companies and music creation tools, as well as DIY distribution services that are enabling bedroom creators — and how both creators and the industry are transforming to keep pace with this new creator paradigm. More info.

DJ Pee Wee for Doritos® After Dark™

Billboard x Doritos® partner to take flavor to ANOTHER LEVEL® in Austin, TX

Welcome to the Machine: Art in the Age of A.I.
4 – 5 p.m. CT | Austin Convention Center, Room 12AB
Billboard‘s deputy editorial director Rob Levine will also discuss the future of artificial intelligence in the music business and how “functional music” can be used to help listeners study or sleep. More info.

Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW: Lil Yachty
7 p.m. CT | Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, 1401 Trinity St., Austin
Presented by Doritos, rapper and singer Lil Yachty will perform with opening performances by Lola Brooke and Armani White. Buy tickets here.

Doritos After Dark at Billboard House
10:30 p.m. – 1:30 a.m. CT | 800 Congress, Austin
Doritos will be taking over the Billboard House for a late-night, one-night-only dining experience featuring an all-vinyl set by DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak). The experience will be available to SXSW badge holders on a first-come-first-served basis. More info.

Friday, March 17

Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW: Feid and Eladio Carrión
7 p.m. CT | Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, 1401 Trinity St., Austin, TX
Presented by Samsung Galaxy, Latin superstars Feid and Eladio Carrión will perform. Buy tickets here.

Saturday, March 18

Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW: Kx5 (KasKade and deadmau5)
7 p.m. CT | Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park, 1401 Trinity St., Austin, TX
Presented by Carnival, electronic dance titans Kx5 (Kaskade and deadmau5) will perform. Buy tickets here.

Billboard’s parent company PMC is the largest shareholder of SXSW and its brands are official media partners of SXSW.

13 Mar 2023

‘My Lawyer Is a Black Woman’: How Bernie Lawrence-Watkins Went From Sticking Up for Family to Representing Latto, 21 Savage & More Rap Heavy-Hitters

During her acceptance speech at Billboard’s Women in Music event, rapper Latto shouted out the most important women in her life who helped push the platinum selling artist to where she is today, including her attorney, Bernie Lawrence-Watkins: “My lawyer is a Black woman — Bernie. Hey Bernie!”

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“It’s not too often you hear clients shouting out their lawyers. So for that to happen in a public forum, shows that she is appreciative of the services that our firm provides,” Lawrence-Watkins says. “It was a very touching moment for me.” (Jon Platt, chairman and CEO of Sony Music Publishing, even gave her a congratulatory call after the shoutout.)

Lawrence-Watkins began working with the “Big Energy” singer when she was a 17-year-old aspiring Atlanta rapper, fresh off of Lifetime’s reality TV competition, The Rap Game, which she won. After receiving a call from her father, the three met and have been working together ever since — with Lawrence-Watkins securing rights for all of Latto’s projects, brand rights, trademark, performances, tour deals and endorsement deals, including Sprite, WingStop, Burger King and Spotify. “I always make sure the deal is not done until she’s satisfied,” says Lawrence-Watkins.

With over 24 years of experience under her belt, Lawrence-Watkins’ roster of clients also includes 21 Savage, Baby Tate and Young Nudy, all of whom she negotiated record deals for. She picked up 21 Savage in 2015, during the making of his wildly successful EP, Savage Mode, released the following year. After the project’s release, Lawrence-Watkins describes the ensuing label response as a “bidding war,” with Epic Records coming out on top. Lawrence-Watkins negotiated quite the deal for 21, including ownership of all his masters, which she owes to the rapper’s leverage.

“[He] created a name and a brand that was very dominant in hip-hop,” Lawrence-Watkins explains. “When it was time to negotiate a deal, we could make certain requests. It was just about understanding where your client is at a particular time in their career.”

But it was a failed deal that led Lawrence-Watkins to becoming a lawyer in the first place. Raised in East Elmhurst, Queens, by way of Dominica, she grew up with an itch to perform — even attending LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, which boasts alumni including Nicki Minaj, Kelis and Eartha Kitt. While attending Howard University, her brother Ron “Amen-Ra” Lawrence got signed to a Columbia imprint as an artist, but struggled to make money through his music, eventually losing the deal.

“My brother was a starving artist,” she explains. “I watched him go on a lot of promo tours, not being paid. [He was] trying to get videos on MTV at that time and the notion was, ‘Oh, your video is too Black.’ I said, ‘I need to be part of this industry to help make a change. How do I do things in a way that’s going to be beneficial to my client, and [causes] people take notice and start doing things differently?’”

Her brother’s experience in the industry led Bernie into law, with Ron himself eventually moving into production as a member of P. Diddy’s original studio team, The Hitmen. The transition proved successful, with Ron going on to co-produce “Hypnotize” by The Notorious B.I.G, “Been Around the World” by Diddy, “Money, Power, Respect” by The Lox and “Love Like This” by Faith Evans.

Representing Ron and fellow hitmaking producer Bangladesh, Bernie — who now operates under the slogan “Bernie gets you paid” — began her own practice and eventually began representing small businesses and artists, in addition to her usual roster of producers. “I wanted to be someone who was part of the change, someone who was going to really fight for my clients’ rights and not close deals until they were done correctly,” she says.

According to the American Bar Association, only 5% of lawyers are African-American. Bernie attributes this number in part to a lack of visibility of Black lawyers, and low effort by firms to hire them. She hopes that her presence as a Black woman in the space will help inspire a new generation of lawyers of color.

“When you look at talent in the hip hop, and r&b community, a lot of them are African-American. You don’t see a lot of us that are representing them. There are so many of us that are talented that can do the work, but for some reason, we’re not being represented,” she explains. “When people say, ‘We did a search and we didn’t find anyone that’s qualified,’ that’s BS.”

From time to time, Bernie says she’ll receive calls from other women lawyers seeking her advice on how to start their own firms. “Working in a white male-dominated industry, I made a decision to not go the traditional route and build a firm,” she explains. “It wasn’t easy, [but] I understand that I’m not just doing this for me. I’m doing this for other women who are looking to follow in my footsteps.”

13 Mar 2023

Musicians Who’ve Spoken Out Against Recent Anti-LGBTQ Bills: Hayley Williams, Lizzo, Ariana Grande & More

Conservative politicians have been targeting trans people, drag queens and queer culture left and right in recent weeks, and artists such as Paramore‘s Hayley Williams, Lizzo and Ariana Grande aren’t letting it slide.

The three singers are just a few of the many musicians speaking out against a recent surge in anti-LGBTQ bills surging through Republican-led legislatures, particularly in Tennessee. In early March, for example, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed controversial laws banning minors from receiving gender-affirming care and preventing drag queens from performing in certain public spaces.

Why is this dangerous? RuPaul said it best in a March 8 Instagram video about the situation: Other than the life-threatening consequences of persecuting people based on sexuality and gender identity, the lawmakers passing such legislation are “distracting us away from the real issues that they were voted into office to focus on — jobs, healthcare, keeping our children safe from harm at their own school.” 

Many musicians aren’t just speaking out against the uptick in discriminatory laws — they’re also singing out. Williams, along with Maren Morris, Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires and several others, are gathering on March 20 in Nashville to stage Love Rising, a benefit concert supporting Tennessee-based LGBTQ organizations.

Even the Music Business Association, which is based in Tennessee, has issued a statement condemning the state’s legislation. “These bigoted actions are especially concerning as we believe the intentional use of vague, inflammatory language will act as a gateway to encouraging acts of violence against the LGBTQ+ community,” it read.

“The music industry is built upon the work of artists, many of whom identify as trans, non-binary, genderqueer, and LGBTQ+,” it continued. “Legislation like this threatens the safety of artists and others, and will force businesses to reconsider holding events in this state. The safety of our conference attendees is central to our Association and will be of paramount concern in planning future events under the Music Biz banner.”

Keep reading to see some of the biggest musicians who are making their voices heard.

13 Mar 2023

KXNG Crooked Claims Death Row Owes Him ‘Six Figures’ for 2003 ‘Dysfunktional Family’ Soundtrack

Last week, Snoop Dogg brought back the entire Death Row catalog to streaming services, which included classics such as Doggystyle, All Eyez on Me, The Chronic and more. On Friday (March 10), former Death Row artist KXNG Crooked claimed on social media that he’s still owed “six figures” for one of the label’s past releases.

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According to Crooked, his frustrations stem from his contributions to the 2003 comedy-laden documentary Dysfunktional Family starring Eddie Griffin. The 17-track soundtrack featured Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Ashanti and more. “I see the DysFunktional Family soundtrack I’m owed six figures for hmmm,” Crooked claimed on Twitter while retweeting Snoop’s original tweet that included images of earlier Death Row releases, including the soundtrack.

Billboard has reached out to Snoop Dogg, Death Row and Gamma — who Snoop sold a stake of the label’s catalog to in December — for comment.

Formerly named Crooked I, the West Coast MC signed to Death Row in the ’90s under the tutelage of Suge Knight. His features from Dysfunktional Family span from “We Ballin’” and “Get Off Tha Block.”

In a 2012 interview with AllHipHop, Crooked reflected on the full-length project and his past contributions. “I was watching [Eddie Griffin’s] Dysfunktional Family the other day, and I had nine songs on that soundtrack,” he said. “It took me back listening to those old songs again. That was like in 2003. But I’m looking to the future.”

He later touched on why he ultimately parted from the label. “There is no real Death Row Records anymore. Once Suge was removed from the picture, there was no Death Row. You can’t be Death Row without Suge,” he said. “My terms were to have me do a brand new album for a $1 million. They gave me the run around, and I told them I was cool.”

Though Crooked officially left the label in 2004, he expressed joy for Snoop’s acquisition on Twitter, saying, “I’m glad Snoop owns DR! If there’s a conversation [to] be had about my old music, I’d much rather have it with him!”

Check out Crooked’s tweets below. 

13 Mar 2023

Wade Jessen, Pam Green & Charlie Morgan Lead 2023 Country Radio Hall of Fame Class

Wade Jessen, an exacting and encyclopedic country music figure who oversaw the Billboard country charts for two decades, was announced March 13 as a 2023 inductee into the Country Radio Hall of Fame.

Jessen joined Billboard in December 1994, handling the genre’s charts during a difficult period of transition for the industry in which the introduction of streaming technology changed the way consumers experienced music. His work with Billboard included oversight of the Christian, gospel and bluegrass charts, and he played a role in the development of the groundbreaking Hot Country Songs chart — which blends airplay, sales and streaming data — reflecting significant changes in consumer behavior in 2012. Jessen died shortly after his 20th anniversary with the company, suffering a heart attack on March 5, 2015, less than a week after that year’s Country Radio Seminar concluded.

The Billboard charts job was the final entry on Jessen’s résumé, though it was hardly the only significant span in his work history. He held an on-air role in two different stints at KSOP Salt Lake City before taking the music director position at historic WSM-AM Nashville, the home of the Grand Ole Opry, in 1987. Even after he shifted to the chart position, Jessen continued to keep his radio voice in working condition, imparting his knowledge on SiriusXM’s classic country channel, Willie’s Roadhouse.

Jessen was one of six new members announced on the first day of this year’s Country Radio Seminar by Kelsea Ballerini along with the Hall of Fame’s co-chairs, consultant Joel Raab and Audacy/Detroit vp of programming Tim Roberts.

Joining Jessen as off-air inductees are Pam Green, Charlie Morgan and John Willyard. Newly announced on-air members are Trish Biondo and Dollar Bill Lawson.

Green came to prominence during a 13-year run as music director at WHN New York, a station that was among the genre’s first to employ research to connect with the nation’s most diverse local audience. She held a position with Raab’s consultancy and served as United Stations Radio Networks senior director of artist relations, continuing in the post after the company was absorbed by Westwood One. Along the way, she became one of country’s first female music directors.

Trish Biondo, John Willyard, Charlie Morgan, Pam Green and Dollar Bill Lawson

Clockwise from top left: Trish Biondo, John Willyard, Charlie Morgan, Pam Green and Dollar Bill Lawson.

Courtesy of CRS

Morgan has a lengthy history with Country Radio Broadcasters, where he served as board president. He is the current board chairman for the Country Music Association. Morgan’s tenure was spent primarily in Indianapolis, where he worked on-air at WFMS, rising to program director for the station and country sister WGRL, en route to becoming vp/market manager for the Susquehanna cluster, now part of the Cumulus chain. Morgan shifted to rival Emmis/Indianapolis, including country WHLK, in 2009, adding stints at Emmis/New York and Apple Music, where he is global head of radio and music programming.

Willyard sets a precedent as the first inductee recognized primarily for voice acting and imaging. Boosted by 2012 Hall of Fame inductee Rusty Walker, Willyard became the central voice for more than 100 country stations, maintaining a similarly sized client list for more than 30 years. He has also handled the voiceover work for the Country Music Association Awards for two decades.

Biondo built her Hall of Fame credentials primarily at WUSN Chicago, beginning in research and promotion during college, segueing to board operator and eventually handling the microphone and the music director position. She spent 14 years in mornings before taking on the midday role. She also spent an early portion of her career in Nashville as an intern at MTM Records.

Lawson received the Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award during the opening-day ceremonies at CRS 2019 and returned to the winners circle this year for his work on-air in Birmingham, Ala. He spent 18 years at WZZK, with a decade in the a.m. daypart, and has held the same morning-drive role at WDXB since 2002.

This year’s class will be officially inducted during a dinner ceremony at the Virgin Hotel Nashville on July 10.