Country
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Three months after Maren Morris filed for divorce from her husband of five years, singer/songwriter Ryan Hurd, the couple have reached an agreement. According to People magazine, the former couple reached an accord on all issues regarding their divorce, with the two signing the notarized papers on Dec. 28 and Jan. 4, respectively, according to […]
Sports and music company The Familie has expanded to Nashville, and is set to make Music City the company’s national headquarters.
“Nashville is a city that is inspired by culture, diversity, arts and entertainment, and – from a business perspective – encourages entrepreneurship and growth with no state-income tax and a low barrier to entry for real estate, including commercial real estate,” The Familie founder/CEO Steve Astephen tells Billboard via email.
The Familie’s roster includes Machine Gun Kelly, Avril Lavigne, Jaden Hossler, Games We Play and sombr.
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Former Universal Music Group Nashville executive vp of promotion Royce Risser will lead the company’s new country music division and oversee the Nashville office’s operations. Chase Berlin has been hired as the company’s first artist manager in Nashville.
Risser has more than three decades of music industry experience, starting at MCA Records as an intern in 1991 before being hired as a promotion assistant. Risser rose through the ranks at UMGN, leading promotion efforts and rising to executive vp of promotion. Along the way, Risser worked with artists including George Strait, Vince Gill, Reba McEntire, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Sam Hunt, Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Dierks Bentley, Jon Pardi and Brothers Osborne.
Berlin will work under Risser to sign and develop country artists and build out the genre’s division for The Familie. A University of Florida graduate, Berlin previously worked at management company The AMG and at WME.
“It’s been immediately clear to me that The Familie does things differently,” said Risser in a statement. “I appreciate the team’s non-transactional approach to management, thoughtfully building artist brands and legacies through collaboration and a vast network of cross-industry alliances. Steve Astephen could easily be the smartest, most connected person I’ve ever met and can’t wait to work alongside him in this role. I know this team will be a refreshing addition to the Nashville scene while also integrating with and honoring the history and pedigree of Music Row. I’m absolutely fired up and honored to be at the helm of The Familie’s arrival in Nashville.”
Astephen tells Billboard, “Diversity of thought and experience is what helped us transform sports representation in the 2000s and it’s what will help us do the same in music — which is essentially to not just think outside the box, but to create the box…I entered sports representation from a brand and retail perspective, then music management from a sports agency perspective. Royce has been in radio, which, of course, drives country music. He’s been in marketing and promotions. These are the types of things that add additional opportunities for an artist who signs with us. If you sign with The Familie as a musical artist, we’re looking at: How do we bring you into the sports world? How do we bring you into radio marketing? We’re not just managing an artist’s career, we’re expanding it.”
The first artist signed to the company’s country division is singer-songwriter Evanthia Theodorou.
“She’s the perfect example of the type of artist we look for, which is someone with a 360 degree brand, who is highly marketable, personable, has good values, and appeals to a wide audience through various channels of promotion,” Astephen says, estimating that the country music division could represent up to seven artists.
Astephen launched The Familie in 1998; the company also works with sports figures including football player Daniel Carlson, surfer Eli Hanneman, rally driver Oliver Solberg and tennis player Cooper Williams.
Looking ahead, Astephen says The Familie is making its move into Nashville at the perfect time. “I see the industry shifting to show how marketable the country music genre is globally,” he says. “Obviously, we have to respect what Nashville is to country music, but country artists are global superstars and only growing. So with us coming in–along with other companies–I think you’ll see more brand partnerships, more national television commercials. I’m really excited for us to be part of this and to help challenge the industry to do more than just traditional music management.”
This week’s Must-Hear New Country column features newcomers, legends and legends-in-the-making. Charley Crockett teams with Willie Nelson for a duet, while Brittney Spencer, Megan Moroney, Elvie Shane and more reliable favorites offer up stellar new releases.
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Charley Crockett and Willie Nelson, “That’s What Makes the World Go Around”
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Two of Texas’ most towering truth-tellers combine forces, as Crockett and the nonagenarian Red Headed Stranger team up for this sacredly country tale, which Crockett co-wrote with Kullen Fox, Rich Brotherton and Taylor Grace. Nelson’s music has been a key influence on Crockett’s own unique hybrid of styles, with Crockett having previously performed as part of Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival. Here, the two convey the story of a woman torn between the allure of dark bars with a vibrant honky-tonk sound, and the wholesome appeal of lighthearted moments such as soaking in the joy of watching children playing outdoors. This unadorned track adeptly weaves Nelson’s distinctive voice and guitar playing with Crockett’s earthy, soulful sound.
Brittney Spencer, “Night In”
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This electrifying groove makes an evening staying in with comfy clothes, good friends and favorite tunes spinning as irresistible as any dressed up night on the town. Spencer mixes up rock riffs, vivid lyrics and her nimble, captivating voice, then further heightens the fun and girl power with backing vocals from her friend and fellow singer-songwriter Maren Morris. Written by Spencer, Jessica Cayne and Summer Overstreet, with production by Daniel Tashian, this makes for an alluring preview to Spencer’s upcoming album My Stupid Life, out Jan. 19.
Elvie Shane, “What Do I Know”
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Shane broke through with the tender stepfather/stepson ode “My Boy” in 2021. Since then, he’s issued songs that remind listeners of his affiliation for hard rock anthems. He continues that vision on his latest preview to his upcoming album, Damascus (out April 19). He wrote “What Do I Know” with Dan Couch, Jonathan Sherwood and Oscar Charles, with Charles producing.
Lyrically, Shane is in reflective mode, cataloging things he feels to be true, ranging from his preference for Coke mixed with Jack Daniels, a six-string guitar as the premier vessel for storytelling, and his belief that grudges mostly harm those who hold them. The production starts out more sparse than some of his previous efforts, but swiftly accelerates into his signature full-bodied, guitar-driven sound. His voice retains a world-weary edge, but it’s when the song draws to a close that he showcases the Southern rock rawness it possesses.
Tigirlily Gold, “I Tried a Ring On”
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Tigirlily Gold previously earned a Country Airplay top 40 hit with the feel-good anthem “Shoot Tequila.” Here, this harmonically savvy sibling duo unearths the nuance of reticence of moving on after a relationship that once held so much hope has fizzled. The duo’s sisters, Kendra and Krista Slaubaugh, wrote the song with Josh Jenkins and Pete Good. They describe the relational aspirations held to the heart — envisioning the wedding day, the dress and all the matrimonial ceremony details — before taking the blame for not seeing the relationship for the short-lived moment that it was.
Annie Bosko, Annie Bosko EP
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Bosko issues this self-titled, five-song EP, chock-full of ’90s country sounds and a stellar roster of writers contributing to the project, including Hannah Dasher, Wynn Varble, Bridgette Tatum and Trent Tomlinson. The sinewy R&B-country come-on of “Neon Baby” is superb, as the singer/songwriter sets up essentials for a romantic evening with candles and classic country tunes spinning. Meanwhile, “Boots On” is a countrified female empowerment anthem, a twangy celebration of hard-working ladies who know how to have fun when the workweek winds down. She continues her rollicking ways on “Honky Tonk Highway” and the Lainey Wilson-penned “He Gone.” Overall, Bosko’s vocal is energetic and competent, with a set of songs seemingly tailor-made for rousing live shows.
Drake Milligan, “Don’t Leave Me Loving You”
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Milligan has previously gained fans through his rowdy boot-stompers such as “I Got a Problem” and “Sounds Like Something I’d Do.” But here, he artfully employs his silky, hearty twang to this pleading ballad. He knows a relationship is coming to an end, but he asks not for another chance, but rather an irrefutable certainty to its ending. “Come leave me hurt, come leave me mad/ Come leave my heart broken in half,” he sings, on this solid throwback ’90s country arrangement, crafted by Ben Stennis, Bobby Pinson and Matt Rogers.
Megan Moroney, “What Are You Listening To?“
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It’s a tall order for any artist to take on a song previously recorded by lion-throated singer Chris Stapleton, but “I Ain’t Pretty” singer-songwriter Moroney puts her own introspective spin on this early 2013 Stapleton release. Moroney previously released a live performance video of the song and quickly followed with this studio version. Here, Moroney eschews any attempt to replicate Stapleton’s penchant for full-throated angst, but rather wraps her elegant voice, all purr and scratch, around the lyric, drawing out more sadness and resignation than agony. Her debut album Lucky has already proven her skill as a writer — this track further evinces her skill as a vocal interpreter as well.
Shaylen, “Been There Before”
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When a potential lover invites her back to his place, she turns him down, knowing his ruse makes him practically indistinguishable from suitors that have come before him. “I bet you’ll take my coat to show you’re a gentleman/ Hang it in the closet next to your skeletons,” she sings on this track that spills with specific, accusatory details, also noting a photoframe facedown in his room, a bottle of whiskey by his bedside and “dirty laundry all over the floor.” The song’s pop-country production gives off early Taylor Swift vibes at moments, but Shaylen delivers with strong, wisened confidence.
Grammy winner Chris Tomlin will embark on his first major global headlining trek in over a decade when his Holy Forever World Tour launches in April, Billboard can exclusively reveal.
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Since releasing his debut album in 1993, Tomlin’s name has become synonymous with modern worship music, as the Texas native has issued songs that have evolved into music standards sung by church congregations around the world. He has earned 11 Christian Airplay chart-toppers, including the 15-week No. 1 “Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)” and the 18-week No. 1 “Made to Worship.” His 2013 album Burning Lights debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the fourth Christian album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
In addition to Stateside concerts in such cities as Boston, Seattle and Las Vegas, the Holy Forever World Tour will make stops in England, the Netherlands, Germany and Hungary. The trek follows Tomlin’s sold-out U.S. Evening of Worship fall 2023 tour, which wrapped in November.
“I’ve never played in Hungary or Dusseldorf [Germany] — those [cities] near the end of that European run will be brand new for me,” Tomlin tells Billboard of gearing up for the overseas shows. “There’s something about when I’ve played overseas, there’s something about the hunger to those audiences. In America, we have so much — especially even when it comes to Christian music, there’s so many concerts going on and churches on every street. But in a lot of places, that just doesn’t happen. I remember a few places we played around the world, we played a two-hour set and they’re like, ‘Are you kidding me? That’s all you’re going to play?’ So, we played for another two hours. It’s exciting to be part of that. Music is global. The church is global.”
Sibling trio CAIN, known for Christian Airplay chart-toppers “Yes, He Can” and “Rise Up (Lazarus),” as well as the top 10 hit “I’m So Blessed,” will open the U.S. shows on the tour.
“They are the hottest thing going, as far as our genre of music and all the new bands that are coming out,” Tomlin says of the trio’s Taylor, Madison and Logan Cain. “They are resonating with the next generation and their music is so good. They are siblings, so their harmonies are insane. They have such a heart for worship and for connecting with people.”
It also doesn’t hurt that Tomlin’s daughters are big fans of the group. “Every morning when I’m taking my girls to school, we have ‘I’m So Blessed’ cranked up in the car. So to have them on the tour will bring a really different dynamic than I’ve had on my tours.”
He says attendees can expect some onstage collaborations between Tomlin and CAIN. “I think it has to happen,” he says, recalling a recent jam session with the group. “We were playing and writing a bit; I had my guitar with me and the three of them were singing. It was so spontaneous and real and pure. I have a great expectation for those shows.”
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The Holy Forever Tour’s namesake is Tomlin’s 2023 six-week No. 1 Christian Airplay hit “Holy Forever,” which Tomlin wrote with Brian Johnson, Jenn Johnson, Phil Wickham and Jason Ingram.
“I think it’s one of those songs that probably will be one of the anchor songs of my career,” Tomlin says, noting that the writing session drew together separate song and melody ideas from Tomlin, Ingram and Johnson, melding them into “Holy Forever.”
“When it started crystalizing, it was like, ‘Wow, these different parts of songs we all had are coming together,’” Tomlin says, noting the key line from the song, “A thousand generations falling down in worship.” “Generation after generation, we’re just the next one to take the baton and every generation has done it differently,” he says.
Given the song’s global impact, Tomlin has a singular hope for every concert on the upcoming tour.
“I always pray when people are walking through those doors that they sense the grace of God, that on these nights people who are carrying heavy burdens are lifted up again in their soul and they’re reminded of God’s grace, to remind us of something greater than ourselves,” he says.
Pre-sale for Tomlin’s Holy Forever Tour begins Jan. 19, with general on-sale starting Jan. 22 at christomlin.com.
Holy Forever World Tour dates:
Thursday, April 18: Newark, NJ – Prudential CenterFriday, April 19: Hershey, PA – GIANT CenterSaturday, April 20: Boston, MA – Agganis ArenaWednesday, April 24: Tulsa, OK – Mabee CenterThursday, April 25: St Louis, MO – Chaifetz ArenaSaturday, April 27: Kansas City, MO – Cable Dahmer ArenaWednesday, May 1: Spokane, WA – Spokane ArenaThursday, May 2: Everett, WA – Angel of the Winds ArenaFriday, May 3: Portland, OR – Moda CenterThursday, May 9: Fresno, CA – Save Mart CenterFriday, May 10: Anaheim, CA – Honda CenterSaturday, May 11: Henderson, NV – Dollar Loan CenterSunday, May 26: West Sussex, UK – Winston House – Big Church Day OutMonday, May 27: Belfast, United Kingdom (UK) – SSE Arena BelfastTuesday, May 28: Rotterdam, Netherlands (NL) – Ahoy ArenaThursday, May 30: Düsseldorf, Germany (DE) – Mitsubishi Electric Halle – D.LIVESaturday, June 1: Szeged, Hungary -Hungary Szent Gellert Forom (Forum) Stadion – This Is The Day (separate from tour)
Over the past year, Texas native George Birge has steadily ascended Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, earning a top 5 hit with his debut single “Mind on You.” The song’s success represents a full-circle moment, given that the song was previously on hold for Jason Aldean.
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“This has probably been the wildest 12 months or so of my life,” Birge tells Billboard during an interview in Nashville. He wrote “Mind on You” in 2020 with Jaron Boyer, Michael Tyler and Colt Ford. At the time, Birge, previously half of country duo Waterloo Revival, was amid a career shift.
“I had been chasing the artist dream, and I had gotten close, had some failures to launch,” he recalls. “I asked out of a previous deal and there was an eight-month period where I was writing songs for other artists. We pitched ‘Mind on You’ to Jason, who’s a huge influence on me musically, and we got an email back, saying, ‘Jason wants it for his new record.’ He was by far the biggest artist to want one of my songs. I thought that was going to be the life-changer for me.”
In 2021, Birge began releasing snippets of music on TikTok. Birge happened upon a video from TikToker Erynn Chambers, which used the phrase “Beer, beer, truck, truck, girls in tight jeans” to lampoon the tropes used in many country songs. Birge based the chorus of his song “Beer Beer, Truck Truck” on the viral video (Chambers is credited as a co-writer). The song earned more than 5 million Spotify streams, and in the process, introduced Birge as a solo artist.
Birge parlayed the streaming surge into a record deal, signing with RECORDS Nashville in 2021. When RECORDS CEO Barry Weiss heard “Mind on You,” he made a pivotal phone call to Birge.
“He said, ‘We can’t wait to work with you, but that song you’re giving to Jason Aldean, that’s going to be your debut single. You need to ask for it back,’” Birge recalls. “That was a scary prospect. At the time, I was struggling to launch my career, barely scraping by monetarily, and I decided not to let one of the biggest artists in Nashville cut my song — which would have guaranteed me some money. Instead, I bet on myself and it was a one-in-a-million long shot.”
In 2024, the WME-repped Birge will tour with fellow Texas artist Parker McCollum. Below, Billboard’s January Country Rookie of the Month discusses his musical beginnings, the success of “Mind on You,” and the career wisdom he’s gleaned along the way.
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You recently released a remixed version of “Mind on You” featuring Charlieonnafriday and Kidd G. How did they come to be on the track?
I wanted to do a remix to give it the biggest pop it can possibly get when it’s at max visibility. I had seen an interview with Charlieonnafriday where he said he was new to country music but liked it. I had been a fan of his, so I sent him a note to ask if he would be on the song. Kidd G has one of the most authentic vocals of anybody I know. I sent it to Charlie and Kidd on the same day, hoping one of them would say yes. They both said “yes” in like 10 minutes, so we had both jump on the song.
Did you give them any guidance on their verses?
We didn’t give them any direction on their verses; we let them write what they wanted to write. Each artist looked at the song through a different lens. I wrote the song about my wife and how I feel about her. Charlieonnafriday wrote about a past love interest, where they still think about each other. Kidd G wrote about a full-on breakup, where he’s missing her. It was cool to see how “Mind on You” could translate to different people’s perspective and have us flip the hook on all three different verses.
Have you spoken with Jason Aldean since releasing “Mind on You”?
When I asked for the song back, he was unbelievably kind and gracious, but I never met him in person. About two months ago, we were both at a party and some of our mutual friends introduced us. He was like, “I’ve been watching the song and I’ve been rooting for you.” To have him say that was so gratifying.
He also filled me in on some parallels of what I’m doing and how he started his career — he told me about a failed record deal when he got started and later how one song changed his life and how at the time he had his first hit, [Aldean’s label home] Broken Bow Records was kind of a startup label. He talked about finding his lane, building a brand and scaling from clubs up to arenas and amphitheaters. I left that conversation feeling 10 feet tall, because it was so inspiring. I’m very thankful for the time I got to spend talking with him.
You were previously part of the duo Waterloo Revival. How do you think that experience prepared you for where you are now in your career?
I’m thankful for every second and learned more than I ever have during that time. We started as a bar band in Austin, Texas. I was working a desk job for a real estate company, but music was my passion. We started getting traction and sold out the Rattle Inn, a 300-400 person room, every time we would play there. Some Nashville industry folks flew down and before I knew it, I had a management deal, a record deal. It forced me to figure out who I want to be, what I wanted to say, how to put on a live show—because there’s a huge difference between standing behind a microphone in a club for 90 minutes and going on tour with Toby Keith, entertaining 30,000 people in an amphitheater.
What other lessons have you learned along the way?
In 2020, when I ended up asking out of that record deal, the only way I was going to do an artist project was if I was making the music that I wanted to make. RECORDS said they wanted to invest in giving me the best opportunity to be who I wanted to be as an artist, and they’ve been true to that. I feel like “Mind on You” is the first time I’ve gotten to be true to myself, storytelling-wise and sonically. Country fans are good at sniffing out what’s authentic and what’s manufactured. It’s gratifying to get to be myself and have it become the first thing that’s also ever taken off.
When did you find your passion for music?
My mom and dad weren’t musicians, but they loved music. My dad’s truck probably is where I fell in love with country music, listening to the radio. With it being Austin, there’s live music around all the time. I started writing songs in middle school. My freshman year of high school, I had started a band and we would go play on Sixth Street in downtown Austin. At the time, I thought everywhere was like that, playing on Sixth Street as a 14-year-old with “Xs” on your hand [for being underage] and having your friends coming out to shows.
The other cool thing about Austin was everybody had a garage band or music project, but nobody was in a cover band. We all wrote our own songs. I feel like that was the biggest head start my hometown gave me when I moved to Nashville: I had already had a foundation in how to write songs. Being in Nashville, with the best songwriters in the world, I’ve learned something new every day — but I at least felt like I could hang with other songwriters when I moved here.
What was the first concert you ever saw?
Bryan White and LeAnn Rimes at the Frank Erwin Center [in Austin]. She was fresh off [her breakthrough hit] ‘Blue,’ so that was cool.
Who would be your dream collaborator?
Gary Allan has had a huge influence on me. He’s got a lot of that grit and dark, smoky sound that I’ve tried to make my own.
You released your full-length album, George Birge: Mind on You, in 2023. What is next for you?
There’s a song that I just wrote called “Cowboy Songs” will come out as my next single. We started playing that live, and I’ve never seen a song react with fans like that one has.
You will be featured as part of Country Radio Seminar’s New Faces of Country Music Show in 2024, alongside Megan Moroney, Conner Smith, Dillon Carmichael and Corey Kent. What does that mean to you?
My friends at country radio, and at streaming, have changed my life this year. To be considered part of this class, with these artists, I feel so lucky — and to look at other artists and how they have gone from New Faces to selling out arenas and amphitheaters, it’s inspiring.
Country music had a record-setting year in 2023, thanks to hit songs released by Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Oliver Anthony Music, Zach Bryan, Lainey Wilson, Jelly Roll and other big artists. But underpinning every chart-topping, impactful hit were the songwriters and writer-artists who weave together lyric, melody, rhythm and rhyme into a unique composition that […]
Jelly Roll has once again stolen our hearts with his acts of kindness. The “Need a Favor” superstar granted one of his biggest fan’s wishes in Tennessee recently, meeting up with a grandmother named Sharon, who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. “She had an aneurysm which caused early on-set dementia,” her daughter Melissa […]
Joe Don Rooney is looking forward to a fresh start in 2024. The former Rascal Flatts member spoke out on X Wednesday (Jan. 3) about his turbulent past few years, including his 2021 car crash and battle with alcoholism.
Rooney started off his lengthy post by setting the record straight on a rumor that had been floating around. “I’m sorry it’s been a while since I’ve posted on any socials. It’s actually been a couple years since I’ve engaged with fans and friends on Twitter (now X) or Instagram But I figured today, at the beginning of this brand new year 2024, would be a good day to send a message out to the world. First off, I am alive! There have been so many rumors and opinions thrown around about me – but I’m finally healthy and ready for the world. And NO, I’m not transitioning to be a woman. That thought has never entered my mind. Nothing against the trans community whatsoever but I needed to set the record straight.”
He went on to detail lessons learned following the 2021 car crash and subsequent DUI near Franklin, Tenn.
“My life and career took a major detour at 4 [a.m.] in the early morning hours of Sep 9, 2021 when I ran square into a tree and about killed myself,” Rooney tweeted. “I was drunk and I was so far gone with my life – I was completely out of control and finished with trying to fight the fears, depression and anxieties that had spun me out in a way I’ve never experienced before. My drinking had been an issue for many years – and as they say in AA and treatment, it’s a progressive disease. I am living proof that the progressive nature of drinking can really ratchet up and as I grew older as an adult my drinking grew worse.”
Rooney noted that career pressures and personal mistakes he had made, in addition to “a lot of pain and trauma from my childhood and early on in my adult life, had become too much to bear.”
“I was not a good father – I was not a good husband – and I was not a good band mate to my business partners,” he said, referencing his former Rascal Flatts bandmates Gary LeVox and Jay DeMarcus. “I probably would’ve never taken responsibility for any of this if it hadn’t been for my car wreck on Sep 9, 2021. And btw, going to jail sucks! Fortunately, (and I truly believe this,) God lead me into that tree safely enough to not kill me – and luckily nobody else was involved and I didn’t injure or kill anyone. I could literally be in a Federal Prison for life right now. That is the reality of what my life had become.”
Rooney said that following the car crash, he spent months in treatment in Utah.
“When I first got there, I didn’t want to stay. I was ashamed of myself. I was so full of fear and guilt, that it took me all of the those 4 months to really start understanding treatment and the AA way and how to best utilize these new tools that I downloaded from the amazing clinicians, counselors and other patients there,” he said. “My life has been changed forever – and I’m grateful for the change.”
Rooney said he has now been sober for nearly 28 months.
“I never believed I could actually live my life without drinking. It had become such a huge part of my daily and nightly routine. I had tried to stop on my own in the past but the powerful nature of alcohol always found its way back into my life. I learned that I had to come to the realization that I was powerless over alcohol – and a power much greater than myself (and much greater than alcohol) was the only way to stop drinking and completely restore my sanity. God intervened and helped me to get my life back. With the help of my family and so many other professional clinical advisors and now numerous new sober forever friends, I’ve been able to get the train back on the tracks and live without the burden of alcohol.”
Looking forward in 2024, Rooney says his focus is on protecting his family and his newfound sobriety. In December 2023, Rooney and Tiffany Fallon finalized their divorce, more than two years after Rooney first filed for divorce in January 2021. Rooney and Fallon wed in 2006 and have three children together: Jagger Donovan, Raquel Blue and Devon Olivia.
“I have new healthy boundaries for the first time in my life. Only positive, loving, caring & understanding people may enter. It’s an absolute blessing in ways I can barely put into proper words. But for now, I’ll just say – thank you God!! I wish there was a way I could give back to God what all God has given to me – but moving forward, I will do my best to reflect God’s light of love and grace onto others like so many have done for me.”
He ended his note with gratefulness to his fans and supporters. “I hope y’all have an amazing 2024. Thank you for all the love, support and prayers. I promise you, I’ve felt them all and I’m super appreciative. Here’s to making the best of 2024 and living our most healthiest, happiest and goal oriented lives ever!!”
During their career, trio Rascal Flatts earned two top 10 hits on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, including 2006’s “What Hurts the Most” and “Life Is a Highway.” The group also earned 14 Country Airplay chart-toppers, including “Bless the Broken Road” and “These Days.” They also won six CMA vocal group of the year honors.
June, a documentary that premieres Jan. 16 on Paramount +, will examine the extraordinary life of June Carter Cash.
A member of the country music’s pioneering Carter Family, Carter Cash won five Grammy awards, co-wrote the classic “Ring of Fire,” and married Johnny Cash. The songwriter, performer and actress opened for Elvis Presley and appeared onscreen with Robert Duvall and Jane Seymour.
The documentary features rare and never-before-seen footage of Carter Cash as she carries on her family’s legacy and becomes half of a power couple with Cash. Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Kacey Musgraves and Reese Witherspoon — who won an Oscar in 2006 for her portrayal of Carter Cash in Walk the Line — also contribute.
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Carter Cash, who died in April 2003 at age 73, charted as a solo artist only once on Billboard’s Country singles chart in 1971 with “A Good Man,” but found greater success with her duets with Cash, reaching the top 10 four times with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe” (1964), “Jackson” (1967), “Long-Legged Guitar Pickin’ Man” (1967) and “If I Were a Carpenter” (1969). Cash scored a hit with “Ring of Fire,” taking the song to No. 1 for seven weeks on the country chart in 1963.
June is produced by Jason Owen and Josh Matas for Sandbox Productions, Mary Robertson for Maxine Productions, Sarah Olson and Kristen Vaurio. Executive producers include Tom Mackay and Krista Wegener for Sony Music Entertainment, Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman for Sony Pictures Television, Jean Song and Chandra LaPlume for Sandbox Productions, Bruce Gillmer and Vanessa White Wolf for MTV Entertainment Studios, and her children John Carter Cash and Carlene Carter. The documentary premiered at the DOC NYC Festival on Nov. 12.
After opening in North America on Jan. 16, June will be available on Paramount + starting the next day in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
Joe Bonsall, who has spent the past five decades as the tenor singer for Country Music Hall of Fame group The Oak Ridge Boys, has officially revealed his plans to retire from touring.
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In 1973, Bonsall left his position with gospel group The Keystones to join The Oak Ridge Boys. With his signature tenor and charismatic persona, Bonsall entertained audiences on stages around the world for 50 years, alongside his Oak Ridge Boys bandmates Duane Allen, William Lee Golden and Richard Sterban. Along the way, the group notched more than a dozen No. 1 Hot Country Songs hits, including their signature 1981 hit “Elvira,” which earned the group one of their five Grammy wins.
Bonsall noted that his decision to retire from the road is due to an ongoing health issue. For more than four years, Bonsall has battled the slow onset of a neuromuscular disorder.
“I am now at a point where walking is impossible, so I have basically retired from the road. It has just gotten too difficult,” Bonsall said in a statement. “It has been a great 50 years, and I am thankful to all the Oak Ridge Boys band crew and staff for the constant love and support shown to me through it all. I will never forget, and for those of you who have been constantly holding me up in prayer, I thank you and ask for you to keep on praying.”
Bonsall’s departure from the road marks a significant lineup change for the group, as Bonsall, Allen, Golden and Sterban have helmed the group for the past 50 years, save for an eight-year timespan when the now-deceased Steve Sanders had replaced Golden.
Ben James
Courtesy of The Oak Ridge Boys
Bonsall’s touring replacement will be Ben James, 27, known for his previous work with Doyle Lawson’s band Quicksilver, as well as Dailey & Vincent’s band. James is also a songwriter, penning “I Hear You Calling” and “Teardrops in Tennessee” as part of his recent solo album Wonderland.
Bonsall officially introduced James to Oaks fans in his statement, saying, “There is a young man named Ben James singing for me out there, and he needs your love and encouragement … his sound is different than mine, but he brings a ton of talent to the table! The Oak Ridge Boys will finish the Farewell Tour without me, but rest assured, I am good with all of it! God’s Got It!!!”
James was introduced to The Oak Ridge Boys during a 2022 concert in Wheeling, West Virginia, where Dailey & Vincent shared the bill with The Oak Ridge Boys. Bonsall’s final show was on Dec. 17, while James’s first show with the group took place Dec. 30.
“Joe handed me the mic and said, ‘You’ve got the next verse,’ James recalled in a statement. “And I’m not sure I will ever get over that moment. ‘Elvira’ was always on repeat when I was growing up. It’s still one of those timeless songs that never grow old.”
In September, The Oak Ridge Boys announced their farewell tour, The Oak Ridge Boys American Made Farewell Tour, with a full slate of shows for 2024. The group is also slated to return to the studio with producer Dave Cobb later this month. To date, the Oak Ridge Boys have worked on four projects with Cobb,
See below for a full slate of The Oak Ridge Boys American Made Farewell Tour shows for 2024:
The Oak Ridge Boys American Made Farewell Tour:
Jan 20: The Grand 1894 Opera House – Galveston, TexasJan. 21: The Grand 1894 Opera House – Galveston, TexasFeb. 2: Boot Barn Hall (Gainesville) – Gainesville, Ga.Feb. 11: San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo – San Antonio, TexasFeb. 29: Florida Strawberry Festival 2024 – Plant City, Fla.March 2: Montgomery Performing Arts Centre – Montgomery, Ala.March 15: Foxwoods Resort Casino – Ledyard, Conn.March 16: American Music Theatre – Lancaster, Pa.March 17: American Music Theatre – Lancaster, Pa.March 23: Sugar Creek Casino – Hinton, Okla.April 4: Oxford Performing Arts Center – Oxford, Ala.April 5: City of Morganton Municipal Auditorium – Morganton, N.C.April 6: Alabama Theatre North – Myrtle Beach, S.C.April 10: Clay County Agricultural Fair – Green Cove Springs, Fla.May 17: Peoples Bank Theatre – Marietta, OhioMay 18: The Oak Ridge Boys American Made Farewell Tour – Defiance, OhioJune 7: Hartville Kitchen – Hartville, OhioJune 8: Hartville Kitchen – Hartville, OhioSept. 15: Kansas State Fair – Hutchinson, Kansas