• ABOUT
    • Contact
    • The Team
    • FAQ
    • Use & Privacy Policy
  • ADVERTISE
  • ROWFAX
  • JOB LISTINGS
MusicRow.com
  • CALENDARS
    • Album/EP Releases
    • Single/Track Releases
    • Industry Events
  • OBITS
  • CHARTS
    • Radio Chart (Current)
    • Radio Chart (Archives)
    • No. 1 Challenge Coin
    • Songwriter Chart (Current)
    • Songwriter Chart (Archives)
  • REVIEWS
  • MY STORY
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Newsletter (Current)
    • Newsletter (Archives)
    • SIGN UP (FREE!)
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • STORE
  • Click to open the search input field Click to open the search input field Search
  • Menu Menu

On The Cover – Thomas Rhett & Rhett Akins (June/July 2014)

June 19, 2014/by Kelsey_Grady

One week last fall, father and son Rhett Akins and Thomas Rhett more or less had the market on Country hits cornered—having either written, co-written, or recorded five of the Top 10 songs on Country radio, including Florida Georgia Line’s “Round Here,” Billy Currington’s “Hey Girl,” Lee Brice’s “Parking Lot Party,” and Justin Moore’s “Point at You.” One of Akins’ hits that week—“It Goes Like This”—was especially monumental, as it became his 24-year-old son’s first No. 1 single and the title cut from his debut album. (Rhett has since scored another No. 1 hit, “Get Me Some Of That,” also co-written by Dad.)
Of this top-of-the-charts father/son success story, Akins told Billboard earlier this year, “That’s a dream come true for any songwriter or artist, but even more of a dream come true when it happens with your own son. That’s never happened in the history of music that we can figure out so far. That’s probably the highlight of my 20 years of being in Nashville.”
The landmark occasion was a big cause for celebration for Akins, 44, and Rhett (born Thomas Rhett Akins Jr.) and their performing rights organization, BMI, which toasted the brown-eyed, brown-haired, baseball-cap-wearing pair with a No. 1 shindig at Marathon Village.
Tending to a family tree full of songwriters is nothing new for BMI, which has also represented Hank Williams, Sr. and his family members, among so many other families in the industry: Bobby Bare and Bobby Bare, Jr., Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, Dean and Jessie Jo Dillon, Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter and their son Shooter Jennings, as well as brothers Brett and Jim Beavers, and Brett and Brad Warren. Still more bold-faced family names tied to BMI: the Presleys, the Bradleys, the Bergs, the Louvins, the Tillises, the Whitleys, the Morgans, and the Scruggs.
“Usually a songwriter’s longest-lasting professional relationship in the music industry is the one they have with their performing rights organization,” says Jody Williams, BMI’s vice president of writer/publisher relations. “If a successful songwriter who joined BMI has kids of his own, and those kids follow in his footsteps, they also will come to BMI many, many more times than not.”
Southerners are known for their loyalty, most especially to family and tradition—values that apparently extend to the region’s songwriters, most of whom show their allegiance to their performing rights organization by passing the relationship down to their songwriting children. Signing to the same performing rights organization as the songwriter parent who came before you serves as both a comfort and a convenience for artists, though BMI also views it as a larger responsibility, says Williams, whose own children have established strong careers in the industry. Williams’ youngest son Ed develops talent at Sony/ATV, while his eldest son, Driver, plays lead guitar for Eric Church and writes songs for Big Deal Music.
“For someone to bring their child to sign with you, it just shows you what confidence they have in you,” says Williams, who signed Rhett Akins to BMI in 1990, the same year Thomas Rhett was born. “It encourages you to do the best job you can for them—not that you wouldn’t do it anyway, but that’s pretty cool to be entrusted like that. We take that seriously.”
To purchase MusicRow’s 2014 MusicRow Awards issue, or to subscribe to MusicRow, visit musicrow.com.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Kelsey_Grady
Kelsey_Grady
Kelsey_Grady
Latest posts by Kelsey_Grady (see all)
  • In Pictures: CMA Awards After-Parties - November 5, 2015
  • In Pictures: Michael Ray, BMI, Kristian Bush - October 23, 2015
  • On The Cover – Grand Ole Opry (Oct./Nov.) - October 15, 2015
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on X
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://music-row-website-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/10180716/OTC-Post-JuneJuly-Graphic.jpg 386 300 Kelsey_Grady https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png Kelsey_Grady2014-06-19 09:29:032014-06-19 09:29:03On The Cover – Thomas Rhett & Rhett Akins (June/July 2014)
0 replies
  1. charlie
    charlie says:
    June 19, 2014 at 12:31 pm

    Love it:)

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

RECENT NEWS

  • MusicRow Weekly (News, Charts, More…) July 11, 2025
  • Riley Green Releases Acoustic EP ‘Midtown Sessions’ July 11, 2025
  • George Strait & Vaqueros Del Mar Slate ‘Strait To The Heart’ Benefit For Flood Victims July 11, 2025
  • Porter’s Call Unveils Lineup For 16th Annual “Evening Of Stories” In September July 11, 2025
  • Marcus King Band’s New Album ‘Darling Blue’ On Deck For September July 11, 2025
  • The Band Loula Offers Nostalgic Postcard From Home On New EP July 11, 2025
  • Trace Adkins, Jamey Johnson & More Salute Charlie Daniels On ‘Opry 100 Honors’ July 11, 2025
  • Lanie Gardner Slates Sophomore Record For September July 11, 2025
  • Marfa Inks With Ascend Music July 11, 2025
  • Luke Bryan Rises To No. 1 On MusicRow Radio Chart July 11, 2025

Like Us on Facebook

Follow Us on Twitter

Tweets by MusicRow
© 2025 Music Row Enterprises, LLC - Enfold WordPress Theme by Kriesi
Website hosted by Nashville web design company, All My Web Needs.
  • Link to Facebook
  • Link to X
  • Link to Instagram
Scroll to top