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William “Rusty” Golden, a musician, songwriter and son of The Oak Ridge Boys member William Lee Golden, died July 1, 2024 at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee. He was 65.
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Golden was born Jan. 3, 1959 in Brewton, Alabama and was the eldest son of William and Frogene Golden. By age 13, he was playing drums for the band The Rambos, featuring songwriter Dottie Rambo. He wrote his first song by setting one of his grandmother’s poems to music. After being inspired by an Elton John concert in 1972, Golden began learning to play piano and by 17, he was touring with Larry Gatlin as a keyboard player, before playing on studio recordings including Gatlin’s 1977 album Love Is Just a Game, Marty Stuart’s 1999 concept project Pilgrim and more.
A few years later, he moved further into the spotlight, forming The Boys Band, with the group recording their debut album which included the 1982 song “Runner” (the song’s video was the first produced in Nashville for MTV) and “Don’t Stop Me Baby (I’m on Fire),” which entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The group disbanded in 1984.
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That same year, Golden earned an RIAA Gold record as a songwriter for The Oak Ridge Boys’ Bobbie Sue album, which encouraged Golden to start writing songs with Marc Speer. In 1985, Golden and Speer launched Golden Speer, which included Golden’s brother Chris Golden on lead vocals. By the following year, the label had shifted directions, with Rusty and Chris recording as the duo The Goldens and releasing the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart entries “Put Us Together Again” and “Sorry Girls.”
They moved to Capitol/SBK Records and issued the 1990 album Rush For Gold, which included the songs “Take Me Back (To the Country),” “Keep the Faith” and “Long Gone.” Rusty then returned to his gospel music roots, writing songs including the 2008 songs “What Salvation’s Done For Me” from The Booth Brothers, and Karen Peck & New River’s “I Want to Thank You.” He also released the solo albums Sober and Angels.
In 2020, Rusty and Chris teamed with William Lee Golden for the family band William Lee Golden and the Goldens. They were joined by brother Craig, nieces Elizabeth and Rebekah and nephew Elijah to create a three-generation family band. The group released a trio of projects—Country Roads: Vintage Country Classics, Old Country Church Gospel and Southern Accents: Pop & Country Rock. Last year, Rusty was honored for his musicianship when he was named keyboard player of the year at the Josie Music Awards.
William Lee Golden said in a statement, “This is the hardest thing ever for a father to have to face. I love family more than anything. Rusty was a great musician, a talented songwriter and a wonderful son. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers for the days ahead. I love you, son.”
Rusty Golden is preceded in death by his mother Frogene Normand, grandparents Luke & Rutha Mae Golden, and Elliot & Estelle Normand. He is survived by his father William Lee Golden (Simone), and brothers Craig Golden, Chris Golden (Marie), and Solomon Golden, as well as many nieces, nephews, other extended family members.
Morgan Wallen is heating up the summer with a brand new single. The country superstar announced that his new single, “Lies Lies Lies,” will arrive on Friday (July 5). Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Written by Jessie Jo Dillon, Josh Miller, Daniel Ross and Chris Tompkins, […]
Country music has always had a flair for the theatrical, from performers decked out in bedazzled suits or attention-commanding gowns, and wielding glittering guitars, to the genre’s exquisitely detailed story songs.
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So the genre’s connection to stories, live musical performances and high-flying acrobatics feels natural in the upcoming Cirque du Soleil show Songblazers: A Journey into Country Music, which opens at Nashville’s Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) today (July 2). Songblazers, written and directed by Amy Tinkham, runs at TPAC through July 28.
The show serves as “a love letter to country music,” UMG Nashville chair/CEO Cindy Mabe tells Billboard.
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The production’s story arc centers on the journey of two characters, as they work to forge their own path to country music stardom. UMG Nashville presents the new show with Cirque du Soleil, with much of the label’s catalog of country music providing the heart and soundtrack for the production. The show features roughly 30 songs, with shorter snippets of some songs featured, while others are showcased in full.
“I am sitting on this incredible catalog and watching how the storyline unfolds through the different eras and landscapes of country music,” Mabe says.
One of those decades-spanning links arrives most notably through the work of UMG Nashville artist Sam Williams, a third-generation country music performer, who is the son of Hank Williams Jr. and grandson of country music architect Hank Williams, Sr. Williams co-wrote the original song “Carnival Heart” specifically for Songblazers, marking the only full song that was newly-written for the event.
“Carnival Heart” centers on discovering renewed confidence, strength and uniqueness within oneself, despite external and internal struggles, depicted in lyrics such as “I found the magic was hidden in me/ There beneath all the sadness, somewhere in the deep and the dark.”
“I write pretty autobiographically, and this was one thing that I felt, to make it as best as it could be, needed to really come from me,” Williams tells Billboard. “What is my story? I don’t think any of our lives are as pretty or as cookie-cutter as people may think on the outside. I wrote it at a time when I felt a ‘me against the world’ narrative that I get sometimes, but in a good way — I felt like I could do all things through a power that is bigger than me. So I thought, ‘I’m going to write this chorus and I’m going to sing the hell out of it.’”
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He adds of Songblazers, “It’s a beautiful marriage of comedy, music and celebration and country music and I think it’s going to be unlike anything anyone’s ever seen before.”
The show marks Cirque’s first venture using country music. “Working with this new specific music genre challenges our creative team to innovate and come up with unique ways to interpret the music,” Cirque du Soleil CEO Stéphane Lefebvre told Billboard in an earlier interview. “It pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in live entertainment. Shows like Love and MJ One have taught us that the synergy between our extraordinary performances and the power of the music can create a powerful and captivating live experience, and we are convinced that pairing our expertise with the country music genre including artists from Universal Music Group’s vast repertoire, will be a successful collaboration.”
The storyline for the theatrical event wasn’t fully fleshed out when Mabe brought up Williams’ name in meetings.
“I said, ‘Let me tell you why Sam is so special,’” she recalls, “because I do feel like he’s going to touch a different culture and a different group of people — not unlike what his father has done and what his grandfather has done, because they all did it uniquely. I first heard Sam’s music during the pandemic, when everything on the radio was a party, and about escapism from what was happening around the world. But he was doing his own thing. He wasn’t looking for me, he wasn’t looking for a record deal. He had been through a lot of things, and his music just cuts to the soul.”
Mabe pinpoints one musical moment where the main character sings Hank Williams Sr.’s classic “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” followed by a musical breakdown with a recording featuring Hank Sr.’s voice, which then matches up with the show closer, “Carnival Heart.”
“At that moment at the end of the show, it almost brings me to tears when I see it — because it completely links him to his grandfather, whom he never met. But you feel his voice and it is powerful,” Mabe says.
Elsewhere, songs from across the eras of country music prominence are on display — such as Billy Ray Cyrus’s 1992 hit “Achy Breaky Heart,” as the soundtrack to a dance-filled honky-tonk scene. Later, when Shania Twain’s 1999 hit “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” plays, two women acrobats take things to new heights, as they twirl, flip, and spin from a bar and ropes suspended high above the stage floor — often dangling precariously from one another as they completed their aerial, graceful acrobatic moves. The late Toby Keith’s party hit “Red Solo Cup” also gets a turn in the spotlight, as one performer juggles red cups while the rest of the cast watches and cheers. Other songs featured include “Down to the River to Pray” (a song prominently featured in the 2000 film O Brother Where Art Thou?) and the Willie Nelson-written hit “Hello Walls,” which became a hit for Faron Young in the 1960s.
“Seeing all these throughlines of who we are in country music, from the circle being unbroken to these things that have held us together as a genre, is a gift,” Mabe says.
After its opening run in Nashville, Songblazers will visit Birmingham, Ala.; St. Louis, Mo.; Columbus, Ohio; Fayetteville, Ark.; New Orleans; Tulsa, Okla.; Baltimore; Green Bay, Wisc.; Dallas, and Sugar Land, Texas.
As the show crisscrosses the U.S., Williams continues forging his unique position in country music. In 2021, Williams released his debut album Glasshouse Children. Songblazers opens as Williams has just released his latest project, Scarlet Lonesome: Act 1, the first part of a trilogy of albums set to roll out over the next several months. The new release features, in addition to several original songs, Williams pairing with fellow country artist Carter Faith for a sultry rendition of the Tammy Wynette classic “’Til I Can Make It on My Own.”
“It’s a wide range of music,” he says of the overall trilogy. “I wanted to present the music in three different pieces, so I can paint a different picture for each one. Act 1 paints a picture that is very romantic and a bit dark. Then, [in the trilogy] there’s music that is introspective and emotional but there are also really big pop records and really fun trap beats.
“Sam is going to bring an entirely different audience to country music that’s never been here before,” Mabe says, adding, “There’s been no one like him before, but he is absolutely a Williams.”
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In May, Jason Aldean took the stage at the Academy of Country Music Awards to honor the legacy of the late singer-songwriter Toby Keith with a version of Keith’s breakthrough hit “Should’ve Been a Cowboy.” Keith died in February at age 62, following a battle with stomach cancer. During a Monday (July 1) interview on […]
Ella Langley is officially a Billboard Hot 100-charting artist, as the singer-songwriter arrives with her viral duet, “You Look Like You Love Me,” with Riley Green.
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Released June 21 via SAWGOD/Columbia Records, the track debuts at No. 53 on the Hot 100 (dated July 6) with 8.6 million official U.S. streams, 14,000 in radio airplay audience and 3,000 downloads sold in its first week, according to Luminate. It also opens at No. 15 on the Hot Country Songs chart, where it’s Langley’s second entry, after “Strangers,” with Kameron Marlowe (No. 43 peak, February).
“You Look Like You Love Me” (which marks Green’s fifth Hot 100 hit) was boosted by activity on TikTok leading up to its official release. Before releasing the song, Langley and Green shared snippets on TikTok, as well as live performances of it on their joint tour. One version of the song has soundtracked over 225,000 clips on TikTok, while another has been used in over 100,000 videos. Their teasing of the track helped it debut at No. 9 on last week’s TikTok Billboard Top 50 chart (dated June 29).
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Langley first appeared on Billboard’s charts dated June 3, 2023, when her debut EP, Excuse the Mess, entered at No. 19 on Heatseekers Albums (which ranks the top-selling albums each week by new or emerging acts). The set includes a collaboration with fellow recent Hot 100 First-Timer Koe Wetzel.
Langley recently concluded a supporting stint on Green’s Ain’t My Last Rodeo Tour, as well as Hardy’s Quit!! Tour. She has other supporting gigs lined up on Morgan Wallen’s One Night at a Time Tour, Luke Bryan’s Mind of a Country Boy Tour and Dierks Bentley’s Gravel & Gold Tour.
“You Look Like You Love Me” is slated to appear on Langley’s debut full-length, Hungover, due Aug. 2.
As Nashville session A-lister Rob McNelley releases a hooky piece of power-pop, “Right Back to You,” on June 28, the karma-themed song represents a full-circle moment that provides a clue to his Music City ascendance.
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McNelley moved to Tennessee from Columbia, Ohio, in 1995 to pursue life as a writer-artist, and the recording captures a raw, angsty voice that few people know about — because he never quite attained his original goal. Instead, he became a high-level guitarist, whose work is likely heard multiple times an hour on most commercial country radio stations. McNelley has appeared on singles by Lainey Wilson, Luke Combs, Luke Bryan, Jelly Roll, Jon Pardi and Parker McCollum, and the Academy of Country Music named him electric guitar player of the year on June 17. He’ll collect his trophy, his fourth ACM guitar award, during the ACM Honors on Aug. 21 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
“Right Back to You” is the first of a series of new releases he is plotting during 2024 as a frontman, and it’s a return to the artistic view that guided his rise when he became a studio player. Music listeners tend to absorb the song and recall it through the voice of its singer — after all, people don’t often sing keyboard parts in the shower. Thus, McNelley’s role as a lead singer helped him know how to approach the role of a lead guitarist.
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“That kind of informed me a little bit about how you’ve got to be simple while they sing,” he says. “That [melody] should be the most important thing that people hear at that moment. There are plenty of other players I know that have never sang a song in their life that know how to do that. But I don’t know what their process would be like. I do feel like that was a huge benefit for me to have come up being in bands, writing songs, trying to get other musicians to do what was in my head.”
McNelley is so tuned in to that concept that producer Dann Huff (Brantley Gilbert, Keith Urban) recently challenged him to break the rules a bit and play over the singer on a song that needed some tension and a little sonic war. McNelley has solid rock credentials — he played for about seven years during the last decade in Bob Seger’s touring band — so he was able to give Huff exactly what he wanted.
“He’s got a punk side to him, which is phenomenal, which he’s never lost,” Huff says.
It fits his history. McNelley was born the son of Bob McNelley, the frontman for country-rock band McGuffey Lane, which landed four titles on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in the 1980s during a run with two Atlantic-affiliated imprints. The band partied hard, and plenty of musicians hung out at the McNelley household, teaching him the guitar almost by osmosis.
“I didn’t take lessons,” McNelley says. “I was just around all these musicians that would show me things — show me a chord here or there, or show me a little lick or a riff or whatever. I’d run off to my bedroom and do nothing but that for hours.”
His father died from an apparent suicide when McNelley was 17, but he left his son with an intense appreciation for music, particularly musicians whose expression was fairly lean — McNelley cites George Harrison, Muddy Waters, Keith Richards and Chuck Berry as primary influences.
Once he moved to Nashville in his late 20s, McNelley hit the road with a parade of bands and worked on his writing and vocal performance skills. But the guitar work set him apart among the music community’s decision-makers. His breakthrough came when he was hired for the early Lady A albums by producer Paul Worley, who rose through the ranks as a studio guitarist — and, coincidentally, produced some of the McGuffey Lane records in the ’80s. Worley showcased McNelley’s melodic tendencies and encouraged him to play succinctly.
“He was great at paring down the ideas that I would come in with that would be too much, you know, as a younger, inexperienced person,” says McNelley. “He was really good at saying, ‘Well, this is all great that you can do all that, but this little part of the idea is the essence of what you’re doing,’ and getting me to think along the lines of simpler tones that cut through a track, simpler ideas that really stand up.”
He piled up credits with Brett Young, Carrie Underwood, Carly Pearce, Corey Kent, Thomas Rhett, Tyler Hubbard and Rascal Flatts, just to name a few. Because of his history as a vocalist, McNelley understood the artists’ viewpoint and gained their confidence as he expanded his résumé.
“He always shows up ready to rock, ready to do whatever each song needs,” Brian Kelley says. “He’s got great feel, a great ear, a great country music history, knowledge of what tones can work and how to place a solo to make something sound full.”
McNelley’s current ACM victory is his first for electric guitar player of the year. His three prior wins — in 2013, 2017 and 2019 — came when the organization lumped acoustic and electric musicians in the same category. The ACM split that field in 2021.
Despite that change, this year’s win was similar to the previous three. After the initial nomination, he forgot about it until people he hadn’t heard from in months bombarded him with text messages during a session. What separates this year’s honor most is that the sideman recognition comes as McNelley begins rolling out new music as a lead artist. That project allows him to get back in touch with his original motivations, though he has no regrets about the path he has taken.
“When I started accepting gigs that took me on tour, I probably realized what people recognize, and what jumps out, is my guitar playing,” he says. “I love to do that just as much. I love being a sideman.”
Is Moneybagg Yo set to release a country album? It seems so, according to the artist’s interview with Billboard on the BET Awards carpet on Sunday (June 30).
Speaking with Billboard‘s Carl Lamarre, the “Said Sum” rapper first discussed his hit collaboration with Morgan Wallen, “Whiskey Whiskey,” which debuted at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Offering up his feelings on the song’s success, Moneybagg Yo said, “It feels good and it’s kind of going how we kind of planned it, where he was really pressuring me on it and I was just like, ‘Ehh,’ but then, you know because it’s always something new for you and unexpected … it’s going crazy right now.”
Asked if the success of “Whiskey Whiskey” is making him think of leaning more into the country space, Moneybagg Yo told Billboard, “After these next two albums I’m fixing to drop before the summer is over, I think after that, going into the winter or something, I think I’m going to do a country album, a country EP or something.”
Given that Usher was honored with the lifetime achievement award at the BET Awards, Moneybagg Yo also noted that his favorite Usher album is the 2004 project Confessions, which included the massive hits “Burn,” “Yeah!” and “My Boo.” Usher was feted with an all-star tribute that included Childish Gambino, Latto, Keke Palmer, Teyana Taylor and Victoria Monét.
“Whiskey Whiskey” is from Moneybagg Yo’s album Speak Now, which was released June 14. The project also features collaborations with Rob49, Chris Brown, Lil Durk, YTB Fatt, and Kevo Muney.
Watch Moneybagg Yo’s interview with Billboard above.
In this week’s crop of new country releases, Miranda Lambert displays strength against those who would underestimate her, while a new posthumous album from country music icon Johnny Cash highlights previously unreleased music of his from 1993. Check out all that and more of our latest favorites below.
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Miranda Lambert, “Dammit Randy”
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ACM Awards Triple Crown winner Miranda Lambert’s songs are known for whiskey-fueled, fiery dismissals of wrecked relationships, whether on early hits such as “Kerosene” or her recent “Wranglers” — but this time around, there’s no need for blazing, burn-it-all-down anthems. Here, in her latest release since inking a deal with Republic Records, she’s confident in her own value and strength (of both song and character) — she simply moves on, knowing the one who underestimated her will come to regret it. That perspective is evident on lines such as “You gave up ’til the very last minute/ Now that I’ve gone, I’ve got your attention.”
The Castellows, “Miss America”
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This sibling trio offers up a harmonica-laced, coming-of-age story arc, one embedded with nostalgia and longing for simpler childhood moments of “bare feet in the dirt,” before this small-town girl grew up, moved away from home, and “got a big city chip on her shoulder.” This trio excels at these kinds of sepia-toned, neo-traditional country songs, which operate as a perfect vessel for their idyllic harmonies. The trio’s Powell, Lily and Eleanor wrote the song with Nicolle Galyon and Will Bundy.
Johnny Cash, “Hello Out There”
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Cash’s new posthumous, 11-song project Songwriter stems from untouched demos Cash recorded at LSI Studios in Nashville in 1993, in between his 1991 set The Mystery of Life and what would become his career-revitalizing American Recordings series of projects with producer Rick Rubin. This celestial-tinged gospel song marks the project’s opening track, centered by Cash’s haunting calls for redemption and keen observations on humankind, and entrenching Cash’s reputation as not only a commanding vocalist but also a versatile songcrafter. “Hello Out There” is further elevated by a mesh of guitar from Marty Stuart, along with additional steel guitar, percussion, and vocals from Ana Cristina Cash and Harry Stinson.
Mackenzie Carpenter, “Only Girl”
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Carpenter offers up her first true love song here, capturing the heady feeling of young love in this lilting, acoustic guitar-driven ballad. She wrote this song with her brother Micah, as well as Mia Mantia and SJ McDonald. With its slow-rolling feel and Carpenter’s honeyed vocal, “Only Girl” feels destined to be a wedding dance staple.
Midland, “Lucky Sometimes”
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Trio Midland will issue their new eight-song project Barely Blue on Sept. 20, and are offering an early look at the set with their new single “Lucky Sometimes.” A tumble of pared-back guitars, harmonica and Laurel Canyon-esque harmonies, the group captures the euphoric feeling of being on a high-rolling streak of good luck, and enjoying the ride no matter how long it runs.
Zach Bryan welcomed the “Hawk Tuah” girl onstage during his concert at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Saturday (June 29). During the latest stop of his Quittin Time Tour, the 28-year-old country star surprised the crowd by bringing out viral sensation Hailey Welch — aka “Hawk Tuah” girl — to help sing the encore “Revival.” Welch, […]
The Mavericks frontman and lead guitarist Raul Malo shared with fans on Thursday (June 27) that he is undergoing treatment for cancer. In a video posted to the group’s official Instagram page, Malo noted that the cancer was detected after he underwent a physical, a catscan and a colonoscopy.
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In a statement Malo wrote to fans (and provided to Billboard), the singer further shared, “Recently, the doctors found a few cancerous spots in my digestive system. Obviously, this isn’t the news I was hoping to get, or to share with you all.”
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However, Malo was quick to tell fans that he is surrounded by a top team of doctors and medical professionals in Nashville, adding, “They’ve reassured me this is a very common form of cancer, and my odds are good. Fortunately, we have a plan in place, and I’m feeling great! I’ll continue to be as active as possible throughout these treatments, but it does mean a few shows may be affected this year, and we’ll have more information for you as soon as possible on that.”
Malo added, “But most importantly, I wanted to say to my fellow men out there, and anyone who may be reading this — It’s important to take care of your health, and to see a doctor for checkups, especially if something is wrong. With modern medicine, these types of cancer are very survivable with proper treatment, but if you don’t get checked, you’ll never know. It’s important to do it for your family, the people around you, and those you love.
“I’m sharing this message in the spirit of transparency and honesty, as you all have stuck with us throughout these 35 crazy years of music, shows, breaking up, & getting back together – we’ve even survived a pandemic together,” he continued, “We’ll get through this just like we have everything else. In the meantime, I want you to know I’m not going anywhere, and I’ll look forward to seeing you all out on the road again soon.”
Malo also thanked fans for their support of the group’s recent album Moon & Stars, which released May 17 and featured appearances from Sierra Ferrell, Maggie Rose, Nicole Atkins and Max Abrams.
The Mavericks have been on tour this year in support of the album, but noted that a few shows will have to be canceled or postponed. Shows in Aspen, Colorado (set for July 12) and Steamboat Springs, Colorado (July 14) have been canceled, while a July 13 show in Denver has been rescheduled to Aug. 25. Later in the year, the group has shows slated in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Detroit, as well as a pair of shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Dec. 6-7.
The group, which meshes the talents of Malo, guitarist Eddie Perez, keyboard player Jerry Dale McFadden and drummer Paul Deakin, formed in Miami and relocated to Nashville in the 1980s. In the years since releasing their self-titled debut album in 1990, the Mavericks have become known for their genre-melding blend of country, rock, Tejano, samba, soul and more. In 1995, they earned a Grammy win for best country performance by a duo /group with vocals for “Here Comes the Rain.” The group has seen five of their albums reach the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, including 2015’s Mono. In 2020, the group leaned into its Latin roots, with the release of the project En Español.