Country
Page: 143
12/11/2023
This year’s picks for top 10 tracks include music from Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Jelly Roll, Tyler Childers and more.
12/11/2023
Something unusual happened at the 2023 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards: A song written over three decades ago won the award for song of the year.
While Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” first became a pop hit in 1988 — when it reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 — the song experienced a renaissance over the past year thanks to country singer Luke Combs’ faithful cover. Combs released his rendition to pop radio in April and country radio in June, helping it became a juggernaut that ultimately reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 and spent five weeks atop the Country Airplay chart.
“The success of ‘Fast Car’ is mind-blowing. But should it be?” asks Combs’ manager, Chris Kappy. He calls Combs’ connection to the song (the artist has said that it reminds him of his father) and his ability to deliver it to a new generation of fans “the perfect chemistry to create this moment.”
[embedded content]
The fact that Combs scored one of the biggest hits of his career with a cover is illustrative of the unconventional success stories that defined country music in 2023 — all of which helped propel the genre to one of its most prominent years in Billboard chart history. Jason Aldean’s politically charged “Try That in a Small Town”; outlier Oliver Anthony’s out-of-nowhere hit, “Rich Men North of Richmond”; and Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves’ somber duet, “I Remember Everything” all ruled the Hot 100. Along with Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night,” which spent 16 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1, 2023 marked just the second time in Hot 100 history that four country songs reached the chart’s summit in a calendar year. And for the first time since the chart launched in 1958, country hits occupied the top three spots (“Small Town” at No. 1, “Last Night” at No. 2 and “Fast Car” at No. 3) in a single week on the Hot 100.
Yet in the same way that a decades-old single winning the song of the year CMA Award (a feat that also made Chapman the first Black songwriter to win that honor) marked an uncommon achievement, the biggest wins of country’s huge year all contained atypical wrinkles in their narratives. The success of “Try That in a Small Town” — and in particular, the song’s accompanying music video — was mired in controversy. Footage of Black Lives Matter protests was seemingly edited out of the original clip, while critics noted the performance itself was filmed in front of the site of a 1927 lynching. CMT ultimately pulled the video from its rotation — a move that led many to view the clip on YouTube and stream the song, some out of curiosity alone, which helped push it to No. 1 on the all-genre Hot 100.
In late August, independent artist Anthony broke through with one of the year’s most unexpected hits, the polarizing “Rich Men North of Richmond.” The song — with lyrics centering on greedy politicians, inflation, rising taxes and welfare abuse — was uploaded to YouTube out of the blue. And a little more than 10 days later, it debuted atop the Hot 100, making him the first artist to enter at No. 1 without any prior Billboard chart history. The video has been viewed over 98 million times on YouTube.
“Rich Men North of Richmond” stayed atop the Hot 100 for two weeks, during which time it became a lightning rod of controversy for political pundits on both the right and left. “The most special thing about it being on the chart at all is that it made it [there] without some big, corporate schmucky schmuck somewhere pumping a bunch of money into making it get there,” Anthony recently told Billboard. “It actually got to the top of the [Hot 100] because people genuinely wanted to listen to it and support it.”
As Country’s Radio Coach owner/CEO John Shomby says, “Now he’s going on a 40-plus-city tour next year. That tells you a lot.”
Then there’s the alternative, genre-fluid Bryan, who prior to signing with Warner Music in 2021 built a fan base with his independent releases and constant touring, and has a history of shucking industry expectations. He capped 2022 with a live album titled All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster and throughout his breakout 2023 has largely avoided press. In September, he and Musgraves each earned their first Hot 100 No. 1 with “I Remember Everything” off his self-titled album. The duet became the first song to simultaneously debut atop the Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts — proving Bryan’s wide appeal.
A surplus of country artists have experienced similar crossover success, with hits that have both topped country charts and entered the upper echelon of the Hot 100. Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor” hit No. 13 on the Hot 100, Bailey Zimmerman’s “Rock and A Hard Place” entered the chart’s top 10, and Lainey Wilson’s “Watermelon Moonshine” reached No. 21 — and all three songs were Country Airplay No. 1s. Meanwhile, a few Hot 100 first-timers included rising stars like Hailey Whitters and Warren Zeiders along with Americana stalwart Tyler Childers.
“This year has shown us that the genre is not as painted into a corner as it was years ago,” says Shomby, who credits a younger generation of programmers moving into decision-making roles at radio stations as a driving factor in the span of country music sounds dominating charts in 2023. “The bigger companies, it’s going to take a little while, but some of these smaller organizations, you can see it already, with people taking chances on songs like the Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves duet, or Tyler Childers or the Post Malone song [titled “Pickup Man,” off HARDY’s HIXTAPE and featuring the late Joe Diffie, which debuted on Country Airplay in November]. They look at it as, ‘It sounds good, so I’m going to play it.’
“I come from the generation where we couldn’t care less whether it was rock or pop or country,” Shomby adds. “Then we started putting people into lanes. Thankfully, it’s starting to open up a little more. I’m not saying we’re there, but it’s the beginning of it.”
This story originally appeared in the Dec. 9, 2023, issue of Billboard.
The Country Music Association has announced the nominees for the 2023 CMA Touring Awards, spotlighting those behind-the-scenes members who keep country music’s touring industry going.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Final-round voting for the 2023 CMA Touring Awards opens Wednesday, Dec. 13 and closes Thursday, Dec. 28. This year’s CMA Touring Awards will again be hosted by Keith Urban and will take place Monday, Feb. 12, 2024, in Nashville.
Ron Baird, industry veteran and former head of Creative Arts Agency’s (CAA) Nashville office, will be posthumously honored with the CMA Touring Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors an individual who has positively impacted and contributed to the growth of touring throughout the years.
“Honoring our touring community is something I look forward to every year,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA chief executive officer, in a statement. “Each time I attend a show, hear a new tour being announced, or see footage from an unforgettable night, I am reminded again of the importance, dedication and resilience of our touring community. I am also especially excited to add five additional categories this year, including a Crew of the Year honor. They are the road warriors that keep Country Music alive all over the world, and I can’t wait to celebrate them on February 12!”
“As someone who spent years not only setting up all my own equipment at shows, but was also for a time a lighting guy and crew member for a band, I know the hard work that goes in to keeping shows on the road,” Urban added. “I’m honored to once again be asked to host the CMA Touring Awards and acknowledge and shower some love on all the hard workers behind the scenes that make it all happen.”
This year, the CMA Touring Awards have expanded, adding five categories. CMA members will have the opportunity to vote for Backline Technician, Stage Manager, Support Services Company, Unsung Hero and Crew of the Year. All balloting is tabulated by the professional services organization, Deloitte.
The CMA Touring Awards, originally called the SRO (Standing Room Only) Awards, were created by the CMA Board of Directors in 1990 to honor outstanding professional achievement within the touring industry. The first awards were presented at a black-tie gala hosted by K.T. Oslin and Roger Miller during CMA’s Entertainment Expo, also known as the Talent Buyers Entertainment Marketplace. Ten awards were presented at the first gala and the number swelled to 19 over the years before settling at the current 20. The SRO Awards were renamed the CMA Touring Awards in 2016.
See the full list of nominees below:
Crew of the year
“All American Road Show Tour” Crew – Chris Stapleton“The Outsiders Revival Tour” Crew – Eric Church“I Go Back Tour” Crew – Kenny Chesney“Country On Tour” Crew – Luke Bryan“2023 World Tour” Crew – Luke Combs“One Night At A Time World Tour” Crew – Morgan Wallen“No Bad Vibes Tour” Crew – Old Dominion“Home Team Tour 23” Crew – Thomas Rhett
Backline technician of the year
Jason Baskin – Zac Brown BandMelvin “Melvis” Fults – Kenny ChesneyCarlos Gutierrez – Dierks BentleyJason Herndon – Blake SheltonJoel “Tico” Jimenez – Thomas RhettJeremiah Langdon – Jelly RollChris Miller – Keith UrbanZach Rickard – Brothers Osborne
Business manager of the year
Renee Allen – Arnie Barn, Inc.David Boyer – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.Duane Clark – Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.Catherine Morris – Farris, Self & Moore, LLCCaleb See – Curo Financial, LLCMichael Vaden – Vaden Group/Elliott DavisKris Wiatr – Wiatr & Associates, LLC
Coach/truck driver of the year
Ronnie Brown – Zac Brown BandJosh Easter – Morgan WallenRhett Evens – Thomas RhettCaleb Garrett – Luke BryanJustin Pullin – Old DominionErin Siegfried – Lainey WilsonChris Simms – Jelly RollWayne “Wayno” Sullivan – Blake Shelton/Keith Urban
FOH (front of house) engineer of the year
Brendan Hines – Jelly RollAaron Lain – Morgan WallenTodd Lewis – Luke CombsBen Rigby – Eric ChurchArpad Sayko – Chris StapletonTrey Smith – Thomas RhettIan Zorbaugh – Old Dominion
Lighting director of the year
Zac Coren – Morgan WallenPhilip Ealy – Kenny ChesneyKevin Lichty – Old DominionMac Mosier – Chris StapletonKevin Northrup – Luke CombsTaylor Price – Miranda LambertAustin Strain – Jelly RollAlec Takahashi – Thomas Rhett
Manager of the year
Narvel Blackstock – Starstruck EntertainmentVirginia Bunetta – G-Major ManagementMartha Earls – Neon CoastKerri Edwards – KP EntertainmentClint Higham – Morris Higham ManagementMarion Kraft – ShopKeeper ManagementMandelyn Monchick – Red Light ManagementJohn Peets – Q Prime South
Monitor engineer of the year
Bryan “Opie” Baxley – Kenny ChesneyMark Davis – Jelly RollLogan Hanna – Brothers OsborneAndy Hill – Zac Brown BandNathan Lowe – Eric ChurchJimmy Nicholson – Thomas RhettDean Studebaker – Old DominionScott Tatter – Dierks Bentley
Production manager of the year
Chris Alderman – Blake SheltonJohn Garriott – Chris StapletonMeesha Kosciolek – Eric ChurchErik Leighty – Miranda LambertChris Nathan – Jake OwenEarl Neal – Jason AldeanKevin Twist – Thomas RhettEd Wannebo – Kenny Chesney
Publicist of the year
Janet Buck – Essential Broadcast MediaPaul Freundlich – PFA MediaQuinn Kaemmer – Big Machine Label GroupTyne Parrish – The GreenRoom PRCarla Sacks – Sacks & Co.Jessie Schmidt – Schmidt Public RelationsWes Vause – Press On PublicityJennifer Vessio – 1220 Entertainment Publicity
Stage manager of the year
Sam “Sambo” Coats – Eric ChurchDonnie Floyd – Morgan WallenTodd Green – Chris StapletonMatt Hornbeck – Luke CombsJosh “Dude” Marcus – Jason AldeanTom Nisun – Kenny ChesneyRichard Rossey – Old DominionJustin Sumrall – Thomas Rhett
Support services company of the year
4 Wall EntertainmentClair GlobalDega CateringMaster Tour by EventricMoo TVRichards & Southern
Talent agent of the year
Meredith Jones – CAAJoey Lee – WMEJonathan Levine – Wasserman MusicDarin Murphy – CAAAdi Sharma – The Neal AgencyAaron Tannenbaum – WMEElisa Vazzana – UTAJay Williams – WME
Talent buyer/promoter of the year
Bradley Jordan – Peachtree EntertainmentPatrick McDill – Live Nation NashvilleLouis Messina – The Messina GroupRich Schaefer – AEG PresentsAaron Spalding – Live Nation NashvilleEd Warm – Joe’s ConcertsAdam Weiser – AEG Presents
Tour manager of the year
Matt Anderson – Old DominionJason Hecht – Chris StapletonLuke Holton – Brothers OsborneChuck Hull – Keith UrbanMeg Miller – Lainey WilsonEthan Strunk – Luke CombsChris Thacker – Dierks BentleyJon Townley – Thomas Rhett
Touring musician of the year
Rob Byus (Bass Guitar) – Blake SheltonPaul Franklin (Steel Guitar) – Chris Stapleton/Vince GillBen Helson (Guitar) – Dierks BentleyLee Hendricks (Bass Guitar) – Eric ChurchHarmoni Kelley (Bass Guitar) – Kenny ChesneyChris Kimmerer (Drums) – Thomas RhettDanny Mitchell (Piano) – Miranda LambertKurt Ozan (Guitar) – Luke Combs
Tour videographer/photographer of the year
Mason Allen – Old DominionAndy Barron – Chris StapletonZach Belcher – Dierks BentleyDavid Bergman – Luke CombsCeCe Dawson – Lainey WilsonTanner Gallagher – HARDYGrayson Gregory – Thomas RhettAndy Pollitt – Jelly Roll
Tour video director of the year
Josh Clark – Miranda LambertJay Cooper – Kenny ChesneyHouston Creswell – Dierks BentleyRon Etters – Chris StapletonNate Fountain – Zach Bryan/Blake SheltonChris Jones – Jelly RollRicky Krohne – Thomas RhettMichael Todd “M.T.” Stembridge – Eric Church
Venue of the year
Ascend Amphitheater – Nashville, TNBankNH Pavilion – Gilford, NHBridgestone Arena – Nashville, TNChoctaw Casino Resort – Durant, OKGrand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TNJoe’s on Weed Street – Chicago, ILPaycom Center – Oklahoma City, OKRed Rocks Amphitheatre – Morrison, CO
Unsung hero of the year
Dallas Bowsier – Eric ChurchJosh Castle – Dierks BentleyRJ Estrella – Luke CombsKayla Carter Greear – Luke BryanKelsey Maynard – Old DominionTodd Molle – Jake OwenMel Murphy – Live Nation NashvilleTyler Rhodes – Thomas Rhett
In this week’s collection of new country music, Chase Wright and Michael Ray offer up somber, reflective numbers, while bluegrass-rockers The Dead South bring a rollicking new track.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This week’s crop of songs also showcases the top-shelf musical talents of several female artists. Meg McRee teams with award-winning songwriters Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey for a heartbreaking ballad. Additionally, Mae Estes and Laci Kaye Booth offer up intensely vulnerable tracks.
Chase Wright, “Who I Want to Be”
[embedded content]
Wright follows his breakthrough song “Why Should We” with this redemptive ballad, which Wright crafted with Josh Jenkins, Chris Lacorte and Andy Albert, with production from Ned Cameron. This pensive pop-country track, filled with understated piano and guitar, finds Wright reflective and regretful, ruminating over past transgressions while vowing to change his ways. “I’m tasting my own medicine, I’m swallowing my pride/ Thе moments I was weakest ain’t how I’ll bе defined,” he offers, delivering one of his strongest vocals to date.
Meg McRee feat. Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey, “The Moon”
[embedded content]
Newcomer McRee teams with Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member (and current Songwriters Hall of Fame nominee) Lindsey as well as three-time Grammy winner McKenna for this superb song about a “love” relationship with a web of strings attached. “For unconditional love, yours sure did come with a lot of conditions,” McRee deadpans here, as this trio of singer-songwriters trade harmonies over rippling, tender acoustic guitar. This understated ballad brings plenty of vulnerability and bite.
Mae Estes, “Town Left Me” (Acoustic)
[embedded content]
Singer-songwriter Estes deftly captures the disconnected, disappointing feeling of returning to a childhood hometown only to find that, like herself, that rural space has grown and shifted in the intervening years — as gravel lots become coffee shops, high school hangouts are paved over and once-close relationships fade into vague acquaintances. This acoustic version further accentuates Estes’ evocative vocal.
Michael Ray, “We Should Get a Drink Sometime”
[embedded content]
This time of year is rife with reflections and the urge for relational restoration. This older ballad, written by Thomas Rhett, Rhett Akins, Josh Kerr and Mike Busbee, centers on a chance encounter between two old flames, which kindles his desire to reconnect. Though he casually tosses off the request to get together “like old friends do,” it’s clear his feelings run closer to hoping for a revived romance than a simple platonic meetup. As always, Ray’s smoothly understated, country vocal delivers the song’s sentiments with ease.
Laci Kaye Booth, “Cigarettes”
[embedded content]
This Texas native is a clear-eyed truth purveyor, and she doesn’t hold back from chronicling the lessons she’s learned from years of heartbreak, both personally and professionally. The images of smoke and cigarettes become metaphors for moments of letdown, particularly as she details being touted as the “next big thing” in a fickle music industry that can be filled with smoke and mirrors. She later etches a heartbreaking scene of being released from her record label deal with the succinct line: “And the same champagne that they bought me/ I popped it when they dropped me.” A stunning song from a towering talent.
Colin Stough, “Sleep Tonight (Acoustic)”
[embedded content]
This former American Idol contestant offers up a pared back version of his song “Sleep Tonight,” which ponders the fear of death and leaving behind his loved ones too soon. “What if I leave here without a warning?/ Start dancing in the sky,” he muses. This version places the spotlight on Stough’s smooth-yet-textured vocal and further highlights country music’s current moment of turning from the “girl-truck-alcohol” paint-by-numbers songs of the past decade, toward more songs torn from personal revelation.
Written by Stough with Sean Thomas Rogers and Brian Congdon, the original version appeared on Stough’s six-track EP Promiseland.
The Dead South, “A Little Devil”
[embedded content]
This quartet’s fleet-fingered picking on cello, mandolin, banjo and acoustic guitar infuse heavy metal intensity into their unique bluegrass sound, led by singer/guitarist Nate Hilt’s warm, gritty voice. This group’s high-powered harmonies further escalate this tale of deception and wanting. “A Little Devil” will be included on the group’s upcoming album Chains & Stakes, out Feb. 9, 2024.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Priscilla Block is ready to share some signed merch and limited-edition bundles during Day 5 of Billboard Live Shopping Week with […]
Dolly Parton has long poured her time and talents into Nashville, and now she’s doing it again. The Dollywood Company, a joint venture between Parton and Herschend Enterprises, has acquired a downtown office and retail building located at 211 Commerce Street in Nashville, the company has confirmed to Billboard. “Since the pandemic, commercial real estate […]
When Tom Nitti, 31, unexpectedly left The Voice last month during the playoff rounds citing “personal reasons,” the Team Reba country singer didn’t provide a lot of information about why he unexpectedly had to bounce.
But in a new interview with the Utica Observer-Dispatch, Nitti finally opened up about the difficult situation at home that forced him to make the decision. “It’s always been a dream of mine to pursue music full time, but I can’t do that without a cushion,” said Nitti, a New York State trooper and former Airborne Cavalry Scout who suffered a serious brain injury in a mortar attack in Afghanistan that earned him a Purple Heart. “As a dad, I need to make sure my children will be supported,” he said.
Performing in front of thousands of people has “always been my dream” Nitti told the paper. But once he became a dad, his goal adjusted to being known locally and serving his community. “The biggest misconception is when people think I went on the show knowing that I’d leave,” said the father of two young children who lamented leaving his kids when he deployed to Afghanistan for several rotations and during his stints in airborne school and a warrior leader course. “It all happened so quickly and I needed to make a fast decision. I chose my family and I’ll tell you why.”
After turning heads, and chairs, with his covers of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” in the blind auditions and winning the battle rounds with his Cody Johnson “Til You Can’t” cover — and then getting saved by McEntire in the knockout round thanks to his take on the Temptations’ “(I Know) I’m Losing You” — Nitti became one of Team Reba’s six finalists.
Nitti — who was slated to appear on season 23 of The Voice but said he had to defer a year because he hadn’t given the state police enough of a head’s up — told the paper that even though pursuing music full time was his long-time goal, his priority was making sure his children, Rayleigh and Brently, were well-supported.
Then, five months before season 24 aired, Nitti filed for divorce. After going up against Jacquie Roar during the knockout rounds, Nitti said she asked him what was wrong when he seemed glum despite McEntire saving him from elimination. “I spilled my guts,” he said. “I told her about how I had just received an email from my lawyers urging me to come home because my ex-wife was going after primary custody.”
The “gut-wrenching” moment pushed Nitti to make the difficult choice to leave the show, “not because I missed my kids, but because I couldn’t imagine losing them,” he told the paper. “I am happy with the decision I made, but should it have come to that point? Absolutely not,” he added. Though he left before the shows went live, Nitti said he was not prepared for the reaction to his leave-taking during the pre-taped portion of the season.
“I never believed that things were meant to be until this all happened,” Nitti said. “The most positive thing from my experience on the show was the camaraderie I found among other vocalists.”
Shortly after leaving the show, Nitti acknowledged his split in an lengthy Instagram post, in which he wrote, “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.” He also promised at the time that, “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.”
Earlier this week, Nitti dropped the new original, “One Night Stand,” with fellow contestants Bias and Lennon VanderDoes. “There’s a hole in the wall dive bar/ It’s downtown/ Can’t believe a girl like you would come around/ Strut keeps turning heads/ Gotta get you outta here,” Nitti sings on the country ramble. Bias is still on the show, but VanderDoes was sent packing after the playoff round after Gwen Stefani used a Super Save to bring him back. Nitti told the paper he’s also written a new song about his journey called “Redemption Road.”
“I’m hoping one day my kids will be able to see why I did what I did instead of just thinking that I quit,” he said.
Several of Kane Brown‘s famous friends helped surprise the singer-songwriter with the news that his 2018 two-week Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 hit “Heaven” has been certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The song is the eighth country single to earn the accolade, with 10 million certified units in the United States.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Brown and the RIAA shared a video on social media Thursday (Dec. 7) showing the moment he received the news via a video featuring his fellow Diamond-selling country artists Luke Combs, Hillary Scott (of Lady A), Tyler Hubbard (formerly with Florida Georgia Line) and Darius Rucker.
“Not many people have done that,” Combs told Brown of reaching the milestone. “I just want to say welcome to the club, man, super cool. Keep killin’ it, man. You’ve always been awesome.”
“That is such a huge achievement. Welcome to the diamond club, it’s something to be really proud of,” added Hubbard.
“Your song ‘Heaven’ has obviously touched so many hearts and so many lives,” Scott said.
“Welcome to the diamond club. Congratulations, brother,” Rucker said.
“An incredible talent with 23 RIAA certified titles and accolade upon accolade across genres, today, we are thrilled to recognize Kane Brown’s first Diamond for his single ‘Heaven.’ This enchanting hit has clearly struck a chord with fans – topping 10 million certified units! Congratulations to Kane, his creative partners and RCA Nashville team on this rare milestone,” said RIAA COO Michele Ballantyne via a statement.
Previous country singles to be certified diamond by the RIAA are Lady A’s “Need You Now,” Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road,” Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy,” the Lil Nas X/Billy Ray Cyrus collab “Old Town Road,” Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” and Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel.”
See the video below:
When it comes to the holidays, country artists are all about making music to fit any Christmas mood–whether you’re joyful, thankful, reverent, lonely or not all that into the holiday season. Just like the plethora of holiday activities that folks engage in each year — attending Christmas gatherings, caroling, baking Christmas cookies, attending a tree […]
The tradition of the Country Music Hall of Fame benefit concert All for the Hall returned to Nashville Tuesday evening (Dec. 5), led by four-time Grammy Award winner Keith Urban and Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill.
They led a cavalcade of artists to perform some of their biggest hits — and highlight their personal favored songs from other artists — onstage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. Joining Gill and Urban were Kelsea Ballerini, ERNEST, Riley Green, Mickey Guyton, HARDY, Old Dominion, The War And Treaty, Trisha Yearwood and Country Music Hall of Fame members Brenda Lee, Brooks & Dunn and Patty Loveless.
The War and Treaty offered up towering renderings of “Mr. Fun” and the holiday classic “O Holy Night.” Gill performed “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” as well as the Joe Walsh/Barnstorm song “Rocky Mountain Way.” Riley Green offered up “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” before tipping his hat to Alabama’s classic “Dixieland Delight.” Meanwhile, Ballerini was all sass and starpower on “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too),” before showing her tender side with a cover of Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend.”
Brooks & Dunn, like all of the artists on the bill that evening, were backed by an ace band that included Gill and Urban — making for a star-studded performance of B&D’s “My Maria,” followed by the Waylon Jennings classic “I Ain’t Livin’ Long Like This.” ERNEST offered “Kiss of Death” and “That’s the Way Love Goes,” while Old Dominion — who will themselves headline a show at Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 15 — performed “Memory Lane” and “Alive.”
In the process, this year’s show raised nearly $1 million (over $900,000) — the largest amount raised in the event’s eight-year history- -to support the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s education programs.
Though the evening featured numerous musical heavy-hitters, it also put the CMHoF’s Words & Music program in the spotlight. The program pairs students with professional songwriters to teach writing and language arts through music, and has had more than 8,000 students take part this year. Songwriter Paulina Jayne and Abigail Sowards, a senior at Stewarts Creek High School, performed the song “These Moments” with her fellow classmates John Dechira and David Guydon.
It was perhaps HARDY, who has been vocal about his own struggles with anxiety in recent months, who summed up the main emotion that flowed through the evening’s music and stories: gratitude.
“The holidays, stress and mental health, anxiety, whatever, whatever you’ve got going on– it’s always good to take a look around and realize you’re breathing, we’re all here and we’re all lucky to be alive,” HARDY told the crowd.
Here, we take a look at five top moments from the evening:
Mickey Guyton Brings Her Estimable Vocal Gifts to Bridgestone Stage