TUNE-IN: JO DEE MESSINA AND A STAR-STUDDED LINEUP HONOR TRISHA YEARWOOD FOR AUSTIN CITY LIMITS 9TH HALL OF FAME

 

Tune in this Saturday night for the ninth annual Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, honoring the remarkable career of country music icon Trisha Yearwood. Catch Jo Dee Messina singing Yearwood's 1991 chart-topping hit "She's in Love with the Boy," alongside tributes from Don Henley, Ronnie Dunn, Brothers Osborne and Brandy Clark. 

The broadcast premieres Saturday, March 2 at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT on PBS (check local listings). 

The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, March 3 at 10 am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits.

SINGER/SONGWRITER JON STATHAM JOINS FORCES WITH VETERANS THROUGH WARRIOR ROUNDS TO CREATE SONGS OF RESILIENCE

Embarking on a soul-stirring journey, acclaimed songwriter Jon Statham is harmonizing with the untold narratives of veterans through Warrior Rounds, transforming their experiences into powerful compositions of resilience and shared humanity.

Warrior Rounds was created to bring together veterans with songwriters to tell the untold stories of the heroes who have served our country. It was started by J.T. Cooper in 2019 “to help veterans have a voice,” he says. “Music helped me with my PTSD after my experience with war, during the battle of Mogadishu, of Black Hawk Down. We’ve done 60 stories and songs so far.”

Nashville singer/songwriter Jon Statham became involved with Warrior Rounds in 2022 through his friend and songwriting partner, Jason Martin. “I’ve written about 40 or more songs with Jason [Martin], many of the early ones were about his time in the army, and he introduced me to Warrior Rounds,” said Statham.

Statham described the Warrior Rounds project as a day retreat for veterans where they tell their stories to songwriters. “Heroes should always have a song written about them,” he said. Of these retreats, Statham noted, “it’s quite an experience, incredibly fulfilling.”

Cooper is thrilled with the collaboration with Statham, “Jon is awesome, he gets the Heart of what we do – one Warrior’s Story, one song at a time,” he says. This project is not only a celebration of artistic expression but a heartfelt tribute to the men and women who have dedicated their lives to serving their country.

Jon Statham and Jason Martin started writing music together at the end of 2015 and put out their first song ”The Soldier and Me” in 2016. Martin described writing songs with Statham, “It is smooth, almost magical. [Jon] understands music so well that once he has the story and a melody in mind it just flows out.”

Martin was in the military for 20 years, and says it is the main thing that influences what he writes songs about. “Songwriting is all about the truth through stories and melodies and my time in the military formed who I am and who I will always be–a soldier, a warrior,” he said.

For Statham, this is also personal – “My dad proudly served in the Army. He was stationed in Japan and Asia. That’s where he got his start in radio and music, surprisingly enough. He spent many years in Country Music Radio.”

Most recently, Statham collaborated on the song “Hard Times Don’t Last” during a day retreat with Warrior Rounds. You can hear the story behind the song in the video below. 

The Warrior Rounds project aims to raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by veterans and to foster a sense of unity and understanding. As the project unfolds, Statham wants the public to follow along and celebrate the strength, camaraderie, and stories of those who have served. Donations are most welcome to help keep these stories going at www.warriorrounds.com. 

More information is available on Warrior Rounds at www.facebook.com/warriorrounds or on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@warriorrounds4844.

To learn more about Jon Statham and his music, visit www.jonstatham.com 

or follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

MICHAEL RAY DEBUTS "DIVE BARS & BROKEN HEARTS" TO FULL HOUSE

Intimate CMA Music Fest Kick-Off Event Shares Entire EP

6 Songs, 2 #1s and a Whole Lotta Fans at E. Nashville’s The 5 Spot

Photo Credit: Connor Vaughan Morrs

Over the last year, Michael Ray has been honing his craft, focusing his sound and going deeper and deeper into the kind of country music he was raised on in the heart of central Florida. Working with CMA Album of the Year-winning producer Michael Knox, the pair doubled down on a lean, working man’s country sound that pulled traces of Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Vern Gosdin, Hank Jr. and Alabama.

Thursday night, at East Nashville’s locals mostly The 5 Spot – where Lady Gaga famously kicked off her own Dive Bar Tour in support of her back-to-roots Joanne – the no frills songwriter treated his own fans to the first front-to-back performance of "Dive Bars & Broken Hearts". The six-song EP explores the phases of life, the emotions that define how we live, the reality of where we find ourselves for good times and bad.

“I had been wanting a way to play this to the people who’ve been part of my life and my career from the beginning,” says the dark-headed vocalist. “CMA Fest brings country music fans together from not just across North America, but all over the world. So many of my fans come every year, this seemed like the perfect way to debut all this music as a whole collected work without playing favorites and picking a city.”

Hunger for his new music was high. Tickets for the intimate rock bar show were gone in less than 18 hours; the fans started lining up before daybreak. With a line down the block and around the corner, spirits were high among those lucky enough to get tickets – and on Knox’s bus were the band, who’d been dropping a few songs into their set, would finally get to put it all together.

“Songs on a record are one thing,” Ray said. “But songs in a bar with real people are something else. Not until you get into that room and hear the people do you know. And growing up in Eustis, with my Grandpa working all day, coming home, getting dressed up and heading out to where the music was, I learned the power of that pretty young.”

With the teaser tracks “Workin’ On It” and “Get Her Back” drawing the strongest response, as the crowd sang along at full voice, even the unfamiliar songs seemed to hit home. From the opening “Dive Bars & Broken Hearts,” Ray drew the crowd into a world of short-circuiting neon, young bucks acting up in their trucks, heartaches that drive you to drink and the idea that beyond perfection is the happiness of trying to be a better person every single day.

"Dive Bars & Broken Hearts" is available for pre-order now. Three of the six tracks will be instantly available; June 23, the rest of the project will be completed. For fans of how real life creates great songs and reasons to hang on and get through it, Ray understands. With four chart-toppers of his own, he performed “Think A Little Less” and “Whiskey & Rain” as the cherry on top of the new music sundae. With stops at the Grand Old Opry June 9 and the Warner/Yee-Haw Brewing Co. show June 10, it’s all about getting the music into the hands of the ones who deserve it the most: the fans.

JASON NIX RELEASES LEAD SONG OFF FORTHCOMING CONCEPT PROJECT: “MARY WANNA”

New Release Follows Songwriter’s Recent ACM Award Win for Song of the Year (“Things A Man Oughta Know”)

Following his recent ACM Award win for Song of the Year as a writer on Lainey Wilson’s Gold-certified No. 1 hit “Things A Man Oughta Know,” in-demand songwriter Jason Nix now presents himself as a must-hear artist with today’s release of “Mary Wanna” via Jody Williams Songs/Warner Chappell Music. 

“‘Mary Wanna’ is the song that got my wheels turning again on releasing music as a solo artist. I love the way it makes me feel,” reflects Nix of the track produced by Chip Matthews. “I’ve always wanted to do a concept album and ‘Mary Wanna’ paints a very clear picture of what Mary’s role will be in this story. She’s a rebel who feels trapped by her parents’ idea of who she should be; she feels smothered by her community’s expectations of how a young woman should act. She is desperately looking for the freedom to find out who she is, even if it means breaking some hearts along the way.”

Released as the first introduction to a concept project Nix plans to release in the coming months, ‘Mary Wanna’ is a windows-down, singalong tribute to the renegade title character and all the women living life on their own terms that she represents.

“This song is the cornerstone for a project I didn’t realize I was starting at the time and was born from a personal experience that I never intended to write about,” Nix adds. “Mary gave me the opportunity to write about the things I’ve been holding onto for years.”

Photo Credit: Caitlyn McNaney

For more information, visit JasonNixMusic.com and follow on social media @JasonNixMusic.

#TOURINGNEWS - TRAVIS TRITT ANNOUNCES "SET IN STONE" TOUR 2022

Multi-platinum selling and award-winning artist Travis Tritt has announced his upcoming tour, the Set In Stone Tour, taking place March 11-May 1, 2022.

 
Throughout the full schedule of shows, fans will have the opportunity to experience a special concert featuring Tritt and his band performing songs off his new album, Set In Stone, and some of his biggest hits, including “Anymore,” “T-R-O-U-B-L-E,” “It’s A Great Day to Be Alive,” and “Best of Intentions.”

Last year, Tritt released Set In Stone, his first original full-length studio album in over a decade. The Grammy winner delivers the quintessential Travis Tritt sound with a touch of Americana and Roots on the album. He pays homage to all sides of his musical personality along with the trademarks of his originality. The Grand Ole Opry member will bring his award-winning songs to life and leave the audience with a memorable experience.

Travis Tritt’s ‘Set In Stone’ tour dates are:

March 11 - Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater
March 12 - Shreveport, LA - Shreveport Municipal Auditorium (on-sale now)
March 18 - Salem, VA - Salem Civic Center (on-sale now)
March 19 - Hagerstown, MD – The Maryland Theatre (on-sale now)
March 25 - Cherokee, NC - Harrah’s Cherokee Event Center
March 26 - N. Charleston, SC – North Charleston Performing Arts Center (on-sale now)
March 31 - Evansville, IN – Victory Theatre
April 01 - Cape Girardeau, MO – Show Me Center
April 02 - Robinsonville, MS – Gold Strike Millennium Theatre
April 09 - Cocoa, FL – Cocoa Riverfront Park
April 10 - Ormond Beach, FL - The Pavilion at Destination Daytona
April 14 - Topeka, KS – Topeka Performing Arts Center (on-sale date - 1/14)
April 15 - Wichita, KS - Century II Performing Arts Center
April 16 - Springfield, MO – Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts

                                            (on-sale date - 1/14)
April 22 - Dalton, GA – Dalton Convention Center (on-sale now)
April 23 - Peachtree City, GA – Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater
May  01 - Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre

To purchase tickets or for more information on Travis Tritt’s 2022 tour dates, please visit https://travistritt.com/tour/.

 
Released through Big Noise Music Group and produced by Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, The Highwomen, Sturgill Simpson), Set In Stone features 11 new songs, 8 of which were co-written by Tritt.

Travis Tritt’s albums, seven of which are certified platinum or higher, have led him to amass more than 30 million in career album sales, two GRAMMY® Awards, four CMA Awards, including the CMA Horizon Award (now known as the New Artist Award); a Billboard Music Award for Top New Artist, an invitation to become a member of the world-famous Grand Ole Opry and a devoted fan base that has filled venues coast-to-coast. He is also dubbed one of “The Class of ‘89,” which includes Country music superstars Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Alan Jackson, who dominated the charts in the ‘90s.

Among his eleven studio albums and numerous charted singles are five number ones and 20 Top 10 hits, including “Help Me Hold On,” “Anymore,” “Can I Trust You with My Heart,” “Foolish Pride,” “Best of Intentions,” “I’m Gonna Be Somebody,” “Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde,” “Here’s A Quarter,” “It’s A Great Day To Be Alive,” and more.

 
Tritt continues to sell-out shows to his devoted fan base, which has filled venues for years. This tour is no different, bringing Tritt’s authenticity and country music coast-to-coast.

AMERICAN SONGWRITER PREMIERES LYRIC VIDEO FOR NEW COLLIN RAYE SINGLE, "ROCK 'N' ROLL BONE"

Photo Credit: Lindsey Merrill

American Songwriter has exclusively premiered the new lyric video for multi-platinum selling country star Collin Raye's latest single, "Rock 'N' Roll Bone." The song is the second single to be released from SCARS (BFD/Audium Nashville), Raye's first album of all-new material in over a decade.

“’Rock ’N’ Roll Bone’ is an autobiographical song about the musical journey of my brother Scotty and I. I’m very proud of how it turned out,” Raye tells American Songwriter. “I wrote the song, primarily as a tribute to him, while I was pondering our past and childhood and how music was always such a constant element of our lives. We were influenced by many different things and I know it’s that musical diversity of loving classic Country Music, as well as Rock ’N’ Roll, that turned me into the singer/recording artist I am today. I hope folks will enjoy the story in the song. It’s totally true!”

Watch the video here.

SCARS is out now and available everywhere music is sold or streamed. Download now here.

For more information on Collin Raye, visit collinraye.com

THE DRYES RELEASE ODE TO DOLLY PARTON - “DOLLY WOULD”

Nashville-based country duo The Dryes have released their new sassy and powerful single, “Dolly Would,” along with a candid lyric video filmed at The Dive Motel in Nashville. Co-written with Shane Stevens [Walker Hayes, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum] and Mia Fieldes, “Dolly Would” is an anthem for women who feel misunderstood in the entertainment industry and look up to Dolly as a trailblazer who tore down barriers and stereotypes. The Boot’s Tricia Despres raved, “the song is the ultimate good time.”


On release weekend (August 20 and 21), Katelyn and Derek Drye will be performing the song at Dollywood as they partake in two shows for the Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival.

This new single follows the husband-wife duo’s previous release, “White’s Creek.” The song’s deeply significant and serendipitous story caught the attention of PEOPLE.

Photo credit: Sean Hagwell

KENNY CHESNEY PROVES THAT BEYOND THE NOISE, IT REALLY IS A "BEAUTIFUL WORLD"

Few artists have the passionate engagement with fans that Kenny Chesney enjoys with his iconic No Shoes Nation. Summer after summer, stadium after stadium, they can be found in our nation’s NFL stadium parking lots making friends and having fun by day, then singing along to their singular soundtrack of coming of age by night. Beyond the sheer joy of the music and the high energy of Chesney’s two-and-a-half-hour stage shows, there’s a sense of how sweet life can be that permeates every moment.

And that’s something the songwriter/superstar from East Tennessee wants to make sure people remember as the news cycles rage on, the news piles up and 2022 is just up ahead. In that spirit, the man behind the No. 1 songs “American Kids,” “Get Along,” “Wild Child,” “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” and “Here And Now” decided to drop a little surprise on for No Shoes Nation.

“There’s so much wonder out in the world, so many things that can take your breath away right in front of you,” says the man The Los Angeles Times calls ‘The People’s Superstar.’ “Like the faces of No Shoes Nation, I see every time I’m on that stage – or just traveling around – that happiness and passion? It inspires me.

“I was thinking about that feeling, thinking about how I could maybe capture it – and give it back to the people, and it hit me: show them some of the best days of my life out on the water. The beauty, the easy way the sun hangs in the sky and the water just goes on and on? It makes you happy just to see it. So from me to No Shoes Nation, until we’re together again, take this video and remember, it really is a beautiful world.”

With Here And Now Deluxe adding four songs that Chesney found and recorded during the early days of the shutdown, “Beautiful World” is a patchwork quilt of various memories from the last decade of the eight-time Entertainer of the Year’s time spent sailing around the globe. Longtime collaborator Shaun Silva and his team worked to create a sense of flying through the water in the video that epitomizes the freedom of sailing for so many.

“With ‘Knowing You’ starting to really make its mark,” Chesney offers, “this seems like the perfect counterpart. This is what that person who’s gone would be chasing or seeking: that feeling of moving through space and time, the salt air on your tongue and waves hitting your boat as you take your time getting nowhere fast.”

The video for “Beautiful World” is available everywhere now. Shot largely in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and off the coasts, the quick cut collection brings together a travelogue of postcards – and a song that reminds us how beautiful every single day is, if we’ll just open our eyes and see it.

“It always amazes me, the things I see when I actually look. This world is a beautiful place, and I feel bad for all the people who won’t open up their eyes and take that in.”

BRANTLEY GILBERT PREMIERES THE WORST COUNTRY VIDEO OF ALL TIME

Georgia-Native Readies Fans for New Music On the Horizon

Following the release of his latest single “The Worst Country Song of All Time” via The Valory Music Co., multi-Platinum selling country rocker Brantley Gilbert ups the ante with the worst country video of all time, directed by Gilbert and Brian Vaughn, featuring his collaborator on the track HARDY, with a special appearance from Toby Keith. The video premiered exclusively on Facebook.com with Gilbert joining live ahead of the video’s initial screening.

Starring a rowdy crew of recognizable political figures, including a saxophone-wielding Bill Clinton, the video, like the song, parodies the genre with an elaborate approach, featuring electric cars and minivans along with some questionable fashion choices, proving Gilbert and his co-writer know how to poke fun at themselves while also spotlighting all they love about the format. 

“I honestly never thought we’d get this far with this song,” chuckles Gilbert. “It really started as a goofy idea that we were having fun with, and we’ve been glad to bring a laugh to folks this summer after such a rough year. We can’t wait for BG Nation to see what else we have in store later this year.”

Released earlier this summer, Entertainment Tonight calls “The Worst Country Song of All Time” “tongue-in-cheek,” while Barstool Sports praises it as a “rambunctious, boot-stomping good time.” Billboard shares that the song is “a sendup of every other stereotypical one, slagging the lifestyle linchpins in the genre…and celebrating the stuff that country’s songs typically try to escape.”

“If you take it seriously enough to criticize it,” Gilbert shared with Billboard, “you're missing the whole point.”

With three No. 1 albums and seven No. 1 singles, Gilbert has been writing and recording during his time off from the road, readying his fans for more new music later this year.

“We’ve had a lot of great writes over the last few months,” Gilbert says. “We got outside of our box a little bit. As artists and writers, we have a group of people that we’re extremely comfortable writing with, that we know we’re going to be productive with and we know what kind of song we’re going write. But we branched out a little bit and wrote with some folks we haven’t written with before, just to see what would happen and what would come out of it.

“I have to say, I’m extremely proud of what we got on the way,” he concludes.

“The Worst Country Song Of All Time” is the first taste of new music following the release of Fire & Brimstone (Deluxe Edition), an extended version of his fifth studio album which explores love and family, redemption and life in a small town, with all 17 tracks written or co-written by Gilbert. Lead single “What Happens In A Small Town” featuring Lindsay Ell marked his fifth No. 1 as an artist, seventh No. 1 as a songwriter and earned nominations for the 2019 CMA Award for Musical Event of the Year and 2020 ACM Award for Music Event of the Year.

Earlier this year, Gilbert held his inaugural trail ride with partners including Polaris, Gander Outdoors, Camping World, Brimstone® Recreation, Traeger Grills, Whiskey Jam and Appalachia Made Co., raising $75,000 to benefit ACM Lifting Lives COVID-19 Response Fund to support those in the entertainment industry who lost work due to the pandemic.

Gilbert continues to raise funds for the philanthropic arm of the Academy of Country Music with the “Garage-full of Awesome Giveaway.” Fans who donate $10 or more will be entered to win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to meet Gilbert in person for a trail-riding adventure; a RZR Trail S 1000 Ultimate in Ghost Gray, courtesy of Polaris; 2021 Heartland Fuel 362, courtesy of Camping World; and $5,000 cash. Donate HERE.

SCOTTY McCREERY RELEASES TITLE TRACK FROM HIGHLY ANTICIPATED ALBUM "SAME TRUCK"

North Carolina Native’s Fifth Studio Album Set for Release Sept. 17

 Pre-Order and Pre-Save HERE

Limited Edition Variant Album Cover Now Available for Pre-Order at ScottyMcCreery.com

Current Single “You Time” Hits Top Ten

On the heels of an early album announcement due to fan demand, Triple Tigers recording artist Scotty McCreery releases the title track “Same Truck” today from his highly anticipated fifth studio album, set for release on Friday, Sept. 17. Listen to the song HERE and pre-order Same Truck HERE.

Co-written with Ashley Gorley, Zack Crowell and Taylor Phillips, “Same Truck” is a jubilant anthem to all the things we have in common in spite of our differences.

“We’re all more alike than we are different,” McCreery shares. “I’ve witnessed that on almost a daily basis as I talk with people and watch them while traveling around the world to perform. This is my way of saying that we’re all on the same team here; let’s all work toward getting along again; let’s build each other up.”

The chorus finds McCreery’s impressive baritone singing over ringing guitars:

But we’re all in the same truck

Heading down a different two lane

Kickin’ up the same dust

Praying for the same rain

Closing down the same bars

Different wishes on the same stars

Getting every mile out of these good years til the day He calls us up

We’re all in the same truck

Yeah we’re all in the same truck

McCreery is now offering pre-orders for Same Truck at his online store on his website, ScottyMcCreery.com/sametruck. Fans can order both signed and unsigned CDs, along with a choice of a limited-edition variant cover. The online store also offers new Same Truck merchandise, including t-shirts, a sweatshirt, a hat, and socks.

Same Truck – the album - features 12 songs, 10 of which were co-written by McCreery, including the title track, “You Time,” and “Why You Gotta Be Like That, ” a song inspired by his wife Gabi that Sounds Like Nashville shares, “Featuring an upbeat sway and a breezy, sunshine-country sound, the feel-good anthem captures a moment of unexpected and effortless romance.”

Lead single “You Time” continues to climb the charts at Country radio and is currently at No. 9 on the Mediabase chart. Billboard boasts, “The first single from his forthcoming album bodes well for his streak of three back-to-back No. 1s to continue.”

Produced by Frank Rogers, Derek Wells and Aaron Eshuis, the team who produced his previous project (the RIAA Gold certified Seasons Change), Same Truck is a reflection of where McCreery is in life now as a man married to the love of his life for three years and who is also celebrating his 10th year as an entertainer.

“We recorded a bunch of songs pre-pandemic and thought we had the album just about ready…and then the world shut down,” says McCreery. “For the first time in 10 years, I was home more than a few days at a time. I loved having the extra time with my wife, Gabi, and our dog, Moose, however it also gave me a lot of time to pick up the guitar and just play for fun. I wound up writing a bunch of new songs and creating almost a whole new album from the perspective of reflecting on my last decade, yet also keeping an eye towards where I want to go.”

Released in 2018, Seasons Change debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and contained three consecutive No. 1 hits: the Double RIAA Platinum certified “Five More Minutes,” Platinum certified “This is It,” and Gold certified “In Between.”

In the midst of his You Time Tour, McCreery has been performing several songs from the new album in concert. “You never know how new songs are going to go over in the live show, but our audiences sure seem to enjoy them from the reaction we’re receiving,” said the North Carolina native. He’s also been direct support on select tour dates with Old Dominion.

Track list for Same Truck:

1. Same Truck (Scotty McCreery, Ashley Gorley, Taylor Phillips, Zach Crowell)
2. You Time (Scotty McCreery, Frank Rogers, Aaron Eshuis)
3. It Matters To Her (Scotty McCreery, Rhett Akins, Lee Thomas Miller)
4. Damn Strait (Trent Tomlinson, Jim Collins)
5. It’ll Grow On Ya (Jeremy Bussey, Jason Blaine, Taylor Phillips, Adam Wood)
6. The Waiter (Scotty McCreery, Matthew West, Frank Rogers)
7. Why You Gotta Be Like That (Scotty McCreery, Jordan Schmidt, James McNair)
8. Home (Scotty McCreery, Frank Rogers, Brent Anderson, Tammi Kidd)
9. Carolina To Me (Scotty McCreery, Jeremy Bussey, Taylor Phillips)
10. Small Town Girl (Scotty McCreery, Ashley Gorley, Zach Crowell)
11. That Kind of Fire (Scotty McCreery, Josh Hoge, Matt McVaney, Justin Wilson)
12. How Ya Doin’ Up There (Scotty McCreery, Monty Criswell, Derek George, Tyler Reeve)