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Singer-songwriter and small-town Georgia native RVSHVD didn’t initially set out to make country music. Then he heard Keith Urban’s 2009 hit “Sweet Thing.”
“I was like, ‘Okay, that ain’t bad.’ My dad would listen to all kinds of music — Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, gospel. He did all kinds of jobs, and had me out working with him, washing cars and hauling scraps. He would listen to country while he worked,” RVSHVD (born Clint Rashad Johnson) recalls to Billboard. “He tried to get me to listen to country and I didn’t like it at first.”
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Additionally, RVSHVD’s mother worked in a school cafeteria, and he and his sister would watch television there in the mornings. One day, the television was tuned to CMT and he was introduced to artists like Florida Georgia Line, Luke Bryan and Darius Rucker. The combo had him hooked.
Fast forward just over a decade, and RVSHVD (pronounced Ra-shad) has carefully curated his own genre-melding sound, one he describes in his song “Dirt Road” as “a little country and a little street,” and in “Hit Different” as “Alpines bumping dirty south hip hop/ Mix in some country boy Rick Ross, throw in a little Lil Wayne with a little bit of Travis Tritt.” His sound is consequential, given ever-growing presence of hip-hop’s influence on the music of Colt Ford, Jason Aldean, Sam Hunt, Kane Brown and Florida Georgia Line over the past 15 years, as well as the genre barrier-breaking success of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” and David Morris’s viral country/hip-hop hybrid “Carrying Your Love,” which incorporates George Strait’s 1997 classic “Carrying Your Love With Me.”
RVSHVD enrolled in the music program at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia, before switching his major to music journalism. In 2019, the same year “Old Town Road” became a massive hit, RVSHVD self-released the EP Memories, weaving country lyrics with hip-hop beats. In 2020, he broke through with his country version of Roddy Ricch’s “Ballin’,” which married his rich, Southern drawl vocal with acoustic guitars and bass and has accumulated more than 21 million streams on Spotify alone. The following year, he collaborated with Cooper Alan on “Colt 45 (Country Remix),” which earned over 34 million Spotify streams, and teamed with Trey Lewis on a version of Lewis’ viral hit “D–ked Down in Dallas.
Last year, he partnered with Ice Nine Kills’ Spencer Charnas on “Cottonmouth” — but this year, he’s been largely focused on releasing solo music, including “Hit Different,” “For the Streets,” and his latest, the more traditionally country-leaning “Small Town Talk.”
Written by RVSHVD, Jason Afable, Josh Tangney, Willie Jones and Matty S. Gibbons at a writers camp at The Penthouse LA, the song’s uplifting lyrics about valuing family and hard work reflect his rural upbringing in Willacoochee, Georgia (population: 1,200).
“They came up with the concept of the song and showed it to me. I loved it and tweaked a couple of lines,” he says. “I remember cutting the demo and my wife Angel was there with me. While I’m making the demo, I’m sitting there tearing up. I loved the song as soon as I heard it.”
RVSHVD, who is managed by Jonnie Forster and Empire Publishing, Nashville’s vp, A&R Eric Hurt, is signed to The Penthouse South/Sumerian Records, with an upstreaming deal with Virgin Records for marketing and radio. He also has deals with Empire Publishing and CAA for booking. He also made his Grand Ole Opry debut in September.
RVSHVD, Billboard’s December Country Rookie of the Month, talks about creating his new song “Small Town Talk,” his career journey and his musical aspirations.
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You performed during CMA Fest earlier this year, at Nissan Stadium. What do you recall about that?
When they told me I was going to be playing CMA Fest, I thought it would be a little stage outside in the front of the stadium, and my wife Angel kept telling me, “No, it’s in the stadium.” I couldn’t believe it, and when we started walking out there, I was like, “Oh, man, this is playing in the stadium.” To be playing in front of that amount of people and have that kind of exposure was crazy.
What was the first music you heard that you loved?
The first artist to get me into music was Lil’ Bow Wow. I had the Like Mike VHS tape and I would play the music video for his song “Basketball.” I was like, ‘That’s cool. I think I can do that.” I initially started rapping for a while. But then, when I switched to country, I wrote a whole EP [2019’s Memories] in the first week, because it just flowed out of me. I didn’t feel like I had to put on any persona.
When did you first start making your own music?
My first entry point was probably around middle school. I wanted to record myself, but there weren’t many people where I lived that do music like that. We didn’t even have internet, so I would take a blank CD, go to the library, download some instrumentals and beats and stuff, put it on the CD, come back home and put the CD in the player. [I would] take my earphones and sit in front of one speaker and rap into the other one.
How did the country version of “Ballin’” come together?
I had done covers of country songs and R&B songs, but I had never done a country version of a rap song. I shot a video for Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road.” While I was filming the video, I was like, I might as well record this one for “Balling.” I went to post ‘Broken Road’ and [got] copyright blocked… So I was like, “Well, I’m glad I have this other one filmed.” And I posted it, and then that was the one that took off.
How did you connect with Spencer for the rock version of “Cottonmouth”?
I met with Michael Whitworth [Jelly Roll’s “Dead Man Walkin’”] and Michael Lotten [Morgan Wallen’s “Last Drive Down Main,” Willie Jones’ “Back Porch”], and wrote the song. Spencer got on it because for my first CMA Fest, I wore some Air Johns, because David Morris had that shoe out. I had an Ice Nine Kills shirt that matched it. We got the cover art [for “Hit Different”] made and Eric [Hurt] was in the group chat and he was like, ‘Oh, we might run into issues having another band’s name on the shirt.” But we reached out to Spencer and he was cool with it.
Then Jonnie asked, “What do you think about getting Ice Nine Kills on the feature on the remix?” I was already listening to their stuff, so they got on the song and killed it.
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You filmed the video for “Small Town Talk” in your hometown in Georgia. How did it feel going back to film the video there?
It was dope. When we went back, what’s crazy is, it didn’t feel different. It just felt like I was back home and I got to go see all my old teachers and got to see the new band students.
You are working on an album. How is it shaping up at this point?
I have a couple of collabs I’m working on, but the album is basically my life story, what I’ve been through and stuff I feel like people can relate to. That’s one thing I always loved about rap albums, especially an artist’s debut album, was it was always their story. I wanted to do that with my first album, too. We might have about 15 songs on it, but we’re still kind of deciding at this point.
“Small Town Talk” tells part of your story, but what other parts of your story will fans be able to hear for the first time?
I got some of that on the album talking about dealing with depression, anxiety, not really having a lot growing up and stuff like that, things I haven’t said yet.
What do you remember about your first-ever performance?
I remember being super-nervous. My first performance was in a bar in Pearson, [Georgia] called Poole’s Pub. I remember there weren’t many people there, but one guy was like, ‘You sound real good. You should try doing some Conway Twitty.” I did a cover of “Tennessee Whiskey” and “Drinking ‘Bout You.”
What is your dream collaboration?
Probably J. Cole. I listened to him a lot growing up and still do. I always like how just real and honest his music was — and I always related to it, the way he talks about coming up and stuff.
The Black Opry has revealed the initial slate of shows for its 2024 The Black Opry Revue tour, with tickets on sale now at blackopryrevue.com. The shows run from January through April.
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Each show of mostly acoustic performances features a unique lineup of Black artists in the country, Americana, folk and roots music scenes. Newly announced shows for 2024 will feature performers including Sug Daniels, King Jester, Nick Tabron, Crystal Rose, Denitia, Layna, Autumn Nicholas, Justin Reid, Lori Rayne, Deidre Hall, Naomi Wachira, Grace Givertz, LW Watterson, Mehuman, Tylar Bryant, Mia Borders, Jared Michael Cline, Gary Blackchild, Nicky Diamonds, Julie Williams, Rachel Maxann, Ally Free, Roberta Lea, Jett Holden, Whitney Mongé, Nathan Graham, Christine Melody, Isaiah Cunningham, Carmen Dianne, The Kentucky Gentlemen, Leon Timbo, and Ping Rose & the Anti-Heroes.
The Black Opry was formed with a mission to create equity and opportunities for Black artists within the country, Americana, folk and roots music industries and form a space that is safe and helpful to Black artists and creating an inclusive version of these genres for Black artists, fans and executives.
The Black Opry Revue first held three stand-alone shows in 2021, before launching in earnest in January 2022. The Black Opry Revue has been featured in more than 100 venues and festivals across the United States, including CMA Fest, Newport Folk Fest, Americanafest and more.
See the list of 2024 tour dates below:
Black Opry Revue 2024 Tour Dates
Jan. 6, 2024 – Lancaster, PA @ Zoetropolis Cinema featuring Sug Daniels | King Jester
Jan. 11-14, 2024 – South Walton, FL @ 30A Songwriters Fest featuring Nick Tabron | Crystal Rose | Denitia | Layna | Autumn Nicholas | Justin Reid
Feb. 9, 2024 – Berkeley, CA @ Freight & Salvage featuring Layna | Lori Rayne | Deidre Hall | Naomi Wachira
Feb. 9, 2024 – Barre, VT @ Barre Opera House featuring Sug Daniels | Grace Givertz | LW Watterson | Mehuman | Tylar Bryant
Feb. 10, 2024 – Keene, NH @ Showroom featuring Sug Daniels | Grace Givertz
Feb. 15, 2024 – Jacksonville, FL @ JAX Music Experience featuring Layne | Lori Rayne | Mia Borders | Jared Michael Cline
Feb. 16, 2024 – Fort Collins, CO @ Lincoln Center featuring Garry Blackchild | Nicky Diamonds | Rachel Maxann | Ally Free | Nick Tabron
Feb. 16, 2024 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Sandler Center featuring Roberta Lea | Julie Williams | Jett Holden | Whitney Mongé | Tylar Bryant
Feb. 23, 2024 – Detroit, MI @ Detroit Institute of Arts featuring Nathan Graham | Christine Melody | Jett Holden | Isaiah Cunningham
Feb. 29, 2024 – Aspen, CO @ Wheeler Opera House featuring Tylar Bryant | Carmen Dianne | Nick Tabron | Jett Holden | Julie Williams
March 1-8, 2024 – Cayamo Journey Through Song Leon Timbo | The Kentucky Gentlemen | Accompanied by Ping Rose & The Anti-Heroes
March 29, 2024 – Wolf Trap, VA @ The Barns at Wolf Trap featuring Sug Daniels | Grace Givertz | Tylar Bryant | Rachel Maxann | Roberta Lea
April 6, 20024 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Tortuga Music Fest featuring Tylar Bryant | The Kentucky Gentlemen | Julie Williams | Roberta Lea
BBR Music Group senior vp of promotion Carson James and senior director of A&R Chris Poole have exited the company as part of a global restructuring at BMG, which eliminated their positions, Billboard has confirmed. Country Aircheck first reported the news of their exits.
Earlier on Thursday (Nov. 30), BMG revealed a new structure for its global staff, which BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld stated is part of “a strategy for future growth” and “local where necessary, global where possible.” The restructure moves BMG’s catalog, sales and marketing teams in its recorded division into global roles, joining the already global purview of its investments, technology, rights and royalties functions. In local markets, artist relations and marketing campaign managers will have access to these global teams for analytics, content creation and media planning/buying, the company’s announcement noted.
James joined BBR in 2009, having previously spent nine years with Curb Records in a similar role. Prior to his work at Curb, James programmed country station WLWI in Montgomery, Ala.
Poole joined BBR in 2018 and previously worked at CTM/Writer’s Ink, where he served in artist development. Poole initially launched his career working in artist management at Paravel Management, which he co-founded in 2013.
James noted to Billboard in a statement, “I’m honored to have had such an amazing run.”
BMG’s restructuring announcement also outlined a new, Los Angeles-based global catalog team, as well as a “recalibration” of its presence in continental Europe as part of its local-global emphasis, which will focus on “functional centers of excellence within Europe.” This is in addition to the aggregation of budgets and expertise, the further acceleration of its investments in tech and the myBMG system for artists and the clarification of roles/structures, which the company says will make it “more accountable to its artist and songwriter clients.”
“Fifteen years after the emergence of streaming, music is going through another tectonic change,” Coesfeld said in a statement. “It is vital we now reengineer our business to make the most of that opportunity. BMG has challenged the conventions of the music industry ever since we began, bringing music publishing and recordings under one roof with a distinctive service-orientated and transparent approach. Now new ways of creating and consuming music and looming changes in streaming economics are challenging us to do even better for our clients.”
BBR Music Group’s artist clients include reigning CMA Awards entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson and new artist of the year winner Jelly Roll, as well as “Try That in a Small Town” hitmaker Jason Aldean, Dustin Lynch, Elvie Shane, Parmalee, Blanco Brown and Brooke Eden.
Reba McEntire has appointed longtime team member Justin McIntosh to serve as her manager, the singer announced Wednesday (Nov. 29). McIntosh has worked with the Country Music Hall of Famer for more than a decade, ever since he joined her at her former management home, Starstruck Entertainment. At Starstruck, McIntosh served as vp of marketing […]
Elle King and Entertainment Tonight‘s Rachel Smith will reunite to help Nashville ring in the new year, as they co-host CBS Presents New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash.
The celebration will air live from Nashville on Sunday, Dec. 31, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. ET/PT and 10:30 p.m.-1:05 a.m. ET/PT via CBS Television Network, and will stream on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the special airs).
The special will feature nearly 50 performances, including from reigning CMA entertainer of the year Lainey Wilson, as well as Thomas Rhett, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more. The five-hour broadcast will cross multiple time zones, with the traditional countdown at midnight ET, culminating with the Nashville music note drop and fireworks at midnight CT.
In addition to her hosting duties, King joins the performance lineup this year and will perform her hits from Nashville’s Bicentennial Mall stage.
“New Year’s Eve is the one party we celebrate all over the world,” King said in a statement. “I wouldn’t want to spend it any other place than Music City! I’m so excited to get to host another beautiful night of music, friends, love, and joy. I can’t wait to celebrate an incredible year and welcome a new one together.”
“Being back in Nashville co-hosting with my girl Elle is something I look forward to every year,” Smith added. “We’re gonna put on one heck of a show from Music City, and Nashville’s Big Bash will be the perfect soundtrack to ring in another year with family and friends.”
New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash is executive produced by Robert Deaton and Mary Hilliard Harrington in partnership with the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. The special will be directed by Sandra Restrepo.
Hilliard Harrington said in a statement, “Nashville has quickly become one of the hottest destinations for New Year’s Eve, and we get to throw a huge party with the best artists and fans of any genre of music. We are thrilled to be in business with CBS and look forward to working with them for years to come.”
Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood were among those who gathered in Atlanta on Tuesday (Nov. 28) to pay their respects and honor the life of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, who died Nov. 19 at age 96. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The memorial service took place […]
Brothers Osborne, who picked up their sixth consecutive duo of the year win at the CMA Awards earlier this month, will launch their headlining, 35-date Might as Well Be Us tour in 2024, bringing their show to cities including Atlanta, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Chicago.
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The tour will welcome openers Stephen Wilson Jr., The Cadillac Three, Zach Top, Jackson Dean, Madeline Edwards and Caylee Hammack.
Following the release of their genre-blurring self-titled fourth studio album, the duo earned a Grammy nomination for best country album, as well as a nomination for best country duo/group performance (for “Nobody’s Nobody”) at the 2024 Grammys. The duo earned their first Grammy win last year, earning best country duo/group performance for their song “Younger Me.” Since making their debut with “Let’s Go There” in 2013, the duo has earned two top 10 Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs hits, with “Stay a Little Longer” and the Dierks Bentley collaboration “Burning Man.”
The sibling duo’s John and TJ Osborne co-wrote every song on their 11-track self-titled project, including their radio single “Nobody’s Nobody,” which they wrote with Mike Elizondo and Kendell Marvel.
“We are always pushing ourselves, always evolving and not afraid to change,” John Osborne said in a statement. “But at the end of the day, we are also who we are.”
“This is a defining record at this point in our career, where we needed to put it all on our shoulders,” TJ added. “And we did. Like it was when we were growing up, it’s just John and me.”
Members of the band’s The Family Fan Club can unlock exclusive pre-sale access to shows by logging into the official website at brothersosborne.com. Brothers Osborne fan-club presale will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 10 a.m. local time, with select presales that week ahead of general on-sale which will begin on Friday, Dec. 1 10 a.m. local time here.
See the full list of Might as Well Be Us Tour dates (with openers noted) below:
March 28: Milwaukee, WI – The Rave – Eagles Ballroom*March 29: Omaha, NE – Steelhouse Omaha*March 30: Waukee, IA – Vibrant Music Hall*April 3: Atlanta -Coca-Cola Roxy+April 4: Spartanburg, SC – Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium+April 5: Chattanooga, TN – Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium+April 11 – Cincinnati, OH – The Andrew J Brady Music Center^April 12 – Birmingham, AL – Avondale Brewing Company^April 13: New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre^April 18: Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway$April 19: Philadelphia, PA – The Metropolitan Opera House (“The Met”)$April 20: Wallingford, CT – Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre$April 25: Saint Augustine, FL – The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre+April 26: Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live Orlando+April 27: Hollywood, FL -Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood.+#May 18: Idaho Falls, ID – Mountain America Center%May 19: Sandy, UT – Sandy Amphitheater%May 21: Portland, OR – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall%May 22: Abbotsford, BC – Abbotsford Centre%May 24: Modesto, CA – The Fruityard%May 25: Oakland, CA – Fox Theater%May 29: San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre%May 31: Santa Barbara, CA – Santa Barbara Bowl%June 2: Las Vegas, NV – The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas%June 7: Charlotte, NC – Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre@June 8: Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater@June 13: Columbus, OH – KEMBA Live! Outdoor Amphitheatre*June 14: Buffalo, NY – Terminal B at The Outer Harbor*June 15: Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill*June 20: Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE – Outdoors+June 21: Indianapolis, IN – Everwise Amphitheater at White River State Park+June 22: Chicago, IL – The Salt Shed+June 27: LaFayette, NY – Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards Summer Concert Series*June 28: Newark, NJ – New Jersey Performing Arts Center – Prudential Hall*June 29: Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion*
*Stephen Wilson Jr.+ The Cadillac Three^ Zach Top$ Jackson Dean% Madeline Edwards@ Caylee Hammack# on-sale Dec. 8 at 10am Local Time
Longtime Nashville music and radio industry executive and former Country Radio Broadcasters/Country Radio Seminar executive director Bill Mayne died on Tuesday (Nov. 28) at age 72 following a battle with a long-term illness.
Mayne’s career spanned nearly five decades. He began performing in a band before transitioning into radio, with his career including on-air and programming roles at various radio formats including top 40, rock and country. His radio career began in 1970 in an on-air role at KRLY in Houston; he would go on to serve in roles at KASE in Austin, KZLA/KLAC in Los Angeles and KSCS/WBAP in Dallas.
Mayne then spent 15 years at Warner Bros./Nashville, where he held a variety of roles, rising through the ranks from a regional role to senior vp/GM and vp of promotion. He was also a member of the Country Radio Broadcasters board, eventually becoming board vp before taking on the role of executive director at Country Radio Broadcaster in 2010 — a role he held until his retirement in 2019.
Current Country Radio Broadcasters/Country Radio Seminar (CRB/CRS) executive director RJ Curtis said in a statement, “The passing of Bill Mayne marks a profound loss for the entire country music community. Bill was a true giant in every sense of the word. His fifty years of passionate work positively impacted everyone he met, in nearly every segment of our business, through his time in radio, the music industry, artist management, entrepreneurialism, and, of course, his decade of leadership as Executive Director for CRB. Bill Mayne navigated the organization through a period of great adversity, ultimately reestablishing CRS as the premier industry event that it is today.”
In 2019, Mayne received CRB/CRS’ President’s Award in recognition of the significant contributions he made to the radio industry.
Mayne also founded Mayne Entertainment, an artist management company, and Mayne Street Consulting, a private entertainment consulting firm that offered insight and guidance to clients in the entertainment field.
“Bill had great passion for Country Music going back to his days in radio,” Country Music Association CEO Sarah Trahern said in a statement. “I first worked with him in 1996 on a TV special when he was with Warner Bros. Nashville. I was struck by his enthusiasm for the format and ability to get things done. Years later, we were both officers of the ACMs, where his great knowledge of board governance and organization was a huge asset to our leadership team. Most recently, we got to work together when he joined the CMA Board of Directors, where he served from 2016 to 2018. My deepest condolences to Sallie and his sons.”
Beyond his professional accolades, Mayne previously served as a board member of the Country Music Association and spent over 35 years on the Academy of Country Music board of directors, including roles as chairman and chairman of the board at the ACM’s charitable arm, Lifting Lives. He also co-founded the St. Jude Country Cares for Kids Program, an initiative that has raised over $700 million for St. Jude since its inception in 1989. Additionally, he held the role of national vp for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and was a member of the Nashville non-profit Leadership Music as well as the mayor’s Nashville Music Council.
“On behalf of our membership and Board of Directors of the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives, I am deeply saddened by the loss today of Bill Mayne, a true giant of the country music industry, an invaluable champion of the Academy of Country Music, and one of our longest serving board members,” said Academy of Country Music CEO Damon Whiteside in a statement.
“Bill dedicated more than 35 years of service to the ACM Board, including serving as the Chairman for both the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives,” Whiteside continued. “I am comforted that we were able to celebrate his phenomenal legacy this summer by presenting him with our ACM Service Award at the 16th ACM Honors. Bill had a huge heart, as evidenced by his incredible philanthropic work, including his service to ACM Lifting Lives. His impact, passion, and devotion to the Country Music industry and community will live on forever. On behalf of all of us at the ACM, we send our love and prayers to his family, friends, and all who have been lucky enough to work with and know him.”
Mayne is survived by his wife of 46 years, Sallie Mayne; sons Bryant Mayne and Christopher Mayne; his grandchild, Everleigh Mayne; and mother-in-law Helen Wood. Plans for a public service honoring Mayne’s life have yet to be announced.
For decades, Grand Ole Opry icon Roy Acuff wore the crown as country’s leading male, a title that was reinforced by the 1982 NBC special Roy Acuff -— 50 Years the King of Country Music.
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But that status was never 100% exclusive or guaranteed in perpetuity. In 1978, Newsweek proclaimed Willie Nelson the king of country music in a cover story, and TV Guide bestowed the same honor on Garth Brooks in 1994. In more recent years, that recognition has gone most often to George Strait.
Still, with some fluidity surrounding that nickname, singer-songwriter Ryan Larkins (“The Painter”) was stumped in September 2018 when his kids pressed him on the subject. He had been listening to a bundle of classic country songs — Strait, Nelson, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Randy Travis — and when his oldest son asked who the king was, Larkins didn’t have an immediate answer. But one would emerge.
“I was sitting at a red light on Charlotte Avenue,” he recalls, “and it just kind of hit me out of nowhere, like ‘I know exactly who the king of country music is.’ ”
The answer was so good that Larkins decided the idea needed to be written: “The king of country music is the song.” He introduced the hook to a couple of co-writers, J.R. McCoy and Will Duvall, during an appointment at Curb Music Publishing that month. They needed no convincing to chase it down.
“Cool thing with this song,” says McCoy, “the song truly is the king of country music — because the song can’t die. That king is never going to be slayed. It will always live on forever.”
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They started work by addressing the question — who is the king of country music? -— with an obvious exercise, considering what artists deserved those credentials. After batting around names, they threw George Jones and Merle Haggard into a shortlist that formed the first three lines of the chorus: “Some say Jones, some say Travis/ Some say Strait, some say Haggard/ Are sittin’ on the throne.”
“Will came up with the Travis line,” McCoy recalls. “Even though it’s not a perfect rhyme with Haggard, it goes together so well.”
One more was too obvious to skip. “Strait had to be in there somewhere,” says Duvall. “That’s his thing. He is the king of country music.”
The Acuff part of the debate did not go ignored, though he’s such a historical figure at this point in time that they felt it might confuse younger country fans. “I love classic country,” Larkins notes. “But we talked about it, and we thought, ‘OK, there are quite a few people who are not even going to know those names,’ which is a shame. But to drive that point home, I thought we needed to stick with recognizable names.”
The chorus ended, of course, by identifying “the song” as king. Then they dug into the first verse, focusing specifically on the places where that king might be heard, including the church, the radio and in cities “from Saginaw to Houston.” The first town was a nod to an artist they couldn’t fit in, the late Lefty Frizzell, whose last No. 1 single was the 1964 chart-topper “Saginaw, Michigan.” Houston likewise acknowledged Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Band’s final No. 1, “Houston (Means I’m One Day Closer to You).”
Verse two showed itself fairly easily. It centered on the connection between the song and the audience, recognizing how “the 9-to-5’ers in the trenches” appreciated the sound of the steel guitar and fiddle, but truly responded to the “three simple chords and the truth” in a great country song.
“It wasn’t really pounding our heads against the wall,” says McCoy. “That second verse, I think that went quicker than the first verse and the chorus.”
The chord changes from the classic era they were celebrating typically would occur on the first and third beats of a measure. But they kept “King” current by making those changes on the after beat through most of the song. They didn’t discuss it. It just happened naturally, with Duvall leading on guitar.
“We are writers in this time, and I think there was just something that felt natural about that,” he says. “The way that Ryan writes, those pushes didn’t feel off. Those actually felt right and fresh.”
Soon after they wrote it, Larkins played songs for THiS Music president Rusty Gaston (now Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO), who was so moved by “King of Country Music” that he had Larkins stop and start over. When he finished, Gaston told him it needed a bridge. Larkins wasted no time; that night, he called Duvall, and it took them a mere 10 minutes to create the extra stanza. Since “King of Country Music” was about the song, they decided to list a few: “I Saw the Light,” “I Walk the Line,” “Amazing Grace,” “Always on My Mind” and “He Stopped Loving Her Today.”
“King of Country Music” got Larkins a publishing deal, and it secured his first label contract when he met with Jay DeMarcus’ Red Street in 2022. It was the first song in his audition, and DeMarcus — impressed by Larkins’ songwriting prowess and by his rich vocal tone — was tempted to sign him during that meeting, though he restrained himself for a day. DeMarcus and guitarist Ilya Toshinskiy co-produced “King,” with Toshinskiy inventing a melodic signature riff for the intro. The two also added a rising three-chord progression that led to the hook.
While “King” was a celebration of the song, DeMarcus and Toshinskiy were particularly sensitive about framing Larkins himself.
“The one thing that was paramount to everything else in cutting music on Ryan was making sure that the voice was the centerpiece,” explains DeMarcus. “When you have a voice like that, that’s so effortless and so easy to listen to and easy to digest, the track has to complement the lyric and the delivery. It can’t get in the way.”
DeMarcus played bass, plugged into the console so he could sit next to the engineer, while Toshinskiy was stationed on the Starstruck studio floor with drummer Jerry Roe, keyboardist Michael Rojas, steel guitarist Paul Franklin and guitarists Rob McNelley and Guthrie Trapp. The guitars and keyboards, in particular, utilized an ever-changing range of tones, reflecting a variety of styles that have supported country’s greatest songs through the years. DeMarcus later overdubbed some new acoustic piano licks, particularly a fill near the end of verse two that borrowed from the style of classic A-team musicians Floyd Cramer and Hargus “Pig” Robbins.
“The guitar parts, in particular, were something that we really, really concentrated on having the right mixture of traditional, really great country licks with laying down some great rhythm parts as well,” DeMarcus says. “The tune is so exposed, you need to make sure that the parts work together.”
Larkins cut his final vocals at DeMarcus’ home studio, overseen by a cardboard cutout of Cousin Eddie, Randy Quaid’s offbeat character from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. DeMarcus “pushed me,” says Larkins, “but it wasn’t an uncomfortable thing. I felt right at home.” “Anything I sang to him, he went right out and executed it,” DeMarcus adds. “It’s like taking a Ferrari out for a spin, you know. It’s really fun to have a voice like that to play with and just see what works.”
“King of Country Music” definitely worked. Red Street released it to country radio via PlayMPE on Oct. 12 with a Nov. 27 add date. With the trend toward ’90s country, Larkins’ debut single arrives at an opportune moment.
“I love where country music’s going right now — it feels like everybody’s welcome,” says Larkins. “But I feel this shift like, ‘Hey, we’re going to get a little more country here.’ And I love that.”
If you tuned in to Monday night’s (Nov. 27) playoff round episode of The Voice there was a prominent member of Team Reba who was nowhere to be seen. Season 24 country singer Tom Nitti was missing, forcing Reba McEntire to move her group along with just three performers for the upcoming live shows.
On the episode, McEntire said, “I have wonderfully talented people, but Tom had to leave for personal reasons, so I only have five artists tonight.” Nitti explained his absence in a lengthy Instagram post on Tuesday morning (Nov. 28), in which he shared a carousel of pics of his children and girlfriend cued to Cody Johnson’s “Leather.”
“Well, I’ve been dreading this day ever since the blind audition so here goes nothin’. …First and foremost I’m blessed beyond belief and I can’t say enough how much I love and appreciate the constant support from my fans, my friends and my family,” wrote Nitti. “As much as it absolutely stings to say, I had to make probably one of the hardest yet easiest decisions ever and ultimately at the end of the day, my kids will always come first and if I had to make the same decision again I’d do it over and over.”
McEntire supported Nitti from the get-go, as the only judge to turn her chair when he performed Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” at the blind auditions. He proved he’d earned his spot on the team with subsequent impressive performances of Johnson’s “Til You Can’t” during the battle round and again during the knockout round with the Temptations’ “(I Know) I’m Losing You.”
“This past summer was filled to the max with everything I love and could’ve only dreamed of and Thanks to @nbcthevoice I was able to live my wildest dreams and do what I’ve always hoped. I made friends that’ll last a life time, experiences that I can hold on to forever and even found REAL and TRUE love,” Nitti continued in his post, tagging girlfriend singer Ashley Bryant.
Nitti also shouted out the many people he said had his back “going through the tough times” he said he endured during his time in California on the show, including McEntire and his fellow team members.
“But nonetheless I hope everyone knows how happy and grateful i am for them. This isn’t the end of me and I’ll do what I do best for everyone to see which is keep my head down and move forward playing music and raising/creating new memories with a family I will continue to grow,” he added. “I never believed in the whole, things happen for a reason statement but in this case I think God has it all figured out. He knows I don’t break easily. For everyone asking, I’m alright and still standing. Thank you so much and as always, I’m super pumped to keep on keepin’ on with music, my kids Rayleigh and Brently my whole family to include my smokin’ girlfriend that keeps my head held high… Im more than ready to continue to live life now happier than ever before.”
The post ended with a series of hashtags, including: #familyfirst, #itsnotoveryet, #imstillstanding and #kentuckygotme.
With Nitti’s leave-taking, McEntire sent home Noah Spencer and Ms. Monet, with Ruby Leigh, Jordan Ranier and Jacquie Roar moving on to the live shows. The Voice airs on Monday night at 8 p.m. ET/PT and Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Check out Nitti’s post and one of his performances below.
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