Country
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Though Jimmie Allen and his wife Alexis Gale announced their separation in April, the country singer told People on Thursday (July 13) that they’re still working on their marriage.
“The divorce case is still pending, as my wife and I are working to resolve things together as a family,” he said.
Allen also clarified an earlier comment he made in which he said he was waiting to respond publicly to two lawsuits filed against him alleging sexual assault because he wanted to “fix my family first.” “What I meant by ‘fixing my family first’ was making sure their mental health and stability are OK in light of these hurtful, false allegations,” Allen told People. “I took some time off to be with my wife, kids and friends, to ensure everyone was OK.”
On Thursday (July 13), Allen filed two countersuits in Nashville federal court, lodging his first formal responses to the two abuse lawsuits, which have resulted in the once-rising country singer/songwriter being dropped from his label and removed from festival lineups, among other professional repercussions. The first case claims he repeatedly assaulted an unnamed “Jane Doe” on his management team; the second claims he assaulted another woman in a Las Vegas hotel room and secretly recorded it. Allen’s countersuits claim that one of the women defamed him and that the other illegally took his cell phone.
In a statement regarding the new filings, Allen told Billboard that he had “engaged with a legal team to proceed with an appropriate course of action,” saying he had done so in order to “protect my reputation and refute these claims that have caused severe damage to my family, mental health, and business.”
“As the son and brother of rape victims, and the father of daughters, these false claims are extremely hurtful to me and everyone around me,” Allen continued. “These false allegations have caused me to lose a vast number of business and endorsement opportunities that I worked extremely hard for. These false allegations have also not only harmed me, but have caused severe financial damage to my band, my team, and their families.”
Allen and Alexis Gale wed in 2020 and are parents to daughters Naomi Bettie and Zara James. (Allen also has an older son, Aadyn Allen, from a previous relationship.) When the couple announced their split in April, they also revealed they are expecting another child.
On July 16, Gabe Lee will step into the Grand Ole Opry circle for the first time, just days after releasing his latest album, Drink the River, out July 14.
For the Nashville-raised Lee, the Grand Ole Opry—which in its nearly century-long tenure has served as a bedrock for country music but also hosted blues, rock and Americana artists, and at its former Ryman home, served as a foil for the birth of bluegrass—offers a parallel for Lee’s own distinctive blend of country, rock, bluegrass and Americana.
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“The Opry represents the dream, the community,” Gabe says. “The Opry and its stage and history are not only a tradition, but a beacon for all future musicians. It’s just a great honor to perform there.”
The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Lee grew up immersed in classical and church music, as his mother played piano and his father played guitar. “They sacrificed so much, just working hard and saving and believing in me and my music,” he recalls. Absorbing their work ethic and learning in proximity to the ever-heightening stakes of the music industry also gave Lee a clear-eyed perspective on the truths of a music career.
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“A lot of my friends who grew up with musician parents got the hell outta dodge,” he recalls with a chuckle. “They were like, ‘The last thing we wanna be is in music.’ And it’s a joke among players and music people in music, like, ‘If my kids want to play music, I’d let them but I wouldn’t wish it on ‘em,’ because it is a gamble…folks get their dreams made and their dreams broken every day.”
His previous album, 2022’s The Hometown Kid, embodied Lee’s own relentless tugs of both adventure and familiar comforts. He spent a year attending Nashville’s Belmont University, bartending on the side and performing at writers rounds at Bobby’s Idle Hour Tavern, the Listening Room and Whiskey Jam. He then decamped to Indiana University to study literature and journalism, before returning to Music City to continue pursuing his craft.
But where scores of singer-songwriters spend days cranking out radio-friendly songs and seeking major label country deals, and nights networking at any number of guitar pulls and industry events, Lee draws more from cult favorite touchstones such as John Prine and Jason Isbell. Lee is the sole writer on many of his songs, and like his musical heroes, he excels in excavating from everyday moments the raw materials from which he crafts his vivid musical narratives. Drink the River showcases Lee as a troubadour filling his songs with keen observations gleaned from other people’s stories.
The album’s folk-country, acoustic flavor takes cues from Old Crow Medicine Show’s first record, while songs like “Property Line” tip the hat to Prine’s clear-eyed, light-hearted style. “It’s a bit of how John [Prine] was always a master at infusing humor in his songs. A little bit of humor goes a long way,” Lee says.
“Even Jesus Got the Blues,” which Lee began writing nearly four years ago, revels in an early SteelDrivers, blues-meets-bluegrass feel, and was inspired by a friend who succumbed to addiction. The two-year-old “Lidocaine” stems from an Uber ride, as a driver confided in Lee his story of being diagnosed with dementia at 40 years old. He also revisits “Eveline,” from his 2019 debut project farmland.
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Meanwhile, the lyrics and instrumentation of album closer “Property Line” evoke the feel of the popular series Yellowstone; the song is an ode to Lee’s girlfriend’s father Jason, who owns a large plot of land in Alabama.
“I started hanging out down there and what I quickly realized is I may be from the South, but those guys are country,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve learned a lot from them and I really admire their sensibilities and the way they look at the world.”
Lee and his manager, Alex Torrez, founded the indie label Torrez Music Group, under which Lee has issued three albums (with Drink the River to be his fourth) in approximately as many years, including his breakthrough, 2020 roots-rock project Honky Tonk Hell, and last year’s The Hometown Kid. He’s kept a marathon runner’s pace — steady and relentless — as he balances studio time and writing with ever-more prominent performance slots, having shared stages with artists including Isbell, American Aquarium and Molly Tuttle. To date, Lee’s songs have registered 10.5 million official U.S. on-demand streams, according to Luminate.
He is also slated to perform during the Americana Music Association’s annual AMERICANAFEST in September, and was recently added to Tidal’s “Tidal Rising” new artist program, which also includes Sunny War, Kara Jackson and Kassa Overall.
“We’ve been in a double-down mentality for the past few years,” he says. “You get a little momentum, and you don’t want to lose it for a second. As a small label, we work within our means and try to roll most of our revenue from merch and streaming right back into the label in the next project.”
While many of his Nashville counterparts dream of selling out stadiums and dozens of No. 1 hits, Lee’s immediate goals are more economical. “That’s the basic dream for so many artists and writers, just getting to the point where it’s sustainable. Some of my favorite songwriters are those that play the Texas circuit. They make it work, they aren’t living in mansions, but they’ve got a roof over their heads, they keep their businesses alive and their families fed by playing music. We’re just trying to make records, tour, and not go bankrupt. We’re just out here doing the work and hopefully, the work will speak for itself.”
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Jimmie Allen is fighting back against a pair of lawsuits filed this spring that accused the country star of sexual assault, denying all the allegations and countersuing both women — claiming that one of them defamed him and that the other illegally swiped his cellphone.
In documents filed Thursday (July 13) in Nashville federal court, Allen, 38, lodged his first formal responses to the two abuse lawsuits, which have seen the once-rising country star dropped from his label and removed from festival lineups. The first case claims he repeatedly assaulted an unnamed “Jane Doe” on his management team; the second claims he assaulted another woman in a Las Vegas hotel room and secretly recorded it.
Allen’s lawyers went beyond simply denying those allegations in Thursday’s filings, bringing a countersuit against each accuser and seeking unspecified monetary damages. In the case of Allen’s former day-to-day manager, the attorneys claim that she defamed him by making “deliberate, intentional, malicious, and willful” statements to Variety beyond what is included in the lawsuit. Variety broke the news of her lawsuit in early May.
“Throughout the Variety article, Jane Doe made several untruthful statements which painted Allen and Doe’s consensual affair as nonconsensual sexual misconduct,” his lawyers claim. “Allen’s reputation and relationships within the entertainment industry have also been severely damaged as a result Jane Doe’s statements in the Variety article.”
(Variety, which is owned by the same parent company as Billboard, is not named as a defendant or accused of any wrongdoing.)
In responding to the second lawsuit, in which the woman claims that Allen surreptitiously filmed their sexual encounter, his lawyers say that she had explicitly consented to the recording — and that she then unfairly took his phone with her when she left the hotel. In technical terms, they accuse her of “conversion,” a civil tort similar to theft that involves someone taking property that doesn’t belong to them.
“By taking his camera phone without permission, Jane Doe 2 wrongfully exerted a distinct act of dominion over Allen’s personal property,” his lawyers write.
The attorney representing both of Allen’s Jane Doe accusers, Elizabeth Fegan of the law firm Fegan Scott, did not immediately return a request for comment on Thursday morning.
In a statement, Allen tells Billboard that he has “engaged with a legal team to proceed with an appropriate course of action,” saying he has done so in order to “protect my reputation and refute these claims that have caused severe damage to my family, mental health, and business.”
“As the son and brother of rape victims, and the father of daughters, these false claims are extremely hurtful to me and everyone around me,” Allen said. “These false allegations have caused me to lose a vast number of business and endorsement opportunities that I worked extremely hard for. These false allegations have also not only harmed me, but have caused severe financial damage to my band, my team, and their families.”
A Rapid Fall
In the wake of the two lawsuits, Allen’s once-flourishing career has cratered.
After signing with BMG’s Stony Creek/BBR imprint in 2017, Allen’s first two singles, “Best Shot” and “Make Me Want To,” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, while he scored a third No. 1 in 2021 with “Freedom Was a Highway” (with Brad Paisley). “Down Home,” the first single from his 2022 album, Tulip Drive, reached No. 2. He also performed for Garth Brooks at the superstar’s Kennedy Center Honors induction in 2021, and with Elton John on the legend’s 2021 album The Lockdown Sessions.
But following the accusations, his label, booking agency (UTA), former publicist (Full Coverage Communications) and management company (The Familie) have all suspended or dropped him. His live appearances have also dried up, including a June 11 performance during CMA Fest and several other summer festival gigs.
In addition to the career fallout, Allen has also separated from his wife, Alexis Gale, who is pregnant with their third child. The couple announced the news on social media, just weeks before the first lawsuit was filed and the accusations were made public.
That first case, filed on May 11, alleged that Allen had “manipulated and used his power” over the plaintiff, who was employed by his then-management company Wide Open Management, in order to “sexually harass and abuse her” over a period of 18 months from 2020 to 2022.
“Plaintiff expressed in words and actions that Jimmie Allen’s conduct was unwelcome, including pushing him away, sitting where he could not reach her, telling him she was uncomfortable and no, and crying uncontrollably,” the woman’s lawyers wrote in the complaint. “However, Allen made clear that plaintiff’s job was dependent on her staying silent about his conduct.”
Allen Responds
In Thursday’s response to those claims, Allen tells a different story — one of “a consensual sexual relationship” in which encounters were “initiated by both Allen and Doe,” an affair that he says he ended in the fall of 2022 to “focus on repairing his relationship with his wife.” He says the first time he heard any claim about “improper conduct” was in November 2022, when he was contacted by her attorney.
In counter-suing for defamation, Allen’s lawyers focus on Doe’s statements made to Variety rather than the actual claims in her lawsuit — likely because it’s harder to bring such claims over statements made as part of a judicial proceeding. The article, Allen says, contained “several pieces of information that were not included in her complaint,” as well as statements that “disparaged” him, including calling him a “threat.”
“The statements … caused great damage to Allen, including impairment of his reputation and standing in the community, personal humiliation, and mental anguish and suffering,” his lawyers write. In technical terms, they also accuse Doe of invasion of privacy, inflicting emotional distress, and interference with business relations.
The second case against Allen, filed on June 9, was brought by a woman identified as Jane Doe 2, who accused him of battery, assault and other wrongdoing over a July 2022 incident at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. Though she had “willingly joined Allen in the bedroom,” she claimed she had “repeatedly told him she did not want him to ejaculate inside her” because she was not on birth control, but that Allen had done so anyway.
The June lawsuit also claimed that, after the sexual encounter, Doe 2 discovered a cell phone in a closet of the hotel room, “focused on the bed, recording the scene.” She alleged that she had “not consented to being recorded” and that, after failing to convince Allen to allow her to unlock the phone to delete the recordings, she had taken it with her and later passed it along to the Las Vegas Police Department.
In his response to that lawsuit on Thursday, Allen admits to having “unprotected sex” with Doe, but claims that he “did not ejaculate during the encounter.” He also acknowledged recording the incident but, crucially, alleges that he secured her explicit permission to do so while the pair kissed on a hotel balcony.
“Before the encounter escalated further, Allen asked Jane Doe 2 if it was OK for him to set up his camera phone to record their encounter. Jane Doe 2 agreed,” Allen’s lawyers wrote of the incident. “Allen left the balcony and set up his camera phone in plain view at the foot of the bed. Allen and Jane Doe 2 began to engage in a consensual sexual encounter in view of the camera phone.”
When he awoke to find that Doe 2 had “left the hotel room with his camera phone,” Allen claims that he texted her, to which she allegedly responded that she “did not approve of him recording their encounter.” When she “demanded the passcode to Allen’s camera phone” so that she could further delete the recording, he says he declined to offer it because the phone “contained several pieces of confidential personal and business information.” He says he offered to “delete the video to her satisfaction” if she returned the phone, but that she did not do so.
“Allen still does not have possession of the camera phone,” his lawyers write.
(When the second case was filed in June, a spokesperson for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department [LVMPD] confirmed to Billboard that “a report was completed” over the incident, but did not provide any additional information. A request for any public records linked to the report was unsuccessful.)
Former Manager Wants Out
Allen wasn’t the only defendant to file his response to the abuse lawsuits this week. On Tuesday, his former management company Wide Open Music filed a motion seeking to be dismissed from the first case, which claimed the company did not do enough to protect Allen’s day-to-day manager from his abusive behavior and had then fired her when she complained about it.
In its response, attorneys for Wide Open Music (which parted with Allen in October 2022) expressed dismay at the woman’s allegations about Allen’s conduct, but said the company itself could not be held legally responsible.
“Undoubtedly, if the actions she claims Allen took against her actually occurred, they are deplorable and clearly inappropriate,” the company’s lawyers wrote. “Despite the nature of the allegations, however, Plaintiff has not stated any plausible claims … that [Wide Open Music] should be held liable, either for its client’s misconduct or independently of it.”
Following this week’s new filings, the Jane Doe plaintiffs will file their own responses in the months ahead, both to Allen’s new accusations and to Wide Open Music’s motion to be dismissed from the case. The case will then head toward more litigation and an eventual jury trial, but it could be years before such a courtroom showdown is reached.
In his statement Thursday, Allen seemed intent on getting to such a trial: “As the legal process runs its course, I look forward to the opportunity to clear my name.”
Stories about sexual assault allegations can be traumatizing for survivors of sexual assault. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can reach out to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN). The organization provides free, confidential support to sexual assault victims. Call RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) or visit the anti-sexual violence organization’s website for more information.
A Wisconsin elementary school teacher who got into hot water earlier this year for trying to include Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton‘s anthem of love and acceptance “Rainbowland” at her school’s spring concert has been terminated.
According to WISN, the School District of Waukesha Board of Education voted unanimously (9-0), on Wednesday (July 21) to end teacher Melissa Tempel’s employment at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha, WI after saying she violated three school board policies. District officials said Tempel was place on leave on April 3, followed by a May letter in which Superintendent James Sebert said he would recommend to the Board of Education that her job be “terminated.”
During the hourslong termination hearing Tempel and school administrators testified, with lawyers for the school board saying that the teacher violated board policies by expressing her feelings on social media before she talked to her supervisors.
“Ms. Tempel deliberately brought negative attention to the school district because she disagreed with the decision as opposed to following protocol and procedure and I believe that behavior is intolerable,” said Waukesha School District Superintendent Sebert; Tempel’s lawyers argued that their client was exercising her free speech rights.
“I thought that the fact that the tweet that I made, that ‘Rainbowland’ wasn’t going to be allowed, was something that the public would be really concerned about and that they would be interested in knowing about it,” said Tempel during the hearing.
Back in March, language teacher Tempel called out the school’s administration after claiming that they vetoed the inclusion of a pair of rainbow-themed songs in the spring concert. “My first graders were so excited to sing ‘Rainbowland’ for our spring concert but it has been vetoed by our administration. When will it end?,” she tweeted at the time, along with hashtags for the school system, Parton, Cyrus and GSafe (which create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth in Wisconsin schools) and civil rights.
Tempel also included the lyrics to “Rainbowland,” the Cyrus/Parton duet about acceptance that appeared on Miley’s 2017 album Younger Now. “Living in Rainbowland/ Where you and I go hand in hand/ Oh, I’d be lying if I said this was fine/ All the hurt and the hate going on here/ We are rainbows, me and you/ Every color, every hue,” they sing on the song.
On March 24, Tempel wrote, “The latest I heard is that the song was banned bc @MileyCyrus is controversial. D’oh, I thought for sure it was @DollyPartonvand her beautiful drag queen followers! Oh well, I can’t stop my students if they still sing ‘Rainbowland.’ It’s a fun, catchy song!” First grade teacher Tempel later speculated that the duet was pulled because of its “beautiful LYRICS. Because saying an ARTIST is controversial would be a very slippery slope and they wouldn’t want to go there. Amirite?,” she wrote.
When a commenter asked why the song was pulled from the concert Tempel responded, “no reason given.” A day later, Tempel reported that the administration had also banned the beloved Muppet Movie ballad “Rainbow Connection,” writing, “so it seems the reason is rainbows”; Tempel later clarified that “Rainbow Connection” had been unbanned after “parents sent emails to admin,” though at the time it appeared “Rainbowland” was still off the lineup.
The mother of a first-grader at the school said she was told the songs were pulled because they were too “controversial,” telling the Los Angeles Times that the local school board had undergone a “conservative flip” following COVID-19 mitigation strategies during the global pandemic. “One of those is a controversial topics policy saying that teachers can’t have any kind of signage that could be deemed political. … Discussion of pronouns with students was another thing that came up. And teachers aren’t allowed to wear rainbows,” parent Sarah Schindler said.
Another parent with a student enrolled in the district told the paper that the Waukesha school district has “really cracked down on anything LGBTQ… so this song being an ‘issue’ has not in any way come as a surprise.” The Board of Education reportedly said that the principal checked with the central office about district policy when the song was suggested and, “they determined that the song could be deemed controversial in accordance with the policy,” the board said in a statement in March.
The school’s principal, Mark Schneider, told the School Board at Wednesday’s hearing that he never said he thought the song should be vetoed or banned, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. Schneider also said that he was flooded with voicemails — some of which were threatening — which made him concerned for the safety of the school community, including “vulgar” messages that said he would “get what’s coming to (him).”
Superintendent Sebert also reportedly testified that he got a large volume of inquiries from parents, community members and people outside the district, which also included some threats. “I thought the way in which she disagreed with this decision was in direct violation of multiple board policies,” Sebert said at the hearing. Following a closed-door deliberation, the board voted unanimously to fire Sebert, saying she violated three different school board policies, including not following the chain of command by going to the media before airing her concerns to supervisors, engaging students on social media and making statement that “sowed disharmony among [the] staff.”
In the wake of the ruling, NBC reported that Tempel’s attorney said they believe they have a strong First Amendment case, with the teacher telling reporters she wouldn’t have done anything differently even if she’d known this would be the result. “And I really just want to say ‘hi’ to my students, because I haven’t been able to talk to them since March, and I really miss you guys,” Tempel said.
Jelly Roll’s “Need a Favor” spends its first week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts, rising 2-1 on both July 15-dated tallies. The track earned 32.4 million airplay audience impressions and 11.5 million official U.S. streams and sold 5,000 downloads June 30-July 6, according to Luminate. […]
Shania Twain’s Queen of Me Tour rolled into New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Tuesday (July 11), bringing with it a formidable catalog of country classics as well as a kick-ass opener, Breland, one of the more promising fresh faces in country music. But Breland – who joined Shania mid-show on “Inhale/Exhale Air” from […]
Country music can be difficult to define, and the pack of new artists serving up debuts over the next six months won’t make it any easier.
At least a dozen artists have their inaugural albums or EPs on the way during the last half of 2023, and each of them has a distinct look, sound, and backstory. The crowd includes two women (Ashley Cooke and Harper O’Neill) with distinctly different sounds; party-leaning, biracial duo Neon Union; Latin American ex-cop Frank Ray; and rough-edged Warren Zeiders.
John Morgan and Dylan Marlowe have both snared hits as songwriters for other acts, though Morgan introduced himself as an artist through a TV competition and Marlowe emerged via TikTok.
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Shane Profitt, like Ray, already has a top 20 single under his belt, and The Frontmen have over 50, given that the trio consists of lead singers from established groups that hit their strides in the 1990s.Here’s an overview of the acts who could help define country’s future with their debut albums or EPs expected between now and Dec. 31:
Ashley Cooke (Big Loud) — Cooke’s debut album — shot in the dark, due July 21 — includes guest appearances by Brett Young, Colbie Caillat, Nate Smith and Jackson Dean among its 24 tracks, anchored by Cooke’s smoky timbre and reflective writing approach. She will be further boosted by opening on 16 Luke Bryan tour dates, beginning July 13.
Jordan Fletcher (Triple Tigers) — The Jacksonville, Fla., native lost his dad at age 11, and his scant knowledge about his father made him fiercely dedicated to telling his own story in his music, which results in a self-titled album in November. His sometimes soulful productions are loaded with honest vocals, delivered with understated conviction.
The Frontmen (BMG/BBR Music Group) — Larry Stewart, Tim Rushlow and Richie McDonald were introduced as lead singers for Restless Heart, Little Texas and Lonestar, respectively, in the 1990s, but have worked as a separate collective since around 2011. The trio finally announced its label signing in March and is working on its first project.
Alex Hall (Monument) — An astute guitarist with an expansive vocal range and classic approach to words and music, Hall explores a variety of sounds on his first album, Side Effects of the Heart, expected Sept. 15. The project conveys an optimistic world view, but it’s clearly filtered through real-world heartache and familiar disappointment.
Ryan Larkins (Red Street Country) — His songs have been covered by Tim McGraw, Cody Johnson and Bill Anderson & Dolly Parton. The Nashville-bred Larkins phrases with an old-school Trace Adkins clarity and is prepping the release of his first single, with his debut EP, Meet Ryan Larkins, on tap for a Sept. 29 street date.
Dylan Marlowe (Sony Music Nashville) — Hailing from Statesboro, Ga., Marlowe earned viral attention with a country version of Olivia Rodrigo’s “drivers license,” then co-wrote Jon Pardi’s “Last Night Lonely.” His first EP — Dirt Road When I Die, released July 7 — ranges from banjo-flecked country to headbanger tones with tight, edgy harmonies certifying his country roots.
John Morgan (Broken Bow) — Hot off his May 19 Grand Ole Opry debut, Morgan has achieved several milestones, netting hits as a writer of Jason Aldean’s “Trouble With a Heartache” and the Aldean/Carrie Underwood duet “If I Didn’t Love You,” and competing on NBC’s American Song Contest. His initial EP is under construction.
Neon Union (Red Street Country) — The biracial duo, blending North Carolina’s Andrew Millsaps and Miami’s Leo Brooks, has a gritty tone that approximates Montgomery Gentry’s precedent by playfully mixing blue-collar country with obvious Southern rock influence. Introduced to country radio with “Bout Damn Time,” Neon Union’s first EP, Double Wide Castle Sessions, arrives July 21.
Harper O’Neill (Harper O’Neill Music) — Affiliated with QPrime South management, plus publishers Jody Williams Songs and Warner Chappell Nashville, O’Neill approaches a song with the timeless simplicity and directness of Patsy Cline, but with a ragged, world-weary tone. She self-releases her inaugural EP this summer in between tour dates with Ashley McBryde and Morgan Wade.
Shane Profitt (BMLG) — The Tennessean’s first EP, Maury County Line, included the top 20 Country Airplay hit “How It Oughta Be.” Introduced to Music Row by Chris Janson, Profitt’s powerful tones are built on classic country roots and a brash frankness. His first full album, its release date TBD, is tentatively titled I Am What I Am.
Frank Ray (Stoney Creek) — Ray owns a clear, rangy voice and a fluid stylistic bent with a brand of country that folds in pop, rock, hip-hop and Latin influences, allowing for a fair amount of variation in his first, self-titled album, released July 7. It includes top 20 single “Country’d Look Good on You.”
Warren Zeiders (Warner) — The 14-track Pretty Little Poison, named after Zeider’s current single, presents a voice full of sandpaper, sorrow, whine and snarl. The uncluttered production is part outlaw, part Southern rock and part post-grunge, creating a dark surface pastiche, though underneath there’s a sense of survivor instinct and determination for something better.
Tracy Chapman topped Billboard’s Country Songwriters chart (dated June 17) for the first time, thanks to Luke Combs’ cover of her hit “Fast Car.”
Combs’ version has generated at least $500,000 in global publishing royalties, Billboard estimates, with the majority of it going to Chapman, who owns both the writers’ and publisher’s share of the song. Additionally, the success of Combs’ version has boosted Chapman’s original, with weekly consumption of Chapman’s version increasing 44% since Combs’ version was released, according to Luminate.
“I never expected to find myself on the country charts, but I’m honored to be there,” Chapman told Billboard in a statement. “I’m happy for Luke and his success and grateful that new fans have found and embraced ‘Fast Car.’”You got a fast carI want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterStarting from zero got nothing to loseMaybe we’ll make somethingMe, myself, I got nothing to prove
You got a fast carI got a plan to get us outta hereI been working at the convenience storeManaged to save just a little bit of moneyWon’t have to drive too farJust ‘cross the border and into the cityYou and I can both get jobsAnd finally see what it means to be living
See, my old man’s got a problemHe live with the bottle, that’s the way it isHe says his body’s too old for workingHis body’s too young to look like hisMy mama went off and left himShe wanted more from life than he could giveI said somebody’s got to take care of himSo I quit school and that’s what I did
You got a fast carIs it fast enough so we can fly away?We gotta make a decisionLeave tonight or live and die this way
So I remember when we were driving, driving in your carSpeed so fast it felt like I was drunkCity lights lay out before usAnd your arm felt nice wrapped ’round my shoulderAnd I-I had a feeling that I belongedI-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
You got a fast carWe go cruising, entertain ourselvesYou still ain’t got a jobAnd I work in the market as a checkout girlI know things will get betterYou’ll find work and I’ll get promotedWe’ll move out of the shelterBuy a bigger house and live in the suburbs
So I remember when we were driving, driving in your carSpeed so fast it felt like I was drunkCity lights lay out before usAnd your arm felt nice wrapped ’round my shoulderAnd I-I had a feeling that I belongedI-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
You got a fast carI got a job that pays all our billsYou stay out drinking late at the barSee more of your friends than you do of your kidsI’d always hoped for betterThought maybe together you and me’d find itI got no plans, I ain’t going nowhereTake your fast car and keep on driving
So I remember when we were driving, driving in your carSpeed so fast it felt like I was drunkCity lights lay out before usAnd your arm felt nice wrapped ’round my shoulderAnd I-I had a feeling that I belongedI-I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone
You got a fast carIs it fast enough so you can fly away?You gotta make a decisionLeave tonight or live and die this way
Lyrics licensed & provided by LyricFind
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Tracy L. Chapman
The 2023 Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Awards were held Monday (July 10) at the Virgin Hotel Nashville in Music City’s famed Music Row area, as music industry members gathered to celebrate the induction of six new inductees into coveted institution.
This year’s on-air inductees were Trish Biondo and “Dollar“ Bill Lawson, while the off-air honorees were Pam Green, Charlie Morgan, John Willyard and Wade Jessen.
The Country Radio Hall of Fame was founded in 1974, and fetes those who have made significant contributions to country music and the country radio industry. Among the many sterling radio executives in attendance was one of the Country Radio Hall of Fame’s founding fathers, Chuck Chellman, who recently turned 90. Chellman was honored with the CRB’s inaugural president’s award in 1998.
WSM’s Bill Cody and Country Radio Broadcaster executive director RJ Curtis led the festivities.
Barbara Mandrell was honored with the 2023 CRB artist achievement award, which was presented to her by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood. The Country Music Association’s CEO Sarah Trahern called Mandrell a “groundbreaker for our format,” noting that Mandrell became a member of the Grand Ole Opry at age 23, is a three-time CMA Awards host, and is the first artist to win the CMA’s entertainer of the year in two consecutive years, in 1980 and 1981.
Mandrell is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, singer, entertainer, dancer, actor and author. She earned six No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Country Songs chart, including “Sleeping Single in a Double Bed” and “One of a Kind Pair of Fools.” With her sisters Louise and Irlene, Mandrell hosted the popular television series Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters from 1980-1982. Mandrell announced her retirement in 1997, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2009.
Yearwood also performed in Mandrell’s honor, offering a rendition of Mandrell’s 1979 hit “If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don’t Want to Be Right),” which had previously been a 1972 pop and R&B hit for Luther Ingram.
The performance took a cue from Barbara Mandrell’s enduring performance of “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” at the 1981 CMA Awards, when George Jones left his seat in the audience to join Mandrell in song. During Yearwood’s performance, Brooks “spontaneously” stood up, walking through the audience and joining Yearwood onstage to finish the song.
Yearwood honored Mandrell, saying, “You are a rock star and a pioneer and a bada–, and every male and female singer that has come after you owes you a debt of gratitude.”
Mandrell took the stage, and thanked country radio for the career-shaping impact it has had on her life.
“My whole career, it’s because you made it for me,” Mandrell said. “I did a lot of other things, too, but radio, in my life, the music business comes from radio. You don’t ever forget how important you on-air radio personalities are. I know there are people like me that entertain, but there was twice in my life and career that I was invited to go on-air for an hour and play like I was a radio personality. That is the hardest thing on earth. I have such high respect for all of you, but you just went to the moon — you have to constantly think of like five or six things at one time and you have to pay attention to anything that is going on in the world… I hold you in such high esteem and for you to feel positive about what I did means the world to me. You made my career and I love you with all my heart.”
CRB/CRS board president Kurt Johnson honored Scott and Julie DeVos (of De Lux Productions) with the CRB Presidents Award. The pair have helmed the musical performances that attendees see at the annual Country Radio Seminar for over 25 years.
“It all boils down to teamwork, and nowhere is that more true than in the world of event production,” Julie said. Scott agreed, telling the audience that accolade honors everyone they have worked with over the years to bring performances to life.
“We want to create events you speak of, the ones you had to be there for,” Scott added.
The late Wade Billboard in December 1994 as a senior chart manager, overseeing Billboard’s country, Christian, gospel and bluegrass charts, and playing a key role in developing the Hot Country Songs chart, which melds airplay, sales and streaming data. Prior to his work at Billboard, Jessen held a on-air role at KSOP Salt Lake City, before taking on the role of music director at WSM-AM in Nashville, the home of the Grand Ole Opry. After joining Billboard, Jessen also continued to work as a radio personality for the SiriusXM’s classic country channel, Willie’s Roadhouse. Jessen passed away after suffering a heart attack in 2015.
Members of Jessen’s family attended the Country Radio Hall of Fame ceremony to accept the honor on his behalf.
“He had a voice that was just made for the radio,” Jessen’s niece Courtney said in recalling her uncle. “He had a sense of humor like none else. We loved to listen to him tell stories in his ‘radio voice,’” his niece, Courtney said, recalling how Jessen made time to emcee their junior prom. “On behalf of the Jessen family, we would like to thank the Country Radio Hall of Fame for bestowing such an honor on our uncle. His accomplishments and his career will now be legendary…To our uncle, we love you and we miss you.”
Jessen’s spouse, Corey Jones, said, “While it has been eight years since we lost Wade, we remember the many heartfelt condolences we received from people throughout country radio and the country music industry … Thank you again to the Country Radio Hall of Fame for ensuring that Wade will forever have a place in the history of country radio.”
Ed Salamon honored Green, who was known as one of country music’s first female music directors, and saw career acceleration during a 13-year run as music director at WHN in New York. Green also worked with Joel Raab’s consulting company and served as sr. director of artist relations at United Stations Radio Networks, continuing in that role when the company was absorbed by Westwood One.
Willyard makes history as the first Country Radio Hall of Fame inductee to be honored primarily for voice acting/imaging. He has become one of country music’s most recognizable voices, having handled the voiceover work for the Country Music Association Awards for two decades. In 1991, he caught the attention of country radio consultant Rusty Walker, who recommended Willyard to his clients for imaging voice work. Willyard’s client list grew to more than 100 country outlets in all market sizes.
Willyard thanked those who have been instrumental to his career, and succinctly summarized the mission of both country radio and voice imaging—reaching the audience. “Touching a heart is golden — something no AI can do,” he said.
Marci Brown honored Biondo, who first interned at MTM Records before joining WUSN Chicago. Biondo first began in research and promotion at the station while still in college, before taking on board operator duties and eventually adding on-air work and ascending to the music director position. As a music director, Biondo earned the Billboard MD of the year honor in 1988. Biondo spent 14 years in mornings at WUSN, before taking on the midday role in 2006.
Biondo noted how much Mandrell’s hit “I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool” resonated with her, and how country radio first appealed to her with its themes of family and kindness. She also stressed the importance of “soaking up every moment.”
Bob Richards and Dave Kennedy honored Morgan, who previously served as a board president for Country Radio Broadcasters and currently serves as board chairman of the Country Music Association. Morgan began his career as an on-air personality at WFMS in Indianapolis, where he rose to handle mornings and programming/operations. In 2000, he became VP/market manager for the Susquehanna cluster, which became a Cumulus property. He took on Sr. vp, market manager duties for the Emmis/Indianapolis cluster (including Hank FM) in 2009. In 2015, he added market manager duties for the Emmis New York station group. In 2019, Morgan was named as Apple Music’s Global Head of Radio and Music Programming.
Morgan shared stories from many of his career triumphs and missteps over the years, before noting, “This journey has been filled with so many stories and memories,” Morgan said.
Tom Hanrahan introduced honoree Lawson, known for his 18-year role at WZZK in Birmingham, Alabama, as well as his work in the a.m. daypart at WDXB since 2002. Lawson was previously awarded the Tom Rivers Humanitarian Award during Country Radio Seminar in 2019, for his ongoing work in support of charities including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Lawson praised country radio, country music artists and the music listeners during his Country Radio Hall of Fame acceptance speech, noting the “personal relationship between stations, artists and listeners. Your audience in country music lets you into their lives.” He also thanked the country radio industry, saying, “Thank you for a defining moment of my life.”
A few days after accepting the award for new female artist of the year at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards in Nashville this May, Hailey Whitters was onstage in Madison, Wis., opening for Shania Twain. Afterward, as she watched the legend from the wings, Whitters, 33, flashed back to her 8-year-old self “singing Shania Twain in [my] underwear in the living room … and it hit me just how far I’ve come,” she says. “I set out to do this, and I definitely was hellbent on achieving it, but even the last few months have surprised me.”
Her spring accomplishments also included a headlining club tour and landing her first top 20 hit at country radio. The winsome, effervescent “Everything She Ain’t,” released in early 2022, has spent 62 weeks on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, peaking at No. 17 in June more than a year after its debut. In May, the song gave Whitters her first appearance on the Hot 100 chart.
Whitters experienced plenty of discouraging moments — when she wondered if she should head back home to Shueyville, Iowa, and its population of 700 — following her post-high school move to Nashville in 2007. But as she sang on her 2019 track, “Ten Year Town,” about trying to make it in country music: “I didn’t come this far to only go this far.”
Raised on ‘90s country and artists like The Chicks and Trisha Yearwood, Whitters knew that she wanted to move to Nashville after she and her mom attended the Grand Ole Opry during a visit to Music City when she was 15. During her early years in Nashville, she made inroads as a songwriter, landing cuts with big names including Alan Jackson, Martina McBride and Little Big Town. But her career as an artist was floundering, even after releasing her debut album, Black Sheep, through her music publishing company, Carnival Music, in 2015.
Gucci top, & Other Stories skirt, Jenny Bird jewelry.
Daniel Chaney
Yet the tide began to turn when she posted “Ten Year Town” on Instagram in July 2019. Almost immediately, artists including Maren Morris, Brothers Osborne and Carly Pearce supported the song. “They posted about it and it started generating all this buzz,” Whitters says.
Within two weeks, Morris had asked Whitters to open on her fall tour, a fortuitous move Whitters still can’t believe. “I had no label, no management,” Whitters says (her booking agency CAA relayed the good news). “It was pretty ballsy of her to ask, essentially, this no-name songwriter to open this massive tour. I quit my waitressing job right before the tour started.”
With excitement about Whitters renewed, she also found management: Make Wake’s Chris Kappy, whose clients include Luke Combs and Range Media Partners’ Matt Graham, who co-manages Midland, among others. The friends were both so enthusiastic about Whitters, they decided to partner.
“ ‘Ten Year Town’ brought me to tears. It made me really want to help her,” Graham says. “I met her at a bar in Nashville and called Kappy afterwards and said, ‘That’s a person that I would want to drink a beer with all over the world.’”
Whitters had opened three shows for Combs years before, and though Kappy admits he doesn’t recall the gigs, Whitters always remembered how well he had treated her. “She said, ‘You took care of me, and I was nobody,’” he reflects. “I heard the music, I fell in love with it, and then by just being a good human being ended up winning the business.”
The Great top and skirt, Steve Madden boots, Jennifer Fisher earrings, Jenny Bird ring.
Daniel Chaney
In February 2020, Whitters self-released her The Dream EP on her own Pigasus Records. A few weeks later, she played a sold-out show at Nashville’s prestigious Exit/In with hit songwriter Nicolle Galyon and Big Loud CEO Seth England, among other label executives, in attendance. Galyon offered her a deal on her new Songs & Daughters label, a partnership with Big Loud Records, and Whitters believed she was finally making headway. Then the pandemic hit. “It felt like all the stars were aligning, and by that Friday, the world shuts down,” she recalls.
During the early months of the pandemic, she focused on songwriting, including Alicia Keys and Brandi Carlile’s 2020 song, “A Beautiful Noise,” for which she received a song of the year Grammy nomination. She also released a deluxe edition of Dream, called Living the Dream, that included collaborations with artists including Yearwood, Jordan Davis and Little Big Town.
Concurrently with focusing on her music, she revamped her look from jeans and t-shirts. Graham paired her with photographer-turned-creative director Harper Smith, and “it really shifted everything about how Hailey conveyed herself to her audience,” he says. “It captured the Midwest earnestness, cuteness, small-town aesthetic that Hailey really wanted to own,” as she leaned into pastel colors, florals, ruffles and hair bows.
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By 2021, Whitters was eager to reemerge following months of Zoom co-writes. She had her first in-person writing session with Bryan Simpson and Ryan Tyndell at Tyndell’s studio on Music Row and left with a hit.
Simpson and Tyndell were working on a song with a “stark, moody, Spaghetti Western vibe,” Whitters recalls, but getting nowhere. She suggested they switch to something lighter. “I had that hook, ‘I’m everything she is and everything she ain’t,’ and we were off to the races.” Less than 90 minutes later, they finished “Everything She Ain’t,” and that night, Whitters sang it a capella to her producer boyfriend (now husband) Jake Gear, who replied, “We have to record that, like, instantly,” she recalls.
Her label had the same positive reaction. Though she had already finished recording songs for her 2022 album Raised, once Galyon and England heard the eventual breakout hit, Whitters says, “They just lit up and were like, ‘We have to release this.’ I was totally shocked. I thought we were done.”
When the album arrived — complete with the last-minute addition — digital service providers including Spotify, Amazon, Apple and Pandora embraced the song. TikTok also played a role in its success. “My philosophy has always been, ‘Don’t sign stuff that’s working on TikTok, sign great artists and help them crack the code on TikTok,’” Graham says. “Interesting pockets of TikTok connected with that record, like farm boys that really took to the song and ran with it.”
Gucci top, & Other Stories skirt, Jenny Bird jewelry, Darner socks, Sam Edelman shoes.
Daniel Chaney
When the song reached a million streams a week, Kappy says Big Loud decided it was time to go to terrestrial radio with Whitters for the first time. The slow, steady climb has been propelled by “creating moments for the fans to fall in love with her,” he says, including opening for Jon Pardi last year and Twain this year, plus her ACM Award win, which was voted on by peers.
As Kappy sees it, “I think Nashville finally gave her that kiss that said, ‘Hailey, we know you’ve been here and we love you. You’ve earned this.’”
A version of this story will appear in the July 15, 2023, issue of Billboard.