Industry Ink: Carrie Underwood, Riley Green, Ole 60, Preston Cooper, More
Carrie Underwood Unveils Special Opry 100 Rhinestone Mic Stand
Opry member Carrie Underwood unveiled the Opry 100 rhinesteone-designed Opry mic stand on Tuesday night’s Opry. Photo: Chris Hollo for Grand Ole Opry
Longtime Opry member Carrie Underwood gave fans a sneak peek of the custom rhinestone-themed Opry 100 mic stand during a performance at her fan club party at the Opry House on Tuesday afternoon (June 3), where she was also celebrating the two-year anniversary of her SiriusXM channel, Carrie’s Country. Later that evening, Underwood revealed the specially-designed mic stand during her performances in both Opry shows.
The stand was commissioned exclusively for the Opry’s 100th year and will be used for special performances throughout the Opry’s centennial celebration. During the Tuesday night Opry show kicking off CMA Fest, Underwood also surprised the audience by joining Ben Fuller during his set for their duet of “If It Was Up To Me.” On Thursday-Sunday, the Opry 100 Rhinestone mic stand will be at the Grand Ole Opry booth at CMA Fest in downtown Nashville, where fans can stop by and get a 360 “glam cam” photo with it.
Riley Green’s Buford Bonds Fund Donates $75,000 To Folds of Honor
Riley Green donates $75,000 to Folds of Honor
Riley Green donated $75,000 to Folds of Honor through his Buford Bonds Fund during the Rock ‘N Jock Celebrity Softball game on June 2. Established in honor of his grandfathers, Green’s charitable fund supports nonprofits around the country, and this marks Green’s fifth consecutive year participating in the event, which raises funds to provide educational scholarships to the families of fallen or disabled service members and first responders.
The cause is especially meaningful to Green, whose grandfathers proudly served in the military. Green’s Buford Bonds Fund most recently also supported The Recording Academy’s fire and hurricane relief efforts, hosted its first annual golf tournament which raised over $150,000 for the fund, and more.
Ole 60 Celebrates Platinum ‘Smoke & A Light’
Ole 60. Photo: John Park
Kentucky’s independent six-piece Ole 60 is soaring to new heights, earning Platinum-certification on their breakout single “Smoke & a Light.” The bad was recently highlighted by Billboard in their 2025 Country Power Players issue, and last weekend, Ole 60 played for a packed-out Railbird Music Festival in their home state.
“It’s surreal – we haven’t been doing this even 18 months. Hitting these milestones as an independent band from small town Kentucky is a really cool, crazy thing to experience and celebrate” the band shares collectively. “We have the greatest fans in the world, and this proves it.”
Preston Cooper Previews ‘Toledo Talkin” For Fans, Industry Crowd
Pictured (L-R, back row): Fusion Music’s Daniel Miller, Red Light Management’s Zach Sutton, The Valory Music Co.’s George Briner and Brett Warren; (L-R, middle row): The Valory Music Co.’s Ashley Sidoti, Preston Cooper, Big Machine Label Group’s Scott Borchetta, Big Machine Label Group’s Sandi Borchetta and Fusion Music’s Chris Ferren; (L-R, front row): Big Machine Label Group’s Allison Jones and Brad Warren. Photo: Nick Rau for The Valory Music Co.
Preston Cooper celebrated his new album at a special preview party last week. Cooper took the stage at Skinny Dennis to share a sneak peek of his upcoming debut album, Toledo Talkin’, which is set to drop on Aug. 29. More than 200 fans and industry partners came out to support Preston and experience the preview of what’s to come from the rising artist.
Markus Koger Launches Black Horse Pike Media Podcast Distribution Company
Markus Koger has officially launched Black Horse Pike Media (BHP Media), a podcast distribution company headquartered in Nashville. BHP Media will serve as the home and distributor for the widely followed Smoking Section Podcast and three brand-new original shows: YaNoFershure, Talk Dat Sh*t and Nashville Noise Podcast. BHP Media is stepping into the digital audio arena with a mission to spotlight culture-shifting dialogue, authentic storytelling and the kind of unfiltered perspectives that resonate with real listeners.
“Black Horse Pike Media is more than just a distributor — it’s a movement,” says Koger, Founder and CEO of BHP Media. “We’re here to shake things up. Whether you’re tuning in for the raw truth, the real laughs, or the rhythm of culture, BHP Media is your destination.”
Tristan Roberson Inks With The Kirby Organization
Tristan Roberson and TKO’s Michael Kelley. Photo: Natalie Roberson Photography
Tristan Roberson has signed with The Kirby Organization (TKO) booking agency. The 17-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Frisco, Texas, will be represented by veteran agent Michael Kelley. Roberson has distinguished himself as one of the genre’s most compelling new voices, and since releasing his debut single in May 2024, he has amassed over six million streams across platforms, driven by the viral success of his breakout track, “Somewhere in Texas,” which soared to No. 1 on the Texas radio charts in just 17 weeks.
