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The iconic singer Tracy Chapman appeared at the Grammy Awards to perform her hit song “Fast Car” with Luke Combs, moving the crowd to a standing ovation.
On Sunday night (Feb. 4), the 66th Grammy Awards began with a duet performance by singer and songwriter Tracy Chapman and country star Luke Combs of Chapman’s now-iconic song “Fast Car.” Dressed in an elegant black shirt and slacks with her silver locs tied behind her, Chapman played the memorable first bars on her guitar singing the first verse as the crowd cheered.
Combs joined in, singing the second verse. They went back and forth singing and joined in on the chorus, leading the star-studded audience to deliver a rapturous standing ovation as the song ended with Combs bowing to Chapman. “The legendary Tracy Chapman, everybody,” host Trevor Noah said at the end, overjoyed. “Thank you so much for that! Thank you so much for that.” Oprah Winfrey could be seen jumping up and down in excitement in the audience, with Taylor Swift and Kasey Musgraves also expressing their joy during the ovation.
The 59-year-old singer’s return to the Grammy stage in 35 years was propelled by Combs’ faithful cover of “Fast Car” last year on his Gettin’ Old album. It captivated the public, obtaining the second spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and a nomination for Best Country Solo Performance at this year’s Grammys in addition to winning the Country Music Award for Song of the Year last year – making Chapman the first Black songwriter to get that honor. “It’s truly an honor for my song to be newly recognized after 35 years of its debut,” she said in a statement at the time. The duet thrilled many at home watching as well, inducing fans to push the song to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes chart shortly after the performance aired.
The appearance was also the anniversary of Tracy Chapman’s debut at the Grammy Awards in 1989, a year after her self-titled debut featuring “Fast Car.” She would win Best Female Pop Vocalist that night, where she also performed before the audience. Before that, Chapman hadn’t done many public performances since her last tour ended in 2009, and she had appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers during the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election performing “Talkin’ Bout A Revolution.”
The Academy of Country Music has added Gil Beverly to its leadership team, as executive vp and chief business officer. Beverly joins the Academy following more than four years with the Tennessee Titans, where he served as the NFL team’s chief marketing and revenue officer.
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In his new role Beverly will supervise and manage the Academy’s business operations and manage all revenue streams, as well as play a key role in shaping the Academy’s growth strategy by identifying and evaluating business opportunities, and will work with the CEO to oversee and manage staff, all while supporting the Academy’s mission of connecting the industry, artists and fans.
During Beverly’s time with the Nashville-based Titans, he helped revitalize the team’s brand through lifestyle marketing and activations in music, art, fashion and fitness, as well as advertising and social media campaigns. Beverly also served as executive project lead for the preliminary stages of the new Titans stadium plan.
Prior to joining the Titans organization, Beverly served as vp of partnership solutions at Learfield Sports in Plano, Texas, after a 13-year stint at ESPN, where he oversaw the go-to-market strategy for multimedia sales and sponsorships for the launch of the College Football Playoff as vp of college sports marketing.
“Gil Beverly is a proven leader who has ushered in new levels of success for numerous category-leading organizations, and we can’t wait to tap his exceptional expertise, passion, and drive at the Academy of Country Music to help us continue to innovate, grow, and succeed, particularly as we look ahead to our landmark 60th anniversary awards show celebration in 2025,” Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, said in a statement. “In his role, he will play an integral part in shaping the future of the Academy from financial, strategic, and organizational standpoints, and Gil exemplifies all the traits that power the ACM to reach new heights and support our industry. On behalf of our Board of Directors and Officers, as well as our Members and staff, I couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to team ACM!”
“I am extremely honored and excited to join Damon Whiteside and his team at the Academy of Country Music,” Beverly added. “The Academy has proven to be a visionary organization through its premium content and events and groundbreaking partnerships with Amazon and the Dallas Cowboys, among others. I believe the organization is poised for significant growth and will continue to be a powerful leader in the music industry in the future.”
At age 90 and with more than seven decades of music under his belt, Texas native Willie Nelson is busier than ever. The 12-time Grammy winner was recently inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame on Nov. 3 and in September, he released Bluegrass, his first full-length album of bluegrass-styled music. The album has earned Nelson a Grammy nomination for best bluegrass album, leading into the 2024 ceremony.
On Dec. 17, CBS will present the music special Willie Nelson’s 90th Birthday Celebration, honoring the music icon with performances and collaborations from Nelson as well as Gary Clark Jr., Snoop Dogg, Miranda Lambert, Norah Jones, George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Keith Richards and Nelson’s sons Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson. More top-tier stars will host, including Jennifer Garner, Chelsea Handler, Woody Harrelson, Ethan Hawke, Helen Mirren and Owen Wilson.
Nelson’s innovative songs, unique performance style and jazz-inspired, behind-the-beat style of phrasing, has made the iconoclast one of music’s most widely beloved artists, with 20 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. His catalog of hits he penned for other artists includes “Night Life,” “Hello Walls,” “Crazy,” “Family Bible” and “Funny How Time Slips Away.” He earned his first top 10 country hits as an artist in the 1960s with “Touch Me” and “Willingly,” but it was 1975’s Red Headed Stranger that would garner Nelson his mainstream breakthrough. The album’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” would earn Nelson his first Grammy award, and his first No. 1 hit on the Hot Country Songs chart.
In 1976, Nelson’s music was part of the compilation album Wanted! The Outlaws, which also included Tompall Glaser, Waylon Jennings, and Jessi Colter; the album became country music’s first album to be certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Nelson and Jennings’ hit collaborations include the 1976, three-week Hot Country Songs chart No. 1 hit “Good Hearted Woman” and 1978’s four-week No. 1 “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.”
A testament to his musical fluidity, Nelson’s albums over the years have paid homage to his Texas honky-tonk roots, but also included projects of pop standards (1978’s Stardust), tributes to Lefty Frizzell (1977’s To Lefty From Willie), Kris Kristofferson (1979’s Willie Nelson Sings Kristofferson), Cindy Walker (2006’s You Don’t Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker), Frank Sinatra (2021’s That’s Life) and George and Ira Gershwin (2016’s Summertime), and albums recorded with Ray Price, Roger Miller, Merle Haggard and Webb Pierce.
Nelson was named as the inaugural honoree of the Country Music Association’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Three years later, Nelson became the first country artist to earn the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
Here, we look at Willie Nelson’s 25 biggest Billboard hits, from “Blues Eyes Cryin’ in the Rain” to “Beer For My Horses.”
Willie Nelson’s 25 Biggest Billboard Hits recap is based on actual performance on Billboard’s weekly Hot Country Songs chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at lower ranks earning less. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.
“Heartbreak Hotel” (with Leon Russell)
Jimmie Allen‘s turbulent year has come to another milestone. Alexis Gale, the country singer’s estranged wife, gave birth to their third child on Monday (Oct. 2). Gale shared the news via Instagram on Monday, posting a photo set announcing the arrival of a baby boy named Cohen Ace James. Cohen came into the world on […]
Music legend Willie Nelson may be best known for as a country superstar, but some might not realize he’s visited many other Billboard album genre charts outside of the Top Country Albums chart — where’s racked up a record 53 top 10s, with 18 of them hitting No. 1. Over the years, Nelson has placed high-charting efforts on these genre-specific album rankings: Blues Albums, Kid Albums, Reggae Albums, Traditional Jazz Albums, Jazz Albums, Americana/Folk Albums and Top Christian Albums.
Now, Nelson’s new Bluegrass album, released on Sept. 15, appropriately debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart (dated Sept. 30), marking his first appearance on the 21-year-old tally. On the album, Nelson reinterprets a dozen of his older songs, joined by a bluegrass ensemble. Billboard’s Bluegrass Albums chart ranks the top-selling bluegrass albums of the week in the U.S., based on traditional album sales, as tracked by Luminate. In the week ending Sept. 21, Nelson’s Bluegrass sold 3,000 copies.
Below is a recap of Nelson’s history on Billboard’s major album genre charts, aside from Top Country Albums. (In addition, Nelson has logged 83 entries on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.)
Chart NameAlbum Title, Peak Position, Peak Date
Blues AlbumsMilk Cow Blues, No. 2, Oct. 7, 2000
Kid AlbumsRainbow Connection, No. 7, June 30, 2001
Reggae AlbumsCountryman, No. 1 (nine weeks at No. 1), July 30, 2005
Traditional Jazz AlbumsTwo Men With the Blues (Nelson and Wynton Marsalis), No. 1 (four weeks), July 26, 2008Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles (Nelson & Wynton Marsalis featuring Norah Jones), No. 1 (five weeks), April 16, 2011Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, No. 1 (five weeks), March 19, 2016My Way, No. 2, Sept. 29, 2018That’s Life, No. 1 (two weeks), March 13, 2021
Jazz AlbumsTwo Men With the Blues (Nelson and Wynton Marsalis), No. 1 (four weeks), July 26, 2008Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles (Nelson & Wynton Marsalis featuring Norah Jones), No. 2, April 16, 2011Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin, No. 1 (three weeks), March 19, 2016My Way, No. 2, Sept. 29, 2018That’s Life, No. 1 (two weeks), March 13, 2021
Americana/Folk AlbumsLast Man Standing, No. 1, May 12, 2018Ride Me Back Home, No. 1, July 6, 2019First Rose of Spring, No. 1, July 18, 2020The Willie Nelson Family, No. 12, Dec. 4, 2021A Beautiful Time, No. 3, May 14, 2022
Top Christian AlbumsJust As I Am: 18 Hymns and Gospel Favorites (Willie Nelson and Bobbie Nelson), No. 37, Aug. 27, 2022
Bluegrass AlbumsBluegrass, No. 1, Sept. 30, 2023
Congratulations are in order for Grammy-winning country star Hank Williams Jr. On Monday, via his official Facebook page, the singer-songwriter announced that he tied the knot.
“Please congratulate Mr. And Mrs. Hank Williams Jr!” the post reads. “Hank and Brandi were married on Sept 9, 2023 at Enon Baptist Church in Banks, Alabama in front of a small group of family and friends. A reception followed at Kendall Hall in Troy, Alabama. They had gotten engaged earlier this year on Mothers Day. The bride and groom have known each other and been friends since 2003.”
This is the fourth marriage for Williams. He was married to Gwen Yeargain from 1971-1977 and to Becky White from 1977-1983. In March 2022, Mary Jane Thomas, Williams’ third wife, unexpectedly died. According to People, the autopsy listed Thomas’ cause of death as “pneumothorax due to perforated parietal pleura during liposuction with autologous fat reinjection procedure.”
“38 wonderful years she gave me. Her kind spirit and beautiful and endearing love carries on in the hearts of our son, Sam, grandsons Beau and Tennyson, and granddaughter Audrey Jane,” Williams wrote on Instagram weeks after her death. “Of course, she will be missed and loved by so many forever.”
On Tuesday (Sept. 12), Williams posted a wedding picture of Brandi and himself with the caption “Mr. and Mrs. Hank Williams Jr.” He limited the comments on both his Instagram and Facebook posts.
Last year, Williams Jr. released Rich White Honky Blues, a Dan Auerbach-produced album of blues covers and original tracks.
Hank Williams Jr. has earned three entries on the Billboard Hot 100: 1964’s “Long Gone Lonesome Blues” (No. 67) and “Endless Sleep” (No. 90), as well as 2000’s “A Country Boy Can Survive” (No. 75, with Chad Brock & George Jones). On the Billboard 200, he has notched 39 career entries, reaching as high as No. 12 with 2012’s Old School New Rules. He’s the son of Hank Williams, one of the most celebrated country singer-songwriters in American history.
Click here to see Hank Williams Jr.’s wedding pictures and check out his big announcement here:
Not many people can say that they’ve earned a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single, a Billboard 200 No. 1 album and a mug shot all in the same week — but most people aren’t Zach Bryan. The Grammy-nominated country/rock powerhouse was arrested Thursday evening in Oklahoma for obstruction of investigation, according to the Craig County […]
Lainey Wilson is the top nominee for the 2023 CMA Awards, with nine nods. Wilson was also the top nominee last year, with six nods. Wilson is the first artist in CMA history to top the nominations list in her first two appearances on the final ballot.
Moreover, Wilson is just the fourth artist in CMA history to land nine or more nominations in a single year. She follows Merle Haggard (nine nods in 1970), Alan Jackson (a record 10 nods in 2002) and Miranda Lambert (nine nods in both 2010 and 2014).
Wilson is the first artist in 13 years to land two nominations for single of the year in the same year. Wilson is nominated for “Heart Like a Truck” and as a featured artist on HARDY’s “wait in the truck.” Lambert was the last artist to land two nods in this category in one year; she was nominated in 2010 with both “The House That Built Me” and “White Liar.”
First-time nominee Jelly Roll landed five nominations, second only to Wilson for the most nods this year.
Luke Combs and HARDY each collected four nominations. Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, producer/mix engineer Joey Moi, songwriter/producer Jordan Schmidt, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and musician/producer Derek Wells each secured three nods.
Two women are nominated for entertainer of the year for the fourth consecutive year. Carrie Underwood and Wilson are nominated this year. Underwood and Lambert were both nominated in each of the last three years. This is the first time in CMA history that two women (or woman-led groups) have been nominated four years running.
The other entertainer of the year nominees are Combs, who won in that category the last two years; Stapleton, nominated for the seventh time; and Wallen, nominated for the second year in a row.
Women dominate the album of the year nominations for the second year in a row. Wilson, McBryde and Kelsea Ballerini are nominated in that marquee category this year. Wilson, Lambert and Maren Morris were nominated last year.
The other nominees in that category this year are Combs and Wallen.
Lambert landed her 17th nomination for female vocalist of the year, which puts her in a tie with Martina McBride for second place in that category; Reba McEntire leads with 18 nominations.
Little Big Town landed their 18th nomination for vocal group of the year; only Alabama has had more nods (21).
Brooks & Dunn was nominated for vocal duo of the year for a record-extending 24th time.
Three of the five song of the year nominees were written by gaggles of four or more songwriters, a change from past practices in country songwriting circles. A fourth was written by a three-member team. The only nominee written by a solitary songwriter was written 35 years ago: Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car,” nominated this year because of Combs’ smash cover version.
Chapman isn’t the only Black artist to receive a CMA nod this year in a high-profile category: The War and Treaty, consisting of married couple Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, is nominated for vocal duo of the year for the first time.
Davis’ “Next Thing You Know” and “Wait in the truck” by HARDY featuring Wilson are this year’s only works to receive nominations for single, song and video of the year. “Fast Car” and “Heart Like a Truck” were both nominated for single and song of the year, but not music video of the year.
First-time CMA Awards nominees — besides the aforementioned Jelly Roll, Chapman and The War and Treaty — include Mason Allen, Trannie Anderson, Renee Blair, Michael H. Brauer, Katelyn Brown, Zach Bryan, Josh Ditty, David Fanning, Nicki Fletcher, Greylan James, Paul Jenkins, Gena Johnson, Chase McGill, Cameron Montgomery, Megan Moroney, Austin Nivarel, Eivind Nordland, John Osborne, Hunter Phelps, David Ray Stevens, Patrick Tohill, Alysa Vanderheym, Hailey Whitters, Ben Williams, Dallas Wilson and Charlie Worsham.
Fiddle player Jenee Fleenor, who has won musician of the year four years running, is nominated again this year. She faces steel guitarist Paul Franklin, who is nominated in the category for the 31st time; guitarist Derek Wells (his eighth time); guitarist Rob McNelley (his second); and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Worsham (his first).
Winners will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot will be emailed to CMA professional members on Monday, Oct. 2. Voting closes on Friday, Oct. 27. CMA Broadcast Awards winners will be determined by a final round of judging this month. Entries are judged by a panel of broadcast professionals, representing all market sizes and regions. Winners will be revealed in October and will be honored at the CMA Awards. All balloting is tabulated by Deloitte.
The 57th annual CMA Awards, hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning for the second year in a row, broadcasts live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville Wednesday, Nov. 8 (8–11 p.m./ET) on ABC. The show is a production of the Country Music Association. Robert Deaton is the executive producer.
The first CMA Awards Banquet and Show was held at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville in 1967. The following year, the CMA Awards was broadcast for the first time on NBC – making it the longest-running annual music awards program on network television. The CMA Awards have aired on ABC since 2006.
Here’s a complete list of the nominations for the 57th annual CMA Awards (listed in ballot category order):
Entertainer of the year
Luke Combs
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood
Morgan Wallen
Lainey Wilson
Single of the year
Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
“Fast Car” – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews
“Heart Like a Truck” – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Producer: Austin Nivarel; Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley
“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells; Mix Engineer: Joey Moi
Album of the year
Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)
Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville – Ashley McBryde; Producers: John Osborne, John Peets; Mix Engineers: Gena Johnson, John Osborne
Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce
Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineers: Michael H. Brauer, Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews
One Thing at a Time – Morgan Wallen; Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery; Mix Engineers: Josh Ditty, Joey Moi, Eivind Nordland
Rolling Up the Welcome Mat – Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym; Mix Engineers: Dan Grech-Marguerat, Alysa Vanderheym
Song of the year
Award goes to Songwriter(s)
“Fast Car”; Songwriter: Tracy Chapman
“Heart Like a Truck”; Songwriters: Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson
“Next Thing You Know”; Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne
“Tennessee Orange”; Songwriters: David Fanning, Paul Jenkins, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams
“wait in the truck”; Songwriters: Renee Blair, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt
Female vocalist of the year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Carly Pearce
Lainey Wilson
Male vocalist of the year
Luke Combs
Jelly Roll
Cody Johnson
Chris Stapleton
Morgan Wallen
Vocal group of the year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Zac Brown Band
Vocal duo of the year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Maddie & Tae
The War And Treaty
Musical event of the year
Award goes to Artists and Producer(s)
“Save Me” – Jelly Roll (with Lainey Wilson); Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina (Remix)” – Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina; Producer: Zach Crowell
“Thank God” – Kane Brown (with Katelyn Brown); Producer: Dann Huff
“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells
“We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce (featuring Chris Stapleton); Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce
Musician of the year
Jenee Fleenor
Paul Franklin
Rob McNelley
Derek Wells
Charlie Worsham
Music video of the year
Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s)
“Light on in the Kitchen” – Ashley McBryde; Director: Reid Long
“Memory Lane” – Old Dominion; Directors: Mason Allen, Nicki Fletcher
“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Director: Patrick Tohill
“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Director: Running Bear
“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Director: Justin Clough
New artist of the year
Zach Bryan
Jelly Roll
Parker McCollum
Megan Moroney
Hailey Whitters
2023 CMA Broadcast Awards
Finalists for broadcast personality of the year (by market size):
Weekly National
“American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Cumulus/Westwood One
“Country Countdown USA” (Lon Helton) – Compass Media Networks
“Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence” (Tracy Lawrence and Patrick Thomas) – Silverfish Media
“On The Horizon with Buzz Brainard” (Buzz Brainard) – SiriusXM
“Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton” (Kelly Sutton) – Firefly Media/Silverfish Media
Daily National
“Angie Ward” – iHeartMedia
“The Big D and Bubba Show” (Derek “Big D” Haskins, Sean “Bubba” Powell, Patrick Thomas, and Carsen Humphreville) – Silverfish Media
“Katie & Company” (Katie Neal) – Audacy
“Nights with Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One
“The Sam Alex Show” (Sam Alex) – Sam Alex Productions, LLC
Major Market
“Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and Sam Sansevere) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
“Frito & Katy” (Tucker “Frito” Young and Katy Dempsey) – KCYY, San Antonio, Texas
“Hawkeye in the Morning with Hawkeye and Michelle” (“Hawkeye” Mark Louis Rybczyk and Michelle Rodriguez) – KSCS, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
“Josh, Rachael & Grunwald” (Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald) – WYCD, Detroit, Mich.
“Scotty Kay” (Scotty Kay) – WUSN, Chicago, Ill.
Large Market
“The Big Dave Show” (“Big Dave” Chandler, Ashley Heiert, and Jason “Stattman” Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio
“The Morning Drive with Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews” (Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews) – KBEQ, Kansas City, Mo.
“Scott and Shannen” (Scott Dolphin and “Shannen O” Oesterreich) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
“Tim & Chelsea In The Morning” (Tim Leary and Chelsea Taylor) – WIRK, West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
“The Wayne D Show” (“Wayne D” Danielson and Tay Hamilton) – WSIX, Nashville, Tenn.
Medium Market
“Cait & Bradley Morning Show” (Cait Fisher and Matt Bradley) – KWEN, Tulsa, Okla.
“Clay & Company” (Clay Moden, Rob Banks, and Kadie Daye) – WYRK, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.
“Ellis and Bradley Show” (Bill Ellis and Beth Bradley) – WSSL, Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.
“Mo & StyckMan” (Melissa “Mo” Wagner and Greg “StyckMan” Owens) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.
“Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
Small Market
“The B100 Morning Show with Brittney Baily” (Brittney Baily) – WBYT, South Bend, Ind.
“The Eddie Foxx Show” (Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.
“Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.
“Steve & Tiffany in the Morning” (Steve Waters and Tiffany Kay) – WFLS, Fredericksburg, Va.
“Steve, Ben and Nikki” (Steve Stroud, Ben Walker, and Nikki Thomas) – WXBQ, Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
Finalists for radio station of the year (by market size):
Major Market
KCYY – San Antonio, Texas
KEEY – Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minn.
KKBQ – Houston, Texas
KSCS – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.
Large Market
WIRK – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.
WKDF – Nashville, Tenn.
WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.
WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio
WWKA – Orlando, Fla.
Medium Market
KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.
KXKT – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa
WGGY – Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa.
WPCV – Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
WQMX – Akron, Ohio
Small Market
KCLR – Columbia, Mo.
WBYT – South Bend, Ind.
WKML – Fayetteville, N.C.
WXBQ – Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.
WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.
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Jason Aldean got involved in America’s silly culture war after Country Music Television removed the video for his controversial song “Try That In A Small Town” from its platform. Because the MAGA Nuts and the “Respect My Rights” crowd are sensitive little cherubs, they’re complaining about the takedown while dragging Garth Brooks into the beef.
Let’s take our time with this one.
Jason Aldean, a popular country music star who once notched a big hit with Ludacris, has gone on to sell millions of for Nashville, Tenn’s Broken Bow Records. His latest single, “Try That In A Small Town,” pretends to be a song about the resilience of working-class America but the video makes no secret of its nefarious aims. It is a vehicle to take shots at the perceived lawlessness in big cities, most especially protests against police and public demonstrations decrying racism.
We usually don’t center tweets from goofballs in the body of a story but here’s an example of what the minds of proud Americans are focused on instead of, we don’t know, human decency and common sense, maybe?
Here are the lyrics and hook for “Try That In A Small Town”:
Sucker punch somebody on a sidewalkCarjack an old lady at a red lightPull a gun on the owner of a liquor storeYa think it’s cool, well, act a fool if ya like
Cuss out a cop, spit in his faceStomp on the flag and light it upYeah, ya think you’re tough
Well, try that in a small townSee how far ya make it down the roadAround here, we take care of our ownYou cross that line, it won’t take longFor you to find out, I recommend you don’tTry that in a small town
It is clear what Aldean is communicating and the video, reportedly shot in front of a former site where lynchings took place, speaks to the fragility of white conservative America and the silly attack on the “Woke Left” or whatever else these nutballs come up with.
Tacked onto Aldean’s controversy is some discussion from the MAGA weirdos about Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. Over a year ago, Brooks and Yearwood made a public appeal to help refugees caught up in the ravages of war in Ukraine. That video was resurfaced and the strawman arguments have only intensified.
Adding to this, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott made an explosive goof even by his lowly standards after sharing an article from the satirical website Dunning-Kruger-Times (which should’ve been a dead giveaway but here we are). The article was about a fictional moment featuring Brooks being booed offstage for supporting Bud Light. Before deleting the tweet, Gov. Abbott used the tired phrase “Go Woke. Go Broke.”
On Twitter, the dumbassery of MAGA is on full display over Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, and all things ‘MURRICA. Check out the reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
Sure, proper country songs had been absent from the top of the Hot 100 for quite sometime prior to Wallen’s reign, but that doesn’t mean the genre’s sound and aesthetics weren’t present in mainstream music and pop culture, especially when it comes to the work of Black and queer artists.
Obviously, “Old Town Road” is the lightning rod moment — its fusion of country and trap helped keep country sonic motifs present on top 40 radio, and the Billy Ray Cyrus remix gave it an extra dose of country legitimacy — but there were other moments and artists doing similar work. Megan Thee Stallion, a Houston, Texas native, has consistently employed Southern aesthetics in her artistry and music. The Grammy Award-winning rapper frequently sports cowboy hats, she teamed up with Fashion Nova for a 100-piece cowboy-themed collection, and she recently presented Shania Twain the Equal Pay Award at the 2023 CMT Music Awards.
Beyoncé, another Houston native, made a big splash at the 50th Annual Country Music Association Awards back in 2016 with the live performance of her The Chicks-assisted “Daddy Lessons” remix. Lizzo, a Detroit native who moved to Houston with her family when she was a child, similarly flaunts her Texas pride with tons of fringe and cowboy hats. She even gave her own spin on country-pop with “If You Love Me,” a deep cut from her Grammy-nominated Special album.
Just this year, the Broadway musical Shucked! — which features original music and lyrics from award-winning country music songwriters Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally — earned star Alex Newell a history-making Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Album cuts from R&B stars Chlöe (“Cheatback”) and 6LACK (“Testify”), two artists with roots in Atlanta, Georgia, feature obvious nods to the guitar-based production and narrative-centric songwriting of country music.
The past decade has also seen pop stars like Justin Timberlake, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, and P!nk dip their toes into country music, as well as a handful of country songs (Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Backroad,” Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” etc.) that proved to be sizable and enduring cultural moments. Nonetheless, the increased visibility of country music and Southern aesthetics across a diverse collection of Black and queer artists has helped mainstream ears and minds become a bit more open to the sounds and styles of country music, hence the genre’s recent rebound in popularity amongst a general public that might have been less tuned-in to Nashville happenings in decades prior.