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Since releasing her first project, 2021’s Stones, country singer-songwriter Allie Colleen has been focused on building her own career and putting her own musical talents and vision at the forefront. She’s toured with Jelly Roll and Lee Brice and issued songs like “Halos and Horns” and “Tattoos.”
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But on her new five-song EP, Sincerely, Rolling Stone, she’s pulling back the curtain, revealing every facet of her life and personality.
She crafted Sincerely, Rolling Stone by turning to a close-knit group of friends and fellow songwriters, including Lockwood Bar, Megan Barker, Eric Dodd, Stephen Hunley, John Kraft and Craig Wilson.
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She wrote “Rolling Stone (Sincerely),” the first song written for the project, with Hunley, Dodd and Connor Sweet after coming off the road in 2021. The song sheds light on how having a fanbase who intimately knows an artist can bring immense joy for the act, but also carry with it an emotional weight for artists who are always on the move.
“It’s like Allie Colleen’s ‘Turn the Page.’ It’s my road song,” Colleen says, referencing Bob Seger’s classic about fame and life on the road. “It’s just saying, ‘I wish so badly that I could give you guys everything on the planet and be that, because you put artists on a pedestal, but I can’t.’ I champion Ashley McBryde, and to Ashley, that’s probably a little heavy — because I know I’m not the only person who has put this artist on a pedestal, whose music has saved me in seasons of my life. I’m very lucky to get that as an artist from certain people in my audience as well. So ‘Rolling Stone’ lands on [the lyric], ‘I want to be your rock, and I’m sorry that I’m not — sincerely your Rolling Stone.’ It’s my little sincerity message to my audience and to anyone who’s cared, especially the people who have followed me throughout the last couple of years.”
Sincerely, Rolling Stone also marks the first time Colleen has released a song inspired by her relationship with her father, Garth Brooks.
“Household Name,” which she wrote with Hunley and Dodd, opens with a roll of thunder, which may have some music fans instantly drawing ties to Brooks’ own 1991 two-week Country Airplay hit “The Thunder Rolls.” (“I listened to 47 minutes of consecutive thunder pre-roll to pick that out, and I think it’s perfect,” Colleen says).
“I write about my mamas all the time,” Colleen says, referring to her mother Sandy Mahl and her stepmother, Trisha Yearwood. “I have so many mama songs out there for both of my moms, and that always poses this silly question in the back of people’s brains — ‘What do you feel about your dad?’ And I’m like, ‘You guys can’t hear a song about my dad and just hear a song about Allie’s dad. You already have such a narrative of that.’ So I’ve never done a dad song.”
Colleen continues, “I’ve always kept those really personal, and just a between-him-and-I kind of thing. This was the first time I felt I could recognize my dad for who he was to me as an artist, and the way that I have never even second-guessed myself as an artist, because I saw it every day. I saw just a crystal-clear example of this is feasible. Someone can work their tail off and do this for a living. My dad has worked his tail off his whole life for everything he has — and that’s why I’m the way that I am, because I want to be just like my dad. I feel like so many people separate us because I don’t involve my family in my career in a commercial way, but I couldn’t be more clear that I am just like my dad, and I’m approaching my career like he did, which is working my tail off. I think ‘Household Name’ gave me an opportunity to say that.”
Elsewhere, “Oklahoma Mountains” touches on the grind any artist faces in building a career, but also includes the lyric, “If there ain’t no mountains in Oklahoma, then why have I always had to climb/ Carrying a shadow on my shoulder” — a line Colleen says she struggled with including.
“’Carrying this shadow on my shoulder’ is one of the lines I fought for a long time on, like, maybe it should just be ‘saddle,’” she explains. “[If someone] sees ‘saddle,’ you’re just going to see that she’s just a hard worker. I don’t want there to be any resentment toward what people think that shadow is. I’ll be honest—Allie is a bigger shadow to herself than her dad is. We all are. I compete against Allie every day; I’ve never even had to compete against Garth, not one time. I hope the listener finds resilience from this song and I hope they recognize what their own mountains are.”
At the time of the interview, Colleen noted that Brooks hadn’t heard the entire project, though she had sent him “Oklahoma Mountains” and “Household Name.”
“We did have that vetting process moment where I want to reflect well on my family,” Colleen. “So, I do send him songs that could ever possibly have anything to do with him. And he’s been nothing but encouraging towards me, and has never been controlling of any narratives at all… he’s excited for me, as well as for this project to come out.”
The EP ends with the ballad ‘Nicotine,’ a co-write with Barker and Bar that likens a tendency to fall hard into relationships to the insatiable pull of nicotine.
“Cigarettes are quick fixes, even if you do 17 a day,” she says. “For me, my quick fix is relationships. That is something that I lean into. So, this was just something I wanted to tuck away in this beautiful little project of sincerity of what my world looks like, between being the daughter that I am, the partner that I am and all of these things that Allie is. I do think ‘Nicotine’ is one of the more commercial songs on the album. The verse itself is literally that eerie time and space where you’re kind of holding your breath, because you got a cig between your lips and you’re about to light your lighter, and then your chorus strikes that, and then the second verse comes in and there’s your exhale.”
Since the beginning of her career, Colleen has had a view toward building her artistry and brand on her own. She studied songwriting at Nashville’s Belmont University and began making connections with fellow writers early on, wading into the Nashville’s co-writing circles — something she says has been an immense blessing, but also a challenge.
“I came to this town as a solo writer, and I’m so happy in my co-writing world, but I would be lying to say that Nashville didn’t discourage individual writing for me,” she relates. “I was going to publishing meetings and they were saying, ‘Can you write well in other rooms with our people?’ And I think that was because I was so young. I think it made sense, honestly, at the time for my age, but I think 28-year-old Allie is still holding on to, ‘Was I a good enough writer by myself?’”
Her next project will aim to answer that question, with Colleen setting out to write every song on the album alone.
“I’m hoping I’m brave enough to write the whole thing by myself, and again, just show up for Allie as a writer and prove that I’m the same writer that showed up in this town,” she says, “just better, because of my co-writers — but also because of the work that I’ve done on my own this last year of writing by myself again. I’m excited, but also a little scared because I don’t have anybody to blame for that project. Every creative decision is on you when it’s an all-solo thing.”
Still, that challenge falls squarely in line with her overall mission, which is to unravel the layers of her own perspectives, whether she’s co-writing songs or crafting them by herself — in short, to make sure she’s creating music that she is proud of, regardless of others’ opinions.
“Praise for anything other than authenticity doesn’t matter,” Colleen says.
Billboard announced the opening acts for its The Stage at SXSW concert series during this year’s annual gathering in Austin, TX on Friday (Feb. 21). Joining previously announced headliners Koe Wetzel, Grupo Frontera and John Summit at the concert series at the iconic Moody Amphitheater at Waterloo Park from March 13-15 are a group of […]
Dolly Parton has stepped into the Wiggles‘ world for the children’s group’s upcoming country album, Wiggle Up, Giddy Up. Album track “Friends!” — penned by Parton, and featuring the country icon on lead vocals — was released on Thursday (Feb. 20), as well as “Counting 1 to 5,” which has the Wiggles reimagining a Parton classic.
“Friends! Everybody shout it/ Friends! No doubt about it/ Friends! Make the world go round/ We can depend on friends! / Someone to lean on, friends!/ Everybody needs one/ Be my friend!” Parton jubilantly sings on the feel-good chorus.
The Wiggles reference Parton’s “9 to 5” on “Counting 1 to 5,” interpolating the melody of the country star’s hit that was originally released in 1980, and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981: “Counting 1 to 5/ Yes, today that’s what you’re learning,” the Wiggles sing to the familiar tune.
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Music videos for both “Friends!” and “Counting 1 to 5” were also released on Thursday, with the double single made available on streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music.
“We Will Always Be Friends,” another single with (and written by) Parton, will be released on March 7 with the full Wiggle Up, Giddy Up collection, which can be pre-saved here. The Wiggles also recorded a cover of Parton’s “Love Is Like a Butterfly” for the album.
“Well, I just wiggled my way out into the Wiggles’ world! I had so much fun being a part of this project, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have,” says Parton in a press release statement.
The collab is particularly meaningful for Red Wiggle (Caterina Mete), who has a tattoo inspired by Parton and even named one of her twin daughters Dolly. She shares, “Getting to work with my absolute musical hero is beyond surreal. Dolly has inspired me in so many ways, and I know these songs will bring so much happiness to families everywhere.”
“Dolly’s music is pure magic,” Blue Wiggle (Anthony Field) chimes in. “Getting to work with her on these songs is a dream come true. We can’t wait for families everywhere to sing along and share in the joy.”
Lainey Wilson, Orville Peck, Dasha, Morgan Evans, Jackson Dean, Kaylee Bell, MacKenzie Porter, Troy Cassar-Daley, The Wolfe Brothers, Travis Collins, Lucky Oceans and Slim Dusty are all featured on the Wiggles’ Wiggle Up, Giddy Up.
The Wiggles will be touring the U.S. and Canada in June. Dates and ticket information for the group’s Bouncing Balls Tour are available here.
Check out the joyous “Friends!” video, and the educational “Counting 1 to 5” video — which not only teaches little ones about counting, but also features a fun country line dance — with your kids below.
Dolly Parton has called on Indiana Governor Mike Braun to reconsider his decision to cut funding for her charitable Imagination Library initiative. “We are hopeful that Governor Braun and the Indiana Legislature will continue this vital investment by restoring the state’s funding match for local Imagination Library programs,“ Jeff Conyers, vice chair and president of […]
Kacey Musgraves has forged a reputation as a fearless musical communicator, an an entertainer who focuses on making her shows engaging, visually impactful, and as creative as her songs. As an artist and songwriter has been lauded by the Grammys (she’s won eight trophies, most recently best country solo performance for “The Architect”), the CMAs, […]
On Kameron Marlowe’s third Sony Music Nashville album, Sad Songs For the Soul, out Friday (Feb. 21) he’s veered from crafting a standard country project to fashioning a concept album focused on those with shattered hearts.
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As he sorted through songs he’d written since signing with Sony Music Nashville in 2020, he realized he had a stack of solid songs—all heartbreak anthems—that he had never put on previous albums.
“They’d kind of been sitting in my music vault for a while,” Marlowe tells Billboard. “I’d want to put ‘em on the projects, but I didn’t want to have too many sad songs on a project. So, I was like, ‘It’d be cool to just have one project where I can put them all together.’”
The Red Light-managed Marlowe acknowledges the inherent stress in releasing a project that is outside the norm of what fans have come to expect but says crafting the project rejuvenated his creative impulses. “It sounds different than my music usually does,” Marlowe says. “It’s more of a passion project for me. I felt like I was getting stomped creatively and I needed to open my mind and produce this a little differently.”
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Echoing the raw feelings of heartbreak, the album is stripped back, with sparse snares and cymbals in lieu of a full drumkit. Though the nearly 10-song project centers around pain and disappointment, each song approaches from the topic from a different angle, such as the Kendell Marvel co-write “Dear God.”
Marlowe calls Marvel “one of my favorite writers in Nashville that I’ve gotten to work with,” adding, “We really wanted it to be this conversation between this person and God, just throwing out all your faults and knowing why [an ex-lover] is gone, but praying to God she’ll still give you another shot.”
Elsewhere, “The Basement” feels reminiscent of the rock-infused brand of ‘90s country from artists such as Travis Tritt. “It feels like something he would’ve done back in the day,” Marlowe notes. “Travis is definitely one of my inspirations — I learned a lot of my singing from listening to him.”
He wrote one of the project’s standout tracks, “How’s the Leaving Going,” with Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill and lauded songwriter/NSAI Board president Lee Thomas Miller during a songwriter’s camp in Nashville.
“It’s a bit terrifying,” he says of the prospect of writing with Gill. “He’s the sweetest guy in the world, but he’s also insanely talented in so many ways — singing, guitar playing, songwriting. So it was intimidating stepping into that room. I trust myself when I’m writing, but when you are writing with a caliber [of writer] like Vince and Lee, you can question, ‘Is that line going to be all right?’ before you say it out loud. But it was so worth it. We wrote something I think is very beautiful.”
Marlowe also included a blistering, soulful cover of Cam’s 2015 hit “Burning House,” a song Marlowe calls “the coolest heartbreak song I think I’ve ever heard. You can see everything she’s talking about in that song.” It was that decision that set Sad Songs for the Soul in motion, though Marlowe’s initial concept for the album left room to expand on the project.
“The title was actually Sad Songs For the Soul Vol. 1: Heaven and the Bottle,” he says. “It was the full concept, in case I wanted to do a volume two down the road. I still may one day.”
While Marlowe’s grizzled voice and the slate of sad songs glue the project together, Sad Songs For the Soul leans on songs that touch on an array of styles, from rock-tilted anthems, torchy R&B-fueled numbers and gospel-influenced songs. The North Carolina native grew up soaking in the sounds of gospel music in his local church and becoming a worship leader. But by high school he had segued from church songs to rock anthems, starting a band with some local friends.
“I had no idea what I was doing at the time, but my high school teacher was so excited that somebody was playing music,” Marlowe recalls. “He created a class for me and my buddies to rehearse and learn how to put songs together. He would set up shows for us, which was exciting for me because I was learning how to build songs out, build a band and how to play those songs live.”
Marlowe pursued music during a short stint in college but dropped out to work to support his family, serving as an auto parts salesman for General Motors. Throughout, he continued playing music, putting up videos of himself singing cover songs on Instagram. One of those videos — a powerful cover of Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” — led The Voice to come calling.
“They found me on social media, and — this is terrible that I even had this going on — but back then, I had my phone number in the bio of my [profile], thinking girls might reach out to me. But it ended up turning out to be a good thing, that The Voice found that number and reached out.”
He competed on season 15 of The Voice, singing songs from Hootie & the Blowfish, Waylon Jennings and Bob Marley, and advancing to the top 24 before being eliminated. Encouraged by the competition, he moved to Nashville and quickly found that fans gravitated toward his independently released, solo-written song “Giving You Up,” which led to Marlowe signing with Sony Music Nashville.
In the five years that have elapsed, Marlowe has issued many songs that evince his gale force of a voice, bolstered by an ever-maturing songwriting style. He issued 2022’s We Were Cowboys and 2024’s Keepin’ the Lights On, featuring songs including “Steady Heart” and the Ella Langley collaboration “Strangers.”
“I’ve learned how to persevere through the tough times and I feel like that’s something that I’ve leaned on pretty hard the past couple years, where I’m by no means a massive artist yet,” Marlowe says. “I would love to get there one day, but I’ve really tried to persevere and keep just staying in my lane and not worrying about what other people are doing — just following my path.”
Beyond the new album, the WME-booked Marlowe is opening shows for Parker McCollum and will launch his 2025 Keepin’ the Lights On Tour March 7. Given his nimble voice, it’s possible that path could at some point mean Sad Songs for the Soul could be just the first “passion project” he releases.
“My favorite thing is just to discover new songs,” Marlowe says. “I would love to do a soul kind of record one day or a rock record. But those would all be passion projects for me, because I feel like country music is what I am the most — but I could see a record with maybe some Kings of Leon songs that I love so much.”
Bill Medley confesses that he thought “my recording days were over” since it had been more than a dozen years since the legendary baritone from The Righteous Brothers had released an album. But, thankfully, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee was wrong. On Friday (Feb. 21), Curb Records will release Straight From the Heart, a collection of country songs that pairs Medley with such artists as Vince Gill, Michael McDonald, Keb’ Mo’ and Shawn Colvin.
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The 84-year-old, who still performs with Bucky Heard as the Righteous Brothers — his original partner, Bobby Hatfield died in 2003 — is the voice behind such timeless, foundational ‘60s hits as “Unchained Melody,” “(You’re My) Soul & Inspiration” and, of course, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin,’” which was one of Phil Spector’s first productions using his layered Wall of Sound technique. Until 2019, the gorgeous classic was BMI’s most performed song in the performing rights organization’s repertoire for 22 consecutive years. Medley also paired with Jennifer Warnes for the iconic Grammy-winning “(I’ve Had) the Time of My Life” from the 1987 movie, Dirty Dancing.
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Straight From the Heart isn’t Medley’s first flirtation with country: He had a string of entries on Billboard’s Country Songs chart from 1979 to 1985 — including “I Do,” which reached No. 17 in 1984 — and played with such acts as Kenny Rogers, Alabama and Loretta Lynn.
In an expansive phone interview, the creator of blue-eyed soul talked about why he wanted to make the new album, recording in the studio with Spector and if it was more fun to tour with The Beatles or The Rolling Stones.
The new album spans songs as far back as the 1940s, with Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” to the 2000s with Vince Gill’s “These Days.” How did you pick the songs?
[Producer] Fred [Mollin] made a list of songs, I made a list of songs — and it just came down to the writing of the song and the artist that did it. I would love to do 10 more of these albums, and pay tribute to a million more great country songwriters and singers.
It’s been a dozen years since you put out an album. How did this one come to pass?
Fred and I have been friends for quite a while, and we’ve been talking about doing this album. We started out to do kind of a small album, and then my manager called Mike Curb, and Mike has been a friend of mine since 1970. Good, good friend. So, it went from the small album to kind of this important album. I think Fred was just interested in getting my voice on tape while I was still able to do it.
Did you have any concerns about that?
[I’m] always worried about my voice, but I knew those songs. I’ve been locked in with a lot of great songs, like “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling” and “Unchained Melody,” and all those songs, they’re real melodic, and country songs give you the flexibility to do them the way you want. I’m 84, I’m not a country singer — but I love country blues songs. I’ve always thought George Jones was one of the great blues singers in the world.
Speaking of George Jones, many people consider “He Stopped Loving Her Today” the greatest country song of all time. What was your approach for taking on that one?
Fred mentioned it, and I just mentioned that I love the song. Who doesn’t? And I said, “No, I can’t go there.” But they thought that I could and should, and they made the track. They said, “OK, if you don’t like it, then we won’t put it on.” But after I sang it a few times, I just loved the song so much that I okayed it… I had the final say on all the songs, but that one for sure, if it just comes off like a bad version, I don’t want it on the album.
One of the first tracks that came out from the album was a cover of Ray Charles’ “Crying Time,” with Michael McDonald. You two have two of the most iconic voices ever. What was singing with him like?
Mike and I have known each other for years. He was a big Ray Charles fan. So was I. He’s just really musically open. He sounds phenomenal; he sounds like Michael McDonald. I did want Mike on the album, and I especially wanted him to sing with me on “Crying Time.” I knew that we could do a good job on that. I was concerned, and Mike probably was too, that because we have such distinctive voices, [we didn’t know] how we would sound when we were actually singing together, harmonizing with each other. And he’s just so good, it just worked out perfect.
Ray Charles is your all-time favorite singer, and you got to meet him when you did the TV show Shindig! Did you learn any good business pointers from Ray? He counted the money himself.
No, I didn’t learn anything from him, but I learned awfully quick [about the business]. When we had a hit with “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” the first thing our agent did is put us with a business manager. That just saved our life, and we didn’t do anything stupid with our money. We were pretty down-to-earth guys. He was our business manager for a long time. Then he became my manager — and just a few months ago, he passed away. He’d been my manager for 60 years.
Did he get to hear the album before he passed?
Yes, he did. He said, “This is what you should have been doing all your life.”
You toured with Loretta Lynn and Alabama. Who else were you hanging with in those years?
I was working at a place in Phoenix where upstairs was a rock n’ roll, pop joint. Downstairs was this country bar. I was upstairs doing my [solo] show. I’d always go down to the country [bar] and they would ice up about five Coors Lights for me, and I would sit there and watch this guy. He would come over, and we would have a beer together and get to talking. And turns out it was Waylon Jennings. And so we became friends. Kris Kristofferson was a friend. Glen Campbell was a real good friend. And Kenny Rogers was a good friend. I just loved all of those guys. All my guys are gone.
You do “Sunday Morning Coming Down” on here. Is that a tribute to Kris?
No, I just love the song. It has such a great lyric. I really thought it was maybe one of the best songs that he’s written. He’s written some phenomenal songs. The truth is, I’m 84 years old and I probably have lived that [song]. I’ve had all the ups and the downs. Been married three, four times. That’s kind of why I picked certain songs. That one song I did with Vince Gill, “These Days,” is just the truth. Boy, I’ll take these days over any other days I’ve ever known.
You and Vince have a history. You were both nominated for best new male artist at the ACM Awards in 1985. Vince won. Did it seem weird to you that someone who had been having hits as long as you had was nominated because you had switched to country?
I thought it was very, very unusual — and I didn’t feel that I should necessarily be in that. I was thrilled that country music was accepting me. I thought that was really amazing and they always have, but being a newcomer of the year, I felt that somebody else should have been in that spot and not me. It was perfect for Vince, and he did pretty good. [Laughs.]
You’re obviously used to singing duets. What is the key to a successful duet?
For the Righteous Brothers and even Jennifer Warnes, it was kind of the beauty and the beast. You know, Jennifer sang so pretty, and Bobby Hatfield had a beautiful voice — and I always had this raspy kind of rock n’ roll voice. And so, I think for duets, if the two guys are lead singers, they have to sound different, or it’s just going to sound like the same guy doing the whole song. Girls are just so magical, because it’s so different. Simon & Garfunkel were pretty similar, and the Everly Brothers, for sure, were very similar. But I like the beauty and the beast idea.
You’re making your Grand Ole Opry debut on Feb. 22. Ringo Starr just made his Grand Ole Opry debut, so you have two guys in their 80s making their debuts.
That’s wonderful. He has a great band with him. I just don’t want people to think that I’m a rock n’ roll guy trying to sneak into country music. Country music has been a part of my life for years — and even in The Righteous Brothers show, I used to do what I would call a Ray Charles tribute, but it was all beautiful country songs like “Born to Lose,” “You Don’t Know Me” and “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” I just needed to do those songs.
Speaking of Ringo, who was it more fun to open for? The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?
Oh, you want to get me in trouble? [Laughs.] Well, it’s a pretty simple answer. The Beatles, when we opened for them, it was the first American Beatles tour — and the kids were just screaming and crying, yelling out, “John, John, Ringo!” Whatever. A lot of times when we were on, they’d be clapping and screaming, “We want The Beatles!” So then when they asked us to do The Rolling Stones, they hadn’t really made it yet. I think the next weekend after we worked with them, they became huge. So that was at least more musical, opening for them, so that was really more fun. But being with The Beatles was, obviously, more historic.
“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” ushered in the Wall of Sound. What was it like being in the studio with Phil Spector?
I remember he worked us real hard, real hard and real long, but it always got better so we didn’t mind it. Phil Spector was fine with us because we were kind of just a couple of street guys. He was used to working with a lot of girls. Working with him was fine, and we loved the song, but by the time the song was done, I think somebody asked us, “What do you think? Do you think it’s a hit?” I said, “There’s not a chance in the world that this will be a hit.” It’s way too long. It was over four minutes long — and, in those days, you did two-and-a-half minute records — and I sounded like I was on the wrong speed. I don’t know, it just sounded like a great record that could never be a hit. It’s just a remarkable record.
How was that different from making this album?
This was the most comfortable, easiest, rewarding album I’ve ever done. Working with those Nashville musicians was just such an honor, but, boy, just so easy and so good. I love the album and if something happens with it, that would be wonderful.
The honorees for the Country Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2025 were revealed Wednesday (Feb. 19) during CRS Honors as part of the Country Radio Seminar, which is happening in downtown Nashville Feb. 19-21.
This year’s radio category honorees are Ginny “Rogers” Brophey, Clay Hunnicutt and Gregg Swedberg. Honorees in the on-air personality category are Big D & Bubba, Mary McCoy and Rowdy Yates.
The honorees will be feted during the Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction and Dinner set for July 21 at the Virgin Hotel Nashville.
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The Country Radio Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made a significant and enduring impact on the industry, with inductees being recognized in the categories of on-air personality (honoring the achievements of on-air talent), and radio (honoring professionals behind the scenes in programming, management and sales). To qualify, potential honorees must have worked in the radio industry for at least 20 years, with 15 years in the country format.
Big D & Bubba first joined forces in 1996 at WTGE in Baton Rouge, La., and launched their self-syndicated morning show three years later. They have been honored by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music. In 2014, they formed their own company, Silverfish, which continues to be the duo’s radio home, extending to 97 radio stations and partnering with 71 broadcast companies. Since 2011, the duo have been heard on the Armed Forces Radio Network each morning.
McCoy has been drawing in radio listeners in Conroe, Tex., for more than seven decades, a feat that has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. Her radio career launched in 1951 when she joined KMCO-AM in Conroe. In the early 1990s, McCoy was one of the first voices heard on KVST-FM, a new radio station in Conroe. She has since played country music on K-STAR Country 99.7 for more than 30 years. McCoy is currently heard six days a week with on-air co-host Larry Galla. She was inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2010 and was part of the 2024 National Radio Hall of Fame class.
This year, Yates celebrates four decades working in radio. His career launched in Denton, Tex., in the mid-1980s, after which he ascended to dual programming/on-air roles in College Station, Tex., and Oklahoma City, Okla., before rising to roles at KIKK and KILT in Houston as well as KVOO in Tulsa, Okla. In 2004, Yates surged into nationally syndicated radio with an eight-year run hosting Country Gold. Since 2013, he’s owned, operated and worked as a host on Syndicated Media LLC Houston, and since 2019, he’s served as operations manager/PM for RFC Media/Suite Radio Houston, for country radio formats The Brand and The Legend. He also hosts The Rowdy Ride Home. Yates has been honored by the Academy of Country Music and the CRS-Country Aircheck Awards and is a member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame.
Brophey has worked in the radio industry for more than 40 years, with roles at WBOS, WKLB and WBWL. Since 2022, she has worked as brand manager/air talent/content creator at Townsquare Media’s WOKQ/Dover/Portsmouth. During her time at WBWL, Brophey joined the Country Cares radiothon program benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research, which earned her the “St. Jude Radio Partner of the Year” honor in 2019. Her St. Jude commitment included nine years of service on the St. Jude Radio Advisory Board. Brophey has been honored by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, as well as by the CRS/Country Aircheck Awards and the New Hampshire Broadcasters Association.
Hunnicutt has earned significant success in the radio and label sides of the business. He started at WUSY/Chattanooga, where he served in roles including production director, imaging director, assistant program director and ultimately program director. He then worked as program director of WGAR/Cleveland, director of programming for Clear Channel’s five-station cluster in Nashville, and held day-to-day program director responsibilities for WSIX. Hunnicutt later took on a similar role for iHeart/Atlanta with country station WUBL, before taking on a series of corporate roles for iHeart, including executive vp of programming for the company’s major markets. At iHeart, he went on to serve as vp/brand manager of country programming for the company’s 143 country stations, as well as vp/GM of iHeartMedia’s national programming platforms. He’s been honored on Billboard‘s Power 31 list and named one of Radio Ink‘s top 50 programmers, and has served on the boards for the CMA, ACM and Country Radio Broadcasters. He also is a member of Leadership Music’s class of 2005. Later in his career, Hunnicutt started Big Loud Records as president, helping to launch the careers of Morgan Wallen, Hardy and more. He subsequently served as GM at Big Machine Records and most recently served as executive vp of label operations for all of Big Machine Label Group’s imprints.
Swedberg has spent 34 years programming at KEEY (K102) in Minneapolis, Minn. He was named K102 program director in 1992, then rose to operations manager, senior vp/programming, regional senior vp/programming and national country format coordinator for the station’s parent company iHeartRadio. Swedberg was previously a board member for the Country Radio Broadcasters and has been a member of Radio Ink’s most influential country program directors every year since 2000. KEEY has won multiple station of the year honors from the ACM and CMA. Several personalities on K102 have also been honored by both organizations during Swedberg’s time as program director.
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s Beverly Hills house was burglarized on Friday night (Feb. 14), law enforcement told The Los Angeles Times. The couple was thankfully not home at the the time of the incident. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Officers reportedly responded to a report […]
When Kane Brown embarks on his headlining The High Road Tour March 13 in San Diego, California, the tour will not only highlight 12-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper Brown’s consistent hitmaker status and enduring headliner draw but also marks a significant opportunity for his opening acts to solidify their own connections with Brown’s fanbase.
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As a precursor to the tour, Brown has released to DSPs “Says I Can (The High Road Tour Version),” a collaborative rendition of his country-leaning song featuring his tour openers, “Your Place” singer Ashley Cooke, “Austin” hitmaker Dasha, “Truth About You” singer Mitchell Tenpenny and five-time Country Airplay hitmaker Scotty McCreery trading off verses and joining together on a chorus ready-made for arena-sized singalongs.
“[The goal] is to really amplify everything we are trying to do, and also highlight the great talent that we are taking out on the road with Kane,” Brown’s longtime manager, Neon Coast’s Martha Earls, tells Billboard. “They are all super talented, so why not highlight them?”
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The concept of a headlining act welcoming openers back to the stage for a group singalong is a consistent element in country music concerts, whether they team up on one of the headliner’s own hits or pluck a tune from country music’s deep trove of fan favorites. Brown has regularly welcomed his openers to join him on songs during his shows, such as welcoming Restless Road to sing “One Mississippi” on his 2022-2023 Drunk or Dreaming Tour, or inviting Jordan Davis and Restless Road to sing on “Famous Friends” during Brown’s 2021 Blessed & Free Tour, which visited all 29 NBA basketball venues.
Brown’s dedication to spotlighting his opening acts stems from his own early days, when Brown was opening shows for Florida Georgia Line. “FGL asked him to come out and be one of four [openers] on their tour, and they were so nice to him,” Earls says. “And then it all came full circle in 2024, when we had [former FGL member] Tyler Hubbard as our direct support. They really set the precedent of how to incorporate openers and make them feel like they are part of the tour. That’s something that is important to Kane and why he’s always brought openers out on a song.”
Brown’s move is not without precedent: Five years ago, Miranda Lambert put out a cover of Elvin Bishop’s “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” prior to the launch of her 2019 Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars Tour, with openers including Maren Morris, Ashley McBryde and Caylee Hammack; they also performed the song together during Lambert’s concerts.
Earls notes the lilting, warm “Says I Can,” a track from Brown’s The High Road album, naturally lent itself to a sing-a-long.
The idea came from Brown’s A&R executive at Sony Music Nashville, Margaret Tomlin. “She said, ‘What if we made a recording of “Says I Can” and put the openers on it?’ We loved the idea, because at the end of the day, let’s make it all cohesive and make what people are seeing onstage, then [be what] they can hop in their car and listen to and remember that moment,” Earls says.
“All of the openers were eager and excited to be part of it, which felt nice and expressed like, ‘Okay, this is more than just going out and playing shows. This is about creating a moment for everybody every night,” Earls adds.
Brown first recorded the solo version of “Says I Can” last summer while making his The High Road album, while Cooke, Dasha, McCreery and Tenpenny put their vocals on The High Road Tour version of “Says I Can” during the days leading up to The High Road release on Jan. 31. Each artist contributed their individual part from various locales — Tenpenny was in Australia, Cooke was in Nashville, Dasha was in Los Angeles, and McCreery was gearing up for a songwriters’ retreat on the East coast.
“They are all complementary, but different,” Earls says of the artists’ vocals. “The vocals each came in and we threw it all at [Brown’s producer] Dann Huff and he mixed them together. [We wanted] to be able to put this out in advance of the tour and give the fans a glimpse of some of what they will experience.”
Brown tied in a social media aspect to the song and the tour, filming off-the-cuff video of himself FaceTiming with Cooke, Dasha, McCreery, and Tenpenny and holding up a green cup for a “Cheers Challenge” to promote the new song.
“I’m texting Dasha, like, ‘Can you answer a FaceTime right now?’” Earls recalls of pulling the video together. “There’s a funny video of her answering while she’s driving, and she’s like, ‘I can’t find an exit to pull off, let me call you guys back.’ So, it was all very sweet.”
The time span from inviting the opening acts to take part in the song to finished recording and making social media clip took less than two weeks. “I feel like we’re creating a little bond from the start, from before we even step out into the first show in San Diego,” Earls says.
“All of the teams stepped up and jumped on making the videos and making the social media moments happen. That was part of the fun, too,” Earls adds. “We see everything on social media — tour clips, music video clips. Why not interweave it all? An even more extreme example might be when Kane and Jelly Roll are performing at Buckeye Superfest [in Columbus, Ohio on June 25]. They have a song together [“Haunted”] and I can’t wait until that night when they play that song together. I think it is going to be so powerful and such a moment. That’s the fun part of collaborating in the music industry, and I think the sum can be greater than the parts sometimes.”