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The video for Machine Gun Kelly and Jelly Roll‘s collaboration, “Lonely Road,” (No. 18, Hot Country Songs) casts MGK as a finance-strapped, blue-collar worker who commits an armed bank robbery, gets run down in a police chase and ends up seeing his newborn daughter for the first time from behind a wall of glass in prison.
The criminal storyline plays out over a melody long associated with a comforting, nostalgic John Denver hit, “Take Me Home, Country Roads,” with which “Lonely Road” is interpolated.
Matching an edgy, violent plot line with the legacy of a goody-two-shoes pop-and-country environmentalist imprints a scruffy wrinkle atop Denver’s safe reputation while bringing some revenue into his estate’s coffers.
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“It’s just this way to reinvigorate a song and remind people, ‘Oh, right, I love that song, “Country Roads,”‘ while they’re also having this great time at an MGK show,” 7S Management artist manager Amy Abrams noted on Sept. 18 while moderating the panel “Curating a Legacy — What Young Artists Can Learn From Estate Management” during the Americana Fest in Nashville. The reimagination of “Country Roads” provides Denver’s catalog “a way into a new audience, to associate yourself with another artist that may complement the image or the legacy that you’re working to create.”
Setting up a career for long-term health is, not surprisingly, similar to setting up personal finances for retirement. To do so successfully requires focusing on the future, protecting assets from opportunistic sharks, reflecting personal values in decision-making, saving documents and taking informed risks when it makes sense.
It also helps to develop a sense of self-worth. In personal finance, that means seeing oneself as someone who deserves to have a nest egg. In building a music career, that means self-identifying as a creator whose work has lasting value. That attitude might be difficult to develop during artists’ early years when bank accounts are slim and the desire to advance is powerful.
But Bob Dylan Center director Steve Jenkins noted that Dylan‘s latter-career reputation is, in part, an outgrowth of the importance he assigned to his copyrights and to his brand from his earliest years in the spotlight.
“He avoided some of the potholes that a lot of younger artists find themselves having to get into,” Jenkins said. “I think it’s about valuing your own work — as tempting as it might be, and at times, as necessary as it might be, to just bring some cash in initially — but taking a long view and thinking of yourself as that sort of artist.”
Perhaps most important is to start early, building the legacy consistently from the start rather than scrambling to make up lost ground on the back end. The panel focused on artists, though some of its points can be applied to other careers.
Key advice included:
• Think long term “If you are looking just ahead to tomorrow,” Abrams said, “and you are not looking way, way, way down the line, you are going to miss something.”
• Align with causes that speak to your audience “We often think about being careful to not turn off fans with this work; I think you can also turn on fans,” 7S Management director of philanthropy Kari Nott said. “When you speak up for folks who are screaming for help, who need your microphone to draw attention to the issue that they’re affected by, they’ll remember that for the rest of their lives.”
• Read contracts “You could just sign away your intellectual property for the rest of your life,” Abrams noted. “That’s a repercussion your grandkids are going to be dealing with when it doesn’t revert to your heirs.”
• Be willing to self-promote Abrams also observed, “There’s something to be said for telling everyone that you have a legacy. It’s up to you to communicate this information to the world and to throw your own party.”
• Celebrate important anniversaries The Denver estate is currently observing 50 years since he released the Back Home Again album. But, Jenkins said, be “judicious” in what anniversaries get promoted and make the marketing proportional to the milestone.
• Save memorabilia Dylan’s lyrics, finished or not, can sometimes be used to create merchandise or enhance exhibits. Photos, tour posters, backstage passes, set lists — as those items accumulate, they become a collection that has value in the long run.
• Share the thoughts and circumstances that inform your music “When you’re speaking to your team, the more you’re able to provide the context for your story as it relates to your work — you know, all the surrounding influences and whatnot — that leads to being able to champion you,” Concord vp of sync licensing and clearance Brandon Schott said.
• Identify icons worth emulating “Try and emulate the way that they move through the world,” Nott suggested. “Someone that I’ve always been struck by is Willie Nelson and how he starts every single Farm Aid concert by introducing himself and immediately passing the mic to the farmers.”
• Collaborate with others “I always describe sync as Brian Wilson — it’s taking two completely different instruments, laying them on top of each other, playing [them similarly] and they become a third instrument,” Schott said. “Taking visual artists and record artists, and putting them together can amplify both sides of that collaboration.”
• Look for other methods of exposure Advertising, in particular, can call attention to a copyright, though it can, Jenkins lamented, be “crass.” Ads that feel “more narrative-based,” said Schott, rather than blatant sales pitches, can remind the audience of a song and generate revenue without undermining its reputation.
• Leave a road map for heirs Artists who don’t specify their beneficiaries or leave instructions about how they want their legacy handled risk having their memories polluted or trivialized after they’re gone.
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Warner Music Australia is boosting its country stocks with the signing of Brad Cox.
Raised in Jindabyne in New South Wales’s Snowy Mountains, Cox, a former Sony Music artist, enjoyed a breakthrough in 2018 with his self-titled debut album, which collected the the singles “Red Light”, “Too Drunk to Drive”, “’Lake House” and “Water On The Ground”.
He went on to snag the Toyota Star Maker competition at the Tamworth Country Music Festival, and landed in the top 20 with his sophomore album, 2020’s My Mind’s Projection, peaking at No. 13 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
The following year, Cox launched the “Happy Hour Down Under” station on Apple Music.
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A third album, Acres, dropped last year, and cracked the ARIA Top 10 (with a No. 7 peak).
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Brad Cox into the Warner Music family and are delighted that Brad has entrusted us with the next chapter of his career,” comments Dan Rosen, president of Warner Music Australasia.
“Brad’s genuine authenticity, admirable work ethic and undeniable talent has already captured the hearts of fans around Australia and we can’t wait to help take his music to more fans at home and around the world.”
To celebrate the new arrangement, Cox drops the new single “Everything I’ve Got.”
He’ll road test the song when he embarks on his biggest tour date, the Everything I Got jaunt, which starts Oct. 17 at University of Canberra, before stopping in at Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Rockhampton and Brisbane.
“Signing this new record deal with Warner Music feels like home,” he says in a statement. “I feel like things are only getting better and better the more I get to work with this incredible crew. I feel like I’m understood in my vision for this project and supported with means to make the dreams happen. I’m thankful for the belief I’ve been shown and am humbled to have landed here at Warner Music for the next chapter. Feels incredibly right.”
Australia is recognized as the No. 3 market for country music, behind the United States and Canada, respectively. With the likes of Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs dominating Australia’s consumption charts and filling arenas, country music is enjoying a renaissance in these parts.
Aussies streamed 1.1 billion country tunes in the first half of 2023, based on the top 500 songs in the genre. Gen Z is found to have a growing appetite for country.
Cox’s tour opens Oct. 17 at University of Canberra, before heading to Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Rockhampton and Brisbane.
The trek is presented by Handsome Tours, Lonely Lands Agency Mirror Music Group, Habit Music and transported by Mack & Highway Rentals Australia.
Eric Church recently paid homage to Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson as only “The Chief” can during the 17th annual ACM Honors, which were held in August at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and airs Tuesday (Sept. 24) on Merit Street Media.
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During the event, Jackson — who has earned 26 Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 hits and is a co-writer or sole writer on most of those — was celebrated with the ACM Poet’s Award for his songwriting.
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“Alan Jackson is an institution and an American treasure. It’s my honor to be here and play for him,” Church said before he offered a soulful performance of Jackson’s 1990 hit “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”
Before launching into the performance, Church also offered up a story from being on the road with another country music luminary.
“I was touring with Hank [Williams] Jr., and every night he would play ‘Family Tradition,’” Church said, recalling that after he tried putting his own spin on the song, “Hank tolerated me for about 30 seconds and he pulled his glasses down and said, ‘Brother, don’t paint on the Mona Lisa.’ So tonight I’m going to try to paint around the Mona Lisa, OK?”
Church’s rugged rendition was passionate, clearly conveying the two artists’ shared experiences chasing their dreams — and weathering rejections — in Music City. Church earned a standing ovation and one of the most fervent applauses from the crowd, along with praise from Jackson himself.
This year, the annual ACM Honors celebrates honorees including Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton and Luke Bryan, as well as producer/former label head Tony Brown, music executive Shannon Sanders, songwriter Walt Aldridge, various music venues and several top-shelf musicians who play on so many of the country music albums emanating from Nashville.
Other performers and presenters during the evening include ACM Honors co-hosts Carly Pearce and Jordan Davis, as well as Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Jackson Dean, Kameron Marlowe, Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Terri Clark and Keith Urban.
Watch the sneak peek look at Church’s performance below:
Since launching his career nearly a decade ago, Louisiana native Jordan Davis has added a string of titles to his resume: including five-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topping artist, purveyor of two RIAA platinum-certified albums (his 2018 album Home State and 2023 album Bluebird Days), hit songwriter, and reigning Academy of Country Music Awards song of the year winner (for “Next Thing You Know,” which he wrote with Josh Osborne, Chase McGill and Greylan James).
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For the 17th annual ACM Honors, which were held Aug. 21 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and will air Tuesday night (Sept. 24) on Merit Street starting at 9 p.m. ET, Davis is adding a new appellation: awards ceremony co-host, as he joins four-time ACM Honors host Carly Pearce in guiding this year’s show.
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The ACM Honors marks an annual reunion of sorts for country music’s community of artists and behind-the-scenes musicians and executives, who are feted for their accomplishments and long-term contributions to the genre.
“It’s just a special night to get to honor so many people that we see throughout the year,” the MCA Nashville-signed Davis tells Billboard. “Whether it be from a venue side, from a booking side, management side, publishing side — that night is special for us to get to say thank you to them, and to show everybody just how important their roles are in this whole music industry. That’s my favorite part of that night. It’s a homecoming.”
Fans packed the 2,362-person capacity Ryman to celebrate this year’s honorees, which include ACM poet’s award winners Alan Jackson and Walt Aldridge, ACM triple crown award winner and milestone award winner Lainey Wilson, ACM icon award winners Tony Brown and Trisha Yearwood, ACM lifting lives award recipient Luke Bryan, ACM lift every voice award honoree Shannon Sanders, ACM songwriter of the year Jessie Jo Dillon and ACM songwriter-artist of the year Chris Stapleton.
The evening featured performances and/or presentations from Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Terri Clark, Davis, Jackson Dean, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Post Malone, Kameron Marlowe, Ashley McBryde, Pearce, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack.
Davis also gives credit to his co-host and fellow performer Pearce with making his first ACM Honors co-hosting gig “as easy and comfortable as possible.” He adds, “She is such a pro at this and just crushed it. From studying the script before making changes, to the final read through we had, Carly made changes that just made everything flow easier and read easier. She’s just such a pro.”
Though the evening meant a hectic pace for both Pearce and Davis, he says they did have moments earlier in the day to take in some of the top-shelf collaborations that dotted the evening.
“We had to be there early, so we got to see the entire soundcheck,” Davis says. “I got to sit there and watch Vince Gill and Ashley McBryde run through [Gill’s “When I Call Your Name”] in an empty Ryman Auditorium. I was almost moved to tears. Vince is just such an icon in the genre and having him and Ashley together, it was really moving.”
Asked about the possibility of co-hosting future ACM Honors ceremonies, he says, “Absolutely, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I guess we’ll have to see. It’s like we did the test and we’re waiting on the grade. I don’t have a doubt in the world that they’ll ask Carly to host again, but if they ask me to do it, I would love to.”
Given that Davis is a writer on each of his five No. 1 Country Airplay hits “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot,” “Singles You Up,” “Tucson Too Late,” and the two-week chart-toppers “What My World Spins Around” and “Buy Dirt” (with Luke Bryan), it is notable that his new release, “I Ain’t Sayin’,” is one he didn’t write.
“I Ain’t Sayin’” was written by Travis Wood, Steve Moakler, Mark Holman, and Emily Reid, and produced by Paul DiGiovanni. As an early taste of music from Davis’ upcoming project, he says the song harkens back to some of his earlier work.
“This truly is a town where, in my opinion, the best songwriters in the world live,” Davis says. “I’ve been trying to write something that kind of took me back to the Home State record and those early albums that I felt like my fans were missing. ‘Buy Dirt’ and ‘Next Thing You Know’ were songs that changed my life and I love them. Whenever the fans that we’ve gotten from ‘Buy Dirt’ and ‘Next Thing You Know’ come to a show, I don’t want them to be shocked when they see the other half of my shows are these kinds of songs. I’m really happy that they wrote that song with me in mind and sent it to me first. It is one of my favorite songs to perform right now. The first time I heard it, I was like, ‘It feels like something I would’ve written.’”
Davis has spent the majority of this year on his current headlining D—n Good Time World Tour, which picks back up in October with a slate of shows in Canada. At this point in his career, each album brings with it the potential to add more chart-topping hits to his concerts, a notion he says has now helped shape how he approaches making an album.
“I’ve never had to make a record in the sense of looking at my live show. Touring is something that has become something that I truly love. I’ve always let the best song lead, and now I’m making a record in the spots that I think my live show might be missing. I was kind of missing those ‘Home State’ sounds that me and [producer] Paul [DiGiovanni] recorded at his house. A lot of things have changed since then and my writing style has changed. I think both me and Paul wanted to get back to where it all started. We’re still going to have some songs in there about my kids and my family because that’s just where I am right now in my life. But yeah, [we’re] definitely going back to some early sounds.”
He estimates he will be finished recording the new project around November: “We’re cutting four more songs next week. December and January is kind of my family time, but I would expect a record maybe early next year.”
Pearce and Davis not only co-hosted the ACM Honors, but they teamed up to honor Jackson with a rendition of his 1991 hit “Don’t Rock the Jukebox.” Looking ahead to his next project, Davis is hopeful for another possible collaboration with Pearce.
“Carly Pearce has been a friend of mine for a long time, and I think we’ve got a couple of writes coming up that we’re going to try to nail something down we can do together,” he says. “This is actually the first time I’ve ever really singled out an artist, in a sense of Carly and been like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to do something together.’ Most of the time I kind let the song kind of pick where it goes. It’d be a cool thing for us to get to put something out together.”
Warner Music Group mainstay Gregg Nadel has been appointed co-chair and co-president of Warner Music Nashville and will work alongside Cris Lacy, who’s been co-head of WMN for the past two years. Nadel succeeds Ben Kline, who is stepping down following a decade with the company.
The changes follow the recent move to bring Warner Music Nashville under the Warner Records umbrella.
Based in Nashville, Nadel and Lacy will report to Warner Records CEO & co-chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck and COO & co-chairman Tom Corson, who report direct to WMG CEO Robert Kyncl, effective Oct. 1. Lacy, Nadel, and their team will continue to work with Nashville artists co-signed with Atlantic Music Group.
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Over the course of nearly three decades, Nadel, who most recently served as president of Elektra Entertainment, has signed and/or championed artists including Zac Brown Band, Brandi Carlile, The Highwomen, Sturgill Simpson, Bailey Zimmerman and Brittney Spencer, as well as many other artists across multiple genres.
Prior to being named president of Elektra Entertainment in 2017, Nadel served as general manager of Elektra Records and before that was senior vp of A&R and marketing for Atlantic Records. A 27-year veteran of WMG, Nadel joined Atlantic directly out of college in 1997. He has led campaigns for global artists such as Ed Sheeran, who he’s worked with since the early days of Sheeran’s career. Nadel has been named to Billboard’s Power 100 list multiple times, and, this year, was honored as a Country Power Player.
Bay-Schuck and Corson said in a statement, “Gregg grew up at WMG, and over the past three decades, he’s brought his impeccable taste, wisdom, and guidance to an exceptional array of original, powerful voices. He’s an ambidextrous A&R and marketing expert with a global perspective, which will be a tremendous asset at a time when Nashville artists are crossing boundaries and reaching the world stage like never before. Like Gregg, Cris has expanded from her roots as an A&R force into a true multi-dimensional leader, and together, they’ll be a phenomenal team to take Warner Music Nashville into a dynamic future.”
Bay-Schuck and Corson added, “We’d also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ben Kline. Over his past decade with WMN, his tireless passion for the label’s artists and team has set the company up for continued, expanding success. He leaves with our deepest admiration and best wishes for his next chapter.”
Nadel said, “I’ve had the honor of working with incredibly talented artists across many sounds and styles, and through it all, I’ve always felt a deep connection to the heartfelt music that comes from Nashville’s rich creative culture. I’m excited to be diving deeper into this brilliant community of musicians and storytellers, and I’m especially excited about working alongside Cris Lacy and the entire team. Thank you to Tom and Aaron for this incredible opportunity.”
Lacy noted, “Thanks to WMG’s cross-label and cross-genre philosophy, Gregg and I have been collaborating within the company for over a decade. We’re both rooted in a deep love of the music that comes into and out of Nashville. Gregg brings a unique, wide-ranging perspective to what will be a fantastic partnership. He has long invested in the culture and the community of this town, and together, we are fiercely committed to amplifying what makes its music so special. My heartfelt thanks and admiration go out to Ben. It’s been a great ride, and his expertise, leadership, and friendship have made it all the more gratifying. I wish him the very best in all things to come.”
Kline said, “Together, we’ve grown Warner Music Nashville to new heights and played vital roles in the development of so many artists. Thanks to WMG leadership for all of the opportunities, faith, and guidance along the way. And thank you to Cris Lacy for her never-wavering support for the artists and their musical visions. I’m excited for the next adventure.”
Blake Shelton has a new label home, signing with BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville. Oklahoma native Shelton, who has earned 28 No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits during his career, is currently in the top 10 on the Country Airplay chart with his Post Malone collaboration “Pour Me a Drink.” During the course of his career, […]
Elle King is expecting her second child, another boy, with Dan Tooker, the singer-songwriter revealed on Monday (Sept. 23).
The “Ex’s & Oh’s” singer offered up the surprise via an Instagram video that showed King and Tooker doing a gender reveal. They stood beside their three-year-old son, Lucky Levi Tooker, as a signed above them read, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star How I Wonder What You Are?” Quickly, blue balloons and confetti fell from above, signaling that King and Tooker are expecting a baby boy.
King captioned the video with the words “Doubling down,” accompanied by a blue heart emoji. King later posted another Instagram photo, of herself with Lucky. She captioned the photo, “I am so happy. Thank you for all the love and support as [Dan Tooker], Lucky and I grow our family. #tableoffour”
Tooker and King met in 2019 and became engaged in 2020. Their son Lucky was born in September 2021, but two years later, King and Tooker seemingly broke off their relationship, with King even wearing a jacket emblazoned with the word “Single” during her performance at Stagecoach Music Festival in 2023. In a recent interview with People, King confirmed that she and Tooker have reconciled.
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“We’re back together,” King, 35, told People, adding, “We had to grow. I don’t know. I’ll try anything twice.” King also noted that their son Lucky spurred them to get back together.
“He’s definitely brought me and his dad back together just because, what are we doing? We have everything that both of us have ever wanted right here,” she said. “Let’s put our weapons down. Come on. This is it. This is life. It doesn’t get better than this. This is worth trying. This is worth wiping a slate clean. This is worth all the effort in the world. My family, this is what deserves all the energy and effort.”
King also recently released the new single, “High Road,” saying in a press statement, “‘High Road’ is a nod to the classic country that I’ve loved. When I come out on the stage of life, I want to be my truest and utmost self, and I want to release music that makes me happy, that I love to sing and music that acknowledges the things that have inspired me, like Willie Nelson and Highwaymen. I wrote this song last year and it’s funny how the lyrics have played out over this year.” Watch King’s pregnancy announcement video below:
Five-time Grammy winner Shania Twain has performed around the world, but she’s returning to where it all began in Nashville this week, as she hosts the upcoming second People’s Choice Country Awards, which will air Thursday night (Sept. 26) on NBC and Peacock, from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.
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“It’s a really full-circle experience for me,” Twain tells Billboard. “It takes me back to my own beginnings in Nashville and as a new recording artist there, and obviously the historic location is always appealing. I meet new artists, and I’m running into old friends, making new friends.”
In addition to a slate of nominees including Beyoncé, Kane Brown, Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, Shaboozey, George Strait, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman, other anticipated moments from the show will include Miranda Lambert being honored with the 2024 country icon award, while Brown will be celebrated as the 2024 country champion award honoree.
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As much as Twain is guiding viewers through the awards ceremony, she says, “I’m here more as a fan than anything. It’s the artists that the people want to hear and see, so to me, that is everything. I’ll be smack dab in the middle of it all, so I’m super excited. I’m all access.”
Among those artists Twain herself anticipates seeing are a mix of newcomers and established artists.
“I’m excited to see Parker McCollum and I’ll be excited to catch up with Lady A — they are always fabulous to see live. I’m excited to see Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, and I’m particularly excited about seeing The War and Treaty and listening to them perform because they are such gorgeous vocalists. And Shaboozey just makes me happy whenever I watch one of his videos. It just brings me joy, so it’s just a lot of positive energy.”
Bryan leads this year’s nominees with 19 nominations, followed by Beyoncé with 17 nominations.
Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for 10 weeks, while her album Cowboy Carter stayed at the pinnacle of the Top Country Albums chart for four weeks. In addition to being nominated at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards for the overall people’s artist of 2024, the female artist of 2024 and the album of 2024 (Cowboy Carter), among Beyoncé’s nominations are two entries in the female song of 2024 category (“16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em”).
“The impact is undeniable,” Twain says of Cowboy Carter. “I think all successful recording artists make music for listeners, and these artists deserve an industry that in return, listens to the people’s choice, to what the people want to hear. That’s what’s happened with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and the industry needs to respect what the listeners want, and what the listeners want is Beyoncé country. The people are hungry for more diversity in the genre. Beyoncé is part of broadening the spectrum. When I was growing up I was listening to folk country, alternative country and all kinds of country, and we’re getting back to that now again, and Beyoncé is part of that.”
In terms of her hosting duties, Twain says she’s taken inspiration from other artists who have hosted awards shows, such as Reba McEntire, who has hosted both the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards.
“Any of those big shows rely a lot on the spirit and the mood of the host, because the hosts are chosen, I think quite carefully, making sure people are relating and the host has experience. Reba is one of my favorite hosts. She’s speaking from experience and I think that commands respect and attention. She’s funny and smart, and is loved by all, and it’s a compliment to be asked to do something like [hosting an awards show]. So Reba is a good example for me.”
Of course, Twain isn’t just hosting the show — she’s also a nominee, as Shania Twain: Come On Over—The Las Vegas Residency- All The Hits!, earned her a nomination in the concert tour of 2024 category. Her residency is currently slated to run through early 2025.
Recently, Twain was also included in a trailer for the new medical drama series Doctor Odyssey. Twain says 2025 and beyond will be filled with a variety of creative pursuits.
“I’ll be very, very busy for the next few years. I’m doing more acting. I’ll be in the studio making a new album. I’m writing music for various things and there’s a musical in the works with my music, so lots of exciting things. I’ll be busy doing more of a variety of things than I’ve ever done before in my career, so that’ll keep me off the Vegas stage for a while.”
East Tennessee native Morgan Wallen had a triumphant homecoming over the weekend, when his headlining tour touched down at Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium for two shows on Friday (Sept. 20) and Sunday (Sept. 22), as the current seven-time CMA Awards nominee welcomed 156,161 fans to the venue.
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He also had several surprise guests over the two shows, welcoming Eric Church for Friday’s, while Miranda Lambert and Darius Rucker made unexpected appearances at Sunday’s show. Hardy and Ernest also joined Wallen on both shows.
Church joined Wallen for a performance of “Quittin’ Time,” before Hardy and Ernest took the stage to join on “Up Down” and a mashup of “Flower Shops”/”Cowgirls.” In introducing Church, Wallen told the crowd how seeing a Church show made Wallen want to sing country music.
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“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, brother,” Wallen told Church.
Eric Church and Morgan Wallen perform onstage for night two of Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time tour at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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On Sunday evening, Lambert — who just released her new album Postcards From Texas — joined Wallen on stage for a live performance of his “Thought You Should Know,” which the two wrote with Nicolle Galyon.
Wallen said in introducing Lambert, “Me and this next artist, we got together one day and wrote a few songs, and this is the first song we ever wrote. I brought this song into the room and I needed some help from a lady’s perspective to help me write a song for my mama … we wrote a couple of other songs that day. I don’t know if they’ll ever see the light of day, but we drank a lot of vodka and wrote this song right here for my mama.”
From there, Hardy and Ernest again joined Wallen for “Up Down” and “Cowgirls,” but they also added a special song, “Talkin’ Tennessee,” just for the Neyland Stadium shows.
Three-time Grammy winner Rucker also joined Wallen as they performed the former’s RIAA Diamond-certified hit “Wagon Wheel.”
Morgan Wallen and Darius Rucker perform onstage for night two of Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time tour at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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Wallen’s guests over the weekend weren’t limited to music artists — he also welcomed two-time Super Bowl champion and former University of Tennessee Knoxville quarterback Peyton Manning for the second of two weekend walkouts on Sept. 22. Manning, who wore his retired college uniform, was joined by current UTK football coach Josh Heupel, quarterback Nico Iamaleava and wide receiver Bru McCoy for an all-Vols walkout. On Sept. 20, Wallen’s walkout included 2024 National Champion Tennessee Volunteers baseball team and coach Tony Vitello.
Ahead of Wallen’s two headlining shows at Neyland Stadium, The Morgan Wallen Foundation donated $140,000 to Gibbs Youth Sports, with the donation going toward renovating Ruritan Park, which serves students from Wallen’s alma mater, Gibbs High School, as well as surrounding areas in Knox County. The donation will allow Gibbs Youth Sports to rebuild the inside of the fieldhouse to offer indoor fielding and batting options, as well as renovations including batting cage and machines, pitching lanes and a fielding area.
Heading into this year’s CMA Awards, Wallen leads all nominees and is up for seven awards, among them entertainer of the year, male vocalist of the year and song of the year (“I Had Some Help,” his collaboration with Post Malone). This year’s CMA Award will be held Nov. 20 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” earns an 11th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, extending 2024’s longest command. The hit, which became the Virginia-born singer-songwriter’s first Hot 100 No. 1 in July, is one of just five songs to reign for 11 or more weeks this decade, and the first since another […]