Thomas Rhett’s “Make Me Wanna” Gets A Fashionable Nashville Celebration

Pictured (L-R): Larry McCoy, Thomas Rhett, Bart Butler.

Nashville celebrated Thomas Rhett, Bart Butler and Larry McCoy’s Gold-certified No. 1 song “Make Me Wanna” recently at the upscale Peter Nappi showroom in Germantown. The clothing venue was more than appropriate, given that the music video for “Make Me Wanna” was shot there. Friends and family gathered to celebrate the hit, which marked the third consecutive chart-topper off Rhett’s debut album It Goes Like This (Valory Music Co.). The shindig was hosted by BMI and SESAC.

The success of “Make Me Wanna” notched another milestone for singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett: Rhett is the first male country artist in 20 years to earn three consecutive Billboard No. 1 songs from a debut album.

“It’s really cool that we still celebrate this stuff,” Rhett said. “Everybody is so busy, whether you are a singer, songwriter or work for a publisher. Whatever you are doing, you’re always thinking about what the next thing is. It’s really nice to hang out and celebrate for a minute.”

He also gave thanks to country radio,  to his fellow writers, to his label home Valory Music Co., to producer Jay Joyce, to his publishing home, and to wife Lauren. “She has picked my last three No. 1s,” said Rhett. “So if I put a single out that doesn’t have Lauren’s stamp of approval, it will probably die pretty quick,” he quipped.

The day was extra sweet for writers Butler and McCoy. It was announced during the celebration that Butler’s hometown of Hondo, Texas, had declared April 9 as “Bart Butler Day.” Meanwhile, McCoy had been working in construction while forging a songwriting career. He remarked that with this No. 1 single, he relished that he can now “lay his hammer down” and focus entirely on songwriting.

Additional accolades were offered throughout the event by the CMA, CRS, and Avenue Bank.

(Back row, L-R): George Briner (Valory Music Co.), Leslie Roberts (BMI), Tim Fink (SESAC), Bill Butler (Bill Butler Music), Tom Luteran (Sony/ATV).
(Front row, L-R): Larry McCoy, Thomas Rhett, Bart Butler.

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Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at [email protected].

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