PRODUCER JIM ROONEY TO BE HONORED BY AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION

NASHVILLE, AUG. 6, 2009 — The Americana Music Association proudly announces that Jim Rooney will receive the Lifetime Achievement for Producer/Engineer award at the 8th Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony, scheduled for Thurs., Sept. 17 at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

In a career spanning more than 50 years, veteran Nashville producer Jim Rooney's elegant musicality has established him as a most vital player in Americana music. Perhaps best known for his Grammy-nominated albums with John Prine, Iris DeMent, Tom Paxton and Peter Rowan – as well as his work on Nanci Griffith's Grammy-winning Other Voices Other Rooms – Rooney's contributions as an engineer, musician, producer and songwriter have graced close to 150 albums to date.

"Jim Rooney is the number one reason I have a career," says Nanci Griffith, who also worked with Rooney on the Grammy-nominated Last of the True Believers. "He gave me confidence in my writing, inspiration to write, and handed me the want ads to look for an apartment in Nashville."

Following his key role in the '60s folk revival, Rooney managed legendary venue Club 47 (now Club Passim) in Cambridge, Mass., and lent his talents to the Newport Folk Festival, serving as both its Director and Talent Coordinator. After handling tour and production management duties for both the Newport Jazz Festival and inaugural New Orleans Jazz Festival, Rooney moved to Woodstock, N.Y. in the early '70s to manage Albert Grossman's Bearsville Sound Studios.

At home in Nashville for the past 35 years, Rooney has released a handful of solo records while producing artists including Townes Van Zandt, Hal Ketchum, Bonnie Raitt and more. Rooney has also authored two books, Bossmen: Bill Monroe & Muddy Waters (DaCapo Press) and Baby Let Me Follow You Down: The Illustrated Story of the Cambridge Folk Years with Eric Von Schmidt (University of Massachusetts Press).  He currently splits his time between Tennessee, Vermont and Ireland.

From September 16-19, 2009, the 10th Annual Americana Music Festival & Conference will offer seminars, panels and networking opportunities at the Nashville Convention Center by day, and bring a stellar lineup of musical showcases each evening. Conference registrations currently at the early bird discount rate of $350 for members and $450 for non-members are available at the Americana Music Online Store:

The Renaissance Nashville serves as our official hotel.

Adjacent to the Nashville Convention Center, the Renaissance Hotel is the hub of activity during the AMA Music Festival. Shuttle buses depart the hotel entrance each evening on a continuous route to our showcase venues. The historic Ryman Auditorium, home of the Americana Honors & Awards, is just steps away. Lower Broad honkytonks and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum are all within walking distance.
 

To reserve a room, please click here call 800.327.6618 or 615.255.8400. Please make sure to mention that you are with the AMERICANA MUSIC group.
 
About the Americana Music Festival & Conference

Slated for Wednesday, September 16 through Saturday, September 19, the 10th Annual Americana Festival and Conference will offer daily seminars, panels and networking  opportunities at the Nashville Convention Center. The event's signature is the 8th Annual Americana Honors and Awards ceremony, slated for Thursday, September 17 at the Ryman Auditorium. Each evening of the festival brings more than 80 stacked Americana showcases to key Nashville venues. Last year, approximately 1,000 industry professionals attended the conference, while more than 12,000 fans enjoyed the festival's musical events.
 
Americana Honors & Awards 

Each year we honor distinguished members of the music community with six member voted annual awards and with Lifetime Achievement Awards.  Presented by the Gibson Foundation, the Honors & Awards are attended by 2000 plus artists, music loving fans and entertainment industry executives in one of America's musical shrines, the historic Ryman Auditorium.  The event has been broadcast internationally via Sirius/XM Radio, BBC2, and Voice of America.  The Honors & Awards have featured many amazing moments over the years including Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash's last live performance together, as well as show-stopping appearances by Lyle Lovett, Rosanne Cash, Solomon Burke, Old Crow Medicine Show with Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson, the Avett Brothers, Mavis Staples, Robert Plant, Patty Griffin, Levon Helm, and so many more. 
 
About the Americana Music Association

The Americana Music Association is a professional trade organization whose mission is to provide a forum for the advocacy of Americana music and to promote public awareness of the genre to support the creative and economic viability of professionals in this field. Dedicated to building and promoting the Americana genre and the individuals who participate in that industry, the Americana Music Association works closely with artists, labels, radio stations, retailers, print media, festivals, agents, publishers and more to help organize and build the infrastructure necessary for the Americana genre to achieve success both creatively and financially.

JIM ROONEY TO RECEIVE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT FOR PRODUCER/ENGINEER AT 8TH ANNUAL AMERICANA HONORS & AWARDS